Aniella Batten is no stranger to bringing people together, she’s a marriage celebrant and also the co-owner of Effie’s, a neighbourhood wine bar in Sydney’s Balgowlah.
Co-owned with her husband Sam Batten, Effie’s, named after one of their daughters, is a space for community. The pair have a focus on sourcing local produce where possible and a selection of natural wines on offer.
To celebrate the launch of our Bordeaux Decanter we sat down with Aniella to discuss the joy of sharing wine together.
How would you describe Effie’s to somebody who has never been?
Effie’s to me is like the warm embrace you share with a really great friend you haven’t seen in months. It is comfortable, casual, laid back and elegant. There is a certain feel and attitude (the combination of our hospitable staff, and loyal customers who are genuinely having a good time) that constantly permeates the space. Effie’s is a beautiful, community spot that connects friends and strangers, over delicious food and great natural wines.
The Bordeaux decanter pays tribute to the joy of sharing wine together, if you were to invite 5 people to a dinner party who would that be?
I couldn’t possibly pick just 5. The more the merrier at a dinner party, I say!
What is something unexpected that you love about wine?
I love the fact that every wine is so different. I have always loved drinking wine, but I never really gave further thought to my preferred varietals, so it has been a really fun experience working alongside Winona, my husband Sam and our manager, Grace, to curate our ever-changing wine lists, which are carefully selected to match our menus, created by our Chef, Miles.
I am a big fan of orange wine, and I found it interesting to learn that orange wines (or skin-contact wines) are made from white grapes that ferment and/or age on their skin, which imparts the colour.
Describe your perfect wine to pair with your favourite dish from the Effie’s menu?
One of my favourite dishes on the current Spring menu is the “Hokkaido” Scallop Crudo. Not only is it absolutely scrumptious to taste, it is aesthetically beautiful as well. It screams Summer, and pairs beautifully with the Vincent Tremblay Chablis. It is truly a pleasure to drink. On the palette, it has subtle notes of stone fruit and crisp green fruits which compliments the sweet dressing on the scallops.
If you were a wine, what wine would you be?
Choosing from our wine list, I would have to pick ‘Theodora’ from Gut Oggau. Vibrant and energetic with personality, but still balanced and composed… It is perfect with any meal! Plus, I love the backstory- I’m a sucker for a love story!
Having restored a 17th century winery that had been abandoned for 20 years, husband and wife duo Stephanie and Eduard Tscheppe immediately began harvesting grapes biodynamically, and noticed that each wine they were producing seemed alive, beaming with its own personality - and so, the Gut Oggau family was born. Each bottle of their wine features a portrait of a fictional family member (enter Theodora), communicating the differences in terroir through the portraits on the labels.
I love that by knowing details like this, and having our wonderful staff share the tales, our customers can feel part of something bigger, whilst sipping on their delicious glass of wine.
Join us on our journey
