What a treat! Vine Arts and Juice Imports hosted a Gentle Folk wine tasting with Gareth Belton. Let’s listen to Thunderstruck for this post.
The owners, growers, and winemakers behind Gentle Folk, Dr. Gareth and Dr. Rainbo Belton, are former marine biologists who specialized in seaweed. Based in Basket Range, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, they farm five sites: Monomeith Vineyard, Little Creek Vineyard, Scary Gully Vineyard, Ashton Vineyard, and Basket Range Vineyard. They plant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc, farming organically, with some biodynamic preparations.
I’m glad Divine Offering came with me. The crowd was different, mostly people who seemed to be from the wine industry. I didn’t understand some of their questions, or why certain comments amused them. At one point, guests discussed certain grape varieties that I knew well enough to recognize as having a reputation for being mass-produced and popular in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
When the conversation turned to China’s tariffs that shut Australian wine out of that market for a few years, I felt a couple of eyes twitching my way. I put up my hand and said I’m not responsible for China’s decisions. Only Divine Offering giggled.
Sauvignon Blanc ($34.49, discounted to $29.32)
Gareth makes his Sauvignon Blanc the way winemakers usually make Chardonnay. He disclosed he never thought he would make Sauvignon Blanc because it wasn’t cool. I took that as a reference to the grassy, brassy stuff I loved when I was younger: Oyster Bay and Kim Crawford.
Divine Offering and I immediately took to the Sauvignon Blanc. I found the wine bright, with an almond-like flavour. Gareth described this wine as crisp, with bits of texture. People always talk about pairing food with wine and how some wines are food-friendly. I understood the sentiment only after sipping this wine then eating the cheese from our Peasant Cheese platter. The cheese tasted better with the wine than without it. Divine Offering and I bought a bottle.
Chardonnay $42.99
The second wine was a blend of three vineyards, and it’s called ‘village-level’. I’d never heard that term before, and Gareth explained it refers to where the grapes come from, like Grand Cru. In Burgundy, Grand Cru wines come from a single top-ranked vineyard, while village wines are blended from several vineyards around a village.
Scary Gully Chardonnay 2024 ($68.99)
Interestingly, although this is a single-vineyard wine, Gareth said he doesn’t consider it better than the village-level Chardonnay. Gareth also mentioned that one thing he cares deeply about is acidity. The wine reminded me of buttered popcorn. I thought about getting one for my Chardonnay loving friend, but I already went way over my wine budget last month.
Scary Gully Pinot Noir 2024 ($42.99)
This Pinot Noir is grown in a cold spot. We learned the vineyard is low-yielding, the grapes are fermented whole-cluster, and the wine has lots of spice. I liked this one, but at this point, I was more focused on listening to Gareth, who reminded me of Crocodile Dundee when he described an average day of work at Scary Gully.
The site is called Scary Gully because it’s so steep. On slopes this intense, tractors can easily tip, and farmers risk their lives working such sharp, rocky ground. You also can’t till the land, as it would loosen the soil and wash it downhill, so they mow instead.
Village Syrah ($40.49)
Gareth quickly pointed out this was a Syrah, not a Shiraz. He noted the perfume and the roundness at the end. Around this time, the conversation turned to Shiraz, and when the Yellow Tail label came up, everyone except me winced. I admitted that as a young adult, that’s what we brought out when we were feeling ‘fancy.’ Gareth responded with a question instead of judgment, asking me if I’d enjoyed it. I said yes; back then, it was far better than whatever I was previously swilling.
2022 Village Sangiovese ($40.49, discounted to $34.42)
The Village Sangiovese was my favourite wine of the evening. I liked how it tingled and gently pulled on my tongue. Divine Offering and I bought a bottle. I took the wine to my friend Dimples’ house the next evening. She poured me a glass of Burrowing Owl Cabernet Sauvignon, which I enjoyed. Next, we tried the Village Sangiovese, and Dimples remarked it was refreshing, fruity, and not overly tannic. She put out a big cheese and charcuterie spread, and the food tasted even better between sips of the Sangiovese.
Onkaparinga Sangiovese ($65.49)
Divine Offering raved about the Onkaparinga Sangiovese. She said it reminded her, in a good way, of Coke Zero. Gareth said the Onkaparinga Sangiovese is fermented for three weeks, then sealed with its skins for another three months. It’s aged in terracotta and French oak and bottled unfiltered.
Gareth’s wines were different from what I’m used to drinking, and I really enjoyed them, especially with food. If you’re curious, start with the Village Sangiovese and the Sauvignon Blanc, both at Vine Arts. Thanks, Gareth, for coming out to Calgary and sharing your Scary Gully stories with us. It’s so much fun learning from the experts themselves. Hitting the Sauce gives Gentle Folk, Vine Arts, and Juice Imports two phat thumbs up.
For a regularly updated list of tastings and special events, visit my Calgary Wine Tastings & Events Guide.
