Nina Throsby is the group sommelier for Kailis Hospitality Group. She curates multi-award-winning wine lists for The Shorehouse and the newly opened Gibney in Cottesloe. In August, Nina was named one of two Tranche Scholarship Winners, which is a scholarship that was founded by Michael Hill-Smith MW (Shaw + Smith, Tolpuddle and MMAD Vineyard) and his daughter Mathilda Hill-Smith in 2023. The Tranche Scholarship supports emerging leaders in the Australian wine and hospitality industry.
Nina was also named the 2022 WA Good Food Guide Sommelier of the Year, has been involved in several wine shows as a judge throughout the country, and has a deep passion for the industry and a drive for knowledge that underpins her approach to the wine world at large.
01. 2016 Joh Jos Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett Riesling
Mosel, Germany
Like many sommeliers, I have a seemingly unquenchable thirst for German riesling and this was the bottle that started that obsession. A notable wine from a Mosel icon, it is the finesse of acid and sweetness that makes it so very intriguing. Like a swan, it seems effortless in the glass but underneath is an extremely intricate framework, one that changes and grows as you revisit the glass. Riesling is such an interesting variety, and I think this is why sommeliers are so enticed by it; there is this ever-changing reflection of how the grape can look.
02. NV Egly-Ouriet Les Vignes de Vrigny Champagne Premier Cru
Champagne, France
The bottle that introduced me to Grower Champagne and to the concept that Champagne could be extremely multifaceted. Sitting in Petition Wine Merchant with a dear friend, after the first half we decanted the wine and really saw the complexities shine. It propelled me to understand the multitude of choices that are made over such a prolonged period to create the final wine. This particular cuvée is made from 100 per cent meunier, which is uncommon, however this wine makes a real case for the variety with density and intensity in spades.
03. 2021 Si Vintners Ada Chardonnay
Margaret River, Western Australia
It is quite difficult to aptly describe the wines that Sarah and Iwo create at Si Vintners, hidden in the south reaches of Margaret River. Alive is a word I often associate with their work; there is a nervosity and tension to the Ada chardonnay that creates an almost old-world depth to the wine. Si Vintners has always had such a focus on grape growing and fruit quality and you see it tenfold in the chardonnay that makes it to the glass. I love Margaret River for its patchwork of producers with wines that tell a story of place and people.
04. 1993 Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru Gevrey-Chambertin
Burgundy, France
By far the most opulent of the bottles listed but a pivotal moment. The ever-generous Jeff Burch was hosting a group and showed this incredible wine. I was already enamoured with Burgundy and with Rousseau, but I had never seen a wine age so gracefully. Delicate and bright but with layers of interest and depth. It drove me to look at older vintages more seriously and understand the concept of time to truly understand a producer who has influenced my work greatly at Gibney.
05. 2018 Mount Mary Quintet Cabernet Blend
Yarra Valley, Victoria
Being a sommelier in WA means there is no shortage of cabernet or conversations about cabernet and that is a wonderful thing. Earlier in my career I had perceived cabernet as a wine of high proportions, but it was this 2018 Mount Mary Quintet that made me rethink my preconceptions. There is something so ethereal about this wine, like it transcends place and hand, it has a grace that is so rare yet so rewarding to the drinker. I love intricacy in wine and this wine is all about the details.
Instagram: @winecompanion | @ninathrosby | @kailishospitalitygroup
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