Stepping into the venerable cellars at the Henschke winery in Keyneton is a real trip into the past. The marks of generations of Henschkes having been hewn into the stony structures since the mid-nineteenth century.
In the winery are rows of open concrete fermenters still in use after numerous vintages, and the visitor may picture how winemakers in earlier days used gravity rather than motorised pumps to process young wines.
Henschke Winery - old concrete vats
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Seppelt Family Mausoleum
The drive to Seppeltsfield is memorable – avenues of numerous stately date palms and on a hill the brooding Seppelt family mausoleum. As you arrive you are confronted by a complex of aged stone buildings that seem to have “just growed†since the winery’s beginnings in the mid-1800s.
In the old cellars the visitor is shown rows of casks still containing tawny port styles from 130 vintages. In the tasting room, ancient and modern fortifieds, brandies and table wines are there for an indulgent sip or two. Continue reading
Goulash, Transylvania, Barry Humphries
As I read the final pages of Barry Humphries’ Handling Edna, I recalled a brief meeting with him in, I think, 1971.
Back then, pub rock in Melbourne centred on Saturday afternoon live sessions at the Station Hotel* in Greville Street, Prahran. All the young dudes and dudettes dressed in a variety of op-shop rock-chic, Miller western shirts (lurex thread, pearl topped press studs), Lee jeans (brass button flies thank you) and tan, Cuban-heeled RM Williams boots, as they thronged to hear the bands and to see and be seen.
The person to see one afternoon was an older, solitary figure observing the goings on. It was Barry Humphries, already a legend in his home town of Melbourne. If my memory serves me correctly he was wearing a fetching blue yachting cap. Continue reading
Moondah Brook Verdelho 2009 – up to $18 – **
Gingin, Swan Valley and Pemberton, Western Australia. Pale straw. Bright aromas of tropical fruit salad. Medium weighted juicy palate continues with young pineapple and paw paw along with soft acidity.
Mount Langhi Ghiran Cliff Edge Riesling 2009 – up to $25 – **
Western Victoria. Pale with light green edge. Lemon zesty nose. Fresh lime, Granny Smith apples and dried pear on the palate lead to a slightly off-dry finish. Continue reading
Alice Springs is situated right in the heart of Australia but when I lived in the Alice thirty years ago it was hardly the centre of Australian haute cuisine. Gerry White, head of hospitality at the local college, was determined to change that. He asked me to run wine courses for the students and at the same time he created a ‘Wine and Dine Group’ for local residents.
An inaugural dinner (modestly priced) took place in the college restaurant on 11 November 1981. Gerry and I concocted the tightly budgeted menu and wine list below. Student chefs and waiters were in charge of the kitchen and service. Note the French influence in the menu items. Note also that the terms “sherry, white burgundy, claret, port” are now no longer legal on Australian wine labels. Continue reading
Corks are not made the way they should be. Shortcuts result in bad quality and cork taint. The industry should go back to the original recipe, given here in its simplified version:
Continue reading
By Annie Field
We started this morning with a vague plan, to try some wine and enjoy ourselves. Not being at all familiar with the local viticultural regions we took a punt and picked a route around Sonoma, Glen Ellen, Napa and Petaluma (our base). This plan was rapidly turfed when we started battling Labor Day Holiday traffic both on and off (tasting tables!) the road.
Our first stop was Domaine Carneros in Napa. Owned by the Taittinger Champagne House, it is certified organic and just a little bit fancy! We tried four of their wines for an affordable $25 (a person! Ouch!). The stand out was Le Reve Blanc de Blanc: light golden in colour, lemons and apples on the nose and peaches and shortbread on the palate. The finish was smooth and dry. Continue reading
The other night a friend brought two older Yarra Yering whites to a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner. Both corks were in perfect condition with no ullage. (He bought them new and they’ve been cellared in an airconditioned, humidified cellar).
The first we tried was the Yarra Yering 1997 Chardonnay – well past its peak. Gold hues, appley, slightly oxidised nose. Soft on the palate, faint fino flavours along with dried pear. Lacked acid balance.
Next was the Yarra Yering 1998 Dry White No. 1. – a semillon and sauvignon blanc blend. Almost water pale in colour. Lifted nose of dried grasses, with a hint of lemon zest. Light, elegant, steely dry palate. Beautifully structured, fruit starting to develop secondary vinous characters. Lip-smacking finish of almost perfect acid balance. If I had tasted it blind my first guess would have been “Fine French dry style.” Curious to drink one of the best whites I’ve had in a year with such a simple meal.
Penfolds Kalimna
After years of writing about wine I recently visited the Barossa and Clare Valleys for the first time.
Just three days in the Barossa and one in Clare was far too short a time to do the area justice but we popped around the vineyards in a disorganised fashion and tasted a fair number of fine wines.
As I discovered, the Barossa is a series of small towns spread out over mostly flat plains, the populated areas separated by numerous historic (and new) wineries and gnarled vineyards. Continue reading
Sad to report that David Slingsby-Smith passed away on 17 August 2010. “Slingers†was a long-time De Bortoli winemaker and all-round good guy.