A unique shiraz barrique will be the feature items in the Grampians Winemakers auction at the Grape Escape on Saturday.

The barrique is crafted from parcels of standout shiraz from the Grampians region’s finest wineries, expertly blended and aged. 

Only 300 bottles of the 2023 Grampians Winemakers Shiraz Barrique will be available – offering a blend that winemakers described as never being replicated again and ‘representing a true taste of the region’.

Proceeds from the auction will support the region’s fire recovery efforts and go towards new events and initiatives for the region’s wine community.

Grampians Estate winemaker Tom Guthrie said the barrique was usually a two-year-old blended wine from all of member wineries in the Grampians.

“But in the last few years we’ve started to auction off some back vintages –  this year we have in the mix some of the very first barrique vintages of 1991,” he said.

“These wines have been stored meticulously because back then we used cork, and these wines I’ve tasted and they’re all absolutely sensational wines, all in pristine condition.

“How often do you get the opportunity to buy a bottle that’s 34 years old?”

Mr Guthrie said there were a range of back vintages including 1991, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011.

The auction, with no reserve, features lots ranging from two bottles to one dozen, plus a dozen magnum bottles, which are 1500-millilitre bottles.

“The wine is a testament to the reputation this region has for producing really long-living wines,” he said.

“When you get aged wines, they develop a sort of complexity and just really interesting aromas because they’re aging – I can tell you they’re pretty special to drink.”

Mr Guthrie said the barrique auction was the major event on the region’s winemakers calendar.

“It’s obviously very important for the Grampians winemakers, given it was the winemakers who started the whole thing way back in 1992,” he said.

“It was Trevor Mast and Rick Heinrich, from the Kookaburra Hotel, who over a couple of drinks came up with the concept and obviously the barrique wine as well to make it a bit different from any other festival.”

Mr Guthrie said the auction was an important fundraiser, with an aim of raising $30,000.

“It’s very important for us because it’s promoting our wine region as a destination for, particularly Melbourne people, but also for everyone, to come and visit our region and taste our wine,” he said.

“The more money we can generate from the barrique, the more we’ve got to draw people to our region.

“We’ll also put a bit aside for fire recovery – last year we did the same and held an event in Pomonal.”

The auction will take place at 2.15pm on Saturday in the masterclass marquee.

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