A Spicy Tradition: Salami Season with Matt Fowles, 2025 Edition
Each winter, as the air turns crisp in the King Valley, a familiar tradition unfolds – Matt Fowles’ annual salami-making weekend. Now nearly two decades into this delicious ritual, Matt and his close crew of friends and family once again gathered in the iconic shed of local legend Alan McNeil for what’s become one of their most anticipated weekends of the year.
This year’s batch was one of the biggest yet – over 130 salamis handmade across the weekend, using tried-and-true family recipes honed over years of experimenting, tasting and tweaking. The all-time favourites – black pepper and garlic, and roasted capsicum and chilli – made a triumphant return. But in true Fowles fashion, a few new fiery twists were added to spice things up in 2025, including an extra-hot version that only the bravest salami connoisseurs will dare to try when the salamis are fully cured in six to eight weeks.
You’ll find the curing salamis hanging in the cool, stable environment of our original 1870s brick stables on the farm – an ideal curing room, with perfect airflow and consistent conditions. We’re sure this beautiful old building somehow adds to the complexity of the final product.
And while Matt has proudly collected many wine awards over the years, it’s still the trophy from Victoria’s Salami Festival (won for the roasted capsicum and chilli salami in 2023) that takes pride of place on his desk.
Here’s to another year of spice, stories, and salami.