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The simplicity of La Collina’s label is almost as enchanting as the complexity of the liquid inside the bottle. A slender figure, arms stretched out straight on either side, effortlessly bearing evenly weighted scales. An elegantly compact statement, perfect in form, strong and enduring. The silhouette and the Syrah.

I’ve long admired the Bilancia wines from afar without having visited Hawke’s Bay or met Lorraine Leheny or her husband, Warren Gibson. I rectified that, to some degree at least, when Lorraine visited Melbourne in May with a handful of fellow growers from the region.

I signed up for a double header: a masterclass featuring wines from Two Terraces Vineyard (Bilancia’s sublime 2024 Chardonnay from here is the current release) and a broader regional tasting where Warren would have fronted a masterclass on Hawke’s Bay reds had he not done himself a mischief on the farm that kept him home.

In any event, I got to taste the wines, and Lorraine and I made a date for this conversation. I’m glad we did. There’s plenty to enjoy here from this modest and highly accomplished vigneron. The chat is easy to follow, albeit with a few local references demanding further context.

On the craft beer front, there is a reference to influential drinks entrepreneur Phil Sexton, who launched the Mathilda Bay and Little Creatures brands. He also established the Giant Steps winery in the Yarra Valley, and duly crops up in episode 11, which features its founding winemaker.

The Traditional Brewing Company pubs in suburban Melbourne that we talk about are the Loaded Dog in Fitzroy North (now closed; named for a Henry Lawson short story), the Geebung Polo Club (after a Banjo Paterson poem; now the Auburn Hotel) and the Sydney Liars’ Club (from a contemporary poem; now called the Doutta Galla). Carlton United Breweries (CUB) is the brewing giant behind Carlton Draught, while Coopers is a now ubiquitous South Australian bottle-, can- or keg-conditioned ale that was hard to track down in Melbourne back in the day.

Among Lorraine’s cohort at Roseworthy Agricultural College were Nick Delaforce (now making Port at Niepoort), Brian Bicknell of Mahi (Marlborough), Rebecca Salmond of Odyssey (Auckland), Herb Friedli (Poderi Crisci, Waiheke Island), Matt Harrop (Fowles, Strathbogie Ranges), Mike Gadd and Virginia Willcock (Vasse Felix winemaker Ginny was my guest on episode 32). Lorraine and Warren’s friendship with Tom and Nadège Carson of Serrat (Yarra Valley) dates back to those times, too, likewise Stephen Pannell (episode 30), whose family hung out with Lorraine’s at Tom and Nadège’s wedding.

Sticking with the Aussie connections, the late Dr John Middleton and his wife, Marli, founders of Mount Mary, took Lorraine under their wing early on. Mario Marson (Vinea Marson, Heathcote) was their winemaker there at the time. When the conversation turns to Chardonnay, David Bicknell (Oakridge, Yarra Valley) shows up alongside Steve Flamsteed (Decades), my guest on episode 11. Taking us full circle, Steve Flamsteed also makes wine under the Salo label with Hawke’s Bay native Dave Mackintosh.

Back in Hawke’s Bay, then, Trinity Hill is the estate that lured Warren and Lorraine to the region in the late ’90s. John Hancock, one of its founders and a former winemaker at Morton Estate, crops up here and also shares some history with Warren in the flying winemaker scene, as discussed with Kym Milne (my guest on episode 41). Other Hawke’s Bay names that appear are Dr Alan Limmer, founder of Stonecroft, Craggy Range (and the person who built that vision, Steve Smith MW of Pyramid Valley, Smith & Sheth and episode 16 fame) and cornerstone estate Te Mata.

The lie of the land is, of course, very important, and the map above helps illustrate it. Hawke’s Bay’s three key rivers are the Tutaekuri, Ngaruroro and Tukituki. The La Collina vineyard is situated on Roys Hill, just beyond the western cusp of the Gimblett Gravels. The Bridge Pa Triangle extends behind it, and to the west of that are the Mangatahi Terraces, home to Two Terraces Vineyard. The Heretaunga Plains stretch out to the south.

Besides Two Terraces, the vineyards behind Bilancia’s single-site Chardonnays are Trelinnoe, Kaikora and Lorraine’s own Tiratore site. Uvaggio is the name of Bilancia’s Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne field blend. The excellent Kumeu River, just outside Auckland, is cited as a model for these origin-specific wines.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Oyster Bay brand. This Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc phenomenon was just starting to bubble away while Lorraine was working at Delegat in Auckland. Founded by siblings Jim and Rose Delegat, the company’s chief winemaker at the time was Brent Marris, owner of Marisco Vineyards in Marlborough.

Finally, Cyclone Gabrielle was the tropical storm that caused devastation in Hawke’s Bay and other parts of New Zealand’s North Island in 2023.

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