Winery Spotlight Tasting
with Winemaker, Joel Tilbrook
Tasmania, Australia & New Zealand
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
6:00pm CST / 7:00pm EST
Joel Tilbrook, Winemaker of Devil’s Corner, Tamar Ridge, and Innocent Bystander wines will be joining us on the big screen (LIVE from Australia) tasting six of his wines. RSVP to taste and learn about these unique and highly-rated wines with Joel. Check out the wines here>
Wines Tasted:-
Devil’s Corner Chardonnay, Tasmania, 92pts Wine Enthusiast
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Devil’s Corner Resolution Chardonnay, Tasmania, 93pts Wine Enthusiast
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Devil’s Corner Pinot Noir, Tasmania, 92pts Wine Enthusiast
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Devil’s Corner Resolution Pinot Noir, Tasmania, 93pts Wine Enthusiast
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Tamar Ridge Pinot Noir, Tasmania, 95pts Halliday
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Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir, New Zealand, not rated yet
To reserve a table and attend the wine tasting in person, please contact your local participating WineStyles store. Or, if you prefer to attend remotely, pre-order a wine tasting kit to-go from your local participating store and watch/taste along with us on Zoom!
© Winemaker, Joel Tilbrook
Winemaker Joel Tilbrook maintains that with these wines it’s more about what they DON’T do. Devil’s Corner vineyards produce expressive fruit with bright cool-climate acidity – Joel’s winemaking is all about showcasing these natural qualities. His wines are fruit-driven wines, occasionally adding complexity through whole bunches in the ferment, aging on the lees with occasional stirring, using open fermenters, natural yeasts, cold soaks, basket pressing and minimal fining and filtration before bottling. When oak is used it is 100% French from 10 different coopers and a range of toast levels.
Joel has also held roles of Winemaker, Senior Winemaker, Winery Manager, Chief Winemaker and most recently General Manager of Winemaking and Supply Chain at Brown Family Wine Group (family-owned), the parent company of Brown Brothers, Innocent Bystander, Devil’s Corner, Tamar Ridge and Pirie. Joel is passionate about growing the best quality grapes and crafting wines that over deliver in terms of value and quality. Learn more about Joel and Devil’s Corner here.
Devil’s Corner on Tasmania’s east coast is one of the wildest and relentless environments on earth. The name derives from sailors who discovered a treacherous bend of the Tasmania Tamar River and named it Devil’s Corner. Today, it is home to some of the most stunning vineyards in Tasmania and the highest quality, approachable, and cool climate wines. Devil’s Corner farms all of their own vineyards, using holistic and sustainable viticultural practices, including 5,000 sheep for weed suppression and building soil health. In 2023, Devil’s Corner vineyards and winery were certified sustainable by Sustainable Winegrowers Australia (SWA). Learn more about their winery here.
About Tamar Ridge:
Tamar Ridge, named after its location, sits high on the western slopes of the Tasmania’s Tamar Valley overlooking the Tamar River. For over 20 years, the winemakers have balanced the art and science of winemaking to craft elegant and multi-dimensional Pinot Noir wines that are regarded as among Tasmania’s – and the world’s – best. Learn more about the winery here.
About Innocent Bystander:
Innocent Bystander is a privately owned, estate-based wine grower and winemaker in the Yarra Valley, one hour east of Melbourne. First released in 2003, Innocent Bystander is forever expanding its horizons to craft wines reflecting the purest interpretation of each varietal. This means, where necessary, they explore different regions to find the highest quality fruit available for each wine they produce. Learn more about their winery here.
Photos and Information © Old Bridge Cellars, Devil’s Corner, Tamar Ridge, & Innocent Bystander – All Rights Reserved.
Wines Tasted:
Steve Anderson started his wine making career at the age of thirteen with is neighbor’s grapes and a 5-gallon bucket. His project was greatly encouraged by his parents, who gladly partook in the results of his experiments. Steve continued his career by studying Horticulture at Oregon State University. Two years into his degree, he ran out of funds and joined the U.S. Army to receive the Army College Fund. After three years as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, Steve graduated from OSU with plans to become a nurseryman. In 1993, joined the Eola Hills Wine Cellars team as a “harvest season cellar rat”. He was quickly promoted to Assistant Winemaker, and eventually became Eola’s head winemaker, producing beautiful wines for them ever since.
WineStyles Tasting Station 