Choose Your Location

Enter

AUS

& the Rest of the World

Enter

USA
Menu

The Mollydooker

Difference

The Shake
Fruit Weight
Watering
Sip it Forward
The Team
home difference island
Dive Deep & Discover The MollyDooker Wow Factor

The Mollydooker

Shake

    01 Pour a Small Amount
    Start by opening the bottle and pour a small amount into a glass until the wine is halfway down the neck of the bottle. This allows some room in the bottle to effectively shake the wine.
    02 Replace the Cap
    Now, if you’re serving one of our sparklings, whites, or rosé you’re done! No shake necessary. But if you’ve got one of our reds, now that you’ve made some room in the bottle, put the cap back on. (Note that shaking is not necessary two years after the vintage date. If you’re not sure when this is, check the back of the label!)
    03 Shake It, Baby!
    Invert the bottle and SHAKE! Vigorously, for about 5 seconds. Why are you doing this? We use nitrogen in our winemaking process to protect the wine and to minimise sulphites. If you think of flavour like a big round ball, nitrogen flattens that ball. So by doing the shake, the nitrogen is released and the flavour ball pops back out to its full size!
    04 Open the Bottle
    Notice the fine layer of nitrogen bubbles that have risen to the top of the wine. Those are good–they mean you’re on the right track. Open the cap to release the nitrogen out of the bottle.
    05 Do It Again
    For best results, repeat steps 2, 3, and 4. By now you might be wondering... how is the Mollydooker Shake different than aerating or decanting? Great question! Nitrogen acts antagonistically to oxygen, so by not shaking our wines, you’re neither removing the nitrogen nor effectively aerating.
    06 Pour a Full Glass
    Here it is, the moment you’ve been waiting for! Pour yourself a full glass and discover the Mollydooker difference. We recommend tasting it side by side with the glass you poured out in step one. The difference will amaze you!

    The Marquis

    Fruit Weight

      What is it?
      The Marquis Fruit Weight is our measure of quality. It’s the percentage of your palate (from the tip to the very back of your tongue) that’s covered by the velvety sensation of fruit that occurs when a wine’s tannins, alcohol, and acid are all perfectly balanced.
      Flavour & Acidity Curves
      We constantly assess & record Fruit Weight throughout the entire growing & winemaking process. In the vineyard, we’re looking for the perfect intersection of the increasing flavour curve and the decreasing acidity curve.
      The Sweet Spot
      As time passes on the vine, acidity begins to drop and flavour and sugars dramatically increase. In a span of about 10 days, we find the ‘Sweet Spot’ that we’re looking for. It’s then that we harvest.
      The Mollydooker Quality Guarantee
      Each of our wine tiers have a minimum fruit weight. Our very best fruit, with a minimum fruit weight of 95%, is reserved for our Velvet Glove. Love wines are between 85-95%, Family wines are 75-85%, Lefty’s are 65-75%, and the Fun wines are 55-65%. Anything below 55% is not used in any Mollydooker product.

      The Marquis Vineyard

      Watering
      Program

        Canopy Growth
        Each spring, we begin inspecting our vines twice-weekly and supplying ample water in order to grow a protective canopy.
        Reproduction
        In late spring, as the vines start to produce grapes, we reduce the water supply. As the soil dries, vines begin protecting their grapes by conserving energy and cutting off all growing tips in the canopy.
        Fruit Development
        It is at this critical transition point that we resume watering. As the vines go slowly back through the reproduction phase, the fruit begins to flesh out and change colour, and the vine is able to store excess energy.
        Flavour Creation
        At the peak of reproduction, we turn the water off, causing the stored energy to dump into the fruit. We then repeatedly turn the water on and off, each time releasing excess energy into the fruit.
        Post-Harvest
        Just after harvest, we water for 8 hours per day for three days, then 8 hours per week until the last leaf falls. This is crucial to help the vines rebuild & store energy before winter dormancy.
        1991
        Our magical tale begins with a love story & a dream to create something fun.
        1994
        The Marquis Vineyard Watering Program is first implemented.
        Read More
        1999
        Sarah and Sparky Marquis are named Australian Winemakers of the Year.
        2002
        “The greatest red wine values in existence...anywhere!” - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
        Shop Wines
        2005
        The first vintage of Mollydooker, founded by two left-handed winemakers, Sarah and Sparky.
        2006
        The Violinist is rated the Best Value White Wine in the World and The Boxer the Best Value Red Wine in the World - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate.
        Purchase The Boxer
        2007
        Carnival of Love Shiraz 2007 is rated #8 in Wine Spectator’s Top 10 Wines in the World.
        Purchase Carnival of Love
        2008
        The next year, Carnival of Love Shiraz 2008 is rated #9 in Wine Spectator's Top 10 Wines in the World.
        2009
        Sip it Forward is created, focused on supporting communities locally and abroad.
        Read More
        2014
        Carnival of Love Shiraz 2012 is awarded Winestate’s #1 AUS & NZ Wine of the Year and #2 in Wine Spectator’s Top 10 Wines in the World.
        Check out the Top 10 of 2014
        2017
        Setting out on their own Enchanted Paths, Sarah takes the reins at Mollydooker.
        2018
        Sarah is awarded ‘Owner/Operator of the Year’ at the Australian Women in Wine Awards.
        Read More
        2019
        Mollydooker is named the ‘Telstra South Australian Business of the Year.’
        Read More
        2020
        The talented & experienced Mollydooker team continues the magic!

        Family Owned

        Sarah Marquis
        Owner & Chief Winemaker
        Sarah began her career with a degree in winemaking and after building many successful wine brands, she founded Mollydooker. With a focus on the vineyard and a flair for creativity, Sarah and her wines have earned numerous awards both locally and internationally. When she’s not busy tasting wines, her passion through Mollydooker is to support and help their three major charities. Today, the mother of the real-life Blue-Eyed Boy and the Gigglepot will introduce herself in true Mollydooker style, with a left-hand shake.
        The Team
        Luke Marquis
        The Blue-Eyed Boy
        Starting out in the vineyards to now managing Global Sales, he can be found at music festivals or jumping out of aeroplanes!
        Holly Marquis
        The Gigglepot
        When she’s not writing our Gigglepot News or helping out around the winery, you can find her at music festivals with her brother Luke or camping at the beach.
        Peter Tavella
        Senior Winemaker
        Peter is a vinyl-collecting, veggie-growing, golfing family man. This is his 14th vintage with Mollydooker!
        Peter Constantine
        Vineyard Manager
        While not at Mollydooker (growing his 18th vintage!), Peter can be found at the gym where he doubles as a personal trainer.
        Shop Wines