Vintage 2026 - Meet the Sardines

Vintage 2026 at Quartz Reef Wines was not only about incredible fruit and long days in the vineyard. It was also about the people who made it all so special.

This year, we were lucky to have three amazing young interns join the harvest team.

Fine from Germany, Peni from Argentina, and Lisa, a German living in Canada.

Somewhere during harvest they started calling themselves “The Sardines”, always packed tightly together in the truck, at the press, or during smoko and the name stayed right through until the end of vintage.

Their energy, hard work, and constant laughter brought something really special to the winery. There was always a good mood around the cellar, music playing, and plenty of laughs between long days and early mornings. Harvest can be intense, but this vintage reminded us how important the people are behind the wines.

Thank you Fine, Peni, and Lisa for becoming such a big part of the Quartz Reef family for Vintage 2026. We hope the Sardines will always remember their time here in Bendigo.