Is This Australia’s Coolest Winery?

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Australians love a glass of wine.

There are more than 2400 wineries across the country, across 65 designated wine regions, and it is estimated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that only 16.6% of wine sold domestically is imported.

That’s a stunningly low figure, and one that makes the wine industry not only a tough grape to crack, but also a no brainer. Australians love wine, we already knew that – I’m drinking a glass right now, actually – but when it comes to finding something new, we can get stuck in our ways.

Enter Alpha Box & Dice.

Not even ten years into their existence, and this modern little vineyard in South Australia’s McLaren Vale region — hailed as one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world – has founded its reputation on giving the ol’ wine business a much-needed sense of fun. Located roughly an hour from Adelaide, the winery is open seven days a week, nestled amongst other local businesses but with surely more quirky knick-knacks and finely detailed decor than the rest.

“Random vinous experiments that enchant,” said cellar door manager Reyes Beard, when I asked her to describe AB&D in five words. The company’s attitude towards any clientele — experienced wine-lovers and newcomers alike — is refreshing.  “We don’t like to shove wine wank down peoples’ throats or preach the wines as if conducting a sermon. Your palate will decide for you whether you like it or not, no matter what we say. It’s a pretty easy set up here, so you can kick back and take your time. And music; definitely expect loud music.”

In terms of the drink itself, Alpha Box & Dice set out to breathe fresh air into the world of wineries, to appeal to a younger, more adventurous crowd. “We like to experiment with perceptions and less familiar varietals”, she says, “premium wines that are stylistically driven and delivered without pretense certainly draws in those that are adventurous at heart.” It’s precisely this spirit that saw Forbes name them one of the coolest wine labels in the world last year.

Perhaps it has to do with the McLaren Vale’s close proximity to the South Australian beaches and coastal areas; that no-worries attitude that beach culture has popularized, and that only a new company can fully exploit in a modern context. Theirs is a relatively small and young winery, which came about in 2008 after their self-anointed “Svengali”, winemaker Justin Lane, came back home after working all over the world — including the UK, France, Italy, and Moldova, a country he cites as particularly inspiring with its more than 8000 years of wine-making history.

“You can’t go forward without understanding the past and how we reached where we are today”, explains Reyes, before acknowledging that living in the now is just as vital. “We measure our success by the quality of [the wine] produced, that’s all that matters.” And they do it all with a defiant independence on technology, which the company calls “winemaking with a reduced toolbox”.

Visitors to the region should expect this same low-key ambiance when visiting. Large groups aren’t recommended, but “roll up in a car at the AB&D cellar door and you can expect a good time”.

The winery also hosts culinary guests on the property from time to time including the adventurous fusions of the regular Neon Lobster nights. Guests can bring along a picnic blanket and wash down delicious quesadillas and tacos with the winery’s best, most flavourful wines, like Whitemare (“certainly more Buena Vista Social Club than hardcore Pommy punk”), Mistress (“purple kisses smeared all over you”), Blood of Jupiter (“a specialised vinous find full of good humour”), and Golden Mullet Fury (“a glorious frenzy”).

When asked what movie they think summarises the Alpha Box & Dice spirit most, Reyes suggested David Lynch’s famously twisted mysteries Lost Highway (1997) and Mulholland Drive (2001). Odd titles to think of on the surface, but they are also films that require the viewer to just let go and experience the layers upon layers that are there. That’s a good metaphor for wine, really, as well as AB&D’s attitude to making and drinking it. Just relax and let the wine take you somewhere you’ve never been before.

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