BOTTLING UP JACK’S GETTING OF WISDOM

 

wine with david ellis

 

 

JACK Mann – legendary winemaker at Houghton's in Western Australia for an amazing fifty-something vintages from 1922 – was not just an extraordinary winemaker, he was an extraordinary person in the way he freely shared the wisdom of his years with anyone who wanted to listen, be they young or old.

 

And equally extraordinarily, he acquired his renowned outlook on life almost entirely within the confines of his beloved Swan Valley, only ever venturing out of his home State once, and that was a short trip to South Australia.

 

Now, as yet a further honour to his remarkable contribution to the industry, Houghton's have renamed their famous Regional Range –  that showcases the strengths and characteristics of individual regions in WA's premium wine growing areas – the Wisdom Range.

 

Among these six is a 2004 Wisdom Frankland River Shiraz that has sweet red berry and black pepper dominance both on the nose and the palate, and is further enhanced with savoury tones and fine grained tannins in the mouth. 

 

At $32 this is a drop made to share with herb-crusted rare roast beef, or an after-dinner platter of hard cheeses. And as Jack was always willing to create a quote to share with listeners, the label comes with one of his classic thoughts: "I think 1932 was the turning point, when after accumulating a reasonable amount of knowledge, I realised that I knew nothing worthwhile."

 

ONE FOR LUNCH:  DE BORTOLI's who were amongst those that pioneered the NSW Riverina's emergence from a cheap bulk-winemaking region to one that now relishes world-wide recognition, has released a mouth-watering new Sacred Hill label Semillon Sauvignon Blanc in time for summer celebrations.

 

This 2008 "buy now, drink now" wine bounces with wonderful varietal fruit flavours, and at just $7.49 is value buying to go with seafoods and salads.

 

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PHOTO CAPTIONS

 

. LIKE the legendary Jack Mann, give proper thought as to how to enjoy this one – try it with herb-crusted rare roast beef

 

.  BUY now and enjoy now: a summer drop for seafoods and salads