Doug Lilburne’s career in hospitality kicked off at the ripe old age of 15, working his way through kitchens in New York’s Hudson Valley. It’s here that he began thinking about flavours in fresh and exciting ways, so it was only natural that he eventually applied that same approach to winemaking. His journey took him to California’s Sonoma Coast, a hotbed of cool-climate wine production and a pivotal chapter that shaped his approach to organic viticulture. Today, Lilburne makes wine under the Mise en Place label from a base in Steels Creek, in a region also celebrated for its cool-climate wines: Victoria’s Yarra Valley.
Here’s Lilburne with what’s growing well on Victoria’s vines, and why you need to order a Jabberwock Martini stat.
As far as I’m concerned, the defining place to get a drink in Victoria is Three Horses in the CBD. The staff are wizards when it comes to cocktails, with warm, world-class hospitality to match. Try the Jabberwock Martini — that splash of fino is a seriously classy touch.
When someone hands me a drinks list, I start with something easy. Whether that’s a lager, gin Martini or a dry sherry is a toss-up. It’s important to look after yourself by wetting the whistle before sinking into the list.
The last three delicious Victorian things I drank were…
- Rare Muscat from a friend of mine, Alex Buller, in Rutherglen. This nectar is serious business. Not to mention, his table wines are delicious and come complete with the organic tick!
- Non-alc seasonal options from the talented La Pinta team in Reservoir. It’s chef-owned, so you can’t go wrong.
- Assembly Store in North Melbourne sources some delicious teas from around the world. I’ve been particularly obsessed with their hand-rolled Dong Ding Taiwanese oolong tea lately.
The Victorian wine I’m loving most right now is a new label out of the Mornington Peninsula called Old Man Sun. Started by Quealy’s Tom McCarthy and his wife, Sarah Saxton, their focus is on quality, and that’s apparent in every bottle. Try the Oyster Thief chardonnay; it’s a very nice bottle of wine.
There’s no better value on a wine list or in a bottle shop in Victoria than the wines made locally by up-and-coming winemakers. These are artists who sometimes don’t fully understand the worth of their art.
My favourite place to buy booze is Le Pub in the CBD, attached to Kirks Wine Bar. Jack Brodie is the mind behind the genius curation. He has a wall of wine and something for everyone.
I’d love to see people planting more palomino in Victoria because it’s delicious and completely misunderstood. Australia’s traditional growing regions once had plenty of acreage planted to this special variety back in the days of all the fortified sherry hype. Over the past two years of making this wine, I’ve learned that palomino doesn’t need to be fortified to show what it can do. It performs beautifully as a mineral-driven table wine, developing incredible layers of texture and aromatics through gentle oxidative handling. Palomino is a standalone variety, and it deserves to be understood on its own terms.
My guilty pleasure at the bar is Calvados. Liquid gold!
The best or most important change to the way people drink in Victoria in recent years has been the shift towards quality. People don’t have the patience for crap anymore, and I seem to agree with them. What’s the point of that glass of wine, beer or cocktail, after all? Enjoyment!
For me, the most inspiring person in the Victorian drinks world is [sommelier and writer] Marcus Ellis, because he’s a great guy and has managed to create a career around lifting other people in the wine industry through his words. I reckon that’s pretty special.
Find out more about Mise en Place’s excellent wines at miseenplace.wine and follow along for more at @miseenplace_wine.