STORYAlex Russell grew up in Glen Waverley in Melbourne’s south east and started home brewing at the age of thirteen, making elderberry wine, beer, ginger beer, mead and wine from grape juice concentrate. Alex grew fruit and vegetables from a young age and began hunter gathering by way of fishing, yabbying, quail eggs and rabbit. The day after his eighteenth birthday he started working at Liquorland Brandon Park, finished year 12 at Swinburne Hawthorn and went to La Trobe Bundoora to study viticulture. After finishing he moved to Mildura taking on a technical role and enrolled in wine science at Charles Sturt, made wine with Zilzie, then Angove where he was introduced to Riverland Vine Improvement Committee (RVIC).

RVIC are a nursery business importing and propagating new or alternate varieties, usually from Europe. Alex became experimental wine maker for RVIC in a voluntary capacity whilst working for

Angove. There he was exposed to everything from Albarino to Zinfandel. After establishing RVIC’s Cirami Estate label, Alex and RVIC parted ways and in 2014 launched ‘alejandro’ with the release of a 2013 Carmenere and a 2014 Montepulciano.

From vintage 2015, ARW set up his own winery in a leased shed in Renmark and expanded production to include Saperavi, Durif, Lagrein, Montepulciano, Vermentino, Cabernet, Shiraz, Tempranillo. From 2016, ARW expanded production to Monastrell, Graciano, Fiano, Bianco d’Alessano, Arneis, Prosecco, Nero d’Avola, Carmenere and Grenache Shiraz Rose.

The concept for the alejandro label came from a trip to Spain to meet up with a wine making friend Alex had worked with in 2008 at Zilzie and 2012 at Tachi Wines. Having worked with Lagrein and Montepulciano already, Monastrell, Graciano and

Tempranillo resonated with Alex as wines with unique characters and many already grown in the Riverland. Monastrell, is grown locally as Mataro or Mourvedre and is usually blended with Shiraz, turned into port or reserved for the box market. Alex produced the 2016 from pretty ripe fruit – hand pruned and harvested because it’s hard to mechanize. He decided against port because the red produced had all the character and booze of Spanish grown Monastrell – and why not reinvent an otherwise outdated Australian variety? ARW produced all these alternative varieties because they are so different and this is what alejandro is about.

The current label is the third incarnation of the alejandro label, changing as varieties expand and production costs are tuned. There will be a fourth incarnation from 2018 as subtle changes are made with alejandro branding focussing on the J, the letter most have trouble pronouncing.

Alex Russell Wines is directed by award-winning winemaker and viticulturist Alex Russell. With a wealth of experience in the industry, both locally and internationally, Alex’s motivation to create the best possible product have

resulted in a diverse range of alternative wines.

Alex Russell Wines also produce award-winning alternative varietal wines in South Australia’s Riverland region. ARW focuses on interesting alternative varieties of grape that are often overlooked. Only the best fruit is selected,

and then harvested at the optimum time to ensure the most robust colour and flavour. A unique production process means the wine receives the attention it

deserves - the result is the best value premium quality wines available.

WINEMAKER ALEX RUSSELL

The expansion of Alex Russell Wines to Tasmania made for new hunting grounds. CAZADORA represents our up and coming range of high end Tasmanian varietal wines produced from family estate grown fruit

in the Pipers River region North of Launceston.

Pipers Brook is known to be Tasmanian’s most premium wine growing region and home to the best Riesling and Pinot Noir grown in Australia.

In stark contrast to the mainland, this quaint island of Tasmania can boast grass that stays green all year round all summer, which makes it

the envy of many mainland winemakers.

Wines from Pipers Brook are exceptionally lively with natural raciness and delicacy. Here ripening is slow and sure as any vintner could hope

for, and flavour correspondingly intense.

Alex RussellCazadoraPipers Brook, TasmaniaRiesling

Alex RussellCazadoraPipers Brook, TasmaniaPinot Noir

Range Varieties

Cazadora Riesling

Chardonnay

Pinot Noir

Son of a Bull are premium Tasmanian varietal wines. Son of a Bull is the brainchild of a bull at a gate - it’s fresh frisky and impulsive. This ‘live for the moment’ wine is for drinking at a young

age - no cellaring required.

Range Varieties

Son of a Bull Riesling

Guwertztraminer

Sauvignon Blanc

Pinot Noir

Alex RussellSon of a BullPipers Brook, TasmaniaGewurztraminer

Alex RussellSon of a BullPipers River, TasmaniaSauvignon Blanc

Alex RussellSon of a BullPipers River, TasmaniaRiesling

Alex RussellSon of a BullPipers River, TasmaniaPinot Noir

alejandro are premium alternative varietal wines, including many lesser known varieties of Italian, Spanish and Iberian origin. Alejandro (Ali-hand-ro) is a Spanish name, derived from ancient Greek, meaning ‘the man who repels enemies’. While the pronunciation of the name is a challenge, varieties within this range defies all conventions.Arinto~Our wine Arinto [ah-RIHN-toh] is a Portuguese variety. Pale green straw in colour, it’s acidity produces a refreshing

young wine, whilst creating a good structure for aging. Green apple, lemon and lime characterise this Riverland Arinto. Pairs well with marinated antipasto, dressed salads and seafood.Tinto~ Spanish name for red. Tinta is the feminine adjective for red synonymous for dark skinned vine varieties. Tinta Negra~ [tinta-negra] ~ It is a relatively high yielding wine variety originating from the Island of Madiera in Portugal. Portugal’s Tinta Negra (Molle) means ‘black, soft’ (grape). In contrast,

Italy’s Negra Amaro means ‘black, bitter’. This example is a fruity, spicy red wine which comes with a delicate freshness Monastrell~[maw-nehs-trell], also known as Mourvèdre or Mataro, thrives in the hot climate of the Riverland, producing a high alcohol, tannic wine with characters of earth, game and soft red fruit. The vines were hand pruned and picked, the fruit fermented on skins for 11 days before pressing and put to oak, producing a wine with a lovely depth of flavour and subtle oak.

Range Varieties

alejandro Prosecco

Rose GSM

Carmenere

Fiano

Durif

Saperavi

Vermentino

Pinot Gris

Graciano

Legrein

Monastrell

Montepulciano

Alex RussellalejandroMurray Darling, VICCarmenere

Alex RussellalejandroRiverland, SAProsecco

Alex RussellalejandroMurray Darling, VICPinot Gris

Alex RussellalejandroRiverland, SAMontepulciano

Alex RussellalejandroMurray Darling, VICSaperavi