by Maree on February 1, 2011
Giesen is a name associated with taking New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to the world, mostly Australia but a recognised brand in the wine world. The Giesen brothers arrived in New Zealand in the early 1980 `s and began their grape growing and wine making journey in what was a relatively small industry in New Zealand at the time. Since then New Zealand and particularly Marlborough has become renowned for the single varietal Sauvignon Blanc.
It was a great pleasure to meet Theo Giesen and taste not only the most recognised of their wines the Giesen Sauvignon Blanc. The Giesen vineyards are spread over a wide range of soil types and conditions. Each site brings its own vineyard character and flavours, contributing to the crisp full flavoured spectrum of flavours associated with Marlborough sauvignon. They do produce other varieties but this is the main focus.
Family owned, Giesen is also producing the August (named after family member) is a different take on the variety. Barrel fermented this is a complex, textural wine and shows what can be done with this variety, a great wine worth trying if you are looking for more depth in your Sauvignon.
Theo still retains his passion for all things wine and took the time to share his story .
by Maree on October 15, 2010
Fiano is a white grape variety from Campania in Southern Italy where it has been enjoyed dating back to Roman Times. A small number of Australian producers have been growing the variety for some years and we are now seeing more of the Australian Wine - Italian Vine available in retail.
Fiano has become increasingly popular with Australian drinkers, and growers here in certain regions have found the late ripening variety well suited to the climate. Vermentino also fits into this category
Likened to a cross between Semillon and Viognier the texture, rich flavours and complexity of Fiano make a perfect accompaniment to food from light seafood dishes and pasta to richer meat and poultry.
Some of the producers in Australia are:-
- Coriole -McLaren Vale
- Witches Falls - Granite Belt
- Banrock Station - Riverland
The flavour profile for this aromatic variety is described as nutty, herbal , with spicy notes. To appreciate the full flavours of Fiano it is best not to drink it too cold.
by Maree on September 19, 2010
Kevin McKay - Vigneron/Winemaker for Forester Estate Western Australia enjoys the good life. With one eye on the surf and one eye on the vineyard Kevin has been able to combine his passions and create an enviable lifestyle.
The awards and achievements of Forester Estate Wines are a testament to the commitment of this Estate to consistently produce wines that reflect the premium fruit grown in the Northern Margaret River Wine Region.
The Classic Range consists of a Classic White which is an easy drinking style of wine which is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Chardonnay for a bit of extra body weight. A good match with a smoked salmon gnocchi or a chicken and roast vegetable cous cous. Good value for money at around $17.00 retail. The Classic Red is that classic blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Some nice toasty oak finish adds complexity to this wine - great with pizza.
There are lots of wines from Forester Estate and many of them feature quite a bit of bling in the form of medals, so keep an eye out for them. Kevin`s quest is to produce benchmark Margaret River Wines and here he is to tell us all about them:-
by Maree on August 20, 2010
Travis Bush Senior winemaker for Sticks wines in the Yarra Valley talks here about his range of wines.
Stylistically the wines are fruit driven and show true varietal characters and where oak is used it is more complimentary than the driving force. Varieties include Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Cabernet.
A new addition to the Sticks range is a Dessert Wine a Botrytis Semillon which shows all the marmalade characters of botrytis but has a good acid structure that stops the wine from being too sweet and cloying.
No29 Cabernet Sauvignon is only produced in exceptional years when the fruit reaches the quality level required, one of those vintages was 2006 and Travis is expecting to produce this wine from the 2010 vintage. For those reasons there is not too much of it about so when you see it in retail take the opportunity to buy one to try and a couple to cellar for a few more years. Approachable now the full dark berry flavours, spicy fruit characters and fine grained velvety tannins will also reward your patience.
Travis also clears up some common questions regarding the differences between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris which is a variety that to a lot of people is still an unknown. Sticks Pinot Grigio is about the fruit -made similarly to Sauvignon Blanc in stainless steel texture is developed through lees contact.
Pinot Gris is made in a similar way to a lot of chardonnay with oak fermentation (sometimes partial) which gives it a rounder mouth feel. Now over to Travis for a more in depth look at his range of wines:-
by Maree on August 2, 2010
Keith Tulloch from the Hunter Valley New South Wales had so much interesting information to share with us that it is coming to you in three clips. This clip Keith talks about the world of a wine judge. Keith is the chair of the Boutique Wine Show in Australia and also judges wines at international shows so has great insights into the world of wine.
by Maree on July 24, 2010
The Hunter Valley in New South Wales is one of the oldest wine producing regions in Australia. Keith Tulloch as a fourth generation Hunter Valley wine maker has been producing traditional Hunter Valley varieties under his own boutique label since 1997. This small scale operation prides itself on producing wines with individuality, style, balance and the structure that gives his wines the ability to drink well now and also have the potential for cellaring.
Check out this initial video as Keith has a wealth of knowledge which he was willing to share with us. There will be more from Keith on his role as wine judge & consultant, plus a final clip on his perception of the industry now and into the future.
by Maree on July 23, 2010
Travis Bush senior winemaker for sticks yarra valley wines has a passion for producing fresh, fruit driven cool climate wines that show depth and regional characters. With a broad range of fruit styles available for use from the upper Yarra to the valley floor Travis has some great material to work with. The very best wines of each vintage appear via the No 29 Range and this includes a pinot noir, cab shiraz, chardonnay and a cabernet sauvignon which is only produced in exceptional vintages . In this first interview Travis talks about his journey as a winemaker:-
More from Travis soon where he talks us through his range of wines
by Maree on July 16, 2010
Orange Region situated in the Central Ranges of New South Wales Australia is an emerging award winning wine region Planted with grape vines 20- 25 years ago the district is producing some distinctive cool climate wines and gaining recognition for the chardonnay and shiraz coming from this district.
The aptly named Rolling, Climbing and Cumulus Range with their quirky, whimsical labels give an immediate insight of the terrain from which they originate. The elevations in the area provide a perfect environment for many varieties. At the higher elevations the aromatic whites have found their niche and the reds at a lower elevation.
The Cumulus Chardonnay 2009 has a delicate creaminess from partial malolactic fermentation which supports good acidity around a ball of lemon & grapefruit flavours. The Cumulus Range also has a spicy black fruit shiraz with a warm lingering finish. The Cumulus wines are low volume hand crafted and retail around $30.00 . Senior wine maker Debbie Lauritz talks about the region and her wines.
by Maree on June 12, 2010
Champag
ne and water are the only two beverages champagne guru and educator Bernadette O`Shea drinks…..
Bernadette was on hand at the Noosa Food and Wine Festival, where she took two master classes through a range of champagnes and their compatability to food, her passion and knowledge an inspiration to her classes. Congratulations to Bernadette on having her beautiful book Champagne & Chandeliers which is about Grand Dining Celebrations, included as one of the six finalists of the Best Book Category in the 2010 Le Cordon Bleu media awards. This is a great result for the book which has been a labour of love for Bernadette and her impeccable attention to detail has been well rewarded. It is always a pleasure to chat to Bernadette and managed to capture her on video this time, so with joyous bubbly abundance I will let Bernadette tell her own story.
Anvers Confectionery started out as a cottage industry by Igor Van Gerwen and is now a flourishing business. Entering the retail shop one is greeted by an abundance of temptations from hand made chocolate truffles, chocolate delights, fudge and moulded pralines. 
Igor took the time to talk to me about his passion for chocolate and his long association with confectionery, icecream, pastry and his training in Belgium at a patisserie. As part of his culinary skills Igor learnt the art of handling chocolate from Roger Geerts - world renowned confectioner and master craftsman. On his arrival in Tasmania Igor worked for a bakery for many years before turning his attention back to confectionery. His dream and vision fulfilled with the opening of “House of Anvers” whose home is a stylish “Californian Bungalow” set on 1.12 hectares of beautiful old tree gardens and plants from all over the world which are all named thanks to the input from the Tasmanian Arboretum.
A small museum dedicated to the history of chocolate has been incorporated along with viewing areas to watch the chocolate process.
What I learnt from delightful chocolatier Igor is that Cocoa has a long and colourful history, the earliest evidence of cocoa bean is from the Forests of the Amazon four thousand years ago. The Mayan and Aztec cultures started to drink cocoa as a beverage about two thousand years ago. They worshipped the sacred tree and believed the pods were Gifts from the Gods hence the term “Food of the Gods” . The Mayan god Ykchaua was the Patron of Cocoa and no doubt a few sacrifices were made in his honour as well as being used in ceremonies and rituals the beans were also a form of currency.
The early Conquistador Cortez took the bean to Europe where it eventually spread through Spain, France and Italy where Napoleon being a man of the people took it from being a beverage for the elite to a drink for the people, still quite bitter and spicy. The science of chocolate is a very complicated one and there are many secrets to success.
It was not until 1828 when Dutchman Van Houten revolutionised the industry by inventing a hydraulic press that squeezed out the cocoa butter leaving the cocoa powder which was much more easily made into a palatable beverage. At this stage the cocoa butter was being discarded. It was Henry Nestle who on his quest to develop a formula suitable for babies developed condensed milk. The next step was taken mixing cocoa butter with condensed milk and milk chocolate was established.
After fermentation of the cocoa bean, it is dried, cleaned, roasted and the shell removed to produce the cocoa nibs which are then ground and this is pure chocolate in rough form.
It was Rodolphe Lindt chocolatier who helped unearth the secrets of chocolate by developing the conching method which transformed what was still a crumbly some what bitter product to a melt in the mouth world of pleasure. This saw a shift from being mostly a beverage to solid chocolate which in turn has become a favourite food type for many. The conching process of agitation promotes flavour development and the more the product is conched the finer the particles become, 35 microns being used for block chocolate and 18 microns for extra fine melt in the mouth chocolate.
Central and South America, West Africa and parts of Asia are now the areas producing the most Cocoa beans, and like a fine wine the basis of the the beans individual character is shaped by it origin”terroir”. Different cocoa has different characteristics and the roasting and acidity levels define the chocolate. Trinitano is a hybrid from Trinidad and has the characteristics that suit the team at Anvers. The dark chocolate has a cocao content of 64% and the milk 38% and is conched to a very fine stage. Add to this the Tasmanian cream, pure butter, exquisite natural flavours and you have a premium product.
The popularity of premium dark chocolate with high cocoa content has increased but as with wine there is a chocolate for every occasion and taste preference. Igor as a master artisan is continually creating flavours and fillings for specific matches for chefs for their menus.. Anvers situated at Latrobe on the highway between Launceston and Devonport is a chocolate taste sensation so food lovers drop in for an enjoyable experience as there is lots on offer here and a liquor license now allows people to also enjoy a delightful Tassie wine or beer either inside or out in a beautiful garden setting. At present you may prefer to be inside by the fire!!!!
Tasting Chocolate
Become a chocolate connoisseur. When tasting chocolate use all 5 senses.
Seeing - Look at the chocolate check the colour, consistency and silky sheen
Touch - Feel the surface of the chocolate - you want smooth, sleek and firm
Hearing - Listen for the snap which tells a firm compact structure, look for the edge of break to be smooth
Smell - Breathe deeply for full range of aromas you may get caramel, vanilla, cocoa and others
Taste - Melt in the mouth slowly check for harmonious blend of sweet and bitter, you may get dried fruits, and liquorice.
Whatever else you may taste there is bound to be an array of flavours and that bit of magic that makes chocolate so special to so many of us.
What do you love about chocolate?
by Maree on April 18, 2010
Producing award winning wines has certainly helped Clairault to become recognised as a top Margaret R
iver producer. There is nothing like an award to help push sales along and the 2005 Clairault Estate Cabernet was a deserving winner of the best Aussie Cabernet at the 2009 London International Wine Show. This is a classy expression of Margaret River Cabernet.
Environmentally responsible vineyard management and sustainable farming practice are going a long way in improving quality of fruit and achieving optimum flavours. Paul Easden from Clairault talks to us about the Clairault range of wines including that Margaret River favourite blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. What to expect from Western Australia 2010 vintage and also his present favourite food and wine combination.
by Maree on March 28, 2010
The Mount Langi Ghiran vineyard is nestled at the Southern end of the Great Dividing Range in the Grampians district of Victoria. Producing a little of this and a little of that of other varieties Mount Langi is renowned for their shiraz.
The cooler climate allows plenty of time for the shiraz vines to ripen and develop their spicy flavours which show the true characteristics and complexity of the Mount Langi signature shiraz. Old vines make the best wines is a refrain we often hear and the estate grown Langi shiraz is a testament to this
Winemaker Dan Buckle talks to us about his wines, what inspired him to become a wine maker and all the current news from Mount Langi Ghiran.
by Maree on February 11, 2010
Pinot Noir New Zealand is an International Wine Event that attracts pinot lovers from all over the world. This four day wine, food and entertainment extravaganza is held every three years - definitely one for the pinot lovers calendar.
Talk to someone about New Zealand wine and their first two words are likely to be either “Sauvignon Blanc” or possibly “Great Savvy”. While Sauvignon Blanc may have put New Zealand on the global wine map, Pinot Noir is following close behind, and is certainly the focus of many wineries all around the country.
The focus and passion which New Zealand winegrowers have for the heartbreak grape was clearly demonstrated at the Pinot Noir 2010 event in Wellington last week, the fourth such event, held 3-yearly since 2001. As well as over 100 NZ winegrowers, each showing a number of Pinots in their range, or from various vintages, there were presentations, panel discussions and formal blind tastings to explore topics of regionality, ageability, and, of special interest for us at Seresin Estate, the impact of organics and biodynamics. 
Imagine the sight and smell walking into a conference room full of tables, set for 400 tasters, each setting with more than a dozen beautiful glasses glowing red with Pinot Noir.
Attendees included growers, wineries, buyers, sommeliers and media from countries such as Australia, UK, USA, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong among others. While the event included some technical aspects of growing, making and marketing Pinot Noir the focus was on assessing, glass-by-glass, New Zealand’s progression and potential as a serious Pinot producer. Outside of the formal sessions, there were plenty of opportunities to catch up with old friends, and spark up new friendships too - though even if it took a ‘cleansing ale’ or two, conversation outside the conference often veered back to Pinot Noir.
I personally don’t think New Zealand has reached it’s full potential in terms of producing great Sauvignon Blanc - there are plenty of wineries still pushing the boundaries and exploring sites and viticultural and winemaking approaches to produce interesting, complex and individual expressions of the grape. However, I do believe that if New Zealand winegrowers continue to strive for excellence in Pinot Noir, then while Sauvignon Blanc may have been what we became known for, Pinot Noir may be what we are remembered for.
A not-to-miss event for the Pinot lover. I am sure details of the 2013 event won’t be far away.
MJ Loza - General Manager
Thanks MJ
Look out for ” New Zealand in a Glass “. This tour hits major Australian cities in late February. Take advantage of the opportunity to go along meet the wine makers, taste more New Zealand wines than you have seen in one area before. One hundred top producers from Boutique wineries to large companies will be strutting their stuff. So not only taste the best of New Zealand sauvignon blanc and pinot noir check out the many other varieties that will be on show .
by Maree on November 30, 2009
The sheer volume of choices confronting us when go looking for wine can be a bit daunting. A number of producers are taking this on board and the adventurous ones are distinguishing themselves from others with quirky stand out labels appealing to a whole new generation of wine drinkers. This is a new era for labels and we are seeing more of them from producers like First Drop , Chris Ringland and others. Retro comic strips have been the inspiration for Wines by Brad and certainly stand out in a crowd and comic strip hero Brad (always has the answer) has been a trendsetter in this area bringing a new story each vintage since 2003. Still it comes down to the booze in the bottle and the 2009 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc is a cracker.
The fruit comes out of southern Margaret River vineyards. 2009 was an exceptional vintage for whites
and shows all of the tropical, citrus and herbal elements found variously in these varieties throughout the region. A great match with summer salads and seafood.
The trio consists of the Semillon Sauvignon Blanc a Cabernet Merlot Blend and a food friendly dry style Rosé made from Cabernet
Who better to tell us about the range than the guy who makes all the decisions Brad Wehr
There will be more from Brad on Margaret River wines, mentors, favourite food and wine combinations and more so stay tuned.
