South by South WestThe spark which grew to become South by South West came during a post vintage road trip between Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Liv and Mij had decided to get "on-the-ground experience to learn about unusual varietals and different practices in wineries all over the world,” culminating in a trip around America, Canada and Italy to see and partake in each region’s style of winemaking. "We had a loose plan to learn about the lifestyle of wine while we were doing vintages overseas, with the aim of being able to come home to Australia and begin our own label. With a lot of hard work, we've been able to make it happen.” Liv and MijLiv and Mij are, respectively, a chemical engineer and graphic designer. Bringing their unique skills to their wine label, Liv’s background compliments winemaking, and Mij is involved with viticulture and designs the visuals of their brand. "One of our differences is that by having jobs outside winemaking, it ensures that we can avoid shortcuts. We make what we want and how we want to make it, without compromise." The two are friendly, charming, unpretentious and fun: A perfect embodiment of their wines. Their WineSouth by South West wines are clean, crisp and friendly. They are not afraid to break rules when they need to, but don’t deny the regions from which they source their fruit. "South by South West is all about making intentional wines which are unique to each vintage.” Mij told us, "We place emphasis on showcasing the region that the grapes are grown and what was specific about the vintage they were grown. We use minimal intervention practices and strive for maximum flavour and textural profiles that are balanced and made for enjoyment." At this Grape To Glass we tried four wines from their Regional Classics range and a Petit Verdot from their One Tonne Projects range. We started the night with a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc which blended four diverse subregions, moving on to a clean and fresh Chardonnay. Onto their reds, we tried a cooler-climate franklin river Syrah which Liv and Mij call a beautiful “proscuitto wine” and a Malbec Cabernet which riffed on the popular cabernet merlot blend, adding their own touch for a smooth and great drinking wine. In Grape to Glass tradition, we finished with a surprise wine: The 2016 Greenhorn Petit Verdot. We personally couldn’t get enough of this strong, spicy wine Mij and Liv call the “big boy” of their collection. The Petit Verdot, amongst their other One Tonne Projects, comes from a single tonne of great fruit. The name Greenhorn comes as a reference to this project as their first time making 100% Petit Verdot, alongside a reference to their vintage in California travelling through the Greenhorn mountain ranges. Percy FlintFor this event we trekked down to the courtyard of North Fremantle’s Percy Flint, a beautiful dimly lit space warmed by great wine and company. For a bit of a change from the usual format, this event was completely seated, with nibbles coming and going between tables throughout the night. See More:
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