HONOURING MICHELLE’S 27 YEARS AT THE HELM

DEDICATED to an amazing lady
forced to the helm 27 years ago.

Wc10Jun13

David Ellis

AFTER retiring from 27 years at the helm, Michelle Nugan can now invite friends to share a very special drop with her on the many big occasions that lay ahead – Nugan Estate's Chief Winemaker, Daren Owers has created an exceptional wine in her honour under the label Nugan Estate Matriarch McLaren Vale Shiraz 2006.

Thrown into her role after the unexpected death of her husband Ken, who died within six weeks of being diagnosed with cancer in 1986, Michelle found she'd inherited a business that she says, at best, could be described as faltering. "I would like to recognise the support of my children Matthew and Tiffany during those early days as CEO," she says. "But together with Daren Owers and his winemaking team, I believe Nugan Estate has gone on to become one of Australia's great family success stories."

Daren's drop created to honour Michelle is a real cracker, and while in the top-shelf price range at $65 is worth every cent: sourced from the family's premium 11ha vineyard in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia, it's a wonderfully rich and full-bodied Shiraz with an elegant – and seductive – palate of opulent dark fruits layered with dark chocolate and anise, silky tannins and well-integrated oak.

Reward yourself with a bottle (or two) at that next very special occasion – and raise a glass at the same time to an amazing lady after whom it is named.

END of a blockbuster era – but the beginning
of another more refined and elegant.

ONE TO NOTE: THE recently-released 2011 Angus the Bull Cabernet Sauvignon marks the end of an era – and the beginning of another.

Created a decade ago by winemaker Hamish MacGowan and wife/business partner Brigitte purely for the enjoyment of having a good cut of prime beef accompanied by a great red, up until the 2011 its been blended from fruit from across South Eastern Australia: from the 2012 vintage it will be made from exclusively Central Victoria fruit.

This will result in a more refined, elegant and less blockbuster Angus, but still a great partner with a great steak – and if it stays around its $19.95, still great-value buying.

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

                                                    

UNCOMMON BLEND THAT’S WORTH THE TRY

Wc03Jun13

SOMETHING a little different that's
great with steak and kidney pie.

David Ellis

THE Clare Valley's Tim Adams has a problem: he's tweaked one of his great reds, shown it to liquor retailers and restaurateurs who've all said he's come up with a potential Aussie classic – but that no, they won't put it on their shelves or wine lists.

Because until now his Tim Adams Cabernet was labelled as just that, even though it had some 15% malbec blended into it. Buyers loved it, and a few years ago he increased that 15% malbec to 20% to further complement the leaner cabernet flavours with the wonderfully soft mulberry of malbec. This meant that because malbec was now a 20% component of the wine, by law it had to be included on the label, so since the 2008 vintage Tim's labelled it Cabernet Malbec.

And herein lays the problem: most bottle shops and restaurant wine lists don't have sections or listings for cabernet malbec – so they're shying away from this great new blend, a blend whose sales, incidentally, are booming in the UK. "Okay it's a reasonably uncommon blend," says Tim, "But once people try it they quickly become fans… it's just a matter of getting them to taste it."

LOADS of flavour, but less alcohol
goes well with salads and seafoods.

And having done so ourselves, we agree with Tim that it will be a decision you'll not regret. Pay $29, and as we did, enjoy with a home-made steak and kidney pie.

ONE TO NOTE: LILLYPILLY Estate in the NSW Riverina has followed-up its 2011 Sauvignon Blanc with a 2012 release that also has its predecessor's 10% alcohol content, compared with 11.5 to 12 per cent for earlier vintages.

"It's a response to talking with our cellar-door visitors and those we meet at wine fairs and other events," says Lillypilly winemaker, Robert Fiumara. "They tell us about wanting lots of flavour, but at the same time slightly lower levels of alcohol, from both a health perspective and to better suit modern cuisine."

Robert's created a great drop with ample herbaceous and tropical-fruit flavours and a crisp palate; good value too at $15.50 to share with salads, seafoods or Asian dishes.

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

PINOT GRIGIO, OUR GREENER SHADES OF GREY

27 May 2013

SERVE well-chilled with mixed fried
seafoods, or a Thai beef salad.

David Ellis

THE French have been making pinot gris for yonks, with references to it going back as far as the 14^th century, while later it found its way to Italy where its grown and labelled as pinot grigio and is now one of the most popular white wine varieties imported into many regions in the USA.

And it's gaining growing fans here in Australia too, in the last decade or so locally-made versions moving from somewhere down in the "alternative white wine" category, to more worthy mainstream recognition – in particular those made in our cooler regions.

But there are some makers turning out marvellously credible pinot grigio in warmer areas too: in the Hunter Valley, for instance, David Hook Wines was somewhat of a pinot grigio pioneer in that region in the late 1980s, with David producing consistently excellent examples ever since from his family's one-time grazing property at Pokolbin.

POTENTIAL Hunter classic?
Think about this with peppered
scotch fillets under a creamy
mushroom sauce.

'Grigio' is Italian for grey and while many pinot grigio in their homeland have a grey shade about them, in Australia such is not always the case. David Hook's recently-released 2012, for instance, is a bright medium green with yellow and gold tinges, and is a wonderfully steely dry drop that's nicely balanced between fruitiness and acidity

At a great-value $18 and with forward tropical fruit flavours and a touch of spice, serve this David Hook Pinot Grigio well-chilled with mixed fried seafoods, or Thai beef salad.

ONE TO NOTE:  ANOTHER interesting drop from one of the Hunter's smaller makers is a 2011 LDR Shiraz from the family-run De Iuliis Wines, whose Chief Winemaker, Mike ("MickeyD") de luliis has crafted a drop that's great for enjoyment now, but will improve marvellously over the next five years – so think cellaring a few for the future.

Made from fruit grown on heavy clay soils, this wine's already showing all signs of being a Hunter classic – medium to full-bodied with a soft mouth feel of fine grained tannins, ripe plums and blackberries, and at $40 its one to give good thought to for a special occasion dinner with spicy peppered scotch fillets under a creamy mushroom sauce.  

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

                                                 

Ten quid champers comes up trumps

A bottle of Aldi bubbly which costs just £12.99 has beaten some of the world's most renowned champagnes in a blind taste test.

The cut-price supermarket drink was voted by experts as better than other bottles, some of which were ten times more expensive.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2328599/First-10-gin-Aldis-12-99-champagne-trumps-rivals-costing-times-taste-tests.html#ixzz2U3vK32N8

Robert Oatley’s impressive Signature Series win again

Media Release

The second vintages of Robert Oatley's impressive Signature Series wines continue to garner acclaim, both at home and abroad.

In news released this week, Decanter, Europe's most respected wine magazine has announced the 2013 World Wine Awards winners, where judges tasted a record-breaking 13,362 wines to award 156 trophies.

Robert Oatley Signature Shiraz 2011, from South Australia's McLaren Vale, collected the trophy for the top Australian Red Rhône Varietal under £15.

This impressive award adds to numerous golds and trophies garnered by the range of six regional-varietal wines over the past 18 months, including a top-gold for the Signature Riesling 2012, at the 2012 International Riesling Challenge, held in Canberra.

"What a terrific result" said Executive Chairman Sandy Oatley "...that speaks volumes for the quality of the wines being produced by Larry Cherubino and our team of growers and winemakers. No wonder we're enjoying enormous sales success as we present them around the world."

The Robert Oatley Signature Series comprises six wines, with an RRP of $24 and are available at fine wine stores and restaurants Australia-wide.

• 2012 Riesling, Great Southern
• 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Margaret River
• 2012 Chardonnay, Margaret River
• 2012 Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley
• 2011 Shiraz, McLaren Vale
• 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

www.robertoatley.com.au
www.wildoatswines.com.au
www.facebook.com/RobertOatleyVineyards
www.facebook.com/WildOatsWinesCrew
www.twitter.com/wildoatswines26

COMPANY’S GOT HISTORY ALL BOTTLED UP

CHEW over history with this and a
cold-weather's lamb, pork or veal casserole.

Wc20May13

David Ellis

RIDDOCH Coonawarra's a company one could easily write a fascinating book or three about, beginning with Scottish-born pioneer John Riddoch who rode the wool boom of the 1860s, and 30 years later planted Coonawarra's first wine grapes in 1891.

Along the way he and a brother amassed nearly 50,000ha of prime agricultural land, amongst other things establishing the Coonawarra Fruit Colony that included those first wine grapes; the region struggled from 1901, however, and the grapes used only for brandy and fortified wines until Samuel and David Wynn bought the winery and many Colony vineyards in 1951 and put Coonawarra back on the fine-wine map.

Today Riddoch Coonawarra is owned by the Pinnacle Liquor Group whose ambition is to see more wine lovers enjoy the wines of this unique region – and their recently-released 2010 Merlot is one that will most certainly help them do so.

HONOURING a tradition that makes it perfect
with barbecued meats, game or seafoods. 

Crafted by the Pinnacle winemaking team and consultants including Coonawarra legend Wayne Stehbens, this is a wine that's got beautifully intense mulberry and herbal fruits to the forefront, gently-layered spices and fine chocolate in there as well,  balanced tannins and fine acidity.

At $19.99 it's rewarding buying considering its quality, and a drop to enjoy with tomato-based Italian dishes, or traditional cold-weather lamb, pork or veal casseroles.

ONE TO NOTE: WHEN early-day European vignerons set fire to piles of winter-time prunings of their grape vines, they found that meats grilled over these fires took on a pleasantly unique and slightly sweet smoky flavour – and so they turned their "early barbecues" into an annual mid-winter festival they called Vinefire.

Today the Hunter Valley's  Hungerford Hill is honouring the old tradition with a VINEfire label, one of whose wines is a very more-ish 2012 Chardonnay that's refreshingly dry and with lovely honeydew and banana flavours. And at $18 it lives up to the vinefire tradition of being a perfect match with barbecued meats, game or seafood.

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

                                             

Sheraton Raises a Glass to Celebrate Global Roll-out of Premium Wine Program with 24 Hour 'Toast Around the World'

Media Release

Sheraton Social Hour Now featured at more than 400 Hotels around the World

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has announced the global roll-out of its signature wine program to 430 hotels around the world. From Asia to Europe to the Americas, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts was raising a glass and betting big on its premium wine program with a global celebration. Sheraton Social Hour was hosting a 24-hour “Toast Around the World” at Sheraton hotels and resorts across the globe including Edinburgh, Mexico City, Bali and Bangalore.

The festivities kicked off in Asia with celebrations at the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers and Sheraton Shanghai Pudong Hotel this month. A celebratory toast passed virtually, including Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort, Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Bangkok; Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway around the world until it reached The Sheraton New York Times Square and The Sheraton Waikiki for the conclusion of the day-long global celebration. Hotel guests and brand followers were invited to join in on the virtual celebration with the brand’s new dedicated Social Hour mobile platform, Sheraton.com/socialhour, where they could browse through hundreds of toasts shared around the world for the special occasion or create their own using #SheratonToast. Want to raise a glass? Consumers and guests were invited to join the conversation and celebration at #SheratonToast.

The Social Hour program, developed by today’s premier wine experts and the brand’s global food and beverage team, offers guests a specially curated menu of premium wines and weekly tasting events.

“Following tremendous early success, we’re proud to offer our guests at all Sheraton Hotels a specially curated menu of premium wines and in Asia Pacific, the program will feature Wines of the World, a wine menu that is highly rated,” said Vincent Ong, Asia Pacific Senior Brand Director, Sheraton, Westin, Aloft, Four Points by Sheraton and Element. “As the World’s Gathering Place we are continuously looking for ways to elevate our guest experiences with new social interactions and believe Social Hour to be a great program for both business and leisure guests.”

Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers - Social Hour

Sheraton Hong Kong will host evening Social Hour tasting events three times a week featuring three pours of 50ml of premium wines from the “Wines of the World” menu at HK$105 (service charge applies) – available at Lobby Lounge on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:00 – 8:00pm. Each glass is served in Stolzle stemware to ensure that each varietal is presented in the perfect stemware that artfully enhances the wine’s flavour and aroma.

White Wines Ÿ 3 X 50 ml pours for HK$105 (Changes regularly)

Chardonnay, Pirque, Concha y Toro, Chile

Notions of popcorn, toast, spiced apple, melon, and jasmine lead to a medium-bodied, ripe plush Chardonnay with savory flavors, lively acidity, and excellent length.

Rueda DO, Verdejo, Marqués de Riscal, Spain

A bright, straw-yellow coloured wine. As you expect from a verdejo wine, on the nose it has high aromatic intensity, with tropical fruit and hints of fennel and fresh grass. In the mouth it is both syrupy smooth and refreshing, with a slightly bitter finish which is typical of the variety making it long and pleasant to drink. Overall it is a fresh, well-balanced wine.

Sauvignon Blanc Sémillon, Cape Mentelle, Australia

Pale straw with lime green hues. Punchy lifted aromatics of lemon blossom, blackcurrant and papaya with subtle hints of fresh thyme and cordite. Medium to full flavoured with a fine texture. Limes, apples, lychee and honeydew melon characterise the fruit flavours which are framed by juicy acidity, providing great length of flavour.

Red Wines Ÿ 3 X 50 ml pours for HK$105 (Changes regularly)

Cabernet Sauvignon, Réserve Spéciale, Gérard Bertrand, France

Fleshy in texture, full bodied, and intensely flavored (black currant, blueberry, dark plum, toast, dark chocolate, spicy oak, vanilla), well balanced, and very long on the finish.

Merlot, Marqués de Casa Concha, Concha y Toro, Chile

Notes of cherries, plums, licorice, dark chocolate, cassis and lingering smoked black-tar on the finish. Already some complexity beginning to develop out of its firm, quiet and supple core.

Shiraz Cabernet, Private Release, Penfolds, Australia

Medium bodied. Lovely fresh flavours of plum and blackcurrants balanced with a gentle touch of toasted oak and subtle soft tannins.

For more information on Sheraton Hong Kong Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.sheraton.com/hongkong