The ever-innovative Chalmers family have a treat for lovers of banging bistro wines who combine sharing with friends with caring for the planet. Cue Mother Block red and white en bagnum!
As awareness of our environmental impact grows, Mother Block wines are guided by a simple idea: make better wine by growing the right varieties in the right place—and do it with a lighter footprint. From our sustainably farmed Mother Blocks in Merbein (Murray-Darling), where Chalmers has championed Italian grape varieties suited to warm, dry conditions, we’re always looking for practical ways to reduce impact without compromising quality.
That’s why packaging matters. The wine industry has long relied on heavy glass, but lighter options can help cut transport emissions and waste. In this piece, we explore why alternative formats—like wine pouches—are being considered as a smarter, more sustainable choice for wines like Mother Block.
The Mother Block project
The heart of the Chalmers family has always been in the Murray-Darling wine region. In fact, these Mother Blocks were the reason the Chalmers family started making wine in the first place. What began as a way to showcase the potential of these varieties for their nursery quickly took on a life of its own—simply because the wines were so bloody delicious.
Merbein, just outside Mildura, is not only home to the vineyard and vine nursery but also to the Chalmers family, who start their days there. It’s here that Bruce and Jenny’s early viticultural history began, with the establishment of their nursery and the importation of many Italian varieties. When these varieties arrived, the very first vines were planted in this region. These ‘Mother Blocks’ allowed the family to be the very first growers and makers to see how those grapes performed in their new homes.
The process of making the Mother Block wines gave the family invaluable insight into these exciting new varieties and what viticultural practices best suit a hot climate. Their choices have helped shape climate-appropriate viticulture not only for their own vineyards but also for future Australian vineyards. Over the years, they’ve supplied over 1.5 million vines to growers across Australia, and the number keeps growing.
Fast forward 20 years, and the Mother Block wines remain a huge source of inspiration for the Chalmers Family, underpinning everything they do. These wines celebrate the region and demonstrate how the right varieties, paired with the right viticulture, can create wines with personality and presence—all at exceptional value.
2025 Mother Block White 1.5-litre pouch RRP $39
1.5-litre pouch
Fresh and fragrant aromas of passionfruit pulp, pineapple flesh, lemon curd, tarragon and pickle juice. Mouthwatering and refreshing with flavours of green crunchy pear, Granny Smith apple, fruit drops, sherbet, cucumber, coriander stalk, white pepper and nervy chalky mineral notes.
Mother Block represents the long history of Chalmers’ importation of alternative varieties: six, to be precise, right here. Vermentino leads, followed by fiano, falaghina, pecorino, moscato giallo and ansonica. Medium yellow-gold hues. Hints at the savoury in aromas that range from white florals, pear, baked apple and spice through to almond skin, fresh fig and grilled cashews. Texturally strong, warm and inviting, the palate embraces a little taste and feel of each variety as it goes long. Super friendly and tasty. 91 points. Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion Jun 2026
2025 Mother Block Red 1.5-litre pouch RRP $39
Pretty and inviting aromas of summer berries, strawberry, blue and black berries, plum and cherry with notes of sandy earth, liquorice, dark chocolate and vanilla. Juicy and supple, with quandong, cedar, Santa Rosa plum, cherry skin, clove, sumac, red currant and a moreish fine blue stone finish.
The Chalmers have started something by blending multiple Italian grape varieties together – they work beautifully. Here, nero d’Avola, sagrantino, sangiovese and teroldego get chummy, bringing their mix of black fruits, spice, earth, dried herbs and the odd savoury leathery note to a wine that is fresh, plummy, bright, well spiced and way too easily enjoyed. 90 points. Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion June 2026
*minimum 1 box order (6 pouches)
