The Urban Winery Moves to The Entertainment Quarter at Moore Park

By Alex Russell on May 15, 2018 in Food

Alex has come a long way since the Workies and Mooseheads days.

A little while ago I wrote about Alex Retief’s Urban Winery, which is a cellar door (and working winery) in St Peters. That’s right, you can actually go to a cellar door without having to drive to the Hunter Valley or to the Southern Highlands.
But St Peters can be a bit of a trek for Easties. Fortunately, as of mid-April, the Urban Winery has moved to the Entertainment Quarter at Moore Park.
So next time you head to the SCG or the SFS, stop in for a drink. You’ll find the new Urban Winery digs near Brent Street Dance Studios, or just a little further around from Hoyts Cinema (building 121). You can also buy gift vouchers for friends to spend over the bar.
Alex makes some pretty sensational stuff. You’ll find a Tumbarumba Chardonnay, which is an absolute belter. It’s aged in older oak, so you get some complexity in the wine without feeling like you’re licking a tree.
You’ll also find a serious, definitely-not-NZ Sauvignon Blanc (also from Tumbarumba). It spends time on lees in barrel for a year, so this is a very different style of Sauvignon Blanc. Challenge your preconceptions by giving this one a go.
There’s a cracking dry rosé. Sure, summer is coming to an end, but hey, with climate change I’m sure there’ll be a stinker of a day when this will go well. It’s not particularly light anyway, so maybe you can get away with this on a cooler day when you just feel like a rosé.
For those who enjoy their reds, there are some really interesting, different wines available. As always, I love to direct you guys and gals to different and interesting wines, and you’ll find that here.
There’s a very approachable Tempranillo from Gundagai. In recent articles, I’ve been suggesting you get into Tempranillo a bit. Some can be a bit tannic and require food to go with them, but this one is approachable on its own. But have some food with it anyway and it’ll really hit its stride.
Have you ever tried a Petit Verdot? You may have, but it generally appears as a small component of Cabernet blends – sometimes there is so little of it in the wine that it doesn’t even make it on the label. It can be difficult to grow, but the conditions in 2015 were perfect so Alex has bottled a Petit Verdot all by itself. It’s from the Hilltops region (another awesome region). You’re looking for floral elements with red fruits and even a little bit of chocolate.
There are other great wines here too, but I’m running out of room. Go in and try them.
And if, like me, you enjoy your martinis with a decent vermouth, Alex now has a Dry Vermouth with 19 botanicals, made from Tumbarumba Chardonnay (a top region for Aussie Chardy).
Stop in for a chat and the crew there will talk you through the wines.