Name: Allevare Vino Novello Shiraz 2021
SKU: 24257
Price: 32 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock

Natural, Lo-Fi, Minimal Intervention, Sustainable… these are all terms that you would have heard in relation to wine at some point in the last fifty years. 

Many of the above terms have historically been used interchangeably, without much clarity around what they mean in a concrete sense, and thus many grey areas into what actual practices go on in the vineyard and cellar before the wine lands into your glass.

Here at Blackhearts, we’ve gradually leaned more towards terms like ‘Lo-Fi’ or even ‘Eccentric’ over ‘Natural’ when it comes to wine - as we’ve found the overarching meanings of both lofi and eccentric to be more broadly encompassing of what you may be able to expect in the glass. That said, one thing we’ve learnt over years of trial, error, and a multitude of tastings (it’s a hard life), is that there is no one box that will fit the lot. 

For a long time, Isabelle Legeron - author of ‘Natural Wine’ and founder of the prolific RAW Wine fair - was the go-to for the hardline definition of ‘natural’, outline that “Natural wine is made from grapes that are, at a very minimum, farmed organically or biodynamically, harvested manually and then made without adding/or removing anything during the vinification process. Ideally nothing is added at all but - at most - there might be a dash of S02 at bottling.”

And now, according to the voluntary ‘Vin Méthode Nature’ charter that the French have only recently set out (gotta love their trailblazing bureaucratic proclivities) - grapes must be certified organic, hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented (using natural yeasts found in the vineyard and wine cellar), and made without mechanised intervention (ie reverse osmosis or cross-flow filtration), and only a small amount of sulphur dioxide may be used.

Of course, not everyone has the resources, time, or interest to make wine in this manner - and there are a few folks who would argue that not everyone should. While a winemaker’s cellar practices will fit the Lo-Fi bill, they may only be able to purchase grapes from conventionally farmed vineyards with non-organic or biodynamic practices - leading to some grey areas in definitions.

We’ve got to say though: wines made in line with the practices outlined in the Vin Méthode Nature charter, when done well, can be absolute beauties to behold. You’ll find these sorts of wines from the mid-$30s realm in the Lo-Fi section in the fridge all the way up to those higher priced cuvées sitting on the Premium shelf - so as the old adage goes, you can’t judge a wine by its label. Some sulphur-free wines need a bit more love and care in their storage, and can be an adventure, everchanging in the bottle and even in your wine glass as they open up (which could be said even for those wines which do have sulphur added, to be honest!).

In our range & stores, we’ve made an effort to demystify the differences between these wines somewhat, by creating a symbol-led category system. You may have seen these in store or online, with symbols highlighting which wines are sulphur free, which use skin contact, which are farmed sustainably (whether it be organically or biodynamically), which are vegan, nutty and oxidative, which reds that go great with a chill, or are broadly Lo-Fi.

What is Lofi Wine

By definition, vegan wines are made without the use of these animal-based fining agents. They either rely on gravity to clarify the wine, use other fining agents which are not animal-derived, or the wine can be bottled cloudy to give it that ‘lo-fi’ look and texture. If you encounter the words ‘unfined and unfiltered’ on the back of a wine bottle, then you’re probably in good hands.

Historically, the production of wine did involve just fermented grapes, which were picked, crushed or left whole, and put inside a sealed container to ferment and mature. There are many reasons why wines are left to mature, but the one we’re going to dive into is filtration. 

During the fermentation process, wines are typically very cloudy and are full of small particles suspended in it. These can be organic particles coming from the grapes themselves, traces of dirt (grapevines are grown in soil, after all), or they can be from organisms such as yeasts, which at the time are busy producing alcohol. When a ferment begins to wind down, yeast cells begin to die off, forming a clay-like slurry at the bottom of the fermentation vessel referred to as lees. Generally speaking, gravity (and a cold environment) does a pretty good job of allowing a wine’s lees to drop out of suspension, allowing for clear wine to be siphoned off from the lees to another clean tank in a process called racking. This can be a time-consuming process, however, and is a significant barrier for winemakers looking to release their wines quickly. 

As a result, one of the methods that modern winemakers have developed to speed up this process is through the use of fining agents. These additives essentially act as a magnet, binding to impurities and particles suspended in a wine and then sinking to the bottom of the fermentation vessel, leaving the wine clear.

There are many different fining agents available for winemakers to use, and some of these agents are derived from animal products. There are also fining agents which are derived from extracts found in the earth’s soil, which are permitted in the production of vegan wines. But they aren’t all used for the same task, and they can vary in efficacy and application. 


**Examples of animal-based fining agents include: **
- Casein (a protein found in mammalian milk)
- Egg whites
- Isinglass (a form of gelatine extracted from the swim bladders of fishes) 

**Examples of earth-based fining agents include:**
- Bentonite (A type of clay)
- Plant-derived Casein
- Silica Gel
- Limestone
- Charcoal

Other products involved in wine production that may potentially be derived from animal products are beeswax (used for wax seals) and some agglomerated corks which can use milk-based glues. 

What is Vegan Wine?

Lucy Kendall and Alysha Moscatt run Allevare an a non-certified organic vineyard in West Gippsland. Born in the UK it was growing up on a farm outide Albury, NSW, where Kendall connected with her passion for sustainable farming practices. After 12 years in the wine industry and 14 vintages in Chile, France and Australia, Lucy then finished a Masters of Oenology and Viticulture at Adelaide University in 2018.

Born in Melbourne and working as a qualified florist in London and Victoria for the past 12 years, Alysha made the move to West Gippsland with her partner Lucy and immediately discovered a deep love for viticulture and wine making. Allevare aim to deliver delicious, thoughtful wines that reflect the culture and industry of Gippsland.

Who is Allevare?

Chilled reds can be a real treat because of the taste experiences that we gain by decreasing the serving temperature. Fruit character gains more tension, and the structure becomes more crisp (whether that be in acid or in tannin). Generally, the best candidates will have lower tannin levels, more fruit-forward profiles, more acid, and forthcoming aromatic profiles.

Depending on the winemaking style and the region’s climate, there are some grape varieties that can lend themselves to this more than others - think Gamay, Pinot Noir, new world Grenache, Zweigelt, Bläufrankisch - but there are no hard and fast rules. In terms of winemaking, a process like carbonic maceration (like you’ll find predominantly in Beaujolais, but increasingly throughout the world with a number of different varieties) lends itself to creating wines that can be excellent for chilling. 

Lots of the red & white blends that you’ll spy in the Lo-Fi sections of our stores lend themselves beautifully to chilling, with the aromatic profiles of the white grapes complimenting the juicy fruit character of the red varieties. 

What is Chilled Red Wine?

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So much black pepper here, along with plum skin, some charcuterie and lots of herbal crunch. It is early picked and feels like it could possibly be good for you. With a little smidge of cat's tongue tannins it can have a light chill too (not too cold though).

Allevare Vino Novello Shiraz 2021

Light - Medium

Body

Some may call it natural, others minimum intervention, either way, it’s hands off & maybe even a little eccentric.

LO-FI.svg

Lo-Fi

Type

Made without the use of any animal products.

Vegan.svg

Vegan

Dietary

Mornington

Sub Region

Victoria

Region

Class

Wine

Shiraz

Varietal

Australia

Country

Wonderful as is, but a slight chill will enhance the aromatics and give it a beautiful crunch.

Allevare Vino Shiraz 2021

$32.00

Out of Stock Online

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