New Arrivals
Verney Wines
Varney Wines may have officially launched in 2019, but its story started more than a decade earlier with what winemaker Alan Varney calls a “tonne for fun” — the chance to make wine his own way, using fruit from some of his favourite vineyards across McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills.
After years spent working at respected wineries in Australia and abroad — including more than a decade at d’Arenberg — that small passion project grew into the family-run Varney Wines. Today, Alan works closely with growers he has built relationships with over many years, seeking out high-quality fruit and taking a thoughtful, hands-on approach in the winery. There’s no one-size-fits-all recipe: whole bunches, wild yeast, foot treading, carbonic maceration and extended skin contact can all come into play depending on what the fruit calls for.
Varney Wines is based at the Gateway to McLaren Vale, where the family restored a beautiful 1870s limestone barn and built an environmentally sensitive winery alongside it, overlooking the Onkaparinga River Gorge. The wines quickly earned plenty of attention too, with Varney named Halliday Wine Companion’s Best New Winery of the Year in 2021.
Join us for a Splash & Dash with Varney Wines Saturday September 12 from 4-6pm.
Our Pick
Jim Barry Assyrtiko 2026
From the sun-drenched shores of Santorini to the rolling hills of South Australia's Clare Valley, Jim Barry Assyrtiko is a remarkable story of discovery, passion and pioneering winemaking. First captivated by this ancient Greek grape variety while holidaying in Santorini in 2006, second-generation winemaker Peter Barry recognised its vibrant acidity and refreshing character as reminiscent of Clare Valley Riesling, yet wonderfully unique. Inspired, he embarked on a six-year journey to bring Assyrtiko to Australia, establishing the country's first plantings at the family's treasured Lodge Hill Vineyard in 2012.
The 2026 Jim Barry Assyrtiko continues this extraordinary journey, celebrating a variety renowned for its lively citrus flavours, mouth-watering freshness, distinctive minerality and elegant texture. Beautifully versatile and irresistibly refreshing, it's a natural partner to fresh seafood, Mediterranean cuisine or simply a sunny afternoon. A little taste of Greece, a true expression of the Clare Valley, and a wine born from one unforgettable glass.
