Mel Chester joins host David Kermode for episode 255 of The Drinking Hour podcast to talk about Giant Steps in Australia’s Yarra Valley and her approach there as winemaker. Giant Steps is relatively young winery, founded in 1997, but already has a reputation as a producer of some of the best single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs in Australia.
The episode begins with a discussion of the estate’s beginnings and the connection to Australia’s oldest indigenous peoples. The pair then discuss the terroir of Giant Steps’ five vineyards and how the wines are made with the personality of the sites in mind, including the importance of gravity as a tool in the winery to preserve delicacy and character.
Other topics in the conversation include the concept of ‘low-intervention’ winemaking, phylloxera, the elemental pleasure of wine and Chester’s ambitions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at Giant Steps.
Discover more episodes of The Drinking Hour with David Kermode here.
