Jared has a gentle-handed approach to making wine with a deft understanding for the entire process. He allows it to be a product that is directly related to the land – wine is an agricultural product, after all. Never expect each vintage to taste the same, feel the same, and with the strength of the drought, even exist. Each harvest commences a creative journey to communicate time and place, that can never be reproduced in the same way. The fruit is grown organically, fermented without control of yeasts, temperature or chemicals and is bottled with a pinch of sulphur dioxide to stabilise the final product.
His overall expression is of liveliness and vibrancy. He ferments with indigenous yeasts, an ancient practice which creates unique flavours by drawing bacteria from the air. He is clever with his use of grape skins for sometimes they stay fermenting with the juice producing amber hues and crunchy textures. His decision making is quick, appearing nonchalant, however entirely informed. Some wines are unfiltered, meaning you can expect to see some cloudy splendour and yet his range is broad. There are some for your everyday slurping – downright juice parties that satisfy a broad range of palates. But his mecca are the bottles labelled ‘Lone Ranger’. These are some of the purest, most complex wines. They sing in the glass. They are wildly delicious. Jared’s personality present in every drop.
The relationship that Jared has with the natural world most certainly inspires him to have as little impact on it as possible. The winery itself is completely off-grid and Jared has been sporting the use of larger format packaging in the form of kegs and wine in bags AKA ‘bagnums’. While bagged wine appears beneath the image of fine wine in the world, it statistically saves 70% less waste than glass and has 80% less power carbon footprint than glass. Mind blowing. And the quality of the wine isn’t compromised. Additionally, Jared now has the largest wine keg contract in Australia and is assisting venues with the set-up cost of the keg system to encourage its use. Schooner of Chardonnay anyone? Yes, please. His business exudes thoughtfulness.
Soon the cellar door will be complete, meaning the love of this little spot can be shared. The winery is a cool place full of contemplation, shielding the heat of day. Barrels of wine are guarded by a set of grand sliding doors. It smells of must and oak and although this is a place of work, there’s always a nice stem in reach to check a barrel or to sign off on another day of labour. Standing at the winery, the sun sets towards the left of the hill just behind the newly planted rows of grapes. Jared has planted fruit in Clunes to make wine. It’s a first but not at all risky. He is trialling a string of alternate varieties which are suitable to this climate because of an absolute understanding of his craft. So now we wait for Clunes wine.
We have a lot to be thankful for to have a gentleman like Jared in our haunt. For sustaining a positive web in the community. For isolating progressive ideas within his industry that contribute to the greater environment. For understanding regionality and a sense of place. For honing a skill that involves using your hands. Jared Dixon is enthused about being a winemaker because at the core of it all, he is creating something that comes from the land.