Image courtesy Pernod Ricard Winemakers

Pernod Ricard Winemakers has launched Aces & Arrows, a wine brand with a different winemaker behind each wine. Dan Swincer, Pernod Ricard chief winemaker explained that the four winemakers were given creative license to experiment and craft a wine of their choosing, using their favourite variety.

“We gave our winemaking team the opportunity to have extra creative input, play and have fun when it comes to their craft. No idea was to be left unturned, and that’s how Aces & Arrows was born,” said Swincer.

This release includes a 2022 Riverland Vermentino, 2020 Adelaide Hills Grüner Veltliner, 2022 Central Otago Pinot Noir and 2019 Barossa Valley Grenache.

“Every bottle is a direct portal to the inner workings of the winemaker; liquid labours of love, full of heart and skill in spades. When you select a bottle of Aces & Arrows, you can be sure that every drop contains the creativity, passion, and spirit of the craftsman who made it.

“A peek behind the proverbial curtain, an all-access discovery pass to the winemaker’s playground – these are the wines that rarely see the light of day,” continued Swincer.

Allira, the creative mind behind the Vermentino, sourced one of her favourite varieties from SA’s Riverland, which she fermented in tanks then matured it in oak, stirring regularly to build complexity and texture.

It was winemaker Tim’s mission is to bring lesser-known wines to the spotlight and one of his favourites is Grüner Veltliner. These Grüner parcels from the Adelaide Hills were harvested and pressed at night to retain aromatics and fruit integrity.

For the Aces & Arrows Pinot, winemaker and Pinot-phile Greg wild-fermented grapes from Central Otago to add weight and complexity, which were then matured in fine-grained French oak.

Mick fell in love with Grenache in Spain which led him to experiment back home and give it a vibrant, new personality. The Grenache for his wine was sourced from four different old-vine vineyards across the Barossa Valley and depending on the batch, was fermented in open small stainless steel or French oak, either on skins or in whole bunches.

“I am proud to be a part of this new brand born out of the passion projects of our Pernod Ricard winemakers. We’ve allowed of our winemakers to push the boundaries and experiment with different varietals in capacities that hasn’t been done before,” concluded Swincer.

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