Journey of a Developing Wine Nerd: Meet Sarah
Meet Sarah, the newest recruit to our Cellar Door team, but already a part of the Singlefile family. Joining us six months ago, Sarah's family background growing up on a mango farm makes her feel at home on a working vineyard. While she didn't have much interest in wine when she joined the team, she did have a passion for helping people and for customer service, having previously worked in educational support and at a local tapas restaurant. It's been a surprising perk of the job to discover her inner Wine Nerd!
"What's surprised me most is how interested I am in wine - its history, geography, and place in cultural life - as well as simply having a glass to enjoy with good food and company," she explains.
The abundance of the Great Southern is particularly special to her. "There's always something growing; be it fresh leafy vegetables and herbs, crisp apples, just-harvested asparagus, and amazing local produce," she says. This carries through to Sarah's day-to-day experience at Singlefile, where she looks forward to visiting the orchard and enjoying the seasonal fruit, as well as helping in the vineyard during harvest.
A New Found Love for Wine
Other than enjoying wine as a consumer with friends, Sarah didn't come to our team with any particular wine passion or knowledge. Working in a local restaurant helped her to become acquainted with some Great Southern wines, and her enthusiasm has grown as she has thrown herself into her role facilitating tastings in the Cellar Door.
"While I've worked in hospitality before, I do find my job here at Singlefile quite different. It's a constant education, learning more about grape varietals, their origins and flavour profiles, and the ancient and bizarre stories that travel with each of them. I now find myself on my days off listening to wine podcasts! I would recommend Wine with Meg + Mel."
Currently, she's especially fond of our Family Reserve Chardonnay which she feels is the perfect autumn wine - rich, textural and slightly warming for a crisp afternoon. With the Great Southern Chardonnay, and very occasionally a bottle of 'The Vivienne', open in the Cellar Door, Sarah has enjoyed lining up these three very different expressions of chardonnay to taste side-by-side.
Exploring Denmark with a 'New Local'
Having lived in Denmark for two years, she jokes that small town rules means she won't be a 'local' until she's stuck around for a few decades. While Sarah feels like she is still discovering everything the Great Southern has to offer, she loves the incredible natural beauty of the area. She especially recommends the spectacular views of the Southern ocean along the peninsula from the Bald Head Trail in Torndirrup, as well as Lights Beach with fog rolling off the cliffs in the early morning. (On the other end of the spectrum, she also loves watching the local footy team's home games with hot chips and a wine in hand!)
Sarah also recommends Dark Side Chocolates as a true hidden gem of Denmark. Located along South Coast Highway, former winemaker John Wade crafts his chocolate from the highest quality ingredients, bringing his palate for wine to his unique flavour creations.
Or, you could simply visit the Singlefile Cellar Door and enjoy the view with a cuppa. "Having worked as a barista in the past, I feel super happy behind the coffee machine," says Sarah. "I'll encourage you to let me make you a coffee!"