Werkstatt Sparkling Riesling 2026

This is the bright mind in the room. Riesling fruit fires in several directions at once, lifted by a mousse that wags and sways through lemon, grapefruit and something more floral and elusive. Chamomile, perhaps. The nose holds back at first, but the palate has plans of its own, throwing citrus around with great enthusiasm before a stony grip pulls it into line. There is an athleticism to it. Slender, toned, all forward motion.

The 2026 season in Mount Gambier was long, cool and wetter than the year before, pushing harvest three and a half weeks later. Organically farmed fruit from the Coola Road vineyard at German Creek, with 11 g/L of acidity, pH 2.85, 12% alcohol and no residual sugar. That acid drive makes me think of biting into green mango sprinkled with salt. Mouth-watering, the sharpness travelling right into the cheeks.

The mousse is buoyant, picking up the citrus and scattering it across the palate, leaving something rockier and more serious than its first flush of playfulness suggests. Somewhere between the bitterness and salt, there is a flicker of green olive brine appears, then vanishes as the fruit comes rushing back. Grapefruit skin, lemon wax, a little waxiness through the middle, and that salinity which turns up across all Werkstatt wines, here particularly animated, prickling along the tongue.

And it drives. The finish reminds me of a beat playing in another room, diminished by distance but still perceptible. Just when you think it has ended, another pulse arrives. There is bravado here, plenty of it, but the structure is disciplined. It has the energy someone with six ideas before breakfast who somehow manages to finish every one. Ravishingly drinkable. I suspect one glass would be an unrealistic proposition.

Liinaa Berry

Liinaa Berry is a Melbourne-based wine critic and consultant with over a decade of experience as a sommelier and wine buyer across Australia and around the world where she has built award-winning wine programs and championed independent producers with conviction. Now focused on reviewing and writing, Liinaa brings a floor-trained palate and commercial insight to her assessments. She is also the Melbourne Ambassador for Star Wine List and serves on the committee of Sommeliers Australia. An advocate for site-driven wines and thoughtful farming, Liinaa is particularly drawn to producers who articulate a clear sense of place. Her tasting philosophy centres on structure, balance and context — always asking not just how a wine tastes, but why it matters.