We admire new winemakers trying new things. Though we usually hear most about the titans of the industry (Jacobs Creek, Peter Lehmann, etc – and no surprise after all, they have the marketing budgets!), it is the little guys behind the scenes that drive the continuous evolution and growth of wine. All of the super interesting niche red blends we are finding these days that we predict will go from “niche” to “norm” in the next five years, these are being driven by the Izway Wines, Pimpernel Vineyards, S.C.Pannell Wines and Brash Higgins Wine Co.s of the world.
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One small winery trying new things that we have come to love is Chirping Bird Wines, in the Mornington Peninsula. The story of Chirping Bird begins only in 1999, when the Smallman family first planted Shiraz and Muscat vines around their house. As they began tinkering with wines and found good success, they eventually leased a nearby block of land from another grower to expand their production. In all, they have under 10 acres, from which they produce all their wines. Now that is a small winery, whose labour is clearly driven by passion!
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Chirping Bird sources all their fruit from their own land; when you buy a bottle of Chirping Bird wine, you are tasting a laser specific terroir. They are a passionate family who have bootstrapped their way to success in wine, selling off their other business endeavors along the way to commit 100% to the wine. Who does not want to support that?  But what’s most important to us is they are trying new things and making great wine in the process. Chirping Birds’ flagship wine is their Shiraz. What, you ask? Didn’t we mean to type “Pinot Noir”? After all, over 70% of the red grapes planted in the Mornington are of the Pinot variety and it’s all anybody ever talks about down there (as far as reds go). But no, Chirping Bird is taking their stand with a Shiraz. Chirping Bird has identified a perfect sub-clime in the Mornington for Shiraz, and they are using it to epic success. What you will find in Chirping Bird’s Shiraz is an elegant, delicate yet complex, sophisticated red wine that boasts a light but lingering spiciness that tingles around the mouth. This versatile Shiraz has good depth but none of the bitter or ugly aspects that sometimes come with deep wines. In short, it’s really a delightful drop. And as more people taste what Chirping Bird has achieved, we won’t be surprised to see more acreage in the region given over to Shiraz grapes in the coming years. CB also produces a notable Pinot Noir and Rose.
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Chirping Bird’s new cellar door/art gallery (opened as of May 2021) is pretty sweet.  And the tasting experiences here are always top notch.  It’s a sure good time.