Food & Drink Awards 2018

Page 52 www.lux-review.com LUX 2018 Food & Drink Awards Drawing on the vast passion of its owners, Ocean Eight is a winery committed to creating truly spectacular wines. We profile the firm to find out why it has become a favourite with connoisseurs of fine wine. Ocean Eight Mornington Peninsula Winery of the Year 2018 Ocean Eight is owned by the Aylward family and managed by Michael and Hollie Aylward, whose passion originated over a decade ago with a part-time job at the family’s previous winery Kooyong. The winery began in 2006 and has since evolved into the couple’s full-time obsession. All grapes are handpicked and grown at low crop levels across 17 Hectares of vines on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Thanks to the quality of the wines it produces, Victoria has become one of the most sought- after regions in Australia for the production of high quality Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, all of which are planted and produced at Ocean Eight. Whilst the first crops ripened on the vine, to further cultivate their viti-cultural experience, the Aylwards embarked on several tours of the renowned vineyards and cellars of the Burgundy region in France. These trips played an important factor in the style of wines now produced at Ocean Eight. This passion-driven endeavour to bring the highest quality wine to the Mornington Peninsula saw Michael win the sought-after Australian “Young Gun of Wine” award in 2011. The main two ideas that define and identify Ocean Eight wines is how they can best represent the climate and terroir for grape growing on the Mornington Peninsula and how they make the perfect match with food and local produce. Fundamentally, Ocean Eight wines are lean, bright and tight with fresh acid at the finish. These characters ensure the wines pair with food and age incredibly well. It is no coincidence that these characters are also intrinsic to the cool, maritime conditions of Mornington Peninsula vineyards, where the family have grown grapes and produced wines over the past 20 years. Company: Ocean Eight Contact: Nick Harrison Address: 271 Tucks Road, Shoreham Vic, 3916, Australia Phone: 0061 3 5989 6471 Website: oceaneight.com.au