Drumborg Sparkling Ale – another winemaker’s beery take

There’s no shortage of winemakers that have a crack at making a beer, with various degrees of success and scope. We’ve seen the blokes that make Yellow Tail and a small vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula put a variety of beers. Seppelt is a household name in Australian winemaking. The number of bottles of Great Western Sparking I sold in the 80s when working in pubs and bottle-shops was countless. They’re still making wines – but surprisingly they turn out a beer.

A close friend of Back of the Ferry bought a six pack from the cellar door. Drumborg Sparkling Ale is named after a Seppelt’s vineyard famous for Riesling. The label is a classic throwback to a black label Great Western champers. The beer itself is nothing special. Beer label hyperbole states that the beer is “delicately flavoured with hops grown between rows of grapes” in the Drumborg. Hard to imagine a more bucolic setting for growing hops. Delicate is one of saying subtle, which is another way of saying bland. There’s a pleasant sweet finish – but the hops flavour is remote. Very easy drinking, but not worth a trip to the vineyard.