Vineyard grazing sheep, wine from 6,000BC and the difference between Pinot Gri (the French version) and Pinot Grigio (how the Italian’s do it), were just some of the conversation topics that winemaker Jeff Aston shared in Saturday’s night live stream, the first of the Meet the Winemaker series events hosted by Lorna Moffat from Down to a Wine Art.

Oh, and there were some cracking wines too!

The first live stream wine event was a hit with those in attendance and a great way to spend a cold Staurday night in, with one participant commenting, “even out of COVID, this is a spectacular idea!”. Wines were delivered to attendees direct from the winemaker prior to the event.

Lorna hosted the conversation with Jeff guiding us through a range of wines, delivered to attendees prior to the event, from his Tractorless Vineyard, incluing a Pinot Gri, Pinot Grigio, and Cabernet Sauvignon amongst others. He even exposed a number of ‘closet’ Chardonnay drinkers. Australia’s most purchased wine but one a lot of us don’t want to admit too! Not the case with Jeff’s chardonnay which was a hit with all.

It’s rare to get such intimate access to a winemaker talking in-depth about their own wines. Something unqiue to this live-streamed format that you wouldn’t otherwise get. A key driving force behind the concept which was developed by Lorna. Jeff is one of four winemarkers that feature in the series that will continue to run over the next three Saturday nights.

It’s the passion the winemakers have that sets this series apart and kicking the series off with Jeff was a great choice. His passion and love for his craft is something that translates into the amazing wines we tasted on the night. Having set up his business to deliver wines for larger commercial operations, Jeff began making his own wines, “for the fun of it”.

The wines were certainly a hit, with guests throwing away the traditional star rating to give Jeff’s wine a sheep rating, “really nice, 6 woolly sheep”, as one comment said, in a nod to the bio-diversity program that sees sheep graze his vineyards.

But Jeff’s insight and the stories behind the wines and the industry were a hit too. We learnt how grapes are able to imitate the tastes of various different fruit, a trait unique to grapes, how negatively charged egg whites and positively charged tannins can help filter wine, and even the history of the first wine making. According to Jeff, and his recent studies, winemaking can be dated back to 6,000BC to Georgia, where tartaric acid (made only from grapes) was found in pottery shards

It’s been a difficult time for many, and winemakers such as Jeff have been hit hard. According to Jeff, many local wineries and cellar doors in the Southern Highlands of NSW where he is located, simply won’t survive the pandemic. Jeff said, “If every single person made that little effort to buy online from a local producer, it would really change lives”.

Whilst admitting this new virtual thing was a big learning experience for him, Jeff was right at home in the format, and the interaction between Jeff and host Lorna made for an enjoyable night of entertainment and education.

It was a great night in and one we highly recommend. So if you’re looking for something different to try on a Saturday night, on your own or with a couple of friends, the Meet the Winemaker series is perfect for you.

But we’ll leave the final say to one of the live stream attendees who signed off with, “We have certainly had a grape time, brilliant concept!”.

Tickets are still on sale for The Meet the Winemaker event featuring Simon Tolley on Saturday 6th June Book now at Ticketek.