There's a  ‘strawberry rebellion’ brewing in the south.

Berries are in the blood at Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm in rural Victoria – but the success of the latest venture on the farm is proving even more fruitful than they could have predicted. Matt Gallace has worked his grandfather’s land at Mornington Peninsula since primary school days, and so it came as no surprise he choose to follow in his footsteps – the third generation to do so.

Taking traditional winemaking and agriculture skills his Italian grandfather handed down through generations, Matt, along with wife Ruth and senior winemaker/brewer Wayne Hewett, decided to use an innovative blending approach to try their hand at fruit wine, launching Rebello Wines.

The wine was an immediate success, taking out a string of accolades, including its Strawbellini being the only Australian sparkling to be awarded a double gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition along with international brands France's Veuve and Sonma Coast's Piper. Matt says it was “a natural evolution of the business to then try their hand at cider”. Under the Rebello umbrella, ‘Cheeky Rascal Cider’ was born - Australia’s first 100 percent pure fruit cider blend - revolutionising cider in this country.

It's a great example of lateral thinking when planning the next step with produce. More details: www.rebellowines.com.au