At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Producer
- Brown Family Wine Group
- Country
- Australia
- Original home
- Milawa, Victoria
- White wines
- Brown & Co Chardonnay, Naturally Innocent Field Blend and Innocent Bystander Chardonnay
- Sparkling wines
- Brown Brothers Prosecco and Pirie Traditional Method
The Producer
Brown Brothers Prosecco is the number one Australian Prosecco brand. Brown Family Wine Group carries the Brown Brothers name alongside Brown & Co Chardonnay, Naturally Innocent Field Blend, Innocent Bystander Chardonnay and Pirie Traditional Method. John Francis Brown established Brown Brothers in 1889 from vines planted in 1885, and the business remains owned and operated by his descendants.
Place
Milawa in Victoria is the place attached to Brown Brothers' founding. Pirie Traditional Method is sourced from the Tamar Valley. Milawa marks the family origin; Tamar Valley marks the sparkling fruit source.
Wines
The still white range includes Brown & Co Chardonnay 2024, Naturally Innocent Field Blend 2023 and Innocent Bystander Chardonnay 2024. The sparkling range includes Brown Brothers Prosecco and Pirie Traditional Method. Pirie is a bottle fermented sparkling wine made from 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir.
Traditional method means a second fermentation in the bottle, followed by contact with lees before disgorgement. Pirie spends two years on lees before disgorgement. Lees are yeast sediment left after fermentation; contact with them can add toast and nut notes to sparkling wine.
The Pirie Vintage 2021 release layers lemon meringue and sea spray with toasty brioche and subtle nutty cashew notes. Pirie's Traditional Method without a vintage is fresh as a daisy, with a long palate. Innocent Bystander Chardonnay opens with fresh pear, lemon, poached apple, florals and marzipan. It is crisp and dry, with a stone fruit core and pithy texture.
Final Word
The Brown family's fourth generation includes eight female members among ten family members.