Tasting

A simple premise, a simple plan... To break bread, share a glass and have a good old chin wag with some great people. This was the mantra we set out with when we first said “hey we should have a Grenache dinner to celebrate International Grenache day”. And after a few tweaks and re-interpretations, that is exactly what we ended up with on Friday the 19th September. The back drop to this was the stunning shop front and workshop that is home to The Props Dept and Justin Hermes Design. And a better place we could not have asked for to have our guests, no not guests, our friends, join us for dinner. First drop off the rack was Year Wines 2012 Mclaren Vale Grenache and the words I heard a lot were “SO GOOD” (and not in reference the Delta Goodrem endorsed milk!). A beautiful way to start off the night - Luke and Caleigh make small batch Grenache from vines dating back to 1958 and the 2012 was their debut wine under their own label - and a pretty impressive one at that. [caption id="attachment_1350" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Luke from Year Wines talking us through the process they used to make their delicious 2012 Grenache.[/caption] Kate from Richard Hamilton was on hand to take us through the Burton's Old Bush Vine Grenache story whilst we tried Georgie from El Choto's first treat of the night in the form of some Banderillas Gildas; pickled garlic, white anchovies and Basque pepper skewers. Both the wine and food were delicious - a teaser of what was to come as by now the smell of our Paella cooking away had filled the room. [caption id="attachment_1351" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Kate from Richard Hamilton sharing with us that the Burton's Old Bush Vine Grenache is the staff favourite - it's one of them at winedirect.com.au too![/caption] We ushered our mates through to the dining area where Lino and Nino were the stars of the next course - Andy and Angela introduced their Lino Ramble 'Treadlie' GSM to the crowd who sat down to Nino’s cured pork loin, some La Boqueria Longaniza Chorizo and Black Garlic - the added earth and spice of the GSM complimenting the cured treats brilliantly. [caption id="attachment_1352" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Andy and Angela from Lino Ramble sharing a few chiidhood stories[/caption] Cometh the hour, cometh the paella - and what a paella; slow sherry braised rabbit and morcilla paella with artichokes. The morcilla (Spanish black pudding) gave the paella such a depth of flavour that the 2010 Schwarz Thiele Rd Grenache had a fair challenge on it's hands to match it. But match it did and the combo was definitely a highlight amongst many for the evening. [caption id="attachment_1353" align="aligncenter" width="300"] This was one helluva paella - thanks Georgie![/caption] [caption id="attachment_1354" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 2, 4, 6, 8...[/caption] If Year Wines Grenache was a bloody good start then Oliver's Taranga Banished Fortified Grenache was a brilliant finish. The 20 year old fortified’s sweet vanilla and apricot flavours were the perfect foil for the Gorganzola Piccante and Cave Aged English Cheddar with caramelised figs. A perfect end to a perfect night. Self-indulgently I had set up a dining experience I’d liked to have gone to - sh*t-hot wine paired with sh*t-hot food in an amazing space with a soundtrack that included everything from early Misfits and the MC5 to Nick Cave, Neil Young and Elvis Costello! All with a group of people who seemed to embrace everything that food and wine should be about. Thanks to all that came - we had a blast! A simple premise, a simple plan... To break bread, share a glass and have a good old chin wag with some great people.

Decanting can be useful for a couple of reasons. Firstly it allows older red wines to be separated from any sediment that may have developed in bottle.

Debate rages currently over the merits and pitfalls of various wine closures. Cork has the longest tradition of usage and the best examples are considered a very good option for long-term wine storage. Cork, at its best and free from taint will allow a wine to age gracefully for up to 25 years. Unfortunately, not all corks are alike, some will fail earlier than this time. The application process can also sometimes result in damage to the external surface of the cork, causing very slow leakage and/or quicker oxidation of the wine. This is particularly upsetting if you like to drink your wines with a little age on them. The longer you age, the higher the chances that some of your ‘rainy day’ wines will be affected by random bottle oxidation. It is a popular myth that cork allows a slow, flavour positive exchange between wine and oxygen. Cork is chosen for its ability to prevent additional oxygen from affecting wine once in bottle. Wine in bottle will contain a very small amount

I'm a hospitality child, I've spent my fair share of time running restaurants and hotels, and for me a part of the romance of presenting wine at a table was the unveiling of the wine. The time it took to present, uncork and, if needed, decant the wine at the table added to the experience of the evening. It also gave you a chance to connect with the customer. I still get a buzz from uncorking a wine, there is and will always be an inherently exciting aspect to the moment of anticipation as you wait to see how the wine has reacted in the bottle. It is a completely different experience with a waiter who cracks your bottle at the table sounding like a tinny of VB. Think of cork as the vinyl of the wine world, as with the invention of the cassette tape then the cd things have been invented that arguably are better for the wine long term, but nothing comes close to real sensory feel and experience you get with the classics. Go home tonight put on a vinyl, slowly uncork a bottle of your favourite

I must be talking about Durif aka Petit Sirah right? I often describe Durif to the uninitiated as 'Merlot on steroids' at which point they say 'is it Merlot?'... Okay, I'll explain myself a little better. Durif is one of my favourites because even in its youth the nose is generous and very 'pretty', a very attractive drink until you start wrestling with the often massive drying tannins and high alcohol. Not everyone that makes it finds the balance but a couple come to mind. 919 Durif from Glossup has a beautiful nose of violets and blue fruits with a firm but balanced mouthfeel. Stunning! Kalleske has achieved the same stunning nose but at this point in its life (give it a year or 2) the palate menaces with dry gripping tannins so drinker beware. If drinking big ballsy Shiraz isn't blowing your hair back any more, grab the Kalleske Durif, break out the latex, don the mask and make sure everyone in the room knows the safety word. [caption id="attachment_1340" align="aligncenter"

For those of you who think it would be great to have a gig where extensive wine tasting is a job requirement.... just spare a thought for the crew here at Wine Direct on those days when there are dozens of wines lined up to be tasted. And would you believe it’s like trying to herd cats to get us all together in one hit to get on with the task in hand??? Nah, seriously...we love our work and wouldn’t swap it for quids. There are bloody good wines aplenty lined up which we happily slurp, swill and spit. Yes, it’s time to get the Tasting Panel hard at work to select great wines that we can offer you at a great deal...... the hardest part is deciding where to start. [caption id="attachment_1317" align="aligncenter" width="452"]

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"]

Winter is behind us and while it is a glorious thing to be welcoming spring, there are some aspects of winter that are inviting and will be missed. After all, what better than to enjoy a red or 8 which have been set as a tasting exercise, than to share the (home)work load with a couple of mates in front of a cosy fire with plenty of good, heartily home cooked food on offer. Whet your appetite? Not yet? Then contemplate this: the house specialty, a chicken and pistachio terrine, charcuterie and condiments to start with followed by an anise flavoured chicken, fennel, and tomato stew (tantalising slow cooked on the slow combustion stove top) with fennel and saffron risotto, then the obligatory green salad and cheese platter topped off with an orange cardamom flan and lashings of thick farm cream. Oh, and let’s not forget the homework (BTW, the star of which was a double decanted 2010 Pirramimma War Horse Shiraz)... [caption id="attachment_1345" align="aligncenter" width="452"]

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

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.