Australia · Heathcote

Fowles Wine

Family owned Fowles Wine in Avenel, with Strathbogie granite vineyard history and Ginger Prince sparkling rosé, white and Moscato.

The producer

Fowles Wine is a family owned winery, cellar door and restaurant in Avenel, regional Victoria, led by Matt Fowles. Its vineyard history includes Upton Run and Billi’s in the Strathbogie Ranges, with granite soils and a cool climate. The house describes its whites through fruit intensity and its reds through perfume and power. Ginger Prince spans sparkling rosé, sparkling white and Moscato, with bottlings that use different grape combinations and fermentation methods.

Known for

Ginger Prince sparkling wines

Notable facts

The story

Matt Harrop Joins Fowles

In 2024, Matt Harrop joined Fowles Wine as chief winemaker. The winery had a full suite of winemaking tools and gadgetry, including a barrel hall with over 1,000 barrels. Some of those barrels are said to be 140 years old. Harrop arrived at a cellar that held current equipment and very old wood in the same working complex. His appointment placed a new chief winemaker in a winery where modern tools and old barrels stand together.

From the atlas

Fowles Wine

Fowles Wine is a family owned winery in Avenel, regional Victoria, whose Strathbogie vineyard history includes Upton Run and Billi’s, alongside the Ginger Prince sparkling range.

At A Glance

FieldDetail
RegionVictoria, Australia
HomeAvenel, regional Victoria
Producer typeFamily owned winery, cellar door and restaurant
RangeGinger Prince sparkling rosé, sparkling white and Moscato
Main grapesShiraz, Riesling, Chardonnay, Vermentino, Muscat and Sémillon
House styleFruit intense whites and highly perfumed, powerful reds

The Producer

Fowles Wine is a family owned winery, cellar door and restaurant in Avenel, regional Victoria. Australian Wine Companion describes the winery as led by Matt Fowles. The Ginger Prince name appears across sparkling rosé, sparkling white and Moscato bottlings.

Place

Avenel is the winery and hospitality home in regional Victoria. The Strathbogie vineyard holdings stood between 430 and 550 metres above sea level. Higher sites generally slow ripening and help preserve acidity, giving altitude a direct role in grape maturity.

Soil And Site

Decomposed granite and massive granite outcrops form the family vineyard soils. The climate is cool, with a January mean temperature of 19.5°C. Decomposed granite usually drains readily while holding some moisture in finer material, and granite ground can lend a stony feel to wine. Fowles describes the cool climate through whites with great fruit intensity and reds that are highly perfumed and powerful.

Story

Fowles Wine was established in 1968 and is family owned. Matt Fowles leads the winery. Glenn Chisholm joined as vineyard manager in 2020. On 8 January 2026, fire ran through Upton Run and Billi’s, destroying all 300 acres of vines and causing significant livestock losses.

Vineyards And Cellar

Fowles is certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. Sheep graze among the vines, while weeds are smothered instead of slashed, conserving moisture and reducing herbicide use. Microbats are encouraged as vineyard pest predators.

The winery has a barrel hall alongside its other winemaking tools. Barrel ageing generally brings slow oxygen exchange and can add wood spice and a rounder texture to wine.

Wines

Several bottles carry the Ginger Prince name. One Rosé Bubbles bottling combines 56% Shiraz, 22% Riesling, 15% Chardonnay and 7% Vermentino. Each grape variety is vinified separately before blending and a second fermentation in a pressurised tank. The current Australian Sparkling Rosé is 95% Pinot Noir, with other red grape varieties completing the blend.

The Sparkling White blends Chardonnay, Muscat, Sémillon and Vermentino. Its bubbles come through the Charmat method, with yeast and sugar fermenting in stainless steel tanks. The 2025 Australian Moscato occupies the sweet, lightly sparkling part of the range.

In The Glass

The Rosé Bubbles is berry driven and very fresh, with cherry, blood grapefruit, raspberry and herbal notes. The current Australian Sparkling Rosé brings strawberry and flowers, followed by strawberries and cream, grapefruit and lemon, with a fresh, clean finish.

Sparkling White offers citrus, green apple, gooseberry, mineral and a touch of honey in the aroma. Pear, grapefruit and lime follow on the palate with small lively bubbles. The 2025 Moscato opens with tropical fruit, red apple, musk stick and jasmine, then moves into sweet confectionery, pear and apple, with a refreshing spritz and clean finish.

A Bottle To Understand It

Open with Ginger Prince 2025 Moscato. Fowles stops fermentation at about the halfway point, retaining the original grape sugars. The Moscato retains original grape sugars and has a refreshing spritz.

Anecdote

In 2024, Matt Harrop joined Fowles Wine as chief winemaker. The winery had a full suite of winemaking tools and gadgetry, including a barrel hall holding over 1,000 barrels. Some of those barrels are said to be 140 years old. Harrop arrived at a cellar that held current equipment and very old wood in the same working complex. His appointment placed a new chief winemaker in a winery where modern tools and old barrels stand together.

Final Word

Fowles Wine brings together an Avenel winery, a Strathbogie vineyard history and a Ginger Prince range that moves across rosé, white and Moscato sparkling wines. The January 2026 fire now belongs to the producer’s vineyard history, while the winery’s cellar and bottle range remain clearly documented.

Sources

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