Cover Amelia Park’s vineyards sit between the Margaret and Franklin rivers (Photo: Courtesy of Hightail / Amelia Park Wines)
Amelia Park’s vineyards sit between the Margaret and Franklin rivers (Photo: Courtesy of Hightail / Amelia Park Wines)
1 / 1
Australian winery Amelia Park enters the Southeast Asian market with the best of the Margaret River wine region
Nestled in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, Amelia Park has been nurturing 100 hectares of vineyards for 15 years. Although it’s not much compared to other renowned New World wineries, it takes pride in producing 40,000 cases of quality wines a year.
“There’s a lot of science behind what we do in winemaking, but at the end of the day, it is creative. There’s a lot of art behind putting a wine together,” shares Jeremy Gordon, winemaker for 30 years who co-founded Amelia Park with his wife, Daniela.
Read more: What goes into creating a great wine list, according to Asia’s top sommeliers
Above Cabernet sauvignon from the Reserve collection
Cabernet sauvignon from the Reserve collection
1 / 1
Gordon explains that chemistry plays a vital role in winemaking, including intuitively choosing which blend goes with what. Essentially, he crafts wines he would like to enjoy, by itself or with succulent dishes. “I always do everything using my own senses and feelings. I’ve learnt that you stand back and guide through the winery and create wines that are an expression of a particular variety or the site you’re trying to showcase,” the winemaker says.
Amelia Park’s exceptional array of wines is available in major restaurants and stores throughout Australia, among other countries. Visitors to Amelia Park can opt for a memorable wine tasting in the stunning Cellar Door with views of the Wilyabrup Valley. They can also visit the restaurant for a wonderful meal in a sophisticated setting. Head chef Blair Allen runs a kitchen dedicated to showcasing fresh ingredients, with a wood-fired oven and grill burning local Jarrah for heat and flavour at its centre. Crafted from local produce, some from the restaurant’s own garden, the result is intensely flavoured food designed to share.
Read more: Inside Davao Food and Wine Festival 2024: Chefs, bartenders, and artisans to know in Davao City
Above Amelia Park Cellar Door, the tasting room of the winery with spectacular views of the valley and delectable dishes to pair with the wines
Amelia Park Cellar Door, the tasting room of the winery with spectacular views of the valley and delectable dishes to pair with the wines
1 / 1
Guests may savour selections from the winery’s Estate, Reserve or Trellis collections paired with the finest lamb, beef and seafood products from Western Australia.
“We are surrounded by ocean on three sides, which gives us a ‘cool climate’,” Gordon describes. He explains that the climate gives a unique character to the terroir, reflected in the quality of vintages produced by Amelia Park. “Our proximity to the ocean moderates our temperature and gives us a beautiful maritime climate. Hence, there’s no pressure on the vineyards for the fruit to grow quickly or much need for irrigation,” he adds.
Read more: Female winemakers every wine lover and oenophile should know about
Above Slow-cooked lamb available at the Cellar Door
Above Experience a memorable tasting experience at Amelia Park with your favourite wines from the Estate, Reserve and Trellis collections
Slow-cooked lamb available at the Cellar Door
1 / 2
Although the winery’s first vintage was in 2009, the vines in its vineyards are now around 50 years old, which also add to the wines’ sophisticated taste. Moreover, Amelia Park resorts to traditional methods like hand pruning and hand harvesting to be more gentle on the fruit, also utilising modern machinery.
Gordon is excited about his winery’s entry into the Southeast Asian market, particularly the Philippines, through a partnership with Bacchus International, Inc. Rebounding from the pandemic, many opportunities are presenting themselves, including the thrust towards wine tourism and debuting at the Tatler Ball this month.
Guests at the highly anticipated sartorial affair will be served with Amelia Park Chardonnay and Amelia Park Shiraz, two selections from the winery’s famed Estate collection.
Winemaker Jeremy Gordon in action. Here he dumps the grapes for making the red wine
1 / 4
“Our chardonnay spends nine months in barrel, having enough character and strength to complement food with spice,” Gordon says. “It’s a very elegant style of chardonnay with lots of tropical characters such as hints of pears and pineapple, oak characters and vanilla that make it light and crispy on the palate.”
Gordon shares further how their shiraz is beautiful and smooth. “It has nice soft tannins and wonderful fruit structure that complement a range of dishes and spice intensity” he says. “Ours have velvety tannins, with notes of dark red fruits and plummy characters.”
Above Jeremy and Daniela Gordon, owners and founders of Amelia Park winery
Jeremy and Daniela Gordon, owners and founders of Amelia Park winery
1 / 1
Growing up in a farming family, Gordon has always had his heart set on the earth’s bounty. “It’s a pretty rewarding industry, seeing the fruits of your labour after working on the field for 12 hours a day, seven days a week,” he shares. “New World wines are less encumbered or restricted by what you can do, making them more dynamic and teeming with many opportunities. I think our role is just to contribute to the development marked by other New World wines, showcasing the quality of our region.”
NOW READ
How famed winemaker Laurent Ponsot is rewriting his wine legacy in Burgundy after turning 70
Dom Perignon trip to Bali with Tatler Dining
One of Australia’s top winemakers on climate change and the allure of medium-bodied wines
Credits
Photography: Hightail (Courtesy of Amelia Park Wines)
About
Before assuming the Art and Culture Editor position, Franz has always had a penchant for visual and performing arts. He is passionate about exploring and writing about the local cultural scene and rediscovering the country’s storied past and rich heritage. Besides working on this luxury lifestyle magazine, Franz is an avid book reader, local traveller, museum-goer, chorister, and community theatre playwright.
Work
Franz earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Santo Tomas. He writes about local visual and performing artists and their craft; drinks wines, liquors, and spirits and talks about the creativity of their respective winemakers and master blenders; tries to learn more about business and investments; respects the tradition and artistry that go behind the making of watches and jewellery; and appreciates the genius of architecture and creative design.
As head of Tatler Philippines’ pool of writers, he helps them bring impactful and socially relevant stories to light.
For any leads, you may reach him through @franzsorillaiv on Instagram or franz@tatlerphilippines.com via email.
