Reset Your Senses with a virtual visit to the Mudgee Region

Hello Mudgee Region Lover,

We hope you're well and safe.

Given the current climate, we invite you to take a virtual visit to the Mudgee Region, snap up some local goodies + wine and start planning your rebound trip, some time in the not too distant future (we hope!).

Stay well + happy. We look forward to welcoming you with open arms on the other side of this

Read the latest #MudgeeRegion bulletin here

Baker Williams 'Wildcard' - a unique spirit. Mudgee

“You know, some days a bit of luck comes your way – that’s why this one’s called Wildcard” said distiller Nathan Williams. Baker Williams Distillery will this week launch their brand new spirit ‘Wildcard’ a mix of both malt spirit and wine spirit.

What started out a bit of an experiment combined with a healthy dose of serendipity has resulted in a unique spirit – malt undertones & brandy sweetness with lovely caramel and vanilla from the virgin Bourbon cask it’s been aging in.

The spirits composition is quite unusual in that it blends two types of spirit – one normally destined for whiskey – malt spirit; and the other usually destined to be brandy. “We’d actually made a bit of a blunder in mixing the two different types of spirit – it sat around in a holding vessel for about twelve months at which point I was going to strip this batch to a neutral liqueur base but on a bit of a whim we thought we’d try running it like a whiskey. From the moment we’d finished the distillation, I was convinced it was going down into barrel” said Mr Williams.

The craft distilling industry has embodied a sense of adventure and relative freedom that has allowed craft producers to take different directions with respect to product and the Mudgee based distillers are keen for this to continue.

“Our industry isn’t shackled to pre-existing ideas, or rigid dogma -tradition remains important, but innovation and a desire to explore is evident – it’s a great time to be a distiller as well as a consumer. Importantly it’s not just innovation for innovations sake – we’re searching for new flavours, new processes, new ingredients that enrich and broaden the beverage market”.

A genuine limited release - only 99 cask strength bottles (a whopping 63.5%) are available and 288 at 50% abv– each bottle signed and numbered by the distiller.

KEY FACTS:

Product: Wildcard A unique mix of Barley, Wheat & Rye Malts + wine spirit aged in a Virgin Bourbon Barrel for 18months. (To our knowledge there is nothing else like this in the marketplace). All spirit drawn from a single barrel.

Wildcard is Baker Williams Distillery’s very first aged release and will be followed in quarter 1 calendar 2018 with their first edition Whiskey.

Flavour profile: Unique whiskey/brandy hybrid characters – sweetness from wheat & wine, with underlying malt and rich oak notes.

Variations:

a) Cask Strength 63.5% ABV – 99 Bottles b) 50%ABV - 288 Bottles

Distilled by Baker Williams Distillery, Distiller Nathan Williams on their custom 400 litre pot still and aged on-site.

All bottles are hand crafted - hand bottled, hand waxed, hand labelled, signed and numbered

Target audience: Whiskey; Brandy & Bourbon lovers.

Wildcard is available at the Baker Williams Distillery Cellar Door at 194 Henry Lawson Drive, Mudgee NSW 2850; online at store.bakerwilliams.com.au and at select liquor stores and bars.

Robert Stein 2016 Reserve Chardonnay - Mudgee

STEEPED in a family history going back to 1838
and links to the pioneering Macarthur family's first
commercial vineyard in Australia.

ONE TO NOTE: WE don't hear a lot about Robert Stein Wines out near Mudgee in NSW's Central West, but here is a small maker with a prestigious history it is certainly justified in being proud of.

For current winemaker Jacob Stein is the third generation of his craft, his grandfather Robert Stein having planted their vineyard on the slopes of Mount Buckaroo in 1976, and his grandfather's ancestor Johann Stein sailing to Australia from Germany in 1838 to work on the famous Macarthur family's pioneering commercial vineyard as their "vine dresser," and bringing with him vine cuttings for them from his homeland.

A just-released 2016 Robert Stein Reserve Chardonnay was made from those vines planted in 1976, and has a generous body, wonderful citrus and yellow stone fruit flavours, some fine spice, and a creamy palate with nice acidity.

Pay $40 and pair with poached salmon, salmon fish cakes, or grilled pork or veal chops topped with a creamy mushroom sauce.

Huntington Estate 2013 Mudgee Special-Reserve Shiraz

WINE OF THE WEEK

John Rozentals

Huntington Estate 2013 Mudgee Special-Reserve Shiraz ($36): This is a fine example of Mudgee red — and exactly of what Tim Stevens is talking about. It's a richly flavoured, full-bodied dry red with a lot of earthy flavours and plenty of fine-grained tannins that are already well balanced against those flavours. It's drinking well now and will only get better. Match it with some of the best steak, char-grilled medium-rare for me.

It's all in the tannin. Mudgee red wine and Huntington Estate

JOHN ROZENTALS returns from Mudgee thinking about full-bodied dry reds and urges readers to go with the flow of the tannins.

Tannin structure is critical to the way that a red wine tastes and responds to food, yet I doubt that most wine lovers understand tannins.

Tannins come mostly from the skins of red grapes and aren't bitter, they're astringent. There is a big difference.

They have a high affinity for proteins and combine them to form long-chain insoluble molecules. That's why they dry the mouth. Saliva contains a lot of protein. Red wine combines with these proteins and hence your mouth feels dry — and you can sometimes scrape red-coloured residue off your tongue with your teeth.

It's why protein-based fining agents, such as egg-white and skimmed milk, are sometimes used to remove tannins from red wines.

Foods such as red meat contain a lot of protein, so when you consume them with red wine, the wine's drying effect on the tongue is lessened. That's one reason they go well together, and it's certainly why you should taste wine with appropriate food before buying it.

The tannin structure of grapes — and hence of the wines they make — depends much on environment, grape variety, growing conditions, timing of harvest, etc. The extraction of that tannin, and its persistence in the wine depends much on winemaking techniques.

It's the regionality that comes to the fore when Huntington Estate owner and winemaker Tim Stevens claims the area can produce some of the best red wines in Australia, and hence in the world.

"There is no doubt that our style of red wine is unique; we have high levels of high-quality tannin and acid that can make the wines somewhat astringent when young. I make no apologies for this, as the structure makes the wines great for aging and great with food … In time the fruit and tannins integrate to become sublime," he said.

"Our wines are old-style and don't suit tastes where body and complexity are not important. The style of Mudgee reds is not something we can change, even if, God forbid, we wanted to. This is because of our unique climate and soils, which are what they are.

"Time and again, I have seen Mudgee winemakers (myself included) try to tame these tannins by manipulating the vineyard conditions or playing too much with the wine in the cellar. Invariably, the wine becomes stripped or dull. Handled properly, Mudgee wines are full-bodied, have loads of super-fine tannins, good acid levels, with concentrated and complex flavours that last of the palate.

"The trick is to be guided by the vineyard and intervene as little as possible. Go with the tannins, not against them."

Caption: Tim Stevens working on a Huntington Estate red … "The trick is to be guided by the vineyard and intervene as little as possible."

Eloquesta’s Olsen challenging our wine industry’s norms

Doing it the old-fashioned way … Stuart Olsen uses his feet to stir up a red ferment.

John Rozentals
The Australian wine industry may be brimming with characters but it is essentially a fairly conservative place, with just about everyone pursuing clinically perfect wines. It's a goal that Stuart Olsen, who makes wine at Dubbo under the Eloquesta label, principally using fruit from Mudgee and Orange, reckons leads to a boring sameness.

REVIEWS

Eloquesta 2014 'A Boy with Fruit' Orange Chardonnay ($32): Winemaker Stuart Olsen certainly thought laterally when he made this wine and consumers will have to do likewise when they taste it. The fruit comes from the Orange district, in two equal-size batches — from Gordon Hills Estate on the Cargo Road and from the warmer, lower-altitude Belgravia Vineyard near Molong.

It's made in an "antique style", as they did hundreds of years ago in places such as Croatia and Slovenia — foot-trodden on skins for two-to-three weeks, and pressed into old, new and reconditioned French oak and brand-new Hungarian oak, and matured for nearly two years. The barrels were stirred monthly on gross lees. It was only lightly filtered at bottling and retains some yeast sediment and hence potential cloudiness if stirred up —just like the best of Coopers ales. It shows a complex blend of fruit and associated flavours — Stuart sees dried stonefruit, mango, honey and acacia flowers in the bouquet, and I'm not going to disagree with him. It's a deeply golden-coloured, complex brew that won't be to everyone's taste but keen wine people will mostly love it for its uniqueness in Australia and the honesty of the winemaking approach.

Grab a couple of bottles and share them with wine-loving friends over some hearty, strongly flavoured eastern Mediterranean seafood dishes. And please excuse the lengthiness of this review, but it's a provocative white wine worth study, contemplation and much discussion about whether our wines are generally overly pure and too sanitised. Visit eloquesta.com.au.

Eloquesta 2015 ‘A Boy with Fruit’ Mudgee Rosalia ($22): This is another one out of left field. In Australia black muscat grapes are usually used to make frivolous pink moscatos and muscat liqueurs. Instead, Stuart Olsen has made a dry, quite aromatic rosé showing nuances of Turkish delight. It’s light, flavoursome, and good just about anywhere that doesn’t demand anything too serious. Rosalia, incidentally, is a Hungarian rosé festival — and the name of Stuart’s grandmother. Visit eloquesta.com.au.

Blue Wren No. 216 Verscato - Mudgee

Blue Wren, situated amongst the vines and situated in one of New South Wales’ premium wine regions – Mudgee - has just released their first ever Verscato label – Blue Wren No. 216 Verscato.

Exhibiting all the characteristics of a Moscato; the new Verscato it is an innovative and fun wine with low alcohol, a yellow tinge, hint of sweetness and vibrant fizz - with the Verscato made from the Verdelho grape, rather than the Muscat Grape.

“The rationale for our Verscato came to us after participating at numerous wine shows and the never ending search from our loyal customers for a Moscato wine. Not actually producing Muscat grapes we previously could not meet the demand of the market yet continually deliberated about how we could meet the expectations of visitors to our vineyard,” says Blue Wren owner Kip Harris.

“With the on-going successful production of Blue Wren’s Verdelho White Port, it was agreed to attempt to create a Moscato-style wine also utilising our Verdelho grape,” said Harris.

The result is the Blue Wren No. 216 Verscato. It shows all the characteristics of a Moscato; with an abundant white peach and candied pineapple nose, tropical guava on the palate, coupled with notes of passion fruit and key lime flavours. It is light in colour and holds an-oh-so slight spritz. At 7.0% alcohol, it is the perfect pre-dinner aperitif or equally, makes for a pleasant light dessert wine.

Blue Wren No. 516 Rosé - Mudgee

Blue Wren, nestled amongst the vines and situated in one of New South Wales' premium wine regions – Mudgee - has just released their first ever rosé label, Blue Wren No. 516 Rosé.

Joining the Rosé Revolution this is the first time that Blue Wren has produced rosé, using Merlot grapes from The Lost Block. The Lost Block is located in the Mudgee region, situated on a small four-acre block that produces low yielding yet high quality fruit and having never  been utilised for a decade - hence the title of The Lost Block.

The result of this is the Blue Wren No. 516 Rosé exhibiting a delicate wine that is clean and crisp with a subtle pink colour and fresh lifted with red berry fruit of the raspberry and a slight hint of strawberry.

At 13.5% alcohol, Blue Wren's rosé is a tran-seasonal drink, that is crisp, dry and savoury on the palate with a sharp dry quick finish making it the perfect dinner aperitif or equally a pleasant light dessert wine.

"We are very happy with the result. Mudgee's grape growing conditions are well suited to traditional rosé varieties, that give rosé produced in Mudgee a distinct ripe and savoury taste that goes with a range of dishes," Says Blue Wren owner Kip Harris.

Today, Rosé wine is among the fastest growing wine styles in Australia because of its refreshing drinkability, and suits the warm climate and it goes with a wide selection of foods.

"We have seen the popularity for rosé grow in and around the region and the exceptional quality of grapes produced here in Mudgee. We are now a part of the Rosé Revolution and have created a vibrant and tran-seasonal wine," says Harris.

For further information please visit: www.bluewrenwines.com.au

Mudgee Region annual Mudgee Wine & Food Festival

The Mudgee Region will come alive once again to celebrate the 38th annual Mudgee Wine & Food Festival from 9th September – 3rd October, bringing together delectable wine and delicious food from across the region.

The month long culinary festival hosts an array of events across the region’s top restaurants, bars, cafes and cellar doors. In a first for the festival, Mudgee will host a series of events over three nights dedicated to some of Mudgee’s most awarded winemakers. Learn the subtleties and nuances of a Mudgee drop and have the first-hand opportunity to experience how they differ to some of Australia’s most revered wines, as well as the rest of the world.

“It’s exciting to see Mudgee Region’s many producers, growers and businesses come together and take part in the festival, providing visitors to the region with a rare opportunity to meet the makers behind the region’s fine produce and form a real connection with the Mudgee Region,” says Russell Holden, Chair of the Mudgee Region Tourism Board.

Cheese lovers will not be disappointed, with an entire evening dedicated to cheese and wine pairing to help guide foodies through the culinary pleasures of life.



As well as this, cellar doors will be open for extended hours, host one-of-a-kind events and collaborate with local restaurants to bring the worlds of wine and food together, whether that be with a simple tasting platter or a more extensive menu showcasing regional produce or cuisines of the world.

Ted Cox, President of Mudgee Wine & Grape Growers Association, says: "The Mudgee Wine & Food Festival is one of the longest running celebrations in the region and there's no sign of slowing down either! More events are added each year and we're particularly excited about our three Wednesday evenings dedicated to learning about wine - nothing formal, just a great way to learn a little, or a little bit more, about Mudgee wine."

From wine tasting to cheese pairing classes, and long lazy lunches with live music amongst the vines, this year’s event is set to be bigger and brighter than ever, highlighting the Regions country charm and sophisticated food + drink offering.

“Mudgee Wine & Food Festival provides visitors an authentic taste test of the very best of local wineries, food producers and cultural experiences in the region. For an entire month, visitors can skip town with their loved ones and get lost in the flavours of Mudgee Region and we’re really excited to play host,” says Leianne Murphy, Acting CEO Mudgee Region Tourism.

This year features a range of flagship events, including:

• Flavours of Mudgee – The main street of Mudgee will close to traffic and come alive with an estimate of 8,000 festival-goers savouring the flavours of the region.
• Go Tasting - Taste wines from the Mudgee Wine Show including those that most impressed the judges during the annual wine maker’s competition.
• Mudgee vs Australia & Mudgee vs The World – This wine appreciation evening will give visitors a taste test of the best Mudgee wines the region has to offer.
• Farmer’s Markets - Bring a big basket and as many spare hands as you can to carry home all of the amazing Spring produce on offer.

No matter what delights you when it comes to food and wine, you’re likely to find it in abundance during the festival celebration.

For more information visit www.visitmudgeeregion.com.au or www.mudgeewine.com.au

Robert Stein Wines turns 40

In 1976, Australia was a very different place.

We were enjoying the halcyon days of tennis with locals winning both the 1976 Men’s and Women’s Australian Open. Hawthorne won the flag, and Caitlyn Jenner was awarded the USA Male Athlete of the Year.

We were settling in to watch Montreal host the Olympics.

On the wine front, Lindemans was peddling Ben Ean Moselle by the truckload, in amongst Cold Duck and Porphyry Pearl. Penfolds released their 25th vintage of Grange (the first ‘to cross the $20 barrier at release’), Orlando released Jacobs Creek and Petaluma was opened in the Adelaide Hills.

In the same year Robert ‘Bob’ Stein, a young Sydney builder come businessman and keen fly fisher was turning his attention to the winegrowing region of Mudgee.

Bob took inspiration from his ancestors Johann and Jacob Stein and purchased and planted grapevines on a 75 acre block of land north of the township of Mudgee. Johann and Jacob had migrated from Germany in 1838 with the Macarthurs as ‘vine dressers’ at the new Camden vineyard.

In 1848 the brothers established their own vineyard in Camden on the outskirts of Sydney. Legend has it that the brothers shared a bottle of their Rhine Riesling with Sir Henry Parkes and explorer Ludwig Leichardt; growing wine and sharing it with family and friends was in Bob’s blood.

In 40 years the Australian wine scene has changed markedly. However, the Stein’s block of land in Mudgee has continued to thrive. Upon Bob’s retirement his son Andrew joined the winery to help grow the business.

More recently, grandson Jacob has taken on the winemaking role and set new benchmarks in the region. Their Riesling block is now one of the most revered in the region, with a host of awards. The reds, including their Reserve Shiraz and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon continue to win acclaim.

“We are quite proud of this achievement,” commented Jacob. “In 1976 there were only around 300 wineries in Australia, with only a handful in Mudgee. There aren’t too many wineries in the country that are 40 years old and still family owned. We’ve come a long way, and we’re looking forward to the next 40 years.”

The Stein family will be celebrating 40 years of winemaking with a number of events during the 2016 Mudgee Wine & Food Festival which runs from 9 September through to the 3 October 2016 (further information to follow).

Their cellar door along with Robert Stein's motorcycle museum, located on Pipeclay Lane in Mudgee, is open 7 days a week from 10.00am to 4.30pm.

Further information on Robert Stein Wines can be found at www.robertstein.com.auand the Mudgee Wine & Food Festival at www.mudgeewine.com.au.

Peter Logan's 2015 Apple Tree Flat Rosé - Mudgee

A STEAL at the price as Rosé enjoys
a renaissance in Aust

ONE TO NOTE: ROSÉ appears to be enjoying a somewhat healthy renaissance in this country at the moment, with one maker, Peter Logan at Mudgee in NSW saying he's not at all surprised as, in his words "it's a style that makes a lot of sense Down Under, a great go-to wine year-round for our lifestyle and climate."

And his own 2015 Apple Tree Flat Rosé is typical of why so many of us are once more turning to the pink drop, this one teasing with lovely red berry aromas, flavours of watermelon and spice, a crunchy, tangy finish and that oh-so-alluring pink.

Enjoy on its own on a hot day now, or match with a hearty chicken tagine or pumpkin and leek quiche as the months turn cooler – the more-so as it's a steal at only $13.

for week beginning 29 February 2016

2012 de Mestre Wines Shiraz - Matua Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc

BET YOU'VE NOT HEARD OF THIS ONE

David Ellis

BEST wine from the smallest vineyard
you've never heard of

SYDNEY lawyer-cum-weekend winemaker, Paul de Mestre likes to sum up the fruit of his hobby as "the best wine from the smallest vineyard you've never heard of…"

And while we think he's pretty much right, don't go rushing out trying to find a bottle. He makes just 800 a year, and these can be bought only from his little 16ha vineyard on Sofala Road at Ilford in the Mudgee Region of the NSW Central Ranges, or online. And even then that's if he's got any…

While not officially organic, Paul takes a minimalist approach to his winemaking, trusting nature, as he says, at every turn. The result is delightful cool climate varietals that can vary considerably from vintage to vintage, but which always deliver big on texture and flavour, be they his Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon or Viognier.

His currently available 2012 de Mestre Wines Shiraz at $30 is a corker, coming from a perfect vintage – and by adding a touch of Viognier he's achieved a wine that's nicely fragrant and has forward flavours of plum and black pepper that make it an ideal accompaniment with slow-roasted Greek lamb (how we enjoyed it.) Go to www.demestre.com.au to organise a bottle or six, or to arrange a vineyard visit.

 LABEL helps you choose off the shelf
the style of Sauvignon Blanc
that best suits your palate.

ONE TO NOTE: NEW ZEALAND's Matua that can claim to being the country's first producer of Sauvignon Blanc 40 years ago, has now come up with an interesting concept with the release of three labels that give buyers some extra help in choosing off the shelf the style of Sauvignon Blanc that best suits their palate.

The label of their Matua Smooth describes it as "soft and elegant," and being from the warmer Hawkes Bay region more luscious, juicy and food friendly; a Matua Crisp as "fresh and tropical" with vibrant Marlborough tropical fruit and citrus fruit flavours and fresh, crisp acidity; and a Marlborough Matua Lighter as "cool and fragrant" with tropical passionfruit and gooseberry flavours and 25 per cent less alcohol/calories.

Each of these 2014 vintage wines is priced at $22 through BWS.

NEED A FOOD/DRINK IDEA? Check out http://www.vintnews.com We're also on Australian Good Food Guide http://www.agfg.com.au  in main blog.

Wc27Oct14

Amelia's Letter Pinot Grigio - Andrew's Margan White Label Barbera

CHAIN LETTER THAT LIVES 126 YEARS ON

David Ellis

ONE whose 126 year heritage will
get the conversation going over
dinner with family and friends.

THE Adelaide Hills' Chain of Ponds have an unusually-named Amelia's Letter label for their Pinot Grigio, and there's an equally unusual story behind it that's guaranteed to get the conversation going over a bottle or two with family or friends.          

Back in the late 1880s at Chain of Ponds, about 30k's out of Adelaide, blacksmith and wheelwright James Caust decided to visit family in homeland Cornwall after the death of his wife, and on the long sailing trip to Southampton penned a letter to his youngest daughter, Amelia then aged 28. It was a long, touching and humorous account of his journey and his love of she and the family he was re-connecting with, and was written in quaint Cornish.

That 126-year old Letter survives to this day, and Chain of Ponds have dedicated the name Amelia's Letter to their annual Pinot Grigio wines since 2010. Their latest, the 2013 is a lovely drop with a pear and ripe peach intensity coupled with a touch of apple, wonderful minerality and a creamy finish. Great buying at $22 to enjoy with oven-baked salmon or a roasted pork tenderloin, as you recount the delightful tale of James Caust's letter to his daughter Amelia all those 126 years ago.

WHAT better with Italian
tomato- and herb-based dishes,
or a mushroom risotto.

ONE TO NOTE: BARBERA is the second-most widely grown variety in Italy, but it wasn't until the 1960s it was established here, with the first vines planted at Mudgee in NSW and from there introduced later into the Hunter Valley by Andrew Margan.

Today Andrew's Margan White Label Barbera is a wine you can happily buy-now and drink-now as they do in Barbera's homeland, while at the same time showing its got everything going for it to develop wonderfully well with anything up to ten years, or even more, in the cellar. Beautifully savoury on the palate with a somewhat red currant tartness, good acid and fine-grained tannins, we happily say forget the cellar – and like us, get hold of it now and enjoy it now.

Pay $40 and serve with tomato- and herb-based Italian dishes, or mushroom risotto.

NEED A FOOD/DRINK IDEA? Check out http://www.vintnews.com We're also on Australian Good Food Guide http://www.agfg.com.au  in main blog.

                                                   

Wc01Sept14

Carpene Malvolti's Prosecco 1868 - Logan Weemala Shiraz Viognier

A BUBBLY ITALIAN FOR PARTY OR DINNER

ON its own or with light Mediterranean
dishes, this one's great $25 buying.

David Ellis



AN interesting and rewarding sparkling out of Italy that's quite fruity yet at the same time nicely soft and dry, is Carpene Malvolti's Prosecco 1868 Extra Dry, and which sells here for a very agreeable $25 a bottle.

Founded in 1868 in Italy's Veneto region by Antonio Carpene, the company became the first in Italy to submit traditional still wines made from Prosecco grapes to the sparkling process; over the ensuing 146 years the company's been handed down from father to son and still remains firmly in Carpene family hands today.

Fruit for this bubbly, that's equally at home in the party-room and at the table, came from the picturesque Conegliano and Valdobbiadene hills of Veneto, and was produced under the Charmat method in which the wine is secondary fermented in bulk tanks and bottled under pressure; it is fruity, extra dry and aromatic, with strong hints of apple on the palate and bouquet.

Perfect as an aperitif, a party-room bubbly or at the table with light Mediterranean dishes – very popular in its home region is to share it with an octopus and potato salad – it is also equally at home mixed into cocktails with the likes of cranberry or orange juice, lemon-lime-and- soda, and a host of others.

AT $19 a beaut companion with a winter's
Beef Wellington or steak and kidney pie.

ONE TO NOTE: PETER LOGAN  has come up with a great drop in his recently-released 2012 Logan Weemala Shiraz Viognier that's got a lovely silky palate of red berries, plums, bay and tarragon and a nice long finish – and as we know, the longer the finish (the time the flavour lasts in your mouth) the finer the quality of that wine.

Peter grew fruit for this one at Mudgee 600m up in the Central Ranges of NSW, an area that produces reds with uniquely rustic characteristics and usually stronger savoury elements than most other regions, and which are recognised for strong acid, tight tannin structure and generous flavours.

At $19 this is a good-value lip-smacker to enjoy with cold-weather favourites such as Beef Wellington or a hearty steak and kidney pie.

NEED A FOOD/DRINK IDEA? Check out http://www.vintnews.com We're also on Australian Good Food Guide http://www.agfg.com.au in main blog.

Wc16Jun14

SPANISH BEAUTY CAPTURES MUDGEE TERROIR TO A 'T'

Wc04NOV13                                                                                             

                

HERB and garlic lamb loin chops
off the BBQ simply ideal with this.

David Ellis

LATEST Aussie maker to come out with a Tempranillo – that wonderful red whose homeland is the Rioja region of Spain and which is now one of the fastest-growing "new" varietals in Australia – is Logan at Mudgee in the NSW Central Ranges.

Peter Logan's exceptionally-rewarding 2012 Tempranillo under his Logan Weemala label is one he says has been an equally-rewarding journey in the making. "It's a Tempranillo that I think captures the Mudgee terroir to a 'T,' from its savoury varietal characters to flavours of sarsaparilla and earthiness, and even the coal dust of Mudgee," he says.

"It's a rustic beauty that fills a void in our Weemala line-up for a red that is both age-worthy – and steak-worthy."

Well-priced at $19 this is a great drop to enjoy with a steak as Peter suggests, herb and garlic lamb loin chops off the BBQ, or with traditional Spanish cured ham and roasted vegetables.

PEARLER of a come-back idea
when partying is to the fore.

ONE TO NOTE: YELLOWGLEN has enjoyed a well-earned reputation as a maker of Australian sparkling wines for some forty years now, and a re-launch of its Vintage Perle is, well, a pearler of an idea.

Chief Winemaker Trina Smith blended classic sparkling varieties from across our leading sparkling regions to create this 2009 Yellowglen Vintage Perle, a drop that's sure to impress on any occasion when a celebratory bubbly is called for.

Nicely priced at $24.99 it has lovely layers of complex flavours, a delicate bead and a fresh and lingering finish, red-berry fruit flavours reflecting the high Pinot Noir component and its Chardonnay component adding lightness and elegance.

NEED A FOOD/DRINK IDEA? Check out http://www.vintnews.com We're also on Australian Good Food Guide http://www.agfg.com.au in main blog.

BOTTLING UP A VINTAGE’S PERSONALITY

Wc26Aug13

David Ellis

AUSTRALIAN sparkling maker, Domaine Chandon has launched Chandon Vintage Collection, a series giving its winemakers the freedom to select and blend exceptional parcels of fruit into bubblies they feel reflect the unique "personality" of each vintage.

"We draw fruit from a diversity of sites, and by working closely with our growers, and combining this with our range of winemaking expertise, we're now able to bottle that unique annual vintage personality," says Chandon Senior Winemaker, Dan Buckle.

"Every year there's something special that stands out. It might be a parcel of fruit of exceptional character, or an idea we are exploring – whatever it is, the new Vintage Collection will allow us to develop it right through to release, a freedom not allowed many winemakers."

The first Chandon Collection wine is the 2008 Chandon Cuvée 500 blended from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Victoria's colder climate King Valley, Macedon and Strathbogie Ranges, that all sit over 500m above sea level.

This is a rewarding bubbly with bright cranberry fruit flavours, minerality and zesty lime citrus; pay $44.99 and enjoy with family or friends next time you're in celebration mode.

ONE TO NOTE: EVERY year Logan Wines release two benchmark Shiraz under their Ridge of Tears label, one that Peter Logan is exceptionally proud of as it exemplifies the best from the company's Orange and Mudgee vineyards.

But this year there's just a 2011 Mudgee Ridge of Tears Shiraz, a cracker wine from a challenging vintage. And no Orange Ridge of Tears Shiraz: with a very cold and wet 2011, Peter felt the resultant wine did not live up to the label's expectations, so he's bottled it under his premium eponymous Logan label where it over-delivers at just $25.

And seek out that 2011 Mudgee Ridge of Tears Shiraz: at $45 and with wonderful red and dark fruit flavours, it's one to really enjoy with a Sunday pork roast or barbecue.

NEED A FOOD/DRINK IDEA? Check out  http://www.vintnews.com )

                                                     ………………………….

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

[] AUSSIE bubbly that allows winemakers to go beyond the norm.

[] NOTHING to cry about with this one and a Sunday pork roast.

Exciting New Wine Partnership between the Oatley and Goelet families.

Media Release

Robert Oatley Vineyards (ROV) and Goelet Wine Estates (GWE) are delighted to announce the formation of an Australian partnership for ROV to market and distribute GWE's premium Australian wine brands; Taltarni (VIC) and Clover Hill (TAS).

GWE have selected ROV to be their national distributors for the on-premise and independent retail trade markets of mainland Australia.

The two family-owned wine businesses share a four decade history of winemaking, John Goelet having established Clos Du Val in California, Domaine De Nizas in France, Taltarni and Clover Hill and Bob Oatley, Rosemount Estate in Australia.

"This is an exciting partnership for two pioneering winemaking families" says GWE chief Executive Officer Adam Torpy. "ROV have in a very short space of time established themselves to be leading marketers to the on-premise and independent retail trade in particular and our Australian brands fit nicely in their impressive portfolio of premium wine producers."

"The Oatley family have formed partnerships with a number of family owned producers around the globe, including the Descours family of Champagnes Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck and New Zealand's Todd family of Ara, Marlborough" explains ROV Chief Executive Officer Anthony Roberts. "The Taltarni and Clover Hill labels are prestigious Victorian and Tasmanian offerings that perfectly compliment our Australian portfolio which is based around our own labels Robert Oatley, Wild Oats and Montrose, hailing primarily from New South Wales and Western Australia."

Adam Torpy adds "ROV have developed a very strong sales force specialising in the on-premise and independent retail trade. We have no doubt they will significantly increase our distribution across the mainland."

ROV will begin distribution of Taltarni and Clover Hill from October 1^st and both labels will continue to be available to the trade through broad range wholesalers nation-wide.

Mudgee: Lowe Wine School

source: supplied

Attention class!

Go to the top of the class with the best in your glass at the David Lowe Wine School in Mudgee.

The evening classes at Lowe Wines are informative and fun with the first roll call on 19 July.The sessions reflect the certified organic vineyard’s cellar door tastings. With tasting “flight placemats”, students are taken on a journey of differentiation of 12 wines, incorporating the three vineyards of Lowe wines and exploring elevation and meteorology.

The first three wines are white with David showcasing the varietal characteristics, quality and at the same time how to simply taste. The second batch of three wines are different examples of the same white varietals, but masked. The objective is to identify wine is which, with a bit of humour.

Wine 101 with David Lowe

The next phase studies reds. Like the whites, there will be mystery reds presented and tested. The classes have been designed by David for a fast, fun and educational experience.

You can follow up on your new skills the following evening at the Winemaker’s Table dinner (20 July), a food and wine dinner in the vineyards.

Bookings are essential for both events. Other Wine School classes, costing $45 per person, will be held from 5.30 – 7pm on 16 August, and every Wednesday during September.
As well as preparing for these major events, Lowe has released its yearly calendar and extended its cellar door to further upgrade outside tasting experiences.

The winery has also entered the Inland Tourism Awards, after achieving bronze last year in the State category behind Wyndham Estate and Bimbadgen. Lowe wines is holder of the triple crown of organics, best Mudgee organic wine, best NSW organic wine, and best Australian, NZ organic wine.

To learn more about what’s happening in Mudgee’s food and wine scene, tune into ABC Central West every Saturday morning for updates with David Lowe and the vineyard’s acclaimed chef, Kim Currie.

Bernard Fanning: A Day on the Green

Media Release

Including Robert Oatley Vineyards, Mudgee

With a #1 debut for his new album ‘Departures’, rave reviews, press covers everywhere, plenty of radio love and fans more than thrilled with his new songs, Bernard Fanning is once again at the forefront of Australian music.

And that being said, it’s the perfect time to announce the much-loved, multi-awarded singer-songwriter has teamed up with the equally much-loved winery event a day on the green for a series of concerts nationally in late October/November.

Fanning is set to bring his acclaimed ‘Tea & Sympathy’ and ‘Departures’ albums to the stage on a warm summer’s night against the back-drop of the beautiful vineyards of Mudgee and the Hunter Valley in NSW, Barossa Valley in SA, Yarra Valley in VIC and Mt Cotton in Qld, and the picturesque Kings Park in Perth. How good will this be? 

Special guests on the tour – also making their a day on the green debut – will be the iconic Cruel Sea, along with the incredible Sarah Blasko and the charming Bob Evans. The tour will kick off on Saturday October 26 at Robert Oatley Vineyards - the 13^th a day on the green event in Mudgee.

“I'm really looking forward to these a day on the green shows,” Fanning said. “I have been hearing about them for years and am glad to be playing my new songs in such a dignified setting. And I'm looking forward to a couple of vinos with Bob Evans, Sarah Blasko and The Cruel Sea.”

Fanning’s ‘Departures’ album, which debuted at #1 on the ARIA chart last week, is his first since Powderfinger called it a day and is the highly anticipated follow up to his 5 x Platinum solo debut ‘Tea & Sympathy’.  His recording success is paralleled in the live arena, where he has proved again and again why he is one of Australia’s finest and most popular live performers.

He is delighted to have three top quality Australian acts in The Cruel Sea, Sarah Blasko and Bob Evans joining him for what promises to be a very special a day on the green.

The unstoppable force that is the Cruel Sea - Tex Perkins, James Cruickshank, Dan Rumour, Jim Elliot and Ken Gormley – has been on a day on the green’s hit list for quite a while. Live performances may be sporadic these days, but the band’s collective chemistry and the swagger and power of their unmistakable grooves remains unrivalled.

Sarah’s fourth album ‘I Awake’ has re-affirmed her status as one of the country’s most outstanding and most applauded artists......‘a defining, unsettling masterpiece’ (Rolling Stone), ‘a great Australian talent’ (The Australian), ‘a truly once in a lifetime artist’ (West Australian) and ‘captivating’ (Herald Sun).  After a sojourn in Paris touring and promoting ‘I Awake’, the ARIA award-winning Best Female Artist returns home in July to co-incide with the release of the haunting new single ‘All Of Me’. Enchanting and undeniably brilliant, Sarah is set to thrill a day on the green audiences.

Bob Evans, the lovable alter-ego of Jebediah frontman Kevin Mitchell, has been charming fans with his quirky solo projects for the past decade.  His fourth album instalment ‘Famous Stranger’ was released in March and showcases a progressive pop sound that is downright irresistible. He’s sure to be a crowd pleaser at the upcoming concerts.  

Fanning is the first national tour announcement for the upcoming – and 13^th - a day on the green summer season for which promoter Roundhouse Entertainment is pleased to welcome two sponsors, AAMI and Sunsuper.

Bernard Fanning, The Cruel Sea, Sarah Blasko and Bob Evans – sounds like a wonderful day of great Australian music!

SAT OCT 26 - ROBERT OATLEY VINEYARDS, MUDGEE, NSW

EVENT INFORMATION:

a day on the green is a fully licensed event.  Strictly no BYO alcohol.  Food will be available on site or BYO picnic.  Deck chairs and picnic rugs are recommended.   For all event information, go to adayonthegreen.com.au.

TICKETING INFORMATION:

Gold Reserved Seat: $149 plus b/fee

General Admission (BYO chairs & rugs): $94.90 plus b/fee

TRANSPORT INFORMATION:

Leave the car at home and pre-book on a coach. For ticket and coach travel from surrounding towns, call Ogden’s Coaches on (02) 6372 2489 or email: mudgee@ogdenscoaches.com.au (operating from Lithgow, Bathurst, Orange, Wellington, Dubbo, Kandos, Lui, Rylstone, Gulgong).

Langley’s Coaches (02) 6882 8977 or email: ocoaches@bigpond.net.au will also operate from Dubbo, Geurie and Wellington,

A shuttle bus service will also operate from Mudgee accommodation venues and the CBD to the winery, returning after the show.

ACCOMMODATION INFORMATION:

Tent Town will again operate at the Australian Rural Education Centre offering an affordable accommodation option only 5 mins from the centre of Mudgee and the concert site. There are two ($140), three ($200) and four-man ($247) tents, with additional stretcher beds, camp mattresses, chairs, table, and LED battery lanterns also available for hire. For further information go to: www.festivalbookings.com.au and click on the ADOTG icon.

Camping is also available at The Henry Lawson Caravan Park, Mudgee Tourist & Van Resort and Mudgee Valley Tourist Park.

Further information and accommodation bookings can be made at the Mudgee Visitor Information Centre, Market Street, Mudgee or free call 1800 816 304.

ON SALE 9.00am MONDAY JULY 8

From ticketmaster.com.au & 136 100 and the Mudgee Bookcase 6372 3127

www.adayonthegreen.com.au      www.bernardfanning.com

Madame Kirsty's Secret Poison

Unearthing Mudgee: Vintnews Regional Tour

Here are some of the great wines and venues we uncovered during our recent trip to the Mudgee region. For more details, see: www.visitmudgeeregion.com.au

Roth's Wine Bar

BYO (and donate) your classic Vegemite glass
for a free fill of 10/80.

This place is dripping with history - among other things. The perfect finish to any day touring around Mudgee is to wind up (or down) at Roth's Wine Bar in Market Street. First licensed in 1923, the premises maintains possibly the last surviving Governor's liquor license in Australia. Funky and fun, there's great food and music too.

If you're game, ask for a dose of 10/80*, a secret recipe Kirsty tells me is a blend of "a wine, a fortified wine and maybe something else". Apparently the original mixture was served back in the day, speakeasy-style in classic Vegemite glasses, and if you have an old one lying around and want to donate it, the first fill is on the house.

And why Madame Kirsty? Well, according to local history, you could once rent rooms by the hour at Roth's and Kirsty has a keen sense of 'tradition'.

* for non-rural types, 10/80 is a common and highly toxic poison used for vermin control.

(Open Wednesday to Saturday 5pm till late)