→ Skin Contact Saison
→ 5.5% ABV
→ Low bitterness
→ Crisp, Tart, Berry
→ Colour: Rose
Every year (during vintage) the phone rings (usually at the most inconvenient time) and it’s our winemaking friends on the line. Over the sound of a forklift in the background, they inform us that it’s vintage (yep, got that) and that they are pressing grapes (oh, you don’t say?) before asking us if we’d like some skins and could we take them first thing in the morning? To which we always reply, yep, definitely.
It’s like well rehearsed dance at this point - it kind of works even if you don’t know who is leading. This year though, we missed a step, couldn’t get grapes from our usual source, and after some head scratching, we rang up our other friends at Noisy Ritual and managed to get some late season freshly pressed Shiraz.
To make this special drop we brewed up a Saison and then post-ferment we chucked in some freshly pressed fermented Lambrusco grape skins. A dry, spicy saison meets a tart, juicy chilled red. Spiced sparkling berry cider vibes. The fruity first sip is quickly followed up by a dry, tart acidity and a touch of tannins with the cherry nature of the grapes sneaking through.
Style side note: The style/term of Saison is a bit misunderstood in the new world beer region. Really it’s just farmhouse beer brewed usually in spring time originating from Wallonia (the southern french-speaking side of Belgium). As such there is a lot of variance within the “style”. In Australia though, what we usually mean when we say “saison” is an ale brewed in the style of the famous beer Saison Dupont which you can find in most good bottle shops in Melbourne.
Price includes a $2/bottle deposit. Return your bottles to the brewery to receive credit for future purchases. Learn more here.