We purchased our Sunday Creek Vineyard from Seppelts in 1984. This vineyard had 25acres (about 10 hectares) of experimental vines planted by Seppelts in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
When we purchased the vineyard we received a map showing us where all the vine varieties were planted. What we didn’t know, was that the Gamay vines, though planted in 1974, had not produced any fruit.
However, we picked grapes from the Gamay vines in 1985 and Chris made the wine using a wine technique called carbonic maceration. The wine was well received by our visitors. Journalists also loved writing about a different wine that no one else in Rutherglen grew with only another dozen growers in the whole of Australia able to grow it.
Anna Karklins Bryers, the innovative chef from the original Tuileries Restaurant, in the vineyard next door, said we should celebrate the wine with a party, called the Pfeiffer Pfrolic on the Bridge. We did this first in 1986, with a party on our Sunday Creek Bridge. Anna catered with her delicious food for 28 people. We decided to always celebrate the release of the new vintage release of Gamay with a Pfeiffer Pfrolic on the Sunday before Melbourne Cup each year. This year the Pfeiffer Pfrolic was number 40.
Sadly Anna passed away in her forties. Over the ensuring 40 years, we have had wonderful chefs to take her place, Brian and Margie Wehner, Fiona Landy, Jeanie and Leigh Hall, Adam Pizzini and Shaun Duggan. None of our Pfrolic chefs have ever disappointed and a true Pfeiffer ‘pfeast’ is always served with many Pfeiffer wines alongside heralding the release of the new vintage of Pfeiffer Gamay as we have a ‘pfrolicking’ good time.
Our winemaking daughter, Jen Pfeiffer, was invited to Beaujolais in France in 2005, to make Beaujolais (from their Gamay grapes) for Chateau Bluizard and Domaine de Conroy in Brouilly, within Beaujolais. It was there that she learnt about the “pigeage” method of crushing the grapes. This is also known as foot treading.
Each year, when the Pfeiffer Gamay grapes are harvested, they go through a carbonic maceration before the pigeage ‘pfun’ begins. Jen advises everyone that she needs foot treaders (officially known as pigeaging), to help foot tread the partially fermented Gamay grapes. Just so long as no nail polish is on your toes, you too can join in the ‘pfun.’ There are plenty of bins of Gamay to to help keep your feet treading…and a bottle of Gamay to take away as a thank you for being part of the makings of the newest vintage.
If you are keen to be added to the list for the next vintage of foot treading, please phone the winery on 02 6033 2805 or email Jean Kingston, who will add you to our list of people we need to alert when Jen lets us know she requires foot treaders.
We hope you become a ‘pfan’ of our Pfeiffer Gamay and we hope you can join in the Gamay chant with me, Robyn Pfeiffer, also known as the Gamay Girl.
Recollections by Robyn Pfeiffer, The Gamay Girl
Foot Treading the Pfeiffer Gamay
