2025 Bear & Bird Riesling $37

02/28/2026

Wine South's annual Open Vineyard Weekend - and its 3-day Spring in the Vines event some months earlier - provide wine lovers with rare opportunities to discover new wines (and their makers) that are otherwise hard to find or unavailable beyond those specially organised and promoted wine touring weekends. Taking part might sometimes require the use of a GPS, but past experience has shown that it's well worthwhile.

Alex and Josh Winen's Bear & Bird wine venture is based at White Kangaroo Road, Campania. The location is barely 10km north of Richmond, but it's one that's become a real hive of viticultural activity in recent years. Wobbly Boot, Roslyn 1823 and 2forty9 Wine Farm are all Winen family near-neighbours.

The 5.5ha vineyard began with a modest start in 2015 and has expanded rather more rapidly in recent times. The good news is that the couple's optimism has not been misplaced. The vineyard has a little bit of that old Coal River Valley magic about it. Its current release 2025 Riesling is excellent. So too the 2024 Pinot Noir. (Let's not write-off the 2025 Pinot Noir. That's just a lighter, more ethereal style, courtesy of the generous harvests that followed the near-perfect growing conditions of 2024-2025.)

Riesling from the Coal River Valley really sings when vintage conditions suit the late-ripening variety. And you'd hardly be surprised to find this 2025 from the Winens sings like a bird. It's a terrific young Riesling, one that just begs long-term cellaring. Ten years should prove to be a doddle.

Pale and practically luminous in appearance, the wine springs to life as soon as it's poured. The fruit is cool climate, Tasmanian Riesling through and through... Floral/aromatic with distinct lime juice notes and hints of white flower fragrance. Those same characters slide ever-so-gently onto the palate, framed by great natural acidity and a hint of fruit sweetness. The focus and intensity are top notch.

Yes, in absolute terms, there is a touch of residual sugar, but that will allow the wine to age with tremendous grace and elegance should it be consigned to the cellar for a while. It's also present to balance the acidity and add to current drinking pleasure.

Be sure to track down a bottle or two before the vineyard's tiny production disappears.

Contact the vineyard, or phone the Winens' distributor Mitchell Goodman (Ullage Wines, 0412 586 508) to locate a bottle at your nearest eatery.

Source: Vineyard cellar door purchase