Fresh Blood brings Victoria’s most interesting winemakers to SA

The Fruitful Pursuit has programmed a dozen of its favorite Victorian producers, giving Adelaide an insight into the evolving winegrowing scene with minimal intervention on the East Coast.

Since its launch in 2016, The Fruitful Pursuit has made a name for itself by spotting and platforming lesser-known talents on the winegrowing scene with minimal intervention in South Australia.

What started as wine tours between the barrels of mostly producers without cellar doors quickly evolved into a series of events to provide insight into the emerging wine culture on site.

When founder James Hopkins left Adelaide for a brief pre-pandemic period in Europe (particularly France and England), his drive to find new and interesting producers did not stop, nor did his enthusiasm to share his findings with a thirsty audience.

While living in London, he set up a new event concept called Fresh Blood, showcasing a selection of Australian producers with whom he had established relationships through The Fruitful Pursuit.

“Fresh blood was a means of making a more cohesive statement about the culture I was working with here in Australia at the time,” he says.

Just as the great fortune of all wine-loving Adelaideans is our proximity to the regions and producers, the magic of any event at The Fruitful Pursuit is the access it gives you to the makers of the wine.

There have been a few follow-up editions of Fresh Blood in London and Brisbane, but James will give the concept its South Australian debut next month.

At The Olivia Hotel on Hutt Street, this edition of Fresh Blood will focus on Victorian producers who fit TFP’s usual ideals of making wines with minimal intervention from fruit “at least sustainably grown”.

“Here in South Australia, we are a bit spoiled. There are many more organic and biodynamic growers here, certified or not,” explains James.

“In Victoria, it seems a much more difficult game. Most of it has been discussed, but those who make an effort are rewarded with equal pay. For many reasons, most smaller independent producers have to work a lot harder to get fruit grown this way.

“So what we’re doing with this lineup is to represent as diverse a selection of regions and expression styles as possible while all still being housed under a common ethos.”

It is also an opportunity to check in with our eastern neighbors.

“The pandemic has reinforced that parochial drinking behavior.” [in South Australia]† It was so heartwarming to see everyone go hyper-local in their drinking,” James says.

“That’s what has carried us all through this: you support your partner in your backyard first.

“What we missed is seeing how the neighbors have evolved. It’s something we used to have more access to.”

You won’t believe how good the lineup is

12 Victorian producers will fly over for the event: Alle Vare, Babche, Copains, Cré, Fin, Defialy, Entropy, Little Brunswick, North, Pool, Reed, and Zazou.

They will be spread throughout Olivia, with punters able to sample about 40 wines over three hours, with a fourth hour to relax in the space. There will be two four-hour sessions, one at 12 noon and one at 5 pm.

In addition to the free tastings, the winemakers sell wines by bottle through the hall. Loud Burger is also ready to feed the hungry masses.

What cardholders should look forward to, according to James: everything.

“I’m excited because, as with any of our events, this is selfish to satisfy my curiosity. I want to know what’s going on,” he laughs.

For tickets and more information, visit The Fruitful Pursuit’s website.