Suburban Perth has its own peculiar nuances. My current base in the big smoke is what I call (ironically) ‘the Upper East Side’ – better known as East Victoria Park. The houses, especially through the weatherboard district are modest & the block sizes are small. Drive down any street within the parameters of Berwick, Albany Hwy, Kent St & Hill View Terrace and you’ll see how each house blends into one – they are of a style, an era. These are cute, well-maintained single storey homes weatherboard homes, with white picket fences & attention to detail; all in all it’s an exercise of modest charm over extravagance.
Eyesores are hard to find, but what those streets in the Upper East Side don’t scream is dream home. I’m talking lotto win, or mining squillionaire type dream home. The world of tennis courts & river views, of swimming pools and multi stories exists elsewhere in Perth, closer to the beach & along the river. This is where you are more likely to see your idyllic property but also (and this is the key point) where you are just as likely to spot something you might consider an eyesore.
In a strange way I think wine follows the same principles. East Victoria Park’s wine equivalent is a lovely bottle of Gamay. It doesn’t set you back too much & it serves a purpose; petite and lovely and functional but hardly transcendent. And the truth is that the best wines in the world find their architectural equivalent in the not so modest homes along The Strand. Or Jutland. Or Saunders. Here you’ll find homes that are complete and realised versions of a style in its full expression, much like the great wines of the world speak loudly & confidently in their own particular way. Build it small & modest and there’s less to love but less to loathe. Load it up with Greek pillars or make it look like a giant glasshouse & some people may find love, whilst others may feel more comfortable staring directly into the sun…
Whilst its been toned down a fraction in recent years, Pierro still build their Chardonnays big & of a style; this is prime real estate and a no expenses spared build. Malolactic fermentation, sunlight drenched ripe fruit, lees stirred, Gin Gin clone; a style some will love & some will loathe. But it never seems overdone to me perhaps because its my type of architecture, my kind of wine. The 2014, drinking fantastically as a five year old, starts with this beautiful stone fruit that sits right on the wavelength of perfection – theres nothing bitter or extracted or noticeably overripe – instead its completely pure & (as crudely put as it may be) delicious. And then comes this wave of creaminess; impressive in size sure, but to me I notice its length far more than its width. Yes the dimensions are significant, but like other fine expressions of Wilyabrup Chardonnay this has exquisite precision & attention to detail. It might not be for everyone, but this is my kind of Chardonnay. This is my kind of dream home.
The Wine Accomplice 