SCION Wine is a specialist in doing things differently.
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Winemaker Rowly Milhinch crafts contemporary wine styles from traditional winegrapes grown on the outskirts of Rutherglen.
His mum Jan planted the first brown muscat grapes on the Slaughterhouse Road site during 2002.
Today Scion Wine makes a Muscat Nouveau from grapes grown in that original plot and a Scion Blonde (Dry White) from white muscat grapes.
"We're specialists in doing the Rutherglen classics differently," Mr Milhinch said.
"Not only the wine styles but in the way we manage the vineyard."
The Muscat Nouveau has been on the degustation list of acclaimed Ripponlea restaurant Attica for the past three months.
"That's through the nature of it being a non-traditional muscat," Mr Milhinch said.
Now three weeks into harvest, Scion Wine had already picked early white muscat for its Scion Blonde and durif for its rose by mid-week with viognier and syrah since.
During the Tastes of Rutherglen festival over the Labour Day weekend of March 9 and 10, Scion Wine will host vineyard tours focusing on muscat and how it's grown to craft contemporary spins on a Rutherglen classic.
Scion's founder Jan will lead an intimate vineyard tour amid the buzz of vintage.
Participants will learn why she chose the site to plant the vineyard, taste grapes straight from the vine, learn about seasonality and how two varieties of muscat were grown to make Scion’s fresh and vibrant wine styles.
"She will take people under the bird nets and through the vines," Mr Milhinch said.
"It will be a personal, insightful, enlightening and little bit educational morning."
Following the tours, Mr Milhinch will mix wine cocktails including its signature Scion Muscat Spritz and After Dark Negroni.
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Queensland chef Ben Williamson (Chef of the Year, 2017 QLD Good Food Guide) and North East-based Taste Trekkers will collaborate on Scion's food offerings during the festival. Williamson was the former head chef of two-hat Gerard's Bistro in Brisbane.
Menu highlights will be Baby squid, yuzu miso aioli, apple, fennel and mint salad with Scion Blonde (Dry White); Crunchy local plum chicken, fried cauliflower salad, ras el hanout, smoked almond and pomegranate with Scion Viognier; and Local suckling pig, roast shio koji pumpkin, spiced pepitas, blackened onion and garlic yoghurt with Scion Syrah.
Wild North Record Players will spin some records with plenty of blues, soul, alt country and Afro-beat.
Scion Wine vineyard tours and tastings will run on March 9 and 10 at 9.30am.
Bookings are essential via the winery website or Sally at Scion on 0410 635 680.
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