Swan Valley is Western Australia’s oldest wine region, and one of the oldest in all of Australia, first planted in 1829. The region has had a long time to figure out the grapes that work in its warm climate – so appropriate, old vine plantings are plentiful – but historically wines were often made in a ripe and robust, commercially-oriented, old Australian way. Though Garth and Kristen look like spring chickens, they between them have over 40 years experience in the wine industry. Garth was the winemaker at Houghton – Swan Valley’s oldest, biggest, and most renowned winery – for 10 years before he and Kristen started Vino Volta in 2018.

Though it’s a young winery, Vino Volta has already made waves in the wine industry, garnering praise from the new wave and traditionalists alike. The focus here is old-vine grenache and chenin, with novelties like skin-contact frontignac and gewürztraminer, a few over-delivering pét-nats, and a liqueur verdelho, blended from base wines that date back a whopping 60 years. With compelling and whimsical names (like “Intimations of Immortality” and “Post-Modern Seriousism”) and dynamic landscape labels, these wines deliver a package that has something for everyone.