Why it matters
The producer
Fowles Wine is a family owned winery, cellar door and restaurant in Avenel, regional Victoria. Australian Wine Companion describes the winery as led by Matt Fowles. The Ginger Prince name appears across sparkling rosé, sparkling white and Moscato bottlings.
Fowles Wine was established in 1968 and is family owned. Matt Fowles leads the winery. Glenn Chisholm joined as vineyard manager in 2020. On 8 January 2026, fire ran through Upton Run and Billi’s, destroying all 300 acres of vines and causing significant livestock losses.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Avenel is the winery and hospitality home in regional Victoria. The Strathbogie vineyard holdings stood between 430 and 550 metres above sea level. Higher sites generally slow ripening and help preserve acidity, giving altitude a direct role in grape maturity.
Decomposed granite and massive granite outcrops form the family vineyard soils. The climate is cool, with a January mean temperature of 19.5°C. Decomposed granite usually drains readily while holding some moisture in finer material, and granite ground can lend a stony feel to wine. Fowles describes the cool climate through whites with great fruit intensity and reds that are highly perfumed and powerful.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Fowles is certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. Sheep graze among the vines, while weeds are smothered instead of slashed, conserving moisture and reducing herbicide use. Microbats are encouraged as vineyard pest predators.
The winery has a barrel hall alongside its other winemaking tools. Barrel ageing generally brings slow oxygen exchange and can add wood spice and a rounder texture to wine.
Wines to know
The range in view
Several bottles carry the Ginger Prince name. One Rosé Bubbles bottling combines 56% Shiraz, 22% Riesling, 15% Chardonnay and 7% Vermentino. Each grape variety is vinified separately before blending and a second fermentation in a pressurised tank. The current Australian Sparkling Rosé is 95% Pinot Noir, with other red grape varieties completing the blend.
The Sparkling White blends Chardonnay, Muscat, Sémillon and Vermentino. Its bubbles come through the Charmat method, with yeast and sugar fermenting in stainless steel tanks. The 2025 Australian Moscato occupies the sweet, lightly sparkling part of the range.