CLOUDBURST
Cloudburst is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. It is one of the most unusual wine stories of the last 20 years. Establishing a vineyard, making wine and creating a brand of significance require years of hard work, imagination and commitment. Typically, it takes decades to build the authenticity and credibility required to reach the higher echelons of the ultra-fine wine scene. Yet vigneron Will Berliner, an American “blow-in”, has achieved the cusp of international recognition in a more compact time frame. In many respects he has unwittingly caught a wave that has carried him much further than anyone imagined. Despite its name, Cloudburst is not an overnight downpour of success. Although luck has played its part, there are many underlying reasons why it has done so well. Asides from the virtues of the Margaret River’s geography, climate and soils, the most important dynamic is Will Berliner, who grew up surrounded by nature, and whose inquisitiveness and love for plants began at childhood. The intricacies and subtleties of establishing a vineyard demand experience and different outlooks. Finding a direction with winemaking style also requires a degree of trial and error. Will Berliner has picked up these skills by working with winemakers, learning on the job and networking the wine trade. When Cloudburst swept the Margaret River Wine Show of almost all its trophies and shocked the wine world in 2013, it was the end of an apprenticeship and the beginning of new horizons. Over the last 10 years, Cloudburst has become a household name among key sommeliers, wine critics, wine trade figures and collectors .
Cloudburst
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