NOW EXPERIENCING:A handy guide to wine gin (and our 7 new favourites to try)
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A handy guide to wine gin (and our 7 new favourites to try)

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 18 May 2023

By
Emily Reed

Shiraz gin, pinot gin – hell, even grenache gin. Meet the distilleries bringing grape gin to life.

Gin distillers are a clever bunch. They’re also not afraid to get a bit experimental in the distillation process, and boy are we glad they do because it leads to some damn tasty gins. That includes the subject of today’s story: wine gin, otherwise known as grape gin, where a fusion of tasty wine (or grapes) and top-shelf gin make for a seriously delicious marriage. Sure, ‘wine gin’ and ‘grape gin’ aren’t technically official category names, but you get the gist. These twists on a traditional gin are generally characterised by an intriguing aroma, fuller mouthfeel and fruity taste compared to their grain-based counterparts. So, if you’re a wine fan who wants to get into gin – or vice versa – this style of gin could be a winner.   
What is wine gin?Well, first and foremost it’s an Australian invention – so, go us! Inspired by, you guessed it, wine, this style of grape-infused gin is now popular across the globe. During the process, actual wine or wine grapes are used as ingredients in the gin. The resulting spirit has a gorgeous red colour and a wine-meets-gin finish on the palate. Just like wines, grape gins reflect their terroir – each release can look and taste slightly different according to its vintage.
How did wine gin come to be?Good question. The distillery that first took the plunge was Four Pillars out of Victoria. They took the flavour of their signature Rare Dry Gin (made with Aussie native botanicals) with cool-climate Yarra Valley shiraz grapes. The result? Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin – and it’s a bloody great gin! As Four Pillars said themselves, being among some of the world’s best cool-climate grapes means they would’ve been crazy not to take advantage and create the Bloody Shiraz. Each year, they take local shiraz fruit and steep the whole berries in high-proof gin for eight weeks before maceration. The colour is a deep, rich, reddish purple, and the palate is sweet with a long juniper and spice character on the finish. Originally, this gin was created as a one-off limited edition back in 2015, but its bonkers levels of popularity ensured it made its way into the Four Pillars standard range. Bloody brilliant.
Grapes and gin: a match made in heavenIt’s not just shiraz grapes that join the gin party, there are also plenty of wine gins infused with grenache, pinot noir, riesling or the latest harvest from any Aussie wine region, really. Some distillers may even chat with winemakers to see if they can leave the fruit hanging on the vines a little longer to get the sugar content up – this makes the distilling process more efficient. In fact, you could even think of grape gins as having emerged from a growing love affair between distillers and winemakers. Cute! 
The wine gin to get on your radarFour Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin is probably the first one you think of when this style of gin comes to mind – and we can confirm, it’s absolutely brilliant – but there’s a whole suite of other tasty numbers to try as well if you’re ready to swap out that bottle of traditional gin in your cupboard. Below, we round up six more. 
1. Four Pillars Bloody Pinot Gin
In HUGE news from the Four Pillars crew, these legends announced on May 22 that a brand-new bottle is joining their existing line-up of brilliant gins: Bloody Pinot. As we’ve said, they’ve killed the game for the past eight years with their shiraz take, and now that it’s pinot’s turn, we are extremely excited. We’ll have more on this for you in the coming days, but for now, just know that you’ll be able to get it from June 1. We’ve already had a sneak taste, and my god it’s good.
A bottle of the Patient Wolf Pinot Noir Gin

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2. Patient Wolf 6Ft6 Pinot Noir Gin

What do you get when you combine pinot noir grapes from 6Ft6 – a family-owned and run winery based out of Geelong specialising in cool-climate wines – steeped with Patient Wolf's Melbourne Dry Gin? This brightly coloured (and flavoursome) pinot noir gin that’s deeply perfumed with rich layers of cherry, raspberry and a hint of blueberry. *Chef’s kiss*.

3. Never Never Ginache

The clever cookies at Never Never Distilling Co. not only know their way around a gin, but they’re also not afraid to be punny. This is the world’s first grenache gin produced right in the heart of the McLaren Vale wine region and has quickly become one our favourites. It contains their award-winning Triple Juniper Gin and grenache juice from grapes picked from McLaren Vale. Let your tastebuds enjoy its spice and bright citrus flavours, which work nicely with the jammy raspberry brightness of the young grenache character.

A bottle of the Never Never Distilling Co. Ginache

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4. Süd Polaire Pinot Cru Gin

Made in micro batches of less than 1000 bottles, every fine Süd Polaire spirit is individually batched and numbered. This pinot gin is triple-distilled, matured in Domaine Simha Tasmanian pinot noir casks and vapour-infused with 10 different botanicals for a ridiculously silky finish. The use of Tasmanian rainwater (some of the finest in the world) only adds to how superbly smooth this gin is. Unbeatable in a Martini.

 

A bottle of the Bass & Flinders Heartbreak Pinot Noir Gin

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5. Bass & Flinders Heartbreak Pinot Noir Gin

A true spirit of the Mornington Peninsula, this complex gin is fresh, floral and fruity, and my god it smells good. All Bass & Flinders gins are crafted from grapes (as opposed to grain), but their Heartbreak Gin goes a step further, fortifying the spirit with pinot noir alongside classic gin botanicals such as juniper, coriander and pepperberry, as well as more unique inclusions like sage, rosemary, cocoa nibs and strawberry gum. As for the name? It’s a nod to the pinot noir grape being one of the most difficult to grow – leading to broken-hearted growers if the meticulous process doesn’t go to plan.

6. Heathcote Shiraz Gin

Picture this: full-bodied, world-class Heathcote shiraz meets Heathcote’s gin. So good you can almost taste it, right? Well, you can. Heathcote Shiraz Gin is brimming with flavour, thanks partly to the small-batch shiraz grapes that are produced and aged in oak for maximum flavour. It’s versatile, too! Enjoy it neat, on ice, with dry ginger or a bitter lemon mixer – and of course, you’re missing out if you don’t try it in a G&T. 
A bottle of the Heathcote Shiraz Gin

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7. Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Bandwagon Non AlcoholicWhen you want a glass of Bloody Shiraz Gin without the ABV, enter their special Bandwagon edition. The Four Pillars team has created an alcohol-free base of highly concentrated shiraz and then given it complexity with the addition of botanicals including Tasmanian pepperberry leaf and several types of citrus. Enjoy it as you would the regular Bloody Shiraz Gin – on its own over ice or in any number of cocktails.
Mad for gin? Explore our guide to the A to Z of gin for 26 editor-approved recommendations.
Shop related products
Patient Wolf6Ft6 Pinot Noir Gin 500mL
6Ft6 Pinot Noir Gin 500mL
$68.99 each
 
Never NeverGinache
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  • product badge
Ginache
$67.99 each
 
Sud PolairePinot Cru Gin 500mL
Pinot Cru Gin 500mL
$129.99 each
 
Bass & FlindersHeartbreak Pinot Noir Gin 700mL
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Heartbreak Pinot Noir Gin 700mL
$87.99 each
 
HeathcoteShiraz Gin 500mL
Shiraz Gin 500mL
$63.99 each
 
Authour image
Emily ReedEmily is a Melbourne-based writer partial to a good pét nat. Her hobbies include lining up songs on Spotify at house parties and hovering near cheese platters.
Tags
Hit ListZero% (non-alc)McLaren ValeAustralian productsGrenachePinot NoirGinShirazMornington PeninsulaSpiritsWine
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