Tasting Note

Producer

Joanne Irvine owns her own boutique contract winemaking company called ‘Wine Wise’, operating out of a purpose-built cellar just to the north of the town of Nuriootpa.

Jo would tell you that she started making wine at the age of seven, running around with her father, Jim (known in these parts as ‘Mr Merlot’), learning how to taste before heading off to boarding school at the age of twelve. Despite being born into a winemaking family, it was not Jo’s primary career choice, instead working as a theatre nurse until, in 1993, being hit by a mid-life crisis.

Turning 35, Jo decided to go back to college to study for an oenology degree and began travelling to gain more experience. This included making wine in the USA. On her return, she started her own consulting business and joined up with Jim, making wine for his eponymously named winery. Her father elected to sell his business off in 2014, allowing Jo to follow her dream of developing her own brand.

Lévrier Wines was born in 2017. Greyhounds (lévrier in French) have been part of her life since rescuing an abandoned and injured greyhound from the roadside on a drive back from the Riverland. They have become her passion and supports the ex-racing Greyhound Adoption Programme.

_{Country: Australia | Region: Barossa Valley | Alcohol: 14.5% | Grapes: Merlot| Vegetarian | Vegan}