I was tasked with writing a few paragraphs of a fake magazine article for a client pitch, one that involved wine tasting in Australia (though I've never been) with a woman named Sarah Leighton (who doesn't exist). We decided to not use the article, and so I share it here with you...
In Search of Shiraz
Sarah Leighton stares longingly at the glass as I take a small sip of the robust red wine contained therein. The moment I swallow, she’s bursting to ask what I think of it. She is a sanguine artist hoping for a positive review of her latest shiraz-based creation that also happens to be the latest blend from her intimate and utterly tranquil winery. The Leighton Winery, sitting on a dozen acres of grape vines in Australia’s Hunter Valley, is one of a new crop of “boutique” vintners who are changing the game in Australia’s largest wine-producing region. With a map, some advice from locals, and a non-drinking driver, I was determined to find the best and smallest wine producers in the region.
The Leighton Winery is exactly what you’d expect from a small vineyard. It sits at the end of an unmarked and dusty road lined with grape orchards, it’s quiet, and when I pulled up I was greeted by Sarah’s yellow lab, Bruin. Sarah is eager to give tours, but even more eager to get a reaction to her wine from her visitors. After a brief tour of her vines, I was lead to a small picnic table and an empty wine glass.
The enthusiasm with which Sarah speaks about her wine makes you want to enjoy it even if it tastes like vinegar. (It doesn’t) And that she so clearly enjoys what she does makes you appreciate the hands-on approach smaller wineries can give their product. The Leighton Winery ships roughly 10,000 cases per year – a small number when compared with the bigger and more recognizable names down the road. But Sarah insists her small size it what makes her wine that much better. And after trying six glasses, and going back for one more, as well as throwing an increasingly-slobber coated tennis ball for Bruin, I’m beginning to agree with her.
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