The ambience inside the tasting room and through to the surrounding lawns, garden and vineyard welcomes visitors to the Calabria Family experience. The tasting itself is enhanced by quality stemware and all visitors are offered a tasting sheet with the list of wines in recommended order, acting as a guide throughout the visit. Information from the winemakers is also available for all wines via iPad.
The Riverina ranges include top-of-the-line Three Bridges featuring classic varieties and the Botrytis Semillon. The Calabria Private Bin label introduces a soft, lively Prosecco from Italy, and local wines from indigenous Italian varieties such as a cleansing vermentino and a complex montepulciano. There’s also the budget-priced Richland and Poker Face. The Cool Climate range offers small parcels of growers’ fruit at attractive prices including riesling, sauvignon blanc, semillon sauvignon blanc, pinot noir and tempranillo. Group tours and tastings are on offer, while occasional special events such as ‘un-WINEd’ in June also add to the winery’s vibrant culture. Peter Forrestal