Wine Window: a red with a side of fun

From graphic design and brand strategy to grapes and bottles, Side Wines is a winning secondary serve from Residency Studios.

Charles Roy takes us into the side hustle of Newtown creative crafters Residency Studios, a bottle with a side of branding.

Keep up to date with the latest in food and drinks across regional Victoria here.

The Wine

Tonight I’m drinking some highly slurpable (that’s a word now FYI) pinot noir from the newly minted Side Wines. Piggybacking on the exceptional winemaking skills of Xavier Goodridge, this is a literal Side project brought to us by the marketing geniuses at Residency Studio, Josh and Kara Speechley, Tim Baker, and Kelsey Rau. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Side Wine (@sidewine_)

The Why

We love supporting new and emerging brands and know that when Xav is the wine maker – you’re onto a good thing! As an added bonus the fruit is sustainably grown and the wine is made with minimal intervention so you know it’s good for the earth and your belly. Plus keep your eyes open for their pinot gris, arriving very soon. 

The Taste

The nose on this pinot is lively with plenty of floral and spicy notes. On the palate you’ve got a wonderful core of sweet, ripe red fruits, a splash of amaro, and forest floor. It’s got a nice weight to it, with lovely supple tannins making it a versatile, food-friendly wine. The wine did the job very nicely with grilled pork scotch alongside roasted carrots with fennel, and feta.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Side Wine (@sidewine_)

The Take Home

Side Wines are available at all of your favourite independent wine stores across Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula: Winepress Wine, Union Cellars, Barwon Heads Wine Store, Noble Rot, Torquay Hotel, and Loco’s Barwon Heads.

 RRP $29 

Learn more about Side Wines here, and Residency Studios here.

Reviewed by Charles Roy, Barwon Edge