Meet The Maker - Evan Milne/ Mutual Promise wines

Meet Evan Milne. The man behind 'Mutual Promise'... one wine brand from one hilarious wine guy. An ex-restaurateur, turned wine collector, wine distributor and now wine producer, Evan Milne started his passion project 'Mutual Promise' having access to great fruit from a family in the King Valley - Nebbiolo and Gamay from the Koombahla vineyard in Victoria’s North East. This month, he is releasing one of Australia's first Garganega's (the rare Italian white variety famous for 'Soave') and we couldn't be more excited to bring it to you all! Watch this space.

We had a chat with Evan while he was driving in his car....

Why are you on the phone in your car?

I'm a qualified motorist. And I have hands free... it's going to be fine.

You're a busy guy running multiple businesses! What business came first?

I had a beachside banger of a business, a restaurant called 'Scorched' on the Victorian Surf Coast, back in the 2000's that did alright. We still had a steady stream of diners, even in the off-season. I fell in love with wine while buying for my restaurant. They got a 'hat' after I left.

So, you sold the restaurant, how did you get into the wine business and start your #Stockonhand wine distribution business?

Well, the hashtag in #Stockonhand, probably came about during the time when all of the global wine industry seemed to instantly follow each other on Twitter. Hashtags became a "thing".  Unfortunately, I never managed to get my hashtag trending, but it's now 2021, and it beggars belief hashtags are still currently a "thing". There's still time. If you do have time, please go to Twitter and tweet @stockonhand. It will really make my day.

Do you use Tik Tok?

What?

Nevermind. What drives you in the wine business?

I knew I had to do something to impress my old man, as nothing I do is ever good enough for him. I know I am fairly reliable, and pretty independent, and I really do have a huge interest in wine, and a knack for being friendly even when I'm in a bad mood, so, I knew I could be a wine distributor. I love it. None of my wine producers trade in silly wine trends or gimics, and the wines I create are much the same. They are just really, really good.

Oh, and my car drives me. I drive a lot.

Do you consider yourself a winemaker? Your path is quite different...

Well, I buy fruit, I process fruit into wine, but often I am leaving my wine in the care of full-time winemakers. My wife has a winery. She doesn't consider me a winemaker, but yes, I do make wine.

What do you love about wine?

I just find it so amazing. It's intoxicating, like, really intoxicating.

What else do you love?

Dumplings.

You can find one of Evan's wines at Good Pair Days, his amazing Nebbiolo, and his Garganega will be released later in the month, just in time for the silly season!

Click here take our wine profile quiz and we'll choose the top 3 wines which we think you'll love!