Wine Showcase Magazine article - written by Paul Durrant.

November 2022.

After six generations of farming history along the Murray River, extending dairy cows to viticulture. This family company is reaching for the sky. 

The trademark name is an ode to Leo and May Starrs (parents of Laura ) who arrived on the Lower Murray as a part of the World War I Soldier Settlement Scheme and started what would end up being a country-wide valued Holstein Friesian dairy cattle stud. The Starrs literally collided when Laura Starrs and Des Mason met and wed in 1947.

“We’ve been growing grapes for two decades but fell into making our own wine eight years earlier,” Sheridan says. “We grow a great deal of Grenache and Mataro and ours is one of the largest plantings in Australia. These varieties are sought after by small boutique and large brand names alike to produce everything from rosé to fortified. That’s the beauty of Grenache and Mataro, they are so versatile.

Look carefully at the three multi-coloured parrots on the Starrs Reach Serenade Sparkling Blush labels, and the heart-warming story unravels. “The three birds represent my grandmother, Laura, and her two sisters, Cathy and Mary, they were vibrant ladies who enjoyed singing: says Sheridan, who co-owns Starrs Reach Vineyard with husband Craig Alm and parents Michael and Robyn Mason.

The triad of siblings was particularly partial to ‘The Woodpecker Track’ made famous by the Andrews Sisters in 1940.”"My grandmother and her sister are no longer with us, however, we enjoy singing this song whenever the family get together,” Sheridan claims. “The were solid women linked to land and the region which the family has been on for six generations.”

Sheridan’s passion for the riverine environment led her to complete a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management. Sheridan has also been awarded Viticulturalist of the Year at the 2019 Australian Women in Wine Awards in New York and 2022 Riverland Wine Industry Person of the Year at the recent Riverland Wine Show. Craig has farming nous of his very own after growing up surrounded by Clare Valley vineyards.

You could create a publication about the household’s cumulative agricultural history, but in short, the Masons were Lower Murray pioneers during the 1850s. At that time, the late George Ezekiel Mason served the State Federal government as a Protector of Aborigines and was often sought after for his expert knowledge of the riverine environment. Mason was fluent in seven of the nine local languages, and it was superstitiously believed by elders that Mason was really a black man who has died and ‘jumped up a white man’.

This love of the river and the land has been passed down through generations and they take their custodianship seriously. “Connection to the land permeates everything we do,” Sheridan claims. “From wetland management to low input viticulture which our hot and dry climate enable. We have plans to develop ecotourism on the property which boasts over one kilometre of picturesque riverfront and over 80 hectares of floodplain and native vegetation to manage.” 

Regarding their wines, the team at Starrs Reach Vineyard have used their history and experience as grape growers to produce a lovely, bespoke portfolio of wines that mirror it. Proving that they are not a ‘one-hit wonder’. With the help of senior winemaker Arman Lacomme, Starrs Reach now makes a broad range of delightful wines. Included in the Starrs Reach – Single Vineyard range are Grenache, Rosé, Mataro Durif and Chardonnay Fiano, along with the Serenade range of a Sparkling Pet Nat and Blush (a stunning example of bubbles), both made from Grenache.

One of their newer styles is the Serenade Sparkling Pet Nat, short of petillant naturel (French for naturally sparkling) and is in vogue with brilliant wine young enthusiasts across the country. The Starrs Reach family have embraced this trend and has stellar estate-grown fruit with which to make the wines. When the family get together and break the seal on their new Serenade Sparkling Blush there is much excitement. Who said Sparkling Rose could not be made with Grenache, known to be the warm inland equivalent of Pinot. It’s great. Actually excellent.

The 2021 Starrs Reach Mataro Durif is also turning heads for all the right reasons; it is fresh, brilliant, and balanced. This bespoke blend brings together two big varietals in Mataro and Durif, and the result is a seamless duo with blackberry and blueberry fruit, hints of chocolate and spice and a finish that really lingers.

One the white front, the 2021 Starrs Reach Chardonnay Fiano is edgy. “A lot of Chardonnay is produced in the Riverland which is not likely to alter overnight. However, the Starrs team isn’t afraid to push the boundaries with their wine’s styles. Actually, it drives them. They make their Chardonnay a little different? By adding a touch of Fiano, this wine has something to offer to Chardonnay and Fiano fans alike, full of fruit but a little bit serious.

The wines are made to be climate and food friendly. “A glass of wine is there to be shared, similar to a song or music,” Sheridan states. “I like to relate certain pieces of music to life’s remarkable moments, and you can do the exact same with wine.”