La Sirène Brewing - Beer With Bill

THE LOWDOWN Our Collaboration Wild Ale with Bill Downie from William Downie Wines in Gippsland Victoria. We trucked half a tonne of freshly pressed pinot noir fruit from the Camp Hill Vineyard in Warragul Victoria (250m above sea level grown on red volcanic soils) to our brewery where we fermented it on a neutral wort base – mainly Barley with a touch of wheat. The fermentation took place in an open tank on a cool April evening in 2021 where we allowed the airborne yeast from the brewery’s walls to duel with the indigenous yeasts from the pressed skins. The fermentation eventually bloomed overnight in a rather volcanic way that made way for an exciting next 9 months where it sat in large format French oak and allowed to ripen naturally. The result is a yeast forward wine hybrid wine ale that definitely screams Pinot! and Wild Ale!