What do Pinot Gris skins, doof-doof music and the AI have in common? Our most-asked-about wine—the ramato with the unmatchable colour - that's what.
By Dave Cush, Winemaker & Founder, The Wine Revival
Fast Facts How it tastes The long pour
TL;DR (the short pour)
A 2021 Queensland Pinot Gris that was big on texture but shy on flavour met a too-dark “rosé” from the same vineyard. We bench-blended them. Boom—what you now know as the Brill Ramato: copper-hued, quince-and-plum deliciousness with soft, powdery tannin. Limited bottles left.
The long pour (how it came to be)
In 2021, I was in SA wrangling the biggest Gerler vintage we’ve ever done—130 tonnes—while my wife Kris (who taught me the winemaking schtick) was quietly nailing her own lineup: Heathcote Fiano, Moscato Giallo, and the (in)famous Deathbox Grenache from McLaren Vale.
But there was a ringer in the mix… we wanted a Pinot Gris from QLD fruit, so we could do our bit to bang the gong for QLD wine, and also so we had Pinot Gris to sell! ‘21 vintage in the source vineyard turned out to be high yielding, leaving the fruit a little light on the flavour side.
Kris and I spoke on the phone and decided that the best use of the fruit would be to ferment it on skins, so that even if we didn’t quite get the flavour intensity we were after, we would at least get great texture. Kris basically just left this wine alone then, with a little mix on a daily basis and that’s about it. Post-ferment, she locked it up in a variable capacity tank for about another six weeks before lightly pressing it to barrel. And that’s where it stayed.
Meanwhile, we hosted the inaugural Rosé Festival for City Winery at The Tivoli Theatre, in the carpark. MC for the day was the inimitable Mike Bennie, so suffice it to say, a good time was had by all! We had sourced some hand-picked Shiraz from the same vineyard as the skinsy Gris, kept it in the freezer until after vintage, then chucked a huge party basically. It was heaps of fun, fruit bins with people dancing around in them, DJs pumping…good times.
But! I was left with two issues…the Pinot Gris, whilst textured AF, was not a complete wine, even though it had built complexity in barrel. Second issue - the “rosé” from the party was way too dark to be a rosé, and not big enough to be even a light red. So one day, we just decided to look at a bench trial of blending these two wines together - and hey presto! It worked!
AI meets wine: A modern love story
This wine was originally released as The Singularity, wearing my very first AI-generated label, just as ChatGPT was unleashed on the world. It then made a brief appearance as Franco Ramato, before we decided that the Franco brand should be retired. But the name “Ramato” is beautifully descriptive, in that this is the word that Italian winemakers use for Pinot Gris fermented on skins (how niche!)
Here's the OG label:
How does Brill Ramato taste?
Interesting quince and plum flavours from the Shiraz, apricot kernel weirdness and that lovely soft powdery tannin structure from the skin fermented Gris. To be honest, I have always been surprised at how much I love drinking this wine - and now, even at four years out from vintage (or maybe due to that) I have been especially enjoying it.
Where it sits now (and why you might want to move quickly)
Four years on, the wine is singing—richer mouthfeel, better knit fruit, and that lovely savoury glide. Word got out, and the last cases are disappearing.
Want some? Taste the Brill Ramato for yourself.
What it tastes like (and how to drink it)
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Colour: Proper ramato copper with a rose-gold flash.
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Nose: Quince, blood orange peel, a whisper of plum skin, and that apricot-kernel thing from the Gris skins.
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Palate: Dry, medium-bodied, soft powdery tannin, crunchy acidity, a savoury line that keeps you reaching back for the glass.
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Serve: Lightly chilled (about 10–12 °C). If you like, splash it into a jug and back to the bottle to wake it up.
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Pairing: Charcuterie, crispy chicken, chilli oil noodles, roast pumpkin & sage, seared salmon, mushroom pasta, picnic things.
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Style vibe: Not a rosé, not a red, not a white—an orange/skin-contact wine with a little Shiraz fruit generosity.
Why “Ramato” matters
“Ramato” (“coppery”) is what Italian winemakers call Pinot Grigio/Gris fermented on its pink-grey skins. It’s about texture, colour, and that savoury, tea-like structure. It’s niche, but the fun kind of niche.
Fast facts (tech snapshot)
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Varieties: Skin-fermented Pinot Gris + a portion of Shiraz (same QLD vineyard)
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Region: Granite Belt, Queensland
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Ferment & élevage: Gris on skins → VCT rest → light press → barrel; blended with Shiraz lot after a bit of barrel time; matured in barrel approx 4 months; and bottled when it tasted right.
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Fining/filtration: may throw a sediment if stored below 2 degrees, or a haze if stored over 40 degrees, for an extended period —totally normal, still delicious.
(ABV, pH, TA, sulphites: add if you want these listed on the tech sheet.)
FAQ
Is this a rosé?
Nope. It’s a skin-contact Pinot Gris (aka orange wine) blended with a lighter Shiraz parcel. Copper hue, gentle tannin—more structure than rosé.
What exactly is “skin-contact”?
Fermenting the juice with the grape skins (like you would for red wine) to bring colour, texture and savoury complexity.
Why blend in Shiraz?
The Gris had texture and intrigue but needed fruit shape. The Shiraz party ferment was too dark for rosé yet super tasty. Together they clicked.
Will it throw sediment or look hazy?
Possibly a little. That’s normal with minimal handling and skin-contact styles. It’s flavour, not a fault.
How cold should I serve it?
Light chill—10–12 °C. Too cold and you’ll mute the aromatics.
How long will it age?
It’s in a great place now. Skin-contact structure will carry it a bit further, but we bottled it to be drunk, not hoarded.
Is it vegan-friendly?
If you need formal confirmation on fining agents, ping us and we’ll list it on the product page.
What food works best?
Anything with a little salt, fat or spice: crispy things, oily fish, charred veggies, charcuterie, umami-rich pastas.
Why the different names over time?
It launched as The Singularity with my first AI label, cameoed as Franco Ramato, and is now part of the Brill family with upgraded AI artwork.
