The Circl Wine House drinks boss weighs in on what's growing, ageing and pouring well in the state of Victoria.

Xavier Vigier has over a decade of experience as a sommelier, creating award-winning wine lists at some of Australia’s best restaurants including Ten Minutes by Tractor and Catalina. As the head sommelier and venue manager at new wine-centric Melbourne restaurant Circl, he’s working to challenge the status quo and fostering a new culture around wine built on accessibility, inclusivity, and discovery.

The offering at Circl is as broad as it is deep, but with Xavier and his team on hand to guide you, it’s a thrill. Here’s a taster.

The most fun part of putting together the list at Circl was creating and designing something completely unique – a thrilling challenge. I focused on adding all the little details under each wine, researched both current and past winemakers, and experimented with the overall layout of the wine list. I had plenty of ideas to draw from, so watching the pages come to life was super exciting. The best part of this process was figuring out how to craft an experience through the wine list and share each wine’s individual story. It was all about thinking outside the box and designing something fresh and engaging. I had a lot of fun thinking about how to lay out the wines by the glass selection, of which there are more than 150, in such a way that it would be interactive for our guests and easy to read. It took me some time to find the balance and once completed, it felt all natural.

If you’re a relative newcomer to wine at Circl, I’d suggest you try the 2021 Fighting Gully Road verdicchio. It was made by Mark Walpole, one of the top winemakers in Beechworth. This wine stands out with its fresh, textured, and intense character. When you stack it up against benchmark Italian verdicchio, I can confidently say the quality is on par. It offers a fresh and exciting perspective on this grape variety.

And if you’re a serious bottle-stroker, you’re going to love the 2015 Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny ‘Le Clos’. This is one of the most serious cabernet francs from the Loire Valley in France, and it has perfumes reminiscent of truffles and cigar box on the nose, and on the palate, it offers a fine and polished tannin structure.

When I’m at a restaurant or a bar and someone hands me a drinks list, my first stop is always the by-the-glass options; if they don’t excite me, I’ll jump straight to the bottles and check the key regions for any hidden gems. If I don’t find anything appealing, I’ll go for a beer instead. If the prices seem fair, I’m willing to splurge a bit, as long as the quality is there.

On the flip side, if the by-the-glass selection is impressive, I’ll order a glass right away and dive deeper into the list. I usually focus on the classic categories like Burgundy and Victoria to find any standout wines or allocated selections. I pay close attention to pricing too – sometimes you can find a great deal. Then, I explore the other categories to see if the wine list is adventurous or sticks to the classics. I have a lot of faith in sommeliers and their dedication, so I’m more than happy to take their recommendations when it feels right.

In a group setting, I tend to leave the choice of wine to someone else, while I peruse the list on my own. I really enjoy browsing through lists because they reveal a lot about the person behind them and the direction of the business.

The last three delicious Victorian things I drank were…

The 2019 Garden of Earthly Delights Sangiovese from Heathcote. It showcases a refined elegance and embodies a classic tannin structure that I deeply appreciate.

The 2023 Tillie J Aligoté from the King Valley. It stands out as one of the finest representations of this variety produced in Victoria. I admire its great texture and intensity, qualities that are sometimes lacking in their French counterparts.

The 2001 Mount Mary Quintet from the Yarra Valley, because it exemplifies the harmonious fusion of cabernet sauvignon’s elegance with the sophistication that comes with age.

I think the greatest strength in wine here is… The array of styles, coupled with the increasing emergence of new labels in the marketplace, highlights a blend of established classics and emerging talents, as well as the distinctions observed between different vintages. Victoria has the particularity to have strong regionality: I’m thinking about Beechworth and the power of its chardonnay for example, or the dynamic alternative varieties scene in the King Valley.

As far as I’m concerned, the defining places to get a drink in Victoria (apart from Circl), include France Soir, which is justly renowned for its exceptional selection of French wines, while Gimlet caters to an international clientele, Ten Minutes by Tractor, celebrated for its profound offerings, Society, which astounds with its impressive vertical collections, and Osteria Ilaria, for its unique and rare selections.

There’s no better value on drinks list or in a bottle-shop in this state than Osteria Ilaria offers incredible value for the rare gems the team releases from time to time. And that is ultra important for me.

My favourite place to buy booze is directly from those involved in the production and distribution of the wines. It’s an approach that ensures a seamless connection and allows for immediate feedback. We can confidently rely on their extensive product knowledge.

I’d love to see Victoria planting more chenin blanc. It’s a variety that could thrive here, and on the table it could serve as an excellent alternative to chardonnay. It provides winemakers with the versatility to craft sparkling, dry, and sweet styles, it’s a grape particularly well-suited to showcasing unique single-vineyard expressions, and it would be exciting to witness Australia embracing this opportunity.

The Victorian spirit I’m loving most right now is Beechworth Bitters Co’s ‘In the Weeds.’ It’s more a herbal liqueur than a spirit, expertly crafted by Michael Ryan in Beechworth, using 55 locally sourced botanicals. As a fan of Chartreuse, I find this liqueur to be remarkably close in character. Serving it to our guests is always a pleasure, and it provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the exceptional capabilities of Australian craftsmanship.

The thing the rest of the world could learn about drinks from this part of the world is… a lot! There’s a ton that the world could learn from what Victoria has to offer. First off, I’m really excited about the direction that winemakers in the state are taking right now, particularly their focus on expressing single vineyard characteristics. This shows a lot of confidence in their ability to highlight specific parts of their vineyards and a dedication to crafting wines that truly represent their origins.

Telling a story through a bottle of wine isn’t a walk in the park, though. There’s a lot of discussion happening about vineyard management and how to tackle climate change challenges. Producers like Bindi, Place of Changing Winds, and Ten Minutes by Tractor are experimenting with close planting. More vineyard managers are shifting from conventional methods to organic practices to create a better environment for their vines.

I also find it fascinating that many producers who have traveled the globe are now exploring alternative grape varieties in their vineyards to see what thrives best. This gives us sommeliers a chance to work with some really exciting wines, leading to richer conversations with our guests that go beyond just winemaking techniques. This isn’t just a trend; it’s a significant step toward shaping the future of winemaking for generations to come.

In the northern regions of Victoria, like King Valley and the Alpine Valleys, the diversity in wine production is incredible. Take Jo Marsh from Billy Button, who is dedicated to discovering the next big thing, or Castagna with their chenin blanc from Beechworth, and Fighting Gully Road with their verdicchio, aglianico, and sangiovese. Many producers are adopting a careful approach to their vineyards and wineries, resulting in exceptional wines that provide our guests with memorable experiences and great value.

I’m also thrilled to see up-and-coming wineries mingling with the established icons of the industry such as Mount Mary in Yarra Valley, Giaconda in Beechworth, Hurley Vineyards in Mornington, By Farr in Geelong, and Cobaw Ridge in Macedon. All in all, the variety in price points, styles, and grape varieties makes Victoria the most exciting wine-producing state in Australia.

Plus, on top of that, we’re also crafting a wide range of spirits using native botanicals that tell the Australian story. Whether you’re in the mood for gin, a liqueur, or an amaro-style aperitif, you can find just about anything you want right here in Victoria.

Circl Wine House, 22 Punch Ln, Melbourne, (03) 9125 1777, open 6pm-midnight Tue-Wed, noon-3pm and 6pm-midnight Thu-Fri, 6pm-midnight Sat, circlwinehouse.com.au, @circlwinehouse