Citrus, pink grapefruit, bright acidity – three things that are synonymous with summer drinking.
Gone are the robust reds and cherry-laden winter warmers, if you’re looking to brighten your spring table – or stock up ahead of the festive season – Paracombe’s newest release is the bottle you need to reach for. And right now, there’s a special Christmas offer that makes it even more tempting.
Pinot Blanc – the quiet achiever of the Pinot family – is having a moment. And at Paracombe in the Adelaide Hills, it’s a variety built on deep, decade-long fascination. Chief winemaker and co-founder Paul Drogemuller first fell for Pinot Blanc on a trip to Italy, where he discovered its aromatic charm in both still and sparkling form.
“He is visionary in his craft of grape growing and winemaking. He loved the elegance of the style and delightful purity and freshness of the sparkling wines in Italy,” says owner and co-founder Kathy Drogemuller.
“He saw great potential and recognised Pinot Blanc as exciting and versatile. It can be made into sparkling, still whites or blends.”
That first taste set the wheels in motion. Paracombe planted the region’s first Pinot Blanc vines in 2013, and the variety has thrived ever since. As Paul puts it, “It was a leap of faith and the right decision. Pinot Blanc has been a dream to grow in our cooler, good rainfall climate of the Adelaide Hills… it’s been exciting and trouble-free.”
Since then, the winery has used the grape in its straight Pinot Blanc white, its blend Gruner V5, and its A Trio of Pinot sparkling rosé.
And now, there’s a fresh new way to enjoy the premium variety. Introducing Plateau Blanc, Paracombe’s soon-to-be summer staple. The single-vineyard sparkling is grown on the winery’s extraordinary 1.7-billion-year-old plateau, one of the oldest geological formations used for viticulture anywhere in the world.
Aside from its impressive heritage, the site is “ideal for ripening and giving beautiful fruit flavours,” explains Paul.
“The slopes are well drained and comprise ancient ironstone, quartz and clay soils. This is important because terroir grants influence in wine style with the cool climate combined with our ironstone and quartz soils.”
The Plateau Blanc is gorgeous. It’s “Adelaide Hills cool climate purity at its finest,” even picking up an impressive 91 points from Wine Pilot.
Expect lifted lemon myrtle and citrus blossom on the nose, followed by pink grapefruit, nashi pear and soft florals carried by bright acidity. Vibrant, expressive and whisper-clean, it’s the sort of sparkling you want as an aperitif, but also the bottle you could drink all afternoon.
Kathy recommends pairing with canapés, oysters, seafood, light dishes, and even spiking a sorbet for the ultimate palate cleanser.
If the wine talk loses you, here’s the translation. It’s crisp, citrusy, and summery, and only $28. If you’re a fan of bubbly, this is one to add straight to the fridge.
Its label is part of the appeal too – a sleek, on-trend green that stands out on a shelf and matches the wine’s elegant style inside the bottle.
Paracombe aren’t just pioneers in creating delicious wines, sustainability remains central to their philosophy, too. From vineyard to glass, the Drogemuller family is committed to farming that honours its ancient site, its local environment and its small-batch philosophy.
“We care deeply about the environment and the footprint we leave on this land,” Kathy says. “We have taken important steps to minimise our impact on the environment and be efficient with valuable resources like water and energy in both grape growing and winemaking.”
That includes everything from a water recycling program and solar panel systems to vineyard practices like hand-pruning the vines, slashing grass to create natural mulch for water retention, and using organic-based composts and fertilisers.
The Plateau Blanc lands at perfect timing for summer, silly season, Christmas drinking, and everything in between. This year, no one needs to resort to a last-minute bargain-bin bottle at family events, Paracombe is making it easy to drink well without breaking the bank. And as an early Christmas present, they’re offering a special 20% discount Christmas special offer on 12-bottle buys, mixed or straight. Cheers to that.
You can read more about the Plateau Blanc and pick up a bottle here.
Paracombe Wines Plateau Blanc, Sparkling Pinot Blanc
Price: $28.00
Christmas discount code: XMAS25
Explore the full Paracombe range on the website here.
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