I love people who jump in and then find out how cold the water is, people who listen to that obscure concept album from an unknown Swedish black metal act before judging it. And I really love people who put their faith in a wine tasting where there is very little Shiraz and no Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Riesling within cooee!
In Europe this would have been a wine tasting, here in Adelaide it was a showcase of the less known! And as the many people who rocked into the National Wine Centre on Saturday came with eager faces it was clear that people are ready or at the least interested in something new. With help from some friends at Lino Ramble, 919 Wines, Chalk Hill, Coriole and Geoff Hardy we drew up a set list that included Dolcetto, Teroledgo, Petit Manseng, GSM’s and Rousanne Marsanne Viognier amongst others. For good measure the guys at Chalk hill (in between trying to stitch up Andy from Lino with a very very peppery - literally - glass of wine!) were kind enough
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Read morePerhaps little known at the minute around the mass Australian wine market but Fiano is becoming a firm favourite around friends and family at my house. Coriole’s 2013 vintage is helping the cause to no end with a wine that is a balance of fresh crisp citrus, stone fruit and textural body weight. The result is the perfect wine for a Sunday afternoon of Italian gluttony as you reach for another helping of the Shellfish and saffron risotto that you don’t need but can’t resist. More complex and interesting than many other whites around but with enough zest and life to appeal to the scenesters, who just want to sit, sip and be seen! Add Fiano to the list of things Naples has given us, a list that includes the humble Pizza and the beginning of the downfall of soccer great Maradonna!
Read moreThe north of Italy is rich in earthy medium bodied wine varietals and if I had my way I’d spend my retirement in the Langhe region of Piedmont bathing Nebiollo and Barbera and doing nothing much but tending my small olive grove…….Wait, this is meant to be about Coriole’s 2013 Barbera not my dreams, however the two are entwined as by about the second glass I found I had stopped listening to the dinner conversation and had drifted off to the aforementioned daydream to the point where I nearly rested my feet up on the table and took a nap. First whiffs of sour cherry and spice are complimented by an earthiness that’s hidden by the vibrant colour and nose of the wine, by the second and third glass the wine had opened and the balance between the sour vibrant cherry and the savoury earthy notes had taken the wine to a beautiful balance and a very enjoyable night that had me reaching for another bottle for the table.
Read more*Read this humming to the tunes of Dino Paul Crocetti……Maybe it’s Coriole’s love and pioneering of Italian Varietals, maybe it’s the idea of sitting under the vines outside the homestead overlooking the vale on a summers day or maybe it’s just a romanticised wine lover who can’t help but entwine his wine memories to a sound track. But I think of Coriole and I think of sipping a big glass of Nebiollo or Barbera whilst sitting in my deck chair eating olives and cured meat listening to the crooners and reminiscing about the old days. Est in 1967 and working off vines planted around 1919 the Lloyd family began Coriole vineyards and to this day is still in the hand of the Lloyd family. Always keeping up with the times, Coriole’s first release was a 1970 Claret before moving into unchartered territory in the mid 80’s by planting the Italian varietal Sangiovese. The Lloyds
