Hamish Thomson is a fifth-generation vigneron at Best’s Great Western. Hamish, like all his family, has been involved in his family’s winery since early childhood. Starting out, he suckered vines and cleaned barrels, working in every area of the business before settling into a role in sales and marketing. He’s now the regional sales manager and brand ambassador, calling on local Victorian customers to tell the stories of Best’s wines.
As far as I’m concerned, the defining place to get a drink in Victoria is a family-owned winery cellar door. Why? There are many wineries crafting incredible wines that are often not found unless you visit them. Small-batch wines, made on-site, often with experimental varieties or styles not commercially available. You’re often hosted by people with a passion for what they do, sharing wines that they have lovingly created. The cellar door is such a special part of the wine experience. It’s memorable, a place visited on a trip or when you want to get to know the maker.
Some of the great Victorian cellar doors I love to visit include Grampians Wine Cellar in Halls Gap. The owner, Simon, does a great job in showcasing the stories of many local wineries. Plus, the older and established Victorian wineries have also got awesome stories to tell – fellow members of Australia’s First Families of Wine – Tahbilk in the Nagambie Lakes region, Brown Brothers in King Valley, and Campbells at Rutherglen all have wonderful cellar doors. The older wines that are often pulled from the cellar are exceptional. Not to mention that the staff are incredible storytellers.
When someone hands me a drinks list, I look for some interesting wines that I’ve not tried before. Alternatively, I look for something lighter in style, like a pinot meunier, when it’s on the list.
The last two delicious Victorian things I drank were… this is tough, but two of the most recent standouts were the Nick Farr, Wine By Farr Irrewarra chardonnay I tried last night – it was just exceptional – and a wonderful Jura-style white made by Belinda Thomson of Crawford River (no relation!).
There’s no better value on wine list or in a bottle-shop in Victoria than sparkling shiraz, especially those which have been crafted with a little age in bottle and made using the traditional method – it’s uniquely Australian style, with origins here in Victoria that we should be incredibly proud of. Check out some of the older vintages of Seppelt Show Sparkling, Billy Button’s Sparkling Shiraz or Campbells sparkling shiraz.
My favourite place to buy booze is the range of great regional bottle shops in Geelong, Ballarat and regional areas of Victoria which do a great job promoting local producers and showcasing great Victorian wines. Union Cellars in Geelong, for example or Conlans Wine Store in Port Fairy. As a wine lover, you’ll always discover something fabulous at the Prince Wine Store in Melbourne, too. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and there’s always something new to discover.
I’d love to see more people distilling brandy in Victoria, particularly at the high end. We have a long history of making brandy in Australia and stopped drinking it, which is a shame. Maybe this is something that will make a comeback given the interest in spirits?
In terms of wine, I’d love to see more experimentation with different varieties, noting, though, that it really is a long-term process to see what works in the vineyard and how it ages in bottle. I’d love to see more premium chenin blanc being grown here in Victoria. It’s a really delicious white wine and it matches so beautifully with food.
The best or most important change to the way people drink in Victoria in recent years has been the shift towards lighter reds and greater emphasis on enjoying wine socially with a meal. It’s very much part of our lifestyle and this is introducing younger people to our products. I love going out for dinner with my son (who is, I should add, of legal drinking age) and seeing him explore different wines with food. You go out to dinner and the last few years there is a lovely background noise, people having a great time. I see this when hosting wine dinners where people are embracing the moment. There are lots more elegant and medium-bodied wines being made here in Victoria, and people are discovering the different regions and what they have to offer. There’s a trend towards lighter-style shiraz (which I think is more elegant and refined), as well as pinot noir and sangiovese.
We’re celebrating at the winery right now because our most popular wine, Best’s Bin No. 1 Shiraz, turns 21! What began as a vision in 2000 has evolved into a beautiful medium-bodied shiraz that showcases everything we love about making wine here at Best’s Great Western.
Twenty-one years might seem modest for a winery with our history. So why celebrate? We’re incredibly proud of what Bin No. 1 represents. Over two decades, this wine has been refined in the hands of remarkable winemakers – Hamish Seabrook, Adam Wadewitz, Justin Purser, and now Jacob Parton – each adding their personal touch while staying true to what the wine represents. It’s the wine that often introduces wine lovers to our flavoursome regional style here in Great Western. Not the big and bold shiraz that they expect, but one more elegant and refined.
We’ve been making shiraz in Great Western Victoria since the 1870s, and while trends may shift, our focus remains. We craft six distinctive shiraz expressions, plus two sparkling shiraz wines, each telling the story of our small corner of Victoria and the historic vineyards that we are custodians of. Many will try this wine first when they get to know Best’s, and then they discover our other best-kept secrets.
For me, the most inspiring person in the Victorian drinks world is my dad, Viv Thomson OAM. He continues to inspire me and has been the most influential mentor in my wine career. He has an enormous depth of knowledge about the whole wine process, from the vineyard to the customer interaction. Even at 87 years young, he’s charismatic, open-minded, and willing to experiment. His understanding of vine growth and the movement of the grapes through to the winery and then into a product is exceptional. He has a willingness to experiment with clones, styles, and winemaking techniques but his desire to work with others and be a sounding board is truly inspiring. The open exchange of information is one of the best things about the Victorian wine industry. This collaboration and exchange of ideas between friends has helped make the industry what it is today. The old guard – Ian McKenzie, Bill Chambers, Tony Jordan – are ones who immediately come to mind. They very much deserve of the title of legends.
Best’s Wines, 111 Best’s Rd, Great Western, bestswines.com, @bestswines