Scarcebrook started his career in wine with a job in liquor retail in 2004, with cellar door duty following at the Yarra Valley’s Domaine Chandon. After graduating as a Master of Wine Business from the University of Adelaide – and a stint as wine buyer at King & Godfree – he set off on a 16-month global wine tour, visiting wineries in ten countries, including working vintage at two wineries in Germany in 2012. Once home, Scarcebrook started his Vincast podcast series, while also working for two leading Sydney-based importers of Italian wine as their Melbourne representative for nearly seven years. In 2016, the first Vino Intrepido wines were launched, but it was in 2019 that Scarcebrook went all in, rebooting the label and expanding the range. When the pandemic prompted redundancy in 2020, he took the business full-time.
“For me, it is vital that the right varieties are selected from the right source. I do not necessarily want to make wine from an Italian variety because I can, I want to find a correlation with a local region and a region in Italy, to attempt to show the variety at its full potential.”
His formation has been shaped as much by travels in Italy as by local pioneers who showed what Italian varieties could do in Victoria. He cites Mark Walpole, Mario Marson and Kathleen Quealy as significant influences – makers who demonstrated the potential for these varieties in Victorian conditions long before the conversation became mainstream. “For me, it is vital that the right varieties are selected from the right source,” he says. “I do not necessarily want to make wine from an Italian variety because I can – I want to find a correlation with a local region and a region in Italy, to attempt to show the variety at its full potential. I’m attempting to capture the best drinkable elements of Italian wine through the prism of Victorian vineyards and climates, working in a simple and honest way to express grape and origin.”
Scarcebrook works in consultation with Mark Matthews at The Wine Creche, a collaborative winemaking facility that gives him access to experienced guidance alongside the creative freedom to realise his own ideas. “For the most part, I am testing theories I have developed,” he says. “And, for the most part, I have been incredibly lucky to make wines that are close to my intention. I have learned the hard way about working with the grower and the fruit, rather than stubbornly sticking to the original plan and trying to get something out of grapes that are not suited for a style.” His sparkling wines are produced in conjunction with sparkling wine specialists Kilchurn in Romsey.
“Italian varieties’ ability to often ripen later and retain acidity helps keep the wines flavourful and fresh. I also select varieties that reach flavour ripeness at lower sugar levels, to keep alcohol levels at a balanced place. Picking at the right time and not fucking it up in the winery is how I try to work.”
Climate change has been a significant driver of his variety selections. “Italian varieties’ ability to often ripen later and retain acidity helps keep the wines flavourful and fresh,” he says. “I also select varieties that reach flavour ripeness at lower sugar levels, to keep alcohol levels at a balanced place. Picking at the right time and not fucking it up in the winery is how I try to work.” That approach in the winery sees traditional methods employed, with Scarcebrook noting he takes inspiration from classic Italian practices but always with the fruit profile of the site prioritised. “Most wines are made with spontaneous fermentation and without fining or filtration. Sulphur is added minimally and when necessary, reacting rather than prescribing. No cold soaking is performed, but in some cases post-ferment maceration is used – sangiovese spends a month on skins, whereas nebbiolo spends at least eight weeks on skins. Mature and/or large-format wood is preferred.”
Patience is one of Scarcebrook’s biggest lessons, particularly with Italian varieties. “This applies to the way they hold their acidity as they reach flavour ripeness on the vine, the way they can sometimes go into slightly funky stages when fermenting, and particularly once they are in bottle,” he says. “This is particularly the case with the Mornington Peninsula fiano, which can really shut down at particular stages – but give it time and it absolutely sings.”
After several vintages embracing new varieties, new vineyards and new styles, Scarcebrook has recently pulled things back, focusing on fewer wines and key vineyards. The 2024 vintage brought greco and negroamaro into the range for the first time, alongside new styles including the Frigo montepulciano – a chilled red that has become his biggest selling wine – and a Novello sangiovese. The vision from here is consolidation rather than expansion. “After ten vintages I’m getting a better idea about what works best, and more importantly what the consumers are enjoying the most,” he says. “Keeping things uncomplicated makes my life easier, and ultimately makes for more accessible delicious wines.” The focus in 2026 is squarely on getting out and promoting the brand and selling the wines already made – with only the Frigo montepulciano in production this vintage. Ten vintages in, the direction is clearer than ever.
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