Innsbruck, for all its charms, is not a hub for haut cuisine and it is not located in a wine region. So what can I recommend to a Master of Wine from overseas who will be in Innsbruck for a few days before continuing on to explore the wines of Alto Adige?
A hearty continental breakfast is part of Tyrolean hospitality, so he will likely leave his hotel or pension well-fed. The morning could be spent discovering Innsbruck’s gorgeous old town – it’s lovely arcades, the Golden Roof and a pedestrian zone with numerous cafés and boutiques. He should certainly take a look at the Hofkirche with its impressive cenotaph and bronze statues. Lunch is recommendable at the Viennese-style Café Central which has very good and typical Austrian cuisine and Austrian wines by the glass at reasonable prices in a pleasant atmosphere.
Innsbruck has not only some impressive old architecture, but the star architect Zaha Hadid has also left her mark with the Bergisel ski jump, which is just a 20 minute walk from the old town, and the hybrid funicular Hungerbergbahn. From the café at the top of the Bergisel ski jump he can enjoy a 360° view of the Inn Valley, the city, and the surrounding Alps. For a real Alpine feeling he should take the stunning Hungerbergbahn up to the panorama cable car and take that to the very top of the Hafelekar mountain for a truly breathtaking view that spans from Germany to Italy. In my opinion, the best dining in Innsbruck is currently at Restaurant Sitzwohl, where my acquaintance can enjoy a good wine list and Austrian cusine with Mediterranean touch. Sitzwohl is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 AM – 2 AM.
The next morning he could take a picturesque 50 minute train ride to Kufstein to visit the Riedel Glas headquarters. I think he would enjoy the tour of the production facility and observing them producing the Sommelier series of glasses. The multi-media Sinfonie show is kind of funky, but I have a love/hate relationship with the also a separate place to purchase 2nd and 3rd quality items and sometime you will come upon a very lucky find there.
Located right next to the Riedel shop is the Wein & Co shop, a wine merchant with perhaps the largest selection of Austrian wines as well as other selected wines from around the world – another place I spend a lot of money. Kufstein itself is a lovely city – it reminds me of a miniature Salzburg with its fortress castle overlooking the Inn river. The old town is quite a little jewel and has several interesting shops and boutiques.
Once back in Innsbruck in the afternoon, he should crown his visit to the Tyrol with Schloss Ambras. There are always interesting exhibitions and events going on there and it is a fabulous place to discover the history, culture, and art of the region.
Other impressive places to visit not far from Innsbruck are Salzburg and Kitzbühel. Both Kitzbühel and Innsbruck have several superb restaurants and despite there being other attractions as well, you could spend days just discovering the creations of highly decorated chefs! But those are two more future blog entries…
Meanwhile this is the view from the top of the mountain on a recent hike near home:
Columbia Gorge, Photo (c) Sara McAllister
Gourmets in the USA call it “Grüner” and it is sipped in the chic, top restaurants from New York to San Francisco. Grüner Veltliner is now finding its way into American vineyards as well.
“Unique. Versatile. A culinary genius. The last of the great European grape varieties!” Ten years after its successful breakthrough in the USA, Grüner Veltliner remains the darling of the wine scene. The popularity of Austria’s leading wine variety in the land of boundless possibilities continues.
The export of Grüner Veltliner in the USA began at an ideal time. The market was saturated with faceless wines at the end of the 1990s. One spoke of the ABC syndrome – Anything But Chardonnay. And one also cried, “Anything but oak!” At this time Austrian vintners were in the process of discovering the potential of the variety to express a unique terroir. The glycol scandal of the 80s had catalysed giant leap in wine quality. Low yields and improved vinification methods brought a broad spectrum of Grüner Veltliner styles in a quality that had never before been experienced. It was only a question of time until thirsty American head hunters discovered the talented natural beauty.
Permanent Place in the Hall of Fame
Terry Theise of Michael Skurnik Wines said, “Grüner Veltliner is not just chic at the moment, it deserves a permanent place in the Hall of Fame of important grape varieties and a leading role among the wines to pair with food.” Its place of honour became guaranteed through praise from wine critics like Robert Parker and Stephen Tanzer as well as diverse wine magazines like Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.
The USA is one of the few growing wine markets in the world. Continued per capita consumption growth is predicted that would put the USA ahead of France, Italy and Spain. New vineyards are being planted in nearly every State. Because nearly no historic, cultural, or legal restrictions exist, the choice of grape variety is colourfully diverse. The number of Grüner Veltliner vines thriving in American soil is growing.
Pioneers on the East Coast
Many Europeans think that the only American wine comes from California. Only insiders know that there are great wines from Washington and Oregon as well. One might be tempted to claim that only European wine geeks know about the wonderful wines of the East Coast.
While many regions have established an identity with a particular variety – take Finger Lakes and Riesling, for example – other areas are still searching for a vine with which they can position their region. The vintner couple Ed Boyce and Sarah O’Herron from Black Ankle Winery in Maryland planted one thousand Grüner Veltliner vines in 2002. Sarah had fallen in love with the variety as she tasted a wine from the Martin Nigl Estate from the Krems Valley. They purchased their vines from a nursery in Massachusetts that has had Grüner Veltliner in its inventory since the 1970s. His Grüner Veltliner is lean, straight-forward and somewhat sauvignonesque with aromas of pear and fresh garden herbs. Ed is enthusiastic about the demand for the variety, but is not so thrilled about its performance in the extremely wet climate. Black rot makes his efforts with organic viticulture frustrating.
Herbert Zillinger, flying vineyard consultant from the Weinviertel in Austria
A vintner association on the central East Coast sees Grüner Veltliner as a promising possibility for the region. John Weygandt of Stargazers Vineyards and president of the Pennsylvania Quality Assurance Group invited the Weinviertel vintner Herbert Zillinger to their vintner conference. Zillinger spoke about the vinification of the variety and inspected several Grüner Veltliner vineyards. “For the most part, the yields on the East Coast are exceedingly high and they are harvesting much too early. The wines are also vinified far too reductively for my tastes. Despite this, the climatic and geological conditions, particularly in Pennsylvania, are similar to those in Austria. Tremendous potential certainly exists.”
Galen Glen Vineyards in Pennsylvania is situated at a fairly high elevation of 320m. Grüner Veltliner feels at home here in a slate slope. The decision to plant Grüner Veltliner was actually not even based on the affinity to terroir. Winemaker Sarah Troxell admits, “I read in Food & Wine magazine about how well Grüner Veltliner pairs with my favourite vegetable, white asparagus. After my husband Galen and I drank a wine from the Hirsch Estate, Grüner became our favourite variety.” The vines bring Galen and Sarah very healthy, aromatic fruit. After Herbert Zillinger’s motivating visit, further quality improvements are being made and another 2.5 hectares of Grüner Veltliner is planned.
Washington
Bob Betz MW of Betz Family Winery produces predominant red wine of premium quality from fruit that he obtains from the Columbia Valley on the other side of the Cascade Mountains. But right beside his front door in Woodinville near Seattle are 150 Grüner Veltliner vines. “I adore Grüner. It is a combination of crystal clear structure and intensity; its balance can simply not be exceeded. I will harvest my first GV in autumn 2009 and produce a few bottles just for myself and my friends. I will never be able to achieve the quality of Pichler, Alzinger or Bründlmayer here, but it would be possible in the Columbia Gorge.”
The Columbia River cuts a deep gorge in the volcanic Cascade Mountains on the east end of the Columbia Gorge AVA. Cool ocean winds rush through this river canyon. The vegetation on the west end is green and lush, but as one travels east, it grows dramatically warmer and drier. There are currently only around 120 ha of vines in this AVA, but the quality of the fruit is extaordinary. The vineyards are breathtakingly beautiful on both the Washington and on the Oregon side of the river. “2009 will be my third harvest with Grüner Veltliner from the Underwood Mountain Vineyard,” says Rich Cushman from Viento Winery in Hood River. “I press whole bunches and let the wine mature long on the fine lees. Grüner thrives wonderfully here and my clients just as enthusiastic as I am.” The vineyard is situated 400m above the river with a majestic view of the snow and glacier covered Mount Hood. The climate is harsher than in the Wachau and the slopes are dominated by basalt rather than primary rock. Perhaps this is the explanation for the unique exotic fruit and mineral components of the Viento Grüner Veltliner and from the neighbouring Syncline Winery.
Prayer Rock cellar door welcomes visitors for wine tasting
“We were the first to plant and produce Grüner Veltliner in Oregon,” says Stephen Reustle. Reustle and his wife Gloria moved from Pennsylvania to Umpqua Valley in south Oregon to establish Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards in 2001. After consultation with the experts Greg Jones and Dr. Richard Smart, they planted 14 hectares of vines where grapes had never before been planted. The vine material was sourced from University of California Davis and 1.5 ha of Grüner Veltliner was planted in a loam slope of 35° inclination. All of the vineyards have biblical names and were planted with the help of Reustle’s friends and church community. Umpqua Valley is situated east of the Cascades and protected from the wet influence of the Pacific making it a hot and dry area. But Prayer Rock is situated at 800m and a forest on the ridge of the mountain above the vineyard provides cool evening lee winds. Drip irrigation relieves stress. The result is a very typical Grüner Veltliner with refreshing acid, green apple fruit and a hint of pepper.
The Willamette Valley is situated on the other side of the Cascade Mountains and is world famed for its Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. There we discovered three wineries producing Grüner Veltliner in three different AVAs. The Raptor Ridge Winery planted their GV in a strip of loess in the Chehalem Mountains AVA and had their first harvest in 2009. Winemaker Scott Schull planted his vines with 5 meters between the rows and 1.5 m between the vines – he will hardly achieve the concentration of his role model Emmerich Knoll at this density.
Harry Peterson-Nedry of Chehalem wines, Photo (c) Marvin Collins
Harry Pederson-Nedry of Chehalem Wines is more experienced; he was the first to plant 22 ha of vines in what is today the Ribbon Ridge AVA in 1980. A unique soil composition of Basalt, marine limestone and loess called Willakenzie soil initially inspired him to plant Burgundian varieties. His newest baby is Grüner Veltliner which he planted over a consecutive three year period. Due to the fertile soil and the abundant rain of the region, he chose low-vigour roots for his vines and planted at 1m x 1.5m density. The first yield was small and only 40 cases were produced in 2008. These were immediately sold out and unfortunately, we could not taste it.
Daedalus Cellars was also convinced that the cool climate of the Willamette Valley would suit Grüner Veltliner. Pam Waldon and her husband Aaron Hess encountered the variety during their travels and work in Europe. The young couple was able to convince their growers in the Eola Hills near Salem to regraft ¾ of a hectare of Müller Thurgau to Grüner Veltliner. The first harvest was in 2007 and the wine was literally ripped out of their hands – people loved it. The young winemakers do not yet own their own vineyards. They would like to have not only the region’s dominant varieties Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris, but also more Grüner Veltliner.
California
Rudi Strasser’s father was Austrian and his mother was from Hungary. It was this Austro-Hungarian heritage that inspired the Cabernet vintner to plant a couple Grüner Veltliner vines in 2003. The first harvest was experimental. Rudi underestimated Grüner Veltliner’s need for protein stabilisation with the second harvest and had to recall the few bottles that were initially sold. Despite this, the Californian’s curiosity had been stirred and the pre-oders for his Grüner Veltliner far exceeded his production capacity. For this reason Rudi von Strasser decided to donate a quantity of this wine to the Napa Valley Charity Auction and sell the rest exclusively in local restaurants. In the meantime the vineyard area has been expanded to 1 hectare. Still, Rudi views himself as a Cabernet Sauvignon specialist, “And besides, the soil and warm climate here in the Diamond Mountain AVA is predestined for red wines. Grüner will remain a little niche specialty.”
Richard Alfaro is new to the wine branch and quickly made a name for himself with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah. His success is based on the unique terroir of the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA south of San Francisco. Richard and his wife Mary Kay purchased a 30 ha apple orchard and converted this to wine. Alfaro experience a “groovy epiphany” on a visit to Nikolaihof. As a result, the newest plantings are Grüner Veltliner. “I know that it will be easy to sell, but I swear my reasons are not only commercial. The life of a vineyard is long and you have to plan for the next generation. Grüner is not just a passing fashion. It is quite simply one of the very best grape varieties and accompanying wines to food.” As the eyes wander over the raw, mountainous terrain and one feels the cool breeze, one knows intuitively that Grüner Veltliner will feel at home here.
International Classic
There is still yet little track record for Grüner Veltliner production in the USA. As so often in young wine regions, vines are not initially always planted in their ideal soil and climate. There are presently only two main Grüner Veltliner clones available in the USA. The vine nurseries are supplied by the University of California Davis. In a couple of successful vineyards, for example the one at Galen Glen in Pennsylvania and in the Eola Hills near Salem, Oregon, it is not the Davis clones, but more likely “suitcase” clones of unclear origins that are cultivated. Experience still needs to be collected in the various vineyards and adjustment made. Experiments with vinification are also being made and methods perfected. Much of what Austrian vintners know and have practiced with the variety for generations still appears to be mysterious magic to colleagues in the USA. Austrian vintners should feel flattered by this admiration. Austrian Grüner Veltliner is seen as a role model on an international scale and can now be considered a true classic wine.
The above is an excerpt of the 2010 edition of the book “Grüner Veltliner: Austria’s Trendsetter and it’s Vintners” which will be released at the end of May 2010.
The first ever international symposium to be dedicated to the Grenache grape will be held on June 5 in Crestet, near Avignon in the Rhône Valley. It is intended as a mini-summit bringing together wine trade professionals from around the world to study and appreciate the characteristics and merits of the increasingly more popular Grenache-based wines, which are often underestimated and undervalued.
Grenache, known for its versatility and blending values, is one of the most widely planted grape in the world. However its notoriety is sometimes eclipsed by better known varietals such as Pinot and Syrah. The objective of the Symposium is to allow experts and producers from around the world to share views and create a firm foundation of knowledge and understanding of Grenache as a distinctive varietal.
The Symposium will be led by Steven Spurrier, world renowned for his ‘Judgement of Paris’ tasting and consultant editor of Decanter magazine, and Michel Bettane – the premier French wine writer and author of Le Grand Guide des Vins de France. The wine trade will be represented by top wine writers and journalists together with leading experts and producers of Grenache wine from Australia, Spain, USA, South Africa and the Rhône valley. It will also create an ongoing hub for gathering and exchanging information on all aspects of Grenache.
Topics under discussion will range from wine growing and wine making to the challenges of existing and emerging markets. To date, considerable interest has been generated from participants, press and sponsors because of this timely topic and the fact that this event is the first of its kind aiming to break new ground.
Recent Grenache recognition by the media includes –
A Toast to Grenache. Tim Atkin. The Observer, UK.
Grenache Enters the Spotlight. Dorothy J.Gaiter/JohnBrecher. The Wall Street Journal, USA
Grenache Steps Out of Others’ Shadows. Eric Asimov. The New York Times, USA
Both Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson have recently spoken of the importance of the Grenache grape.
For further information, please visit the website www.grenachesymposium.com or contact:
Walter McKinlay - walter@grenachesymposium.com
Anyone who has ever visited England knows that the phrase “a nice cup of tea” means so much more. It is an irreplaceable moment that is as calming and soothing as it is encouraging and invigorating, and one emerges all the wiser and more competent for it. In 1946, George Orwell wrote an article for the Evening Standard in which he set out eleven rules for making a “nice cup of tea”. I don’t agree with Mr. Orwell’s list and think it is totally outdated, so I shall post my own golden rules for brewing a pot of tea.
1. There are various processing methods for tea producing six main types: white, green, oolong, black, scented, and compressed. Excellent qualities are available in all categories with at least 3,000 different sorts of tea available world wide. There is no need, like Mr. Orwell, to limit one’s self to only black teas from India. Important is the quality of tea, that it is loose leaf, and that it has been carefully stored. It should be stated here that the quality of tea available in tea bags has greatly improved over the past years. Despite their convenience there remain some disadvantages. Tea bags often release too much tannin because they contain smaller pieces of leaf and lack the fine subtlety of larger loose leaf tea. Tea bags also loose their flavor more quickly. Despite this, good quality tea bags are indispensable for the traveling tea connoisseur.
2. The quality of water for brewing tea is also of utmost importance. Fresh spring water is the best, while soft water, permanently hard water (containing CaSo4), or distilled water are acceptable. Tap water containing chlorine and fluoride that tastes like a swimming pool or temporary hard water (containing CaCo³) are completely unsuitable. With inferior water the tea will not only be dull and flat, if let to stand for only a short time a scummy film will form on the surface.
3. Tea should be made in a suitable teapot. A lead-free pewter pot is excellent for strong teas such as Ceylon, African, and Assam. Porcelain or china are ideal for lighter teas such as Darjeeling, oolong, and green teas. Another consideration is the Yixing teapot made of unglazed stoneware which keeps the tea hotter than porcelain and with time acquires a lining which gives its own flavor to the tea. One should have a different pot for each sort of tea and should never use soap, only fresh clear water to clean their interior. The teapot should be warmed in advance. This is easily done by filling it with freshly boiled water and emptying the teapot shortly before brewing the tea.
4. Tea should either be put directly into the emptied, pre-warmed teapot or into a suitably large infuser in the pot. Small tea infusers such as a tea ball do not give the leaves enough room or enough contact with the water. A swiss gold tea filter or other large infuser is a better solution. One teaspoon of tea per cup plus one for the pot is the general rule for portioning, but this will vary according to the type of tea and personal taste.
5. To bring out the full flavor of tea, plenty of oxygen should be in the water. Black and oolong teas should be infused in water that has just come to a rolling boil — take the teapot to the kettle. You can leave yourself a little more time (take the kettle to the pot, make some toast, read the front page, etc.) with white and green teas for these types generally prefer water between 70° and 95°C for temperature recommendations for individual teas, ask your knowledgeable tea merchant.
6. Stir the tea or give the infuser a few vertical plunges. Put the lid on the pot or over the infuser and leave to brew for the correct number of minutes, depending on the type of tea (again, you may ask your well-informed tea salesperson). If using an infuser, lift it out of the teapot. If the tea leaves have been put directly into the pot, decant the liquor into a second warmed pot. This will keep the tea from becoming over-extracted and bitter. The tea leaves may be use again for a second pot of tea.
7. Just as with wine, the enjoyment of tea includes the appreciation of color and scent. The delicate light golden liquor and green muscatel perfume of a Castleton first flush, the rich red color and smoky fragrance of a Lapsang Souchong, the bright yellow-green and subtle scent of a Gyokuro, or the dark translucent amber liquor and malty full-bodied aroma of a Napuk are just a few examples from an entire world of culinary enjoyment. Adding milk to a cup of tea destroys the very first impression and a bright translucent liquor with many different hues telling of its geographic heritage and production methods is turned into an indistinguishable murky mud. The habit of putting milk and/or sugar in tea should be reserved for children or for nasty, poor quality teas that are otherwise undrinkable. Should one for some other reason feel absolutely predisposed to put milk in tea, it should be remembered that this severely spoils the flavor of all but the most robust teas. Should one decide to cloud one’s tea with milk, whether the milk or tea is poured first is purely a matter of personal preference. There is some logic to pouring the milk first in order to reduce the risk of scalding the milk, which would make it even more unpleasant.
8. A pre-warmed bone china teacup with a handle is my own personal preference for enjoying a good cup of tea.
embarassingly heavy luggage
Louisa Rose, the chief winemaker at Yalumba has invited me for a Viognier Breakfast today, or better said, she has arrived here at Percy’s with a chef and several appetizing looking bottles in tow.
Louisa, or “Lou” as she is affectionately called by her friends and colleagues, has been a winemaker since graduating at the top of her class from Roseworthy in 1992. Since 2006 she is the chief winemaker here at Yalumba. I’ve been able to observe Lou at work this week. She’s a no-nonsense woman that shoots straight from the hip. She’s honest to the point of being blunt, but the reason she can pull this off with such admirable grace is that not only does she have an impeccable palate and is extraordinarily good at what she does, she is also a very fair, honest and warm-hearted boss and colleague.
One of Lou’s great achievements at Yalumba has been her work with the Viognier grape variety and the creation of one of Australia’s great icon wines – “The Virgilius” Viognier. Indeed, the amazing popularity and success of Viognier in Australia is largely due to the efforts at Yalumba.
It is worth recalling that back in 1968 there were only 14 hectares of Viognier growing in the northern Rhône in the tiny appellations of Condrieu and Côte Rotie. Not much of it was growing anywhere else in the world. Due to the variety’s demand on climate and difficulty in the vineyard, it had become nearly extinct, having been replaced by easier and more predictable varieties.
I heard that the Hill-Smith family family fell with the variety on a trip to the Northern Rhône. I wasn’t able to confirm that, but I do know that they planted 1.2 hectare of Viognier on their Vaughan property in Eden Valley in 1980. They experimented with it quietly for about 10 years before subsequently extending their Viognier vineyards not only in the Eden Valley, but in the Riverland and Limestone Coast regions of South Australia. Much of Australia’s Viognier vine material actually originates from the Yalumba estate nursery.
The clone used for nearly all of the early plantings was the Montpellier 1968. In the late 1990’s Yalumba initiated discussions with other great Viognier makers around the world and placed cuttings from their best vines into a clonal development program at the Yalumba Vine Nursery. This work continues today where Yalumba, after years of observation, have selected 11 of the most successful clones for its youngest Viognier plantings in the Virgilius Vineyard on Flaxmann Valley Road in Eden Valley.
The original vines in Eden Valley were planted on their own roots, but these new vines have been grafted just as Yalumba’s other subsequent Viognier plantings have been grafted. Although there has not yet been phylloxera in South Australia, that pest is not the only reason to graft vines. In a replanting environment in the Riverland, Ramsey rootstock is used to help combat nematodes, salinity and drought. In the Limestone Coast Teleki 5C and Paulsen 1103 are used as they have good lime tolerance and reasonable, but not excessive vigour to cope with the shallow limestone soils.
Louisa Rose says, “Getting the cropping levels right early in the season is the biggest challenge. If the vine is left with too much fruit it will struggle to develop sufficient canopy to set the berries and ripen the crop. If the vine is struggling then leaf health is severely affected. If over cropping occurs on young vines it can take a number of years for the vine to recover due to poor cane development and the vine ends up with stunted growth and poor spur or cane positioning.”
The Virgilius
The flagship Viognier was conceived as the white partner to the flagship Barossa Shiraz called Octavius. The name “Virgilius” stems from the Roman poet Virgil who was also friend and mentor of the first Emperor of Rome, Octavius (Augustus). After nearly twenty years of experimentation, the Virgilius made its debut in 1998.
Virgilius is sourced from the best Viognier vines from the Eden Valley. Viognier can be notoriously high in alcohol and flabby due to it inherently low acid. This is because it needs to be really ripe before it develops all those lovely peach and floral aromas. And when Viognier finally does ripen, it ripens very fast. Louisa monitors the ripening progress diligently and gets her team out there to pick quickly in the cool early morning hours to preserve that precious acid.
To minimize the high phenolic content, she practices whole bunch pressing. Structure, balance and longevity are her goals with this big-bodied wine so it is fermented slowly with indigenous yeast in used French oak barrels. The wine remains on its lees for 9-10 months. Only the best barrels are chosen for the final blend.
The Breakfast
Lou presents the entire line-up of Yalumba Viognier with our breakfast. We have two variations of eggs Benedict: one with spinach and Barossa ham and the other with smoked Pacific salmon. All three of the dry white Viognier wines pair superbly with the eggs. We began with the 2008 Yalumba Y Series which exhibits excellent varietal character with jasmine and white peach flavours. The 2008 Yalumba Barossa Eden Valley is a bit more rich and intense with apricot and peach laced with a little citrus and orange blossom – I really enjoyed this with the Florentine version of the eggs. The Virgilius is a really sexy wine and I really have to hold myself back. (It would be easy to sit for a few hours enjoying this, but do still have a day of work ahead of me.) The 2008 Virgilius has intense aromas of peach apricot and ginger spice. It is wonderfully textured and displays well-balanced structure with vibrant acid and integrated alcohol. The finish is very long and mineral and while this wine is generous, it is by no means blowsy. I adore it with the salmon and the Hollandaise sauce. In the tradition of the northern Rhône, Yalumba also produces three dry red wines that are Shiraz blended with a small amount of Viognier. This adds a discreet floral components and bright yellow stone fruit to dark briary Shiraz. The 2008 Y Series Shiraz Viognier is reminiscent of crushed raspberries and rhubarb with a bit of cinnamon and jasmine. This is a jazzy medium bodied wine with soft juicy tannins and actually goes pretty well with the salmon. The 2006 Yalumba Barossa Eden Shiraz Viognier is a deeper darker wine with plum and black raspberry fruit and a cedary juniper berry component. The 2007 Yalumba Handpicked Shiraz Viognier is a complex wine with blackberry, honeysuckle, wild heather, dried apricot and a hint of roasted coffee. The tannins are abundant and very fine-grained and the finish lingers long with an array of spices and fruit. Yalumba also produces a sweet botrytized version of Viognier in adequate vintages. The 2008 Wrattonbully Hand Picked Botrytis Viognier is absolutely delicious with the fresh fruit. The superb ending to our meal is the Yalumba V de Vie, which is the pure, clear distilled Viognier.
The discussion is critical and to the point – no pussy-footing allowed! Despite this, it remains very respectful and quite positive. Logically, things like oak, malolactic fermentation, alcohol, sugar and acid levels are discussed, but marketing themes are also included. For example, Yalumba not only produces a series of wines made from organically grown grapes, it also produces wines suitable for vegans. “For vegans,” you ask? Yes, indeed! What many consumers do not know is that in food and beverage production certain processing agents are often employed (often for stabilization purposes) that do not remain in the end product. Some of these processing agents are derived from animals. That includes things like albumin (from egg whites), isinglass (from fish bladders), casein (from milk) or gelatine. Wines that are suitable for vegans have not employed these processing agents. The Yalumba team of winemakers agreed that the food pairing suggestion of one of the vegan wines “to serve with fish” was probably not a well-chosen labelling scheme.
For each of the 45 wines we taste, there is a data sheet. After the name and region of each wine comes a single word which should be different for each wine in the Yalumba family and represent the essence of that wine. This is followed by a more extensive style and sensory description. The datasheet for each wine further includes all of the winemaking procedures from picking criteria and fruit processing to clarification, fermentation, fining, stabilization and maturation. Viticultural and oenological challenges and future plans that were discussed in the previous white wine master class summarized at the end.
What an Adventure!
Samuel and Mary Smith immigrated from Dorset with their four children to Australia in 1848. They built a home in the Angaston district in South Australia just before the birth of their fifth child. Can you imagine what it must have been like back then? How remote? How primitive? Poor Mary must have been terribly homesick. She named her new home (which certainly could not have been much more than a shack) “Osborne” cottage, which was her family’s name back in Dorset.
The Smiths worked hard. Samuel was employed by day in the gardens of George Fife Angas and by night he worked with his son Sidney planting his 30 plot with vines and fruit trees and vegetables. Of course they didn’t have flashlights. They worked with candles stuck to the front of the wheelbarrow!
The original homestead has grown into a thriving family enterprise that is known not only for its industriousness, but philanthropic efforts over the last six generations. And that humble cottage has been added to and changed over the years. It is now a venerable villa on the grounds of Yalumba and called “Percy’s”, after the grandson of Samuel and Mary Smith.
Kirsty Gosse, Brand Administrator at Yalumba has met me here at Percy’s. This will be my home for the next week. Kirsty shows me the house, which doesn’t look that spectacular from the outside and I am surprised by the generous spaciousness of the rooms with their high ceilings as soon as I walk inside. Bouquets of fresh flowers and herbs have been set on a vanity in the entry and other places inside the house and welcome me with their cheerful colours and fragrance. The villa is thoughtfully furnished in an elegant, gentrified country style. Wood and marble are the materials indoors. There is a large, well-equipped kitchen and an informal, small dining room and winter garden. The formal dining hall has an open fireplace and a large table to comfortably seat ten people – I would love to cook and entertain friends here! There are several old and new books of interest in the library along with a stereo system capable of flooding Percy’s with music. My bedroom opens up into a large enclosed garden which is flooded by the early morning light. Someone in the family must have knowledge and love for art, for there are a few captivating paintings. Of particular interest to me are the two large pieces opposite one another in the dining hall.
After depositing my luggage, Kirsty and I go out for a coffee and a tour of Angaston and the surrounding community. She tells me the history of the area’s development and its settlement by British and Germanic immigrants. Wine and culinary tourism are evolving strongly and thrive from the proximity to Adelaide. We shop for a few items to stock my kitchen at Percy’s at the Barossa Valley Cheese Factory and Magie Beer’s.
Kirsty has really gone out of her way to spend time with me on a Sunday. Her genuine warmth and generous friendly nature make it easy to feel comfortable and at home at Percy’s. We discuss my itinerary for the coming week. It will be intense, interesting, and it looks like it will be a lot of fun. Take a look for yourself:
ITINERARY:
Monday 30th November 2009
9.00am Met by Kirsty Gosse and taken to the winemaker’s tasting room for the ‘white wine master class’.
12.30pm Depart Yalumba for lunch at Blond with Brian Walsh.
1.45pm Depart Blond for the Nursery and met by Nick Dry for welcoming, introduction, clonal tasting and a tour of the Nursery vineyard.
3.00pm Picked up from Nursery by Robin Nettlebeck to visit Yalumba Single Site vineyards.
4.45pm Return to Yalumba’s Percy’s accommodation
6.30 pm Picked up by Nick Dry for dinner at 1918 with and Robin Nettlebeck.
Tuesday 1st December 2009
8.15am Collected from Percy’s by Kirsty Gosse and taken to meet Peter Gambetta and depart Yalumba for tasting at Heggies and Pewsey Vale Vineyards.
11.00am Depart Heggies for return to Yalumba with Peter Gambetta and a Cooperage, winery & Museum tour.
11.30pm Arrive at the Family Tasting Room for Jansz tasting with Nat Fryar.
1.00 pm Depart Yalumba for lunch at the Company Kitchen with Cecil Camilleri & Andrew Murphy.
2.15pm Return to Yalumba for Environmental discussion with Cecil Camilleri & Andrew Murphy.
5.00pm Return to Percy’s accommodation.
6.30pm Collected by Louisa Rose and taken to dinner at Vintners with the winemakers.
Wednesday 2nd December 2009
9.00am Arrive at the Family Tasting Room for a Rare & Fine tasting and look at Yalumba’s commitment to the Cabernet Shiraz blend with Kevin Glastonbury and Louisa Rose.
11.30am Arrive at the Angaston Lab for R&D discussions with Ian Codrington.
12.30pm Meet with Scott Washington to discuss Negociants International including lunch with Scott & Kirsty at Blond.
2.30pm Depart Yalumba for Henschke Wines for a tour and tasting with Melanie Keynes.
4.30pm Return to Percy’s accommodation.
6.00pm Dinner at Wanera with Tony Bogar (emarketing Manager) & Kirsty Gosse.
Thursday 3rd December 2009
8.30am Depart Yalumba with Jane Ferrari to visit Oxford Landing Estate Winery and meet with Matt Pick.
9.45am Depart Oxford Landing winery for Oxford Landing Estate.
10.30am Met by Robert Strachan for Oxford Landing Estate vineyard tour.
12.00pm BBQ lunch with Robert Strachan, Marty Burnell & Jane Ferrari. Oxford Landing tasting to be conducted by Jane during lunch.
3.00pm Depart Oxford Landing Estate with Jane Ferrari for return trip to the Barossa. Possibly a visit to Mengler’s Hill to see and hear the Barossa Patchwork stories.
5.00pm Arrive at Percy’s accommodation.
6.00pm Dinner with Jane Ferrari & Matt Pick at Roaring 40’s.
Friday 4th December 2009
8.00am Viognier Breakfast and tasting to be conducted by Louisa Rose at Percy’s
9.00am Julia to join Louisa Rose for a Chardonnay blending and tasting.
I arrived in Adelaide dazed and confused after 30 hours of travelling to get there. It was morning, so dropped my luggage off at the Mantra Hindmarsh Square Hotel a took a stroll there in the downtown area. Historic heritage buildings interspese austere modern architecture. The Rundle Mall is a pedestrian zone devoted to convincing you to buy all the beautiful things you never knew you needed so much. My teenage daughter would have loved all the surfi girl clothing and accessories from Billabong, Hurley, Volcom and Roxi. Watching people do their Christmas shopping and listening to songs about snow there in the 42° baking heat was bizarre for this northern hemisphere mountain woman. I found a nice little gourmet gallery there with a food market with primarily Asian food. Feeling rejuvenated after some fresh sushi and a nice cup of sencha, I wandered over to Victoria Square where I discovered a few posh boutiques on King William Street. The Downtown Market was a buzzing hub of vendors of gorgeous fruits and vegetables, tasty local cheeses, meat, bread, olive oil and other food. I stocked up on some fresh fruit and walked back to the hotel to check in.
Adelaide is the captial of Australia and with a population of just over 1 million, the fifth largest city in the country. It is a coastal city located on the Gulf St. Vincent.
Temperatures had cooled the next morning and rain was predicted and I had another day to rest before the Master of Wine residential Seminar would begin. A run on the beach sounded applealing. Maybe some oxygen to my brain and muscles would help with the jet lag.
Glenelg is Adelaide`s most popular beach and can be easily reached by a half-hour tram ride from Victoria Square. There I found a alively beach volleyball tournament between South Australian primary schools. A couple of the kids informed me that it was only three more weeks until their summer break.
In the historic Glenelg Town Hall, the award-winning Bay Discovery Centre tracks how the region’s seaside lifestyle has evolved since European settlement.
Adelaide was founded in 1836 as the planned capital for the only freely settled British province in Australia. It was named in honour of German-born Queen Adelaide, consort of King William IV. The area was originally inhabited by indigenous Australians of the Kaurna tribe.
Jetty Road is filled with people relaxing at the numerous cafés and eateries spilling out into the street.
