Unlearning with Mac Forbes: An Evening of Yarra Valley Wines

Monday, October 20th at 6pm

Join us for an evening with Mac Forbes, one of the Yarra Valley’s most innovative and thoughtful winemakers. Widely credited with redefining cool-climate viticulture in Australia, Mac returned home from Europe convinced that to truly understand the land, you often have to unlearn old assumptions. Since founding his label in 2004, he’s focused on dry-farmed, organically managed vineyards and partnerships with growers who share his vision. Working with both classic and unexpected varieties—Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Gamay, and Nebbiolo—Mac takes a minimal-intervention approach that highlights site, season, and a strong sense of place.

In this seminar, we’ll explore Mac’s wines through the lens of “Unlearning.” He’ll share how questioning traditional methods inspires innovation and sustainability in his vineyards, and how these lessons shape the wines he creates. We’ll also dive into the beauty of the Yarra Valley’s cool climate, diverse soils, and rolling hills, and how these factors produce expressive, complex wines that set the region apart from other Australian wine regions.

Chris had the chance to work harvest with Mac in 2016, a whirlwind vintage where 150 tons were processed in just 10 days, all by hand. “It was intense, but I learned so much,” Chris recalls. “Mac was such a great mentor, and it opened my eyes to the fact that Australia is so much more than uber-ripe Shiraz—it’s a kaleidoscope of climates, soils, old vines, and insanely talented people. The Yarra especially blew me away: it can produce everything from world-class sparkling to long-lived Bordeaux varieties, to perfumed and ethereal Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.”

We’re thrilled to welcome Mac to Seattle and share his perspective. This is a can’t-miss evening for serious wine lovers, collectors, and anyone curious about the intersection of tradition and innovation in the world of fine wine.

$45 per seat | includes light snacks and a tasting flight of Mac’s wines