Parley: Three-person-rager turned small batch wine label.
HER NAME
JOSS, MEL & SARAH
MAKES SIPS AT
PARLEY WINE
Like most great things, the idea for Parley was born between three mates over many cocktails (is it just us, or are all great ideas born from a few too many?!). To use Sarah’s words: Joss, Mel and Sarah were having a “three-person-rager” in Basket Range when they came up with the blueprint for their wine label, Parley.
All of their wines are deeply personal and truly small batch. Every bottle is filled, labelled, corked, waxed and packaged by hand. The labels are created from original artworks painted by Joss, and each wine label includes a story about the farmer and the small batch production numbers. You can’t help but appreciate the love and care they’ve placed into each of their wines.
“We sacrifice a lot to keep it running but when push comes to shove (and it has a few times), it's a no brainer for me. The drive comes from being my own boss and creating something that people really enjoy.”
SIP’ER: Tell us about your role within the business? Is there anyone else that leads it with you?
SARAH: There are three of us actually; myself, Mel and Joss. We tend to share all roles within the business but my brain seems best wired for logistics. During vintage I'm the one working out when we are picking, what is coming in and out of the winery and when we are pressing and processing. Workflow is an ever evolving game of tetris and I feel most in my element trying to get all of our ducks in a row.
SIP’ER: How did the three of you start Parley?
SARAH: I made a couple of barrels of wine in 2020 and didn't really enjoy doing it on my own. During the first [COVID] lockdown in 2020, I invited Joss and Mel over to start a conversation. We had a three person rager in Basket Range, drinking cocktails sent over from my mate Mikey at the Continental Deli. That night we came up with some of the blueprint for Parley. It was really beautiful. Just three friends dreaming. And we actually did it. We spent the next 10 months buying some barrels and tanks when we had the money. I rented a house that had a large garage which became our first winery. A new organically managed vineyard came up and we locked in our fruit. It all happened very naturally.
SIP’ER: We love it. We always say we come up with our best ideas after a few cocktails! So what inspires you to keep going?
SARAH: That's a difficult question and one that comes up for each of us pretty frequently. Sometimes it's hard to balance business and life. We sacrifice a lot to keep it running but when push comes to shove (and it has a few times), it's a no brainer for me. The drive comes from being my own boss and creating something that people really enjoy. I really enjoy working with Joss and Mel and being a part of this business has been one of my most rewarding experiences.
SIP’ER: We definitely resonate with that. What’s been the biggest challenge in your career so far that you’ve been able to overcome?
SARAH: The biggest challenge in my career is right now. Trying to work through the growth stage of the business while trying to support myself financially. I give about 5 months of the year to the business in a full time capacity which puts a big hole in my income. It’s all part of it though. I have faith in the product and, for the business to not have to support us, means it can grow.
SIP’ER: Can you pair one of your wines with these challenging moments?
SARAH: "In Motion Carbonic Grenache". We hand pick this fruit with our friends and sort it as we go. When we return to the winery the fruit is sorted again over the hand de-stemmer and then sealed up in a tank. The ferment starts slowly and is the longest in the winery. Sometimes it feels like it's going nowhere. Sometimes we worry we made the wrong decision. This process takes community, care, time, faith and patience. Just like starting a new business.
SIP’ER: On the flip side of that, which product brings the most joy and happy memories? Any interesting stories behind those?
SARAH: Our Pet-Nat. It’s fun and frivolous and celebratory. We blend barrel fermented chardonnay and savvy with shiraz rose so it has a nice creamy texture but with freshness and red fruit. When we decided to make wine we all said we had to make pet-nat. "Midnight Disco" was the first name we came up with, sitting at Joss' table, around midnight, and the label was the first artwork that Joss created. This is definitely the most consumed wine during vintage.
SIP’ER: That is one of our faves! What do you think sets your wines apart from others?
SARAH: We're not trying to reinvent the wheel here. In a market that is so over-saturated, I think the only thing we can do to set ourselves apart is to maintain our core values, while making wine that is delicious and good value.
SIP’ER: What do you want people to take away from the experience after drinking Parley?
SARAH: I would like to think that people feel connected to the wine. Every bottle is handled several times before it ends up on the shelf in a shop or a restaurant. We bottle, label, cork, wax and package by hand. The labels are created from original artworks painted by Joss and each has a story on the back of the farmer and production numbers. Its proper small batch. When you drink our wine you are a part of the lifecycle of that bottle and that is such a gorgeous thing.
SIP’ER: And finally, what would you say is the best way to drink Parley?
SARAH: Salty whites and salty sea breezes are where I'm at. If you’re like us and you don't know anyone with a boat, you could sneak a bottle onto the ferry and drink from a takeaway coffee cup.