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.

MARGARET RIVER BLEND REALLY REWARDS

REWARDING blend with penne
pasta and a meaty tomato sauce.

Wc12Aug13

David Ellis

FORESTER Estate in Western Australia's Margaret River has released a very delightful 2011 Cabernet Merlot that's 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and with a 6% splash of Malbec and slightly lower 5% Petit Verdot.

Fruit was sourced from several neighbouring properties in the Yallingup sub-region in the most northerly part of Margaret River, and crushed in small open fermenters to mature for eighteen months in French oak barriques.

The result is a rewardingly full-flavoured wine with identifiable blackberry, mulberry and blackcurrant fruit, hints of cocoa and a long dark-chocolaty finish. A lovely drop now, it's also showing all the potential to develop even further over the next five years.

Pay $23.99 and match it with penne pasta and a meaty tomato sauce.

LOVE it: Margan's 2013 Shiraz
Saignee Rosé chilled with Indian cuisine.

ONE TO NOTE: WE confess to a particular love: Indian cuisine matched with a chilled Rosé from Andrew Margan in the NSW Hunter Valley. 

His latest release, the 2013 Margan Shiraz Saignee Rosé is a grand drop to take along to your favourite Indian eatery, with aromas of fresh strawberries and candyfloss bouncing forth as it pours into the glass, and beautiful candied red fruit flavours and a soft dry finish on the palate. Great value at $18 for that next Indian nosh-up. 

ANOTHER ONE TO NOTE: AN enjoyable and nicely priced white is a 2012 Margaret River Barking Tree Sauvignon Blanc Semillon that's recently been released through the Local Liquor Stores of Independent Liquor Retailers.

With nice full-on tropical fruit and zesty lemon flavours and a fresh crisp acidity, at $14.99 this is a rewarding drop to enjoy with fish and salads, or if you like a bit of fire, with Thai chilli prawns. Local Liquor Stores have over 250 members mainly across Eastern Australia; to find a store hop onto  www.localliquor.com.au/storefinder

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

                                                   

SEARCH this one out to go with fish
and salads of Thai chilli prawns. 

Treasure in the attic at Berowra Waters Inn

2/6 Tourist Luncheon from 1938

When Brian Geraghty, head chef and owner of Berowra Waters Inn, climbed into the attic a few weeks ago, he wasn’t expecting to find much more than a few boxes of junk and some ancient cobwebs. To his great surprise, he discovered an old menu for a ‘Special Tourist Luncheon’ dating back 75 years and priced at just two shillings and sixpence (around $5 and barely the price of a cup of coffee in today’s money).

Brian Geraghty

Inspired by his find, Irish-born Geraghty decided to create a contemporary menu reinterpreting the dishes from 1938. The hero ingredients from the historic menu – fresh oysters and market fish – will be prepared in Geraghty’s signature modern Australian style and offered as part of a new menu of smaller, lighter dishes.

Available in time for Mother’s Day and until the Queen’s birthday long weekend in June, the menu will feature canapés, four courses and a pre-dessert for $120. A selection of wines chosen by Berowra Waters Inn’s sommelier to complement the menu will be available for $50. On Mother’s Day diners will be offered a complimentary glass of prosecco.

“I went up to the attic for a bit of a clear out. I was amazed to find the old menu up there, it was like finding a piece of our history,” says Geraghty. “The dishes used some beautiful fresh seafood and other produce but the cooking techniques that were popular in the 1930s, like frying and broiling, seem heavy and old-fashioned now, particularly for seafood. I want to take those ingredients and bring out their flavours and textures with lighter, more modern techniques,” he says.

Geraghty says the heritage of Berowra Waters Inn is unique: “This menu is just one example of what makes Berowra Waters Inn so special. We’re known for offering amazing food in our stunning location on the Hawkesbury River, but I can’t think of any other restaurant that can compete with our history. I find that very inspiring. With this menu we’re going to build on the quality for which Berowra Waters Inn has always been known, and refresh it to create a unique menu that will be perfect for celebrating Mother’s Day or any other special occasion between now and June.”

Berowa Waters Inn - sublime wine and food experience

Set in bush land on the beautiful Hawkesbury River and accessed only by seaplane, boat or a short trip on a private ferry, iconic dining destination Berowra Waters Inn has recently been transformed to offer a food experience like no other.

Under the guidance of new chef and owner Brian Geraghty and his highly skilled team, guests are treated to an exceptional food experience with a 4 or 7 course degustation menu designed for diners to leisurely graze their way through a story of flavours, taking time to enjoy both the food and the ever changing scenery of the river.



Wines can be expertly matched by BWI’s own Sommelier to compliment each course of the degustation menu or selected from the extensive list of Australian and International labels on offer.

Geraghty who started his career in the kitchen at the age of 14, brings a wealth of experience to Berowra Waters Inn having worked alongside some of the most influential names in modern cuisine including Sean Conolly at Astral Restaurant, Shane Osborn at two Michelin star Pied a Terre in London, and Peter Gilmore at Quay.

“It’s definitely going to be a great adventure, there’s nothing quite like this place. For the degustation we are using both traditional and modern techniques with the wonderful produce on offer here” comments Brian.

Berowra Waters Inn was designed by awards wining and highly acclaimed architect Glenn Murcutt with a distinctively Australian style that fits perfectly with the landscape and creates an oasis of calm and tranquility.

Combining stunning cuisine, and exceptional wine collection in an unrivalled location, Berowra Waters Inn is guaranteed to be a place where your experience become life-long memories.

www.berowrawatersinn.com

Two weeks till Taste Orange comes to town

The countdown has begun until Taste Orange is set to paint the town orange with their highly anticipated 2013 event Taste Orange @ Sydney. Sydneysiders are gearing up with only two weeks to go till the iconic Orange and District region brings their country hospitality and finest wares to Martin Place on Wednesday 21^st August and Thursday 22^nd August.

  

For these two not-to-be missed dates, Martin Place will transform into a regional showcase of some of Australia's finest food and wine, cultivated from the cool climate and high altitude that the scenic Orange region boasts. But that's not all; join us in demonstrations and a discussion with some of the region's winemakers, food producers, businesses and industry leaders to hear all about their innovative approaches to their craft as well as their love and pride for the region.

Taste Orange @ Sydney features both day and night festivities, offering you the unique opportunity to take a trip to Orange in your lunchbreak between 11:30am-2:30pm with FREE entry, wine and food tastings, giveaways, cooking demonstrations plus live music & entertainment. And for the first time in 2013, Taste Orange @ Sydney will also offer you the chance to pop up after dark at the Pop Up Wine Bar from 5pm-8pm.

With the 24 of the Orange and District region's finest wineries, Taste Orange @ Sydney is a wine lover's delight with wines from Angullong, Bantry Grove, Belgravia, Borrodell Vineyard, Brangayne, Cargo Road, Carillion, Charles Sturt University, Cumulus, De Salis, Faisan Estate, Heifer Station, Highland Heritage Estate, Logan, Monument Vineyard, Mortimers, Orange Mountain, Patina, Philip Shaw, Printhie, Ross Hill, Sassy and Stockman's Ridge plus Small Acres Cyder! In addition to the terrific range of the regions wines available for tasting, at the Pop Up Wine Bar you'll be able to purchase a glass or two ($7 a glass), or even stock up your cellar by purchasing some wine direct from the makers for takeaway consumption.

But wait there's more... you'll also indulge in the scrumptious produce that the region is known for, so prepare your taste buds for a surprise with delicious offerings from the Orange Region Farmers Market as well as 2011 Masterchef Winner (and current Orange resident!) Kate Bracks as she shares all her culinary secrets in a cooking demonstration.

So whether you're longing to escape the office for an hour or two, an aspiring sommelier, chef or musician or just after mid-week catch up drinks with friends in a very cool Sydney-style fashion, Taste Orange @ Sydney has it all.

Click here to get a feel for what Taste Orange @ Sydney is all about... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haI6NlVWJq8

Follow us on Facebook | facebook.com/TasteOrange

TAMING OUR BIG AND JAMMY DURIFS

Wc05Aug13

REFINED from days "when you needed
a knife and fork to drink it."

David Ellis

BACK in the 1980s Colin and Malcolm Campbell of Campbells Rutherglen Wines decided to move their Durif away from the big, jammy, full-bodied and loads of tannin of Australian Durifs, and to give them a more refined structure and balance.

"Durifs in those days were so big, some used to joke that you really needed a knife and fork to drink them," Colin says now. "We wanted a more refined expression of the grape, and so started in the vineyard in the late 1980s… Malcolm encouraging the fruit to grow more slowly, and to fully ripen before picking for greater refinement."

Then in the winery Colin further "tamed" that resultant fruit by building layers of complexity and length, something he calls "thorough breeding," and following this with slow extended barrel maturation using a mix of 3 year old French and American oak.

The first "new look" Campbell Durif was labelled The Barkly and released from the 1992 vintage; now the 2010 vintage has just been released, the 15^th The Barkly label (allowing for three vintages in which Colin and Malcolm felt fruit wasn't up to The Barkly quality.) This one's all about abundant and powerful dark cherry and blackberry fruit flavours, with added earthy and ironstone characters, and good oak.

GREAT Chardonnay from cool-climate
600 metre high NSW vineyards.

At $54 its one to truly savour with a baked loin of venison, or slow cooked lamb or beef.

ONE TO NOTE: PETER Logan can be justifiably proud of the 2012 Chardonnay he's released under his Logan label, and which he believes is "the most complete Chardonnay we've made in years… a wine with a long fresh palate, delicate texture and a mix of savoury and fruit flavours."

The Orange region of NSW's Central West where this one hails from is gaining a well-deserved reputation for Chardonnays generally, the cool climate in the 600 metre high ranges here really suiting the variety, and this Logan is a beautifully rewarding example.

At $25 it goes wonderfully with a Sunday chicken roast, or try it with crab cakes.

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

                                                    

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.