Quealy

To say they are the forebears and pioneers of the variety and style in Australia is doing a disservice to the legacy that Kathleen Quealy and her partner in crime (and husband) Kevin McCarthy have bestowed. They practically lead the Pinot Gris revolution in Australia, with their T'Gallant labelled wines kick-starting a love affair with the grape and style that hasn't seemed to have abated.

Chasing the non-traditional, and unconventional, with an incredible array of wines and exciting, new-wave labels challenging the status quo in the region, Quealy & McCarthy's T'Gallant winery fast became on the hit list of the big corporate owned empires looking to cash-in on the next big thing. After selling their winery to Southcorp/Treasury Wines and spending some extended time on gardening leave, winemaker Quealy has branched out again, this time with her very own, eponymously named operation.

It's a real back to basics approach. Vineyard first, using predominantly dry-grown fruit, close-planting (ala Burgundy), minimal intervention and very low-yields. The quirky, off-kilter labels are still there, but this is nothing but serious wine.