The second in our series on the artisans that inspire us. Collaboration is a key part of what we do here at Vinea Marson, inspired by Mario's sense of community & desire to push the boundaries of wine & food production.
In 2012, he had the hair-brained idea to make an Australian version of the famed Piedmontese Testun di Barolo. Joining him on this adventure was Giorgio Linguanti, the celebrated founder of That's Amore Cheese. A number of years of development ensued, with prototypes tested & tasted until the perfect mix of creamy buffalo milk, nebbiolo skins & lees was found.
A recent article in the Halliday Wine Companion shared more of the story:
'Mario Marson, of Heathcote winery Vinea Marson, found a novel way of using the leftover lees. “The idea came to me when I was pressing some nebbiolo in 2012 (one of my favourite vintages) and I thought of the possibility of making Australia’s version of the ‘Testun di Barolo’,” which is a hard cheese, coated in the must and lees of nebbiolo in the famed region of Barolo in Italy.
Mario then got in touch with Giorgio Linguanti at That’s Amore Cheese. “ ...We only use fresh buffalo milk from a local farm in Victoria,” says Giorgio. It then goes through a long process of heating, forming curds, resting and draining, then shaping and pressing. “The result of this process is a cheese with a distinctive flavour profile that combines the rich, creamy texture of aged buffalo milk cheese with the unique nuances imparted by the nebbiolo grape skins and lees – making Drunken Buffalo cheese a beloved specialty in our range.”
Madeleine Marson, Mario’s daughter and assistant winemaker, loves the sustainability angle of the partnership. “The Drunken Buffalo is a tactile way to begin a broader conversation with visitors about sustainability and the use of waste materials” says Madeleine. “It opens a conversation about waste and vineyard health, with grape marc also being reclaimed as compost in the vineyard, one of myriad efforts we and all vineyards need to employ in the era of climate change.”
Read the full article HERE - https://winecompanion.com.au/articles/news/how-wineries-use-vineyard-waste