Third generation winemaker Ollie Margan is making his mark in the Hunter Valley - and beyond - with his new Breaking Ground range.
His 2022 semillon, for instance, features on the latest A Glass Of wine list curated by award-winning Shell House sommelier (formerly of Rockpool, Quay and Aria) Alex Kirkwood.
"Ollie Margan has more experience in vinous treats than most and, having now returned to the family estate, is creating something very special of his own as well as a continued pursuit of top-tier winemaking with the family label," Kirkwood says in his tasting notes.
"There is immense excitement about his new wines, which take an approach of working with healthy vines to make better wine."
And the wine itself?
"The Margan semillon shows light-bodied and brisk. Green tea and lemongrass on the nose. Mineral water with steeped lemon peel and lime leaf on the palate. Slightly grippy and entirely refreshing. Just in time for summer. As we have enjoyed together, a large tray of Sydney rock oysters and ice-cold semillon is a local treat."
A Glass Of is an Australian company that sources premium independent wine and shares it in convenient, eco-friendly 200ml single serve pouches. A five-pouch box costs $45. The collaborating sommelier changes monthly.
The pitch is that the pouches take the guess work out of choosing a bottle of wine; you get more bang for your buck (standard restaurant servings are 150ml); you're supporting independent winemakers; and your wine is portable and ready to pour any time, anywhere.
Oh, and it's a more sustainable option, too. Each foil pouch is "precycled", meaning less materials and energy are required in the production of the mini casks.
Margan is in good company. Kirkwood also chose the NSW Mada Pinot Gris (2022); Hilltops NSW Maker Master Merchant Organic Rosé (2022); Central Ranges Harrison Grenache (2022) Barossa Valley; and Agri Montepulciano Nero d'Avola (2022), Riverland.
"My first encounter with A Glass Of was actually as a consumer in a boutique Sydney hotel - I thought it was a great concept," Margan, who was was named Havana Club bar entrepreneur of the year in 2020, told Food & Wine.
"The notion of premium wine in less packaging is one that resonates with me. When the opportunity to be involved was presented to me, I was eager to get on board."
He says he was "pleasantly surprised" when Kirkwood selected his semillon.
"I've known Alex for several years and I have long respected his palate," Margan said.
"The wine is a slightly atypical Hunter Valley semillon. A bit of skin contact and maturation in concrete tanks really amps up the texture and aromatics of what is otherwise a summer quencher."
Margan Wines is a family-run enterprise, established in the mid-1990s, that produces wines from their estate vineyards in the Broke-Fordwich corner of the Hunter Valley. Margan says the Breaking Ground wines are the result of "a renewed viticultural focus".
"A desire to use a gentle touch in the field and winery has resulted in wines that speak to my interest and influence as a grower and maker," he said.
"That's not to say that our other wines (of which I am fully involved in producing also) are overly manipulated, rather we are afforded some stylistic freedoms with a new label that are otherwise restricted as an established brand.
"I like the classic regional styles of the Hunter Valley and the great wines are truly inspirational. It's nice to come at some of these old vineyards from a different angle though.
"Working with some alternative regional varieties such as albarino and barbera has been a rewarding challenge also."
He's also enjoying the change of pace. Margan is still a partner at Adelaide cocktail bar Maybe Mae but has traded the late nights for early mornings on the family estate alongside his winemaker father Andrew and sister Alessa who "is at the business end of a winemaking and viticulture degree".
"Fortunately, we all get along very well both personally and professionally," he said.
"There is a lot of mutual respect - we drink plenty of good wine together and while we don't always share the same opinion, we are growing better grapes and making better wine as a result of the team effort."
Go to aglassof.com.
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