Ready for a Friday vino? Well, you might want to make tracks to one of our all-time fave beachside restaurants, The Shorehouse. The dreamy venue has just taken out two awards at The Australian Wine List Of The Year Awards this week, heading home with not just WA's Best Wine List but also Australia's Best Sparkling Wine List.
Nina Throsby is the Perth wine queen behind the award-winning list. As the official Group Sommelier for Kailis Hospitality Group, she's responsible for curating three incredibly unique wine lists across The Shorehouse, Island Market and Kailis Fish Market in Fremantle. She's poured a lot of passion, experience and ongoing training into growing and refining their lists over the years, so the whole team is understandably pretty stoked to come home with the win.
"It’s truly so exciting for the team," said Throsby. "Aaron Commins, Alex King, Emma Parker and myself have seen this list grow each year and to be recognised as not only the best list in the state but the best sparkling list in the country is yet to really set in."
We thought who better to ask about what we should be drinking this summer than the wine queen herself. Read on for five of her top picks to try.
NV Jean Perrier Crémant de Savoie, Savoie, France
"I am a true believer that sparking wine is appropriate for all occasions and at any time in a meal. I love lesser known appellations that use interesting grapes to produce wines of difference. One such producer is Jean Perrier in the Savoie region of france, known more for ski slopes than wine. This cool climate bubbles is made from a blend of the indigenous grape Jacquère and Chardonnay. I love a wine that can also be a conversation piece!"
Bollinger PNTX17 / Bollinger PNVZ16, Champagne, France
"Sometimes you need to bring in the big guns, there’s no denying that champagne will get the job done. In a region where there is such a complex and rich history of winemaking it’s exciting when you see innovation coming from the larger houses. Bollinger have released a series of site focused Pinot Noir based champagnes, named for the village and vintage they center on, the minimalistic labels with PNVZ or PNTX are hard to miss. These wines are wonderful, thought provoking champagnes that really speak to the new age mindset we are seeing in the region."
The Next Hundred Years Riesling Great Southern, WA
"I was taken by this new label from the Great Southern and I’m so excited to see what is to come. This wine is all about crystalline fruit and fine lines. I think Australia makes incredible Rieslings and some of the best come from our backyard."
AMI Les Péteurs Aligoté Burgundy, France
"We often look to Burgundy for Chardonnay, for good reason—it’s the most planted white grape however, lately with prices rising and it becoming harder to source I’ve become fond of the lesser known white burgundy; Aligote. Aligote is like Chardonnay's racy, citrus driven cousin, it has great potential and when given the right treatment it can delight and surprise even the toughest critics. For a taught Aligote with plenty of drive try AMI, a more new age producer. If you are looking for a more Chardonnay-Esq example with oak and texture—Benjamin Leroux makes a bigger more voluminous style."
Small Wonders Landscape Series Pinot Noir, Tasmania
"One of the best parts of the job is being able to see a labels first release. This new project from Small Wonders out of Tasmania has been a joy to discover. Clever winemaking here makes a seemingly light and bright example but the wine has an intricate acid profile and woven tannin structure that makes the vibrancy of fruit really shine."
You'll find all of these pouring at The Shorehouse, but you can also try one of Perth's best independent bottle shops (ReStore Leederville and Old Bridge Cellars were Nina's recs) if you're keen to sip them at home.
Image credit: Shot By Thom