events

We launched the 2016 Official Royal Adelaide Wine Show Dozen on the 29th October 2016 at the National Wine Centre. This year's Wine Show Dozens are the best we have curated to date - every single wine, at a minimum, scored a Gold Medal with a few picking up Trophies as well. Thanks to those that shared a glass and had a chat with us - it was great putting some faces to names!. Here's the wrap.

You might not know it, but The Royal Adelaide Wine Show Dozen is actually steeped in history dating back to the very early years of The South Australian Agricultural Society’s first Produce and Livestock shows which began in 1840. It would be five years before South Australian wine was exhibited for the first time in the 1845 Show, though there didn’t seem to be much competition with only two classes and two exhibits. Pretty good odds that year, eh old chap? However, by 1871 there were in excess of 320 entries for the wine classes at the Royal Adelaide Show, necessitating a completely separate Wine Show to be created. Fast forward 144 years and that number has increased more than seven times with last year’s 2,771 entries evaluated from 377 Australian wineries. That’s an awful lot of sniffing, swilling and spitting... So how are the wines judged? Wine entries are broken into separate classes and assessed over four, gruelling days. The poor,

Ahh Phil, off on another sales trip interstate, so the rest of the team thought we might open up a 20yo Yarra Yering courtesy of Mark Bracken’s cellar (thanks Markie). We thought maybe we’d taunt Phil a bit, while he was on the road, enjoying chicken dinners and polyester bedspreads. So we sent him off this photo of us drinking a spot of Yarra Yering and munching of a few lovely cheeses (thanks Ali). The wine looked good, if a bit tired, still great acidity and pleasing sweetness of fruit. It had lost a bit of its high strung fruit and settled into its dotage though. Still bloody good for an Aussie Pinot well past being old enough to drink itself without having to show ID. Anyways. We told Phil it was the best Pinot we’d seen in years, and sent him this photo. Ahh, Fridays in the office, can’t beat em! [caption id="attachment_1314" align="aligncenter" width="452"]

I was lucky enough these last few days to help with judging the Adelaide Review Hot 100. She is somewhat different to traditional wine shows in promoting emotional tasting and embracing those wines stimulating greatest pleasure at the time they traverse tonsils. The wine doesn't have to be clinically perfect, or made using only techniques from the 'canon'. There's no reward for a wine that might be an absolute belter in 5 years time, unless said wine offers the same pleasant thrashing in here and now. Fair call, given much of wine is necessarily cast loose quickly by companies for cash flow and then considered or chugged within 24 hours of disgorging our coin. Its a theory which works counterpoint to the big companies medals/massive/mawkish/maudlin/mediAOchre/munted marketing missive yet speaks directly to the punters that ultimately enjoy their fruits. K'n awesome. It also offers a very considered reworking of the traditional notion of terroir ... suggesting that wine may represent the

Some people get nervous sick or nervous shy but me, I get nervous tired. So as we arrived at the National Wine centre I was feeling unusually lethargic. All this changed when we reached the tasting room. Like the awkward teenager about to knock on the door for that first date I found myself equal parts excited and terrified. Not of the girls father this time but of the 24 white wines I had on the table in front of me. A small flight by many wine show standards but big enough to pop ones cherry on. With a big breathe I sat and thanks to the reassuring words from a couple of wiser heads I decided to jump in and get to the business.

Strolling my way through the whites starting with a cheeky Moscato and making my way through a few Pinot Grigos and finishing with a raft of Chardonnay via some Sauvignon Blanc in the middle. I started to relax and enjoy myself, as the process of wine judging became clearer to me I was able to visit the wines from a new point of view.

After recess

I love this time of year, mild Autumn weather sets in and a vigneron’s thoughts turn to getting precious fruit off the vine and into winery. This conjures for many wine drinkers a romantic notion of wine maker or grower walking through the vineyard chewing on a grape or two, a thoughtful look at the sky then a knowing nod to the vineyard manager that ‘it’s time’. The reality is somewhat different as I experienced again this year in McLaren vale as assistant dog’s body at Five Lazy Acres (nee Killibinbin Sandtrap), owned and operated by Liz and Ritchie Smith. It was an early start and we were out in the vineyard at 4am as the harvester started its rounds, the real back breaking work hadn’t started for us yet but I could see the stress levels rising as Ritchie began calculating in his head how much fruit was coming off and what it was going to convert to in real volume and ultimately income. Noel, senior member of the picking crew stood next to us still

I was lucky enough to go to Day on the Green at Leconfield Wines, McLaren Vale on the 27th of Jan. A massive lineup starting with Stephen Cummings; a great songwriter but not on top of his game this day. Maybe he could have used a glass or 2 of the Hamilton Cab 2011. I had a couple on the day and it is looking particularly tasty. Sunnyboys belted out their melodic teen angsty pop-rock, and the band were all in fine form. Some seriously snaky riffs slithered off the fretboard. Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons were decent, apart from the Wilbur Wilde/Joe Camilleri schtick - trading fat jokes in the intro to ‘Shape I’m In’ which conjured memories of the Hey Hey It’s Saturday revival. They sure play nicely together with their horns out tho. Tex Perkins and the Dark Horses were loquacious and limber loosey goosey - with some ripper tunes, Tex in spectacular voice and swagger, James Cruikshank beautifully nuanced on the geetar … much like the Hamilton Slate Quarry

Barossa Gourmet Weekend was held on the 18th and 19th of August this year and whilst the weather was decidedly inclement – a great weekend seemed to be had by all who attended. We travelled up on the Sunday and first stop was Artisans of Barossa who represent John Duval, Massena, Schwarz, Sons of Eden, Spinifex, Teusner and Hobbs wines. This is a stunning modern cellar door which looks out over the vineyards in and around Vine Vale. The Artisans of Barossa Cellar Door is a fantastic concept seven winemakers with vastly different wine styles in their portfolios all at the same beautiful location. My tipple of choice at this winery was Sons of Eden 2011 Freya Riesling – limey with excellent length and not overly acidic. Onwards to our next stop which was Saltram Wine Estate. The Cellar Door is set in the original winery and the legendary Mamre Brook House. Again a lovely Cellar Door set in a more contemporary space. Here we enjoyed a new release to the range which was the Winemakers

On the coat tails of the wonderfully successful Melbourne GFWS we were off to Sydney for a repeat performance. The opportunity to showcase all the best of what NSW has to offer all gourmands was not missed with some amazing stands and fabulous produce on offer.