Written by Kate Holland
It started with a glass of wine and a late-night email. Not in the Adelaide Hills, but in a small wine bar restaurant in Rijeka, Croatia. Mt Bera owners, Greg and Katrina had gone to celebrate Katrina’s birthday at the beach, after traveling throughout Austria, the home of Gruner Veltliner, Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt which they already grew.
Greg found himself asking a familiar question, “What sort of wine do you have?” When the answer was Chardonnay, Syrah and Cab Sav, he probed further, keen on something he’d never heard of. Something local. Out came the seven-year-old Malvazija from a Magnum. Golden in the glass. He took a sip and was blown away. Liquid Gold.
From the restaurant he emailed Nick Dry who is involved with Wine Australia managing collections of grape varieties in Australia. He responded almost instantly and put Greg onto Chalmers Nursery who had imported Malvazija.
In the wee hours of the morning, he sent an email back to staff, complete with a blurry bottle photo, declaring it “the best white wine I’ve ever tasted”. By the next day, he’d arranged for cuttings to graft onto some existing vines.
Adelaideans can now board a plane for Croatia and, roughly 26 hours later, taste a Malvazija en place. Or drive 37 minutes from the CBD and find it here, in the Adelaide Hills. The first batch of Mt Bera Malvazija (this is a translation, not a replica, after all) was bottled this January.
Greg’s team grafted a section of Merlot in the bottom section of the valley (a similar terroir) and set about making the wine in the traditional Slovenian way – fermented like a red wine, two weeks on skins. This is where the texture comes in. Not typical of whites, and exactly what Greg fell for. Think honey, ginger and a savoury, almost umami character.
Winemaker Conor Brasier gently mixed it twice a day in one of the open top stainless fermenters before pressing, ageing half in barrel and half in amphora (traditional clay vessels), then blending.
“Because it’s fermented on skins, you can build in texture and weight, and it holds up food really well – everything from chocolate ginger dessert through to ginger seared scallops,” he said. Anything Southeast Asian with spice. The weight and grip help you smooth out the chilli.”
And given the fusion of local Australian, Nepalese and Colombian influences on the Mt Bera menu, it pairs naturally with many of their dishes.
This Croatian creation isn’t the only wine matched to site at Mt Bera. It’s part of a broader philosophy, where site and variety need to go hand in hand. They make certified biodynamic and organic wines with minimal intervention, through to their completely no addition a-la-Naturale amphora fermented range.
Their approach also acknowledges how Australians actually drink wine today. A distinct connection to food and place, with the ability to drink young and fresh, or evolve beautifully with age.
It’s a lot cheaper to get to Gumeracha than Croatia right now, and you won’t be disappointed. Mt Bera’s restaurant offers picturesque views of Torrens Valley, the scent of fig leaves drifting from its vintage trees outside the balcony. Choose the arch door and head into the tasting room below for casual drinks and light meals. Or treat yourself to the stunning private dining room below, blasted into the rock by the Amadio’s.
And no matter who you chat to, you’re likely to find yourself enraptured. From the technical to the terroir, they make the science of wine seem ever so romantic.
Mt Bera Malvazija is available at the cellar door – best experienced slowly, 30-minutes out of the fridge, preferably with something to eat, and nowhere else you need to be.
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Mt Bera Vineyards Adelaide Hills WILD & FREE Certified Organic Malvazija 2025
$45
While many New World expressions of alternative varieties lean toward primary fruit bombs, this Adelaide Hills Malvazija is a sophisticated outlier that feels remarkably at home alongside the great wines of Istarska. It immediately establishes its “traditional” credentials on the nose with the signature scent of acacia flowers and a distinct green apple crunch.
On the palate, the cool-climate elevation of the Hills provides a precise, linear acidity that carries a complex layer of ginger undertones and subtle white pepper spice. This wine possesses a textured, almost saline weight brought together with 16 days of skin maceration—techniques central to traditional Croatian winemaking. The finish is long and carries that classic Malvazija hallmark: a refreshing, slightly savoury almond note that cleanses the palate.
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