Almost wine time...

Innocent Bystander hail from the Yarra Valley, the cool climate south Victorian wine region renowned for its micro climate conditions, steep slopes and soil varieties. Passionate producers in small and medium sized wineries call this region home, developing a range of Italian style wines like the crisp and refreshing Innocent Bystander Prosecco made from grapes from the nearby King Valley. And it’s small and medium sized producers that The Wine Collective is always interested in because that’s where you’ll find the finest wines, the most ambitious and experimental winemakers, and the daring needed to attempt to produce the finest bottle of wine.

Among our producers, you’ll find every conceivable flavour, blend and variety from luscious red wine collections including all the popular favourites like Pinot Noir, Rose wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Grenache, Cabernet Merlot and Shiraz. Our producers include Vasse Felix, Crackerjack and Paringa Estate among hundreds more both local to Australia and international producers. Discover a wealth of white wine favourites including authentic French Champagne, crisp and delightful Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, dessert wine varieties and a full spectrum of bubbly sparkling wine.

If you’re familiar with the favourites, why not tour the not-so-familiar White Blend Wines and Red Blend Wines produced both locally throughout the Yarra Valley, as well as from farther afield. There are stunning Cabernet Malbec Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Tempranillo Shiraz Graciano and many more. Our mission is to collect and discover the best that the world has to offer, and we have been introducing Australia to best and finest for over 70 years. All of our wine experts have personally tasted each of the wines we have available, with their personal tasting notes available to view online. If you’re still not sure what will tempt you or how the wines are best enjoyed, feel free to speak to a wine consultant online or ask us how you can have a tailored selection delivered to your door and to your drinking preferences.

Wine might have been created (or discovered, depending on your perspective) thousands of years ago in Europe; and while the most premium and finest wines available may have originated in Europe, local producers throughout Australia and New Zealand having been doing their level best to catch up with those ancient wineries and those classic grapes for a few hundred years now. And, we’re starting to finally make some traction with the breadth of climate we can offer traditional and blended wine varieties. With a little bit of modern ingenuity and lot of ancient wisdom, wineries like Innocent Bystander are starting to stand out from the crowd as boutique producers of some very fine tasting beverages. 

While it’s mostly about the grape, it’s not all about the grape when it comes to making the best and most delicious tasting wines and Innocent Bystander know that better than most. Their collection of stunning wines are made from both locally sourced grapes from their Yarra Valley vineyard as well as grapes sourced from other Australian regions better suited to other grape varieties. They could try to grow the grapes they source from elsewhere at home in the Yarra Valley but to do so would compromise the final product: their wine. They won’t do that because in every bottle and every glass is a representation of their philosophy and their commitment to create the finest tasting wines that they are able to with the newest and most ancient winemaking wisdom available. 

Innocent Bystander is a perfect little winery to start your tasting odyssey at. Located in Healesville, you can enjoy the same cellar door prices online from The Wine Collective that you would at their home in Healesville. Their wine grapes are grown both locally and elsewhere but it’s at their vineyard that the magic really happens. Innocent Bystander are about great company and great food made from local produce and enjoyed best with delicious wine.

The ethos of the Yarra Valley wineries like Innocent Bystander is simple: make the best you can make exploring everything this rich and fertile region home in the Yarra Valley has to offer. The innovative wineries who call this region home have been made famous for their ingenious use of the very special climate to grow and cultivate alternative grape varieties to make new, old and great wine. The restaurant bar facilities throughout the region are usually connected to a local winery and are infused with the flavours and style of Italian cooking always enjoyed with good company. This distinctly ‘Little Italy’ feel is reflected in their wines including greats like prosecco and other sparkling varieties, as well as the famous Italian Moscato. 

The climate of the nearby King Valley winemaking region is also incredibly varied for such a small geographical area and the grapes grown in this region are diverse and first-class. That’s why Innocent Bystander choose the King Valley to source their famous grapes for their famous King Valley Prosecco. This climate changes progressively and significantly from lower northern to higher southern elevations. The rainfall also varies depending on which slope the vineyard is located which means that highly different styles of wine can be cultivated and produced here. Ripening can be progressively delayed as well which means that at the higher altitude areas only early ripening white wine varieties make for suitable table wines enjoyed by the glass or carafe. 

This highly varied climate makes not just for great tasting wines, but premium Australian producers like Innocent Bystander who like to keep it friendly and relaxed, despite the impressive quality of their food and wine. Rather than take you through a tailored tasting, Innocent Bystander enjoy giving their visitors the choice to pick and choose what takes their fancy, designing self-guided tasting paddles that allow the taster to design their own wine adventure. All of their wines are served from copper taps and housed in 100% recyclable kegs. 

The winemaking happens on their vineyards with relaxed and natural methods. They’re able to cultivate their flirty little Moscato from picking the best grapes available in Swan Hill, sourcing Temparillo grapes from Heathcote and King Valley Pinot Gris. Their selection of reds are gently fermented in open top fermenters which may include varied portions of wild yeasts while their whites are relaxed in mature oak to build complexity and character. Their philosophy is never to overwork their wines, instead cultivating bright, smooth palates with gentle manipulation and maturation. 

Begin your love affair with Innocent Bystander wines from The Wine Collective. We are passionate about supporting local producers like this winery and many more throughout Australia. We love to see the small and medium sized vineyards tinkering away with blends and pure strains to hopefully capture the next, best sensation in local and international wine. It’s through introducing their stunning creations to the rest of the world that The Wine Collective thrives. We love sharing what we love, and Innocent Bystander is a perfect introduction into the taste and depth of wines we carry. 

Order online today and enjoy your delivery from Innocent Bystander’s winery delivered directly to your door anywhere in Australia.