Discover how Sababay’s winemaker transformed Bali-grown Cabernet Sauvignon into an award-winning rosé that reflects the island’s tropical terroir.

Guillaume Quéron — Winemaker’s Journal

When I first began visiting our vineyards in Singaraja, I found myself captivated not just by the grapes, but by the journey it took to reach them. Driving down from the cooler mountain air toward the coastline, the landscape shifted dramatically—mountain flora gave way to jungle, then slowly transformed into something that felt surprisingly Mediterranean.

The quiet road hugging the sea, the rocky edges, the warm breeze… for a fleeting moment, it felt like a dreamlike déjà vu of southern France—except here, monkeys replaced hitchhikers.

This unexpected familiarity set the tone for what would become one of the most defining moments in my winemaking life.

A Surprising Discovery in Bali’s Vineyards

We arrived at a plot of Cabernet Sauvignon trained in a pergola system—something more commonly seen in parts of Italy. The question on everyone’s mind was simple yet crucial:
What kind of wine could we make from these grapes?

Initially, the plan was to vinify them as red wine. But one taste of the berries changed everything.

The flavor profile was unlike any Cabernet I had tasted before. Instantly, my mind leapt to the elegant rosés of Provence—yet this was not France. The aromas were familiar, yet unmistakably Balinese:

• Peach transformed into guava

• Melon evolved into watermelon

• Lychee shifted toward rambutan

This was a new world of Cabernet Sauvignon—tropical, expressive, and full of potential.

In that moment, it became clear:
We could create Bali’s own interpretation of a grand rosé.
Not a copy of Provence, but a new chapter in Balinese viticulture.

Harvesting a Vision

We harvested the grapes carefully, at the perfect moment, with a low yield that promised concentration and finesse. When the first wine was made, it exceeded our expectations.

It was unlike anything else in the world—an elegant rosé with the structure of the best, yet unmistakably rooted in Bali’s terroir.
A wine impossible to reproduce anywhere else.

We submitted it to international wine competitions, unsure how this tropical innovation would be received. When it earned medals alongside some of the most famous rosés of Provence, it proved what we already felt:

Indonesia could craft world-class wine with its own identity.

The Magic of a Daydream

I still think back to that quiet road by the sea—the momentary vision of Provence in Bali. That semi-conscious daydream guided a creative leap, leading us to reimagine what Cabernet Sauvignon could become in tropical soil.

It led us to invent the possible.

And truly…
is there a better job than this?

— Guillaume