Cannibal Creek Vineyard

'Cannibal Creek winery isn't very far from the M1 freeway that roars through the Gippsland countryside, but its countrified quiet takes you light years away. Pockets of forest, wide pastures, and the simple corrugated iron buildings of Cannibal Creek make it a great place to get in the mood for a tour of Gippsland's wine country. The natives are friendly and the wine quality is very high. The Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs made here have been regional stars for a long time, now a top notch sparkling wine has added fizz to the range, and a fascinating new fortified drop, made in the style of Pineau des Charentes from western France, tempts those with a taste for the sweeties.' RALPH KYTE-POWELL The future of top-end Australian Sauvignon Blanc is in Victoria and Tasmania. 'Cannibal Creek, a small vineyard in Gippsland, Victoria, releases a tightly focused, austere and chalky wine that bursts with pristine herbal, floral aromas and vibrant gooseberry and citrus fruit. Its bony mouth feel more resembles a high-level Pouilly-Fume' (from France's Loire Valley) than an Australian wine. The newly released 2005 vintage should flesh out beautifully, retaining its cut and austerity'. Jeremy Oliver