Wines Galore

Just had the Decoy Zinfandel this week while watching the Met’s streaming of Don Pasquale at AMC.

We’ve a total of 50 bottles in our wine fridges and barrel now, with some doubles, like Bella’s Garden.

Shenanigans of the weekend

Another weekend flew by again, just like that.

Wine – At Fresh, a cosy little Thai/Sushi cafe, right under the Wellington train tracks. The sushi was tasty and fresh, and went down well with the wines that we brought (a Pacific Rim Riesling, and a Groth Sauvignon Blanc – which didn’t stand up to the other two SBs we had this week, the most outstanding being the Duckhorn, followed by a cheap but solidly good Kim Crawford)

Karaoke – large raucous bunch of Q’s friends and friends of friends crammed into a private karaoke bar yelling out songs

Sailing – Sailing with the (hungover) Rs, and K, who was in town for her birthday weekend. Best wind conditions yet (although the Rs might beg to differ)!!!!! It was just glorious to be out.

Hot pot – Noisy hot pot dinner with 6 girls and J. Opened the trusty Nora Albarino, followed by L’s Kim Crawford. The other girls weren’t big drinkers (though K was somewhat uncharacteristically pounding down beer), so we brewed lots of agave-sweetened roasted rice green tea instead

Climbing – K and H joined us at the gym to see what it was all about. Put in three solid hours there… gotta train up for the upcoming trip down to KY

Chinatown – Met up with my new coworker for some Cantonese dinner, even though we were feeling quite stuffed from the whole weekend of feasting

Wine – Strolled over to the Rs, to admire their new deck furniture while knocking back two bottles of chilled white (Terleto Chardonnay – crisp and refreshing, but could do with a fuller body; and the Grgich Chardonnay – oaky, buttery, and yeasty)

DGS: Tasmanian Wine Night

On Friday night, after a few rounds of endlessly debating what to do with the evening, a group of five of us found ourselves in my living room, too lazy to join the crowds milling around downtown. It had been raining the entire day, so the toads in my ponds were happily frolicking in the fresh water, and loudly mating. So it seemed fitting to pop open the bottle of Barking Frog Pinot Noir that Jeff brought for me from Oregon, particularly also because I was curious to see how it matched up with the Tasmanian Pinot Noirs were we going to try at DGS the following night. Well, I loved the glass cork – super fun! Other than that, I must admit being a little disappointed with the wine. To be sure, it was very smooth, with just the thinnest layer of tannins coating my tongue. The color was a nice, light red. But there wasn’t much of a nose, and it tasted a little watery without a kick at the end. Still, it was a nice enough wine to drink and we spent a pleasant evening chatting and laughing about movies.

With the taste of Oregon still fresh in my mind, I was excited to re-try the Tasmanian wines we had lugged back. DGS was a cozy affair – about a dozen people, just enough to squeeze around the dining table. For food, we prepared cheese and chocolate fondue, along with chicken and steak, tons of fruits, bread, and mum-made walnut brownies. Very nice (and affordable) spread, if I say so myself.

We kicked off the evening with the bright and refreshing Riesling from Stefano Lubiana, the Stefano Lubiana Alfresco Riesling 2008. Everyone really enjoyed the slight tinge of sweetness and the fizz on their tongues. Wonderful way to get the taste buds alive.

We opened the Bay of Fires Chardonnay 2008 next. In comparison to the Riesling, this was heavy, but with enough acidity to make it lively and not dumb. Now this is a nicely balanced Chardonnay – just a touch of butter and lemon.

We moved on to the Moorilla Estate Praxis Pinot Noir 2008 from Hobart next, and I was struck by the stark contrast with the Barking Frog. Now this one had a lovely nose – fruity, with some earth, just the way I like my Pinots. It had a thicker body too, more solid, but just as smooth.

Our next wine, the Pipers Brook Tamar 2004, elicited mixed responses. Everyone fervently agreed that it did smell like ketchup, but some, like RX, was not a fan. Where’s the fries, she asked.

We then went back to Stefano Lubiana, for the Stefano Lubiana Merlot 2006. Now, I remember that it wasn’t my favorite wine from the trip; we just felt like we had to buy at least two bottles from that winery, since we were getting Lubiana to help us ship a case of wine back to Singapore. Nonetheless, it was a solid wine, and RX expressed her enthusiasm for it.

At this point, people were starting to flag a little from the hearty food and wine. So I broke out the Delamere Blanc de Blanc 2004, a beautifully made sparkling that had just the right touch of yeast, bubbles, and sweetness. Loved it!

We sat around chatting and laughing for a while more, about all things irreverent, and then I decided to open another bottle, the Frogmore Creek Ruby Pinot Noir Port NV. I loved this port. The Frogmore Creek tasting was our last winery tasting, and I had resolved not to buy any more. However, the port was so delicious I couldn’t help it. So it was a delight to drink it again, and a bonus when RX decided she had had enough and gave me the rest of her glass.

Fun times, great wines. I didn’t check, but I do hope that everyone went away with similarly favorable impressions of Tasmanian wines.

Tasmanian Wines: A Tasting Review

The following is a review of the wines we sampled in Tasmania. Some of the notes were written right after we stepped out of the winery; some after listening to our various (mildly tipsy) voice notes. We were not as diligent as we could have been, so in most cases, the notes center on wines we were most taken with, and do not cover each and every single wine that we tasted – around 100.

Moorilla (Hobart)
Jeff: I remember we liked the wines including the Pinots, but came away with the impression that the wines were a little pricey. They definitely are targeting the more upscale market with their erotic art labels. They also have a brewery.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Kelvedon Estate (Freycinet Vineyards)
Jeff: We went with the recommendation of our hostess at The Banc, a cosy (read, less then 10 tables) restaurant in Swansea, when she recommended the Kelvedon without hesitation. It had a beautiful nose. Very good, so much so that we bought another bottle to bring back to share.

Milton (Freycinet)
Didn’t think too much of the wines there. The pinots were a little disappointing ESP after the amazing kelvedon Pinot we had with dinner at the banc. The one wine I liked from Milton was the gerwurtz.

Jeff: This was definitely the biggest letdown of the trip, luckily it came at the start of our wine tasting tour so we forgot we even came here pretty quickly. I think their pinots were pretty forgettable, and whites were ok, but nothing that was too standout, except maybe the Gewurtz had a good nose ( If I forget which wine I liked from the winery the next day, then it probably wasn’t that good ). The lady behind the counter wasn’t too engaging and she was too busy putting scotch tape around the mouths of the stoppers.

Springvale (Freycinet)
Liked the two styles of Pinot from springvale. Bought both. The gerwurtz was not bad as well.

Springvale is reached after a long drive down a dirt track off the highway. You pull up in front of a ‘farm shack’ that houses their tasting room. (edit: Actually according to the website, the cellar door used to be a stable built by convicts in 1842!) There is something about the rustic style of the tasting room that I really like. Springvale is small and family owned, but they seem like they are open to expanding. They had someone who tried to export in the US but without success. One problem with export for them is their small production and their ability to consistently produce the quantity of wines because of the fickle nature of Tasmania’s climate.

I liked their two styles from Pinot. The cheaper, more fruit forward “Melrose” Pinot is the one that they are targeting to sell in Hong Kong. That one is made with second tier grapes blended with Pinot Meunier. Their main estate Pinot is made with the top grapes.

Later on in the trip, we opened a bottle of the Springvale Freycinet Coast Tasmania Pinot Noir 2007 we bought to go with our home cooked dinner of Italian sausage pasta. The wine was amazing, simply amazing. Very very good. Very approachable; soft. Can’t really feel the tannins; doesn’t really coat your tongue. Just goes down really well, very friendly, pairs very well with pasta and spicy sausage. Wine rounds out the pasta. Delicious wine.

Jeff: Very good, very soft, well balanced, good body, soft tannins, strawberries. Very smoooth.

Freycinet Vineyard (Freycinet)
Jeff loved the cab merlot from freycinet but since we already bought two other bottles we didn’t get that. Very few cab Sauvignon around here; they are mostly blended with cab franc or merlot. Suppose that is a cool climate thing. We had a super briny and bright Riesling. Little too tart on it’s own but so beautiful with oysters. Just rounds off perfectly. They also had another riesling that was blended with a german grape: that was just a touch sweeter; good to drink on its own. We also bought the fruit forward Pinot just cos it doesn’t have to be aged as long.

I really liked their two styles of pinot. Both styles were still less fruit forward than the other pinots we’ve tasted. The Louis Pinot is $24 and is a very good pinot at a very good price point. I thought the riesling was ok, but we bought it because it was a little extra tart but we thought that would go well with oysters (edit: it did!).

I also liked their cab merlot. It was really well balanced, full bodied and spicy, with a good strong finish.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Pipers Brook (Tamar Valley)
Giant vineyard compared to the others. More than 20 ha. Tried a whole range of wines. Loved the Riesling – bright with stone fruit and more floral than the Freycinet one. Me like. The pinots were lovely as well. The Ninth Island Pinot Noir was not aged in oak; you can smell the strawberries and some spice. The Pipers Brook was more complex – same nose of strawberries but the oak gave it a more earthy kick. Very nice! Almost tempted to get that but then we tried their blended wines, the 2005 Ninth Island Tamar and the 2004 Pipers Brook. Amazing noses!!!!!!! The latter especially. Ketchup!!!!!! Would go great with fries. Mmm.

Jeff: I really liked their Riesling, made me change my mind on Rieslings in Tasmania. Good nose and good finish. The SB was nice and light. Ninth Island was unoaked, fruit forward, light color but still good body. Pipers Brook Pinot was more complex, oaked, spicy and would pair well with meat. We also loved the blends. The 9th Island Tamar had nice big berry flavors, a light body, and good to taste alone or with appetizers. The Pipers Brook Tamar had softer tannins and a big ketchup nose. We really liked the Pinots and the Tamars, but were more taken with the Tamars so bought the two Tamars.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Jansz (Tamar Valley)
Jansz makes only sparkling. We tasted four of their wines, and even though we were quite impressed, didn’t go away with any. Perhaps sparkling just doesn’t speak to us as strongly?

Non-vintage Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – fresh apple juice.

Rose: faint blush, not as unique on the nose. No oak on the non vintages.

2004 Jansz vintage – can smell the oak on this one. Nose like like orange peel pound cakes. Actually like the chocolate orange truffle we had.

Jeff: The non vintage was very light and nice, I liked it. Vineyard was big, grand and glitzy. I remembered we liked the Vintage the best.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Daryample (Tamar Valley)
Small vineyard. Used to be family owned, but in 2007, the Sundstrup family sold to the Yalumba Group, which also owns Jansz. 2007 wines and beyond use glass corks. tried five wines – the SB 2008 was nice and bright with stone fruit. Wasn’t too big a fan of the Chardonnay. It wa ok but not exciting. Well they are reducing their crops of chardonnays and concentrating on the SB which we think are better anyway. Tried the 2005, 2006, and 2008 pinots. The first was very fruit forward and super light finish. The 2006 was a little more subdued on the nose with more spice than fruit but fuller bodied with longer finish. The 2008 had a completely different nose!!! I liked it. We left with the latter two.

Jeff: The SB was well balanced, very good nose ( stone fruit? ), and very good finished. 2005 Pinot had a very fruity nose. 2006 had a much fuller body and a better finish. The nose was more subdued but you get more of the spice. 2008 definitely tasted younger, could age a little more but drinkable now.

They are planning to cut down on Chardonnay production, and concentrate on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noirs. They’re also the only winery in Tasmania that uses glass cork stoppers.

The cellar door was also a pretty stark shack, pretty bare in the interior except for the wine, which is all that matters. We were greeted by this hearty fella sitting on a wooden stool behind the counter; we could have mistaken him for some shopkeeper in a small town except he was selling some very good wine. He was a cool chill guy, cheery, nice guy. It was practically a private tasting because we were the only ones there and he gave us tips on things to do and see along the route.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Delamere (Tamar Valley)
Currently 6.5 ha. The owner just bought a whole ton of cuttings. Planning to expand to 20 ha. Owns 150 ha of land. He has worked in the industry for 9 years including Oregon. Thought their blanc de Blancs was better than the one at Jansz. The Pinot was good but not the best we have had so far. The rose was interesting – floral with a slightly bitter edge. Dined on the property, in the sun with the resident dog and chickens.

Jeff: Shane Holloway is the the owner/winemaker here. He struck us as a little rough on the edges, hippy, laid back west coast dude. He’s been the winemaker for 9-10 years, and has worked in Oregon as well. He wants to concentrate on just chardonnay and pinot noir. Bought property 2 years ago. They have a lot of land to expand, only planted a small part of the property. Have new cuttings that they are going to plant. They market a lot through sommeliers and have them come to taste their wines and add to their wine lists. Send some to the UK and Harvard group of students. We had a good experience here because he let us lunch on the lawn with his dog and chickens.

The blanc de blanc was pretty good. Rose was not bad. The chard was ok.The Pinot was ok, not the strongest. But he said the newer plantings should be higher quality vines, the wines from those vines should be better.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Bay of Fires (Tamar Valley)
Five wineries in and my palate is getting tired. About hundred thousand cases max. Liked their Riesling. – well balanced with a good nose. Like their Chardonnay too. Lightly toasted fun nose! Light body. The 2008 Pinot noir was pretty good. Long finish nice spicy and fruity nose but the body was a little on the light side. Tannins were very soft.

Jeff: Mostly white wines. Only red is Pinot Noir. Pretty big winery with 100K max production. They source their wines from all over Tasmania (unlike the smaller wineries) and some of the other vineyards labels use the winery facilities at Bay of Fires. They had a couple of sparkling but liked their sparkling pinot noir / chardonnay. Riesling was very good. Good nose, crisp, well balanced, not too light and watery. The SB had good nose but weak body, very light color almost like water. The Pinot Noir – very light body and color. Good noise, good long drawn out finish but the body was weak and soft. Might be better with age, or not. Lacking in complexity. TPS liked it. Chardonnay was a bit oaky, more oaky than previous chards I’ve tasted in Tassie.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Grey Sands (Tamar Valley)
This winery owned by couple who also have day jobs. Tasting by appointment. We had a private tasting on a patio overlooking the slopes of the vineyard. Amazing view. They don’t make their wines but send it over to the Bay of Fires to make. Everything is pretty much done by hand.

Greysands Romanesque Glengarry Tasmania 2005 – Jeff: Blend of 3 grapes – Touriga, cab franc, cab sauv. Very interesting nose is due to the Touriga grape. sweet bbq smell.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Stefano Lubiana (Hobart)
Jeff: Tasting room is also in their winery building, a big wooden barnyard building. Monique, wife of the winemaker, poured the wines for us. She was really nice and helpful and we had her ship the wines for us to Singapore. Their Alfresco Riesling was very refreshing and light, had a good floral nose. Their other whites – chards, sauv blanc were ok. Given the two styles of chardonnay, I couldn’t really taste too much of a difference. Their oaked version was really oaked very much and wasn’t that complex. Their Pinots were also a bit weak, because I don’t remember them being spectacular, and we were a bit disappointed because the winery had gotten good reviews for their Pinot. But I remember the Merlot being very well rounded and rich and full bodied and being surprised by the quality of it.

Meadowbank Estate (Hobart)
Jeff: Stefano Lubiana recommended we go visit Meadowbank. The vineyard is pretty big (40 hectares) and they have a big fancy tasting room cum restaurant with great views but pricey food. For such a big vineyard we were surprised that they didn’t make their own wines but sent their fruit over to Frogmore Creek next door. They had some pretty good wines. We liked their chardonnay, and preferred their unoaked ‘Meadowbank’ version. Their Pinot, especially their ‘Henry James’ Pinot was very good, very rich and full bodied wine. It was our most expensive bottle too at 49.50. I also liked their regular Riesling. The FGR Riesling was too sweet. They also sell a lot of their grapes to Bay of Fires for sparkling production.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Frogmore Creek (Hobart)
Jeff: They are also very big, and they have several labels under their control. In addition to Frogmore Creek, they also have the 42 Degrees South Label, the Wellington Label and the Rosalyn Estate Label. They have around 40 hectares (don’t remember if this includes their recent Rosalyn Estate acquisition). They also do a lot of winemaking for other vineyards as a contract winemaker including Meadowbank and Puddleduck. They had a lot of really good wine. I liked their Riesling better than Meadowbank’s. They also had a very good Gewurtz with a really big lychee nose. We liked it a lot. I also liked all three styles of their Pinot. They are all different but good in their own way, smooth, some with more tannins than the other but we decided to buy the Frogmore Creek 2007 Pinot. That Pinot had a little more tannins and a long finish. Their ruby pinot noir port was also very good, less sweet than your normal port. Their cab merlot blend was also excellent.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Down Under in Tasmania

I will probably get heartburn when we do up a final tally of the trip. Australia is not a cheap country to live in, nor is it to visit. I reckon the standard of living is even higher than that of Chicago.

It was a phenomenal trip nonetheless, and totally worth it.

Wine:
We left with two cases of wine – although we had pared down the number of wineries from our original admittedly ambitious list (we went to 13 in the end, plus stayed at another vineyard), we bought on average a couple bottles from each. The winieries here typically make two distinct styles of Pinot Noir: a more fruit forward, fresh and vibrant one, with a perfume-like nose of rose scented water and cherries; and a more complex, aged style that calls up spices (pepperberry bush, a Tasmanian plant) and oak trees. Look to the next post for a lengthier summary of the wines.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Accommodation:
We lucked out on the apartments and the one bed & breakfast that we found. They were all cute, spacious, and had different styles and charms.

Our first night, we stayed in newly remodelled apartment trailers with large living rooms and patios that overlooked the beach – beautiful sunrise. The second night, we stayed in a stone cottage with interior wood paneling and a kitchen in which we whipped up a breakfast of omlettes and fresh cherry tomatoes. This cottage, in Bicheno, also overlooked the coast.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Our first evening in Launceston, we stayed at a bed and breakfast. Although it was a little aways from the city center, the views were also gorgeous. The house was situated on top of a hill and from the living room you could look down into the valley and at the Tamar River. Beautifully apointed room, with small welcoming touches like a fresh jug of milk in our fridge for coffee and tea, and a decanter of tawny port with chocolate to enjoy in the evening. In the morning, we were also treated to a sumptuous made to order breakfast. Along with fresh juices, latte/cuppacino, toast, I had a beautifully done up saffron infused omlette with smoked salmon and hash, while Jeff got asparagus wrapped prosciutto with poahed eggs and hash. Such a treat!

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Our second evening in Launceston, after a fulfilling day of tasting, we pulled up into Rosevears Vineyards to find our own apartment overlooking the grapevines and the river. Gorgeously done up in a contemporary style, with track lights, floor to ceiling windows. Just had to wake up for the sunrise again to snap some photos.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Our wooden cabin in Cradle Mountain was a delight too. Although it got really chilly in the night after the fire in our wood stove died out, we loved that it was set back in the woods and had a lovely smell of pepperberry wood. It was such a fun surprise to be cooking in the kitchen and looking out to see a pademelon (looks like a small kangaroo) curled up right outside. Too bad we did not catch a glimpse of what the other guests affectionately referred to as Rufus, the giant posum that loved to visit the hut.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Scenery:
Tasmania, for such a large island state, is very sparsely poplulated. We spent most of our evenings in tiny towns with population not more than a thousand – Swansea had 580; Bicheno 700. Even Launceston had just 71,000 people. After so many days in the countryside, it was a bit of a shock to return to Hobart, a town of 200,000. All these other random Asians and kids decked up in goth milling about. But then again, it is a small city – probably 20 blocks by 10 blocks?

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

We wished we had more time to do the scenery justice. As it is, it was lovely to drive down the highways of Tasmania (one lane affairs typically, like in Scotland), past the bucolic countryside and lazy cows and sheep grazing in the flourescent green grass of spring. We managed a five hour hike in Freycinet National Park, covering the famed Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach circuit. Too bad the water was a little too chilly to splash around in, although that did not stop a quad of teenagers frolicking in the sea.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

In Cradle Mountain, we hiked the Dove Lake Circuit, which, as the name implies, circled Dove Lake, with the imposing Cradle Mountain as a backdrop. We also did two short forest hikes and revelled in the deep greenery and moss. One of the walks was aptly named the Enchanted Forest Trail. We covered that at first light, when the grasses and shrubs were still encased in delicate sheens of ice that sparkled and glittered in the soft morning rays, and took exuberant delight in snapping dozens of pictures of the pademelons calmly grazing not two feet from the trail.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Food:
For the most part, fresh and delicious. We still dream about the calzones we picked up from Bread the first day we arrive in Hobart, as well as the super fresh beef and salad roll we picked up from the Ugly Duck Out in Swansea. But eating out in Tasmania is hard on the pockets. We made breakfast a couple of days and cooked dinner one evening but the food bill will be not much fun to look at.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

In summary, a great and fun trip. We had a total blast and are putting Tasmania near the top of our list for a return visit. Still more wineries to taste and so much more hiking to do!

Touring Tasmania

After many hours – yes, literally that, hours – of research, we have finally hammered out an itinerary for our upcoming trip to Tasmania.

There are many ways to explore Tasmania, and our primary consideration was to how we’d go about it. Go the hard core and adventurous route with the 6 day Overland trail by Cradle Mountain? But then we wouldn’t have any time left to see anything else, like say, for example, the wineries. Or just rough it out one night in a tent off Wineglass Bay? That was a tempting option, particularly since we could do it by kayak, but the cost was prohibitive. AUD$220 for a double kayak, a tent, and two sleeping bags?!? We could have easily paddled down the idyllic Wisconsin River and camped overnight three times for that price. Or, rented a cottage with a sea view and a spa, and still have money left over for a nice bottle of Tasmanian wine (which, ultimately, is more or less what we went for).

Given the constraints of time, we decided it was impractical to head too far west. The rugged terrains of the Wild West shall remain unexplored for now. So too Port Arthur and its environs. But we couldn’t bear to drop the famed Cradle Mountain off the itinerary; the Tamar Valley Wine Route was a no brainer; and the scenery of the East Coast looked too breathtaking to be passed up.

The end result – a jammed packed itinerary of hikes and winery visits, 16 and counting, with nights spent at cosy bed & breakfasts and self-contained apartments. The relatively inexpensive costs of the quaint but spacious apartments are a really nice surprise, especially since we’ve paid top dollar for nondescript and utilitarian – not to mention cramped – living quarters in Europe and the USA.

View Larger Map

Researching Tasmania Wines

Part 1:

Since we won’t have the luxury of time to take in Tasmania, I want to do as much research as possible on the wine industry there before we go. I haven’t tried any Tasmanian wines before, and I don’t think the wines are that much marketed/distributed outside of Australia but I’m excited that we might get the chance to uncover some really outstanding wines. Part of my research involves looking at whether the wines can be found in Singapore say; if so, then we could just bypass the vineyard and buy the bottles directly from the stores to try, and spend more time on vineyards whose wines we wouldn’t otherwise be able to taste.

Some facts:
- “Tasmania’s first vineyard was planted at New Town, a Hobart suburb, in 1823. In 1848, its white wine won an award at the Paris Exhibition.”

- The wine industry in Tasmania has exploded: In 1986, there were 47 ha of grape production. In 2000, 507 ha. In 2008, 1315 ha.

- Pinot Noir is the dominant grape, with approximately 46% of the total grape varieties in Tasmania. Chardonnay takes up ~23% and Riesling ~10%

- Chardonnay is the key white but riesling is the excitement machine

- Tamar Valley is the largest wine producing area in Tasmania

- “The best wineries, like Meadowbank and Moorilla, easily sell all of their stock through a combination of cellar door sales, restaurant wine programs, and in some cases, domestic retail distribution. For most of these boutique producers (and almost every winery in Tasmania qualifies as boutique), shipping to the U.S. is cost-prohibitive and unnecessary.“

- Winners of the 2009 Tas Wine Show

My Wines Asia, a Tasting

A very pleasant Sunday evening: a tasting of 8 wines, spread over 5 langurous hours, with old and new friends. 

After Y had bought the wines for the latest DGS wine tasting, the owner of My Wines Asia, Milton, invited her to hold a private tasting party at his wine store. So she gathered 8 of her friends from the various sections of her life – college, graduate school, work, frisbee – and we all met in the tiny store. Milton had prepared a selection of the wines and paired it with generous servings of food: roasted lamb, crab with salted egg yolk, bread with olive oil, sausages. 

It was a cosy evening. By chance, everyone had studied abroad and shared similar experiences, so we quickly warmed up to one another and the laughter and conversation flowed easily through the night.

The wines of the evening:

Cherry Tree Hill Riesling 2005 (Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia) – nice and crisp; not at all sweet

Amadio Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2006 (SA, Australia) – delicious with the crab; the salted egg yolk lent this wine some gravitas

Clos Du Bois Russian River Valley Chardonnay Reserve 2006 (CA, USA)

Bartenura Moscato 2007 Provincia di Pavia (Italy) – light, flowerly, but none too sweet. A fun wine to re-waken the palate

Sirromet Sparkling Red Shiraz 2004 (South Eastern Australia) – I just tasted this at the DGS, but enjoyed the fruitiness of the wine. Better chilled though I reckon

Cherry Tree Hill Cabernet Merlot 2005 (Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia)

Clos Du Bois Alexander Valley Merlot Reserve 2004 (CA, USA) - Drinking this reminded me of Julsan, who used to bring this to our earlier wine n climb parties

Valenosi Breciarolo Gold 2005 (Tuscany, Italy) - Comprises of Montepulciano & Sangiovese grapes from municipalities of Offida and Ascoli Piceno

OBTN: Celebrating our 10th Year Anniversary

I hadn’t planned to celebrate Open that Bottle Night (OBTN) – but somehow our celebration of the Rovers’ 10th year anniveary just morphed into it.  

A fitting occasion to toast to in any case! Although many changes have taken place in the past ten years that we’ve known one another, and our gatherings are now far and few in between, time seems to stand still whenever we manage to meet up. The same racuous laughter from the same kind of ridiculous jokes and pranks – it doesn’t matter that some of us are now managers and vice presidents and fathers. As MF said, it’s hard to find such a group of like-minded folks who share the same zany interests: think the time we got caught in a live firing range while hiking; the time we went sailing and ended up swimming across a lagoon in the middle of a thunderstorm in the dark with our backpacks above our heads; the time we whipped up an eight course meal in the middle of the jungle, complete with coke and ice, which we had buried in the soil…

So cheers to the Rovers, and to many more years of fun times!

Incidentally, the wine I opened for OBTN was lovely. It was a bottle of Riseling from Freie Weingärtner Wachau, Austria 2000. It had a light tangerine nose, very citrus-y and lively, refreshing. The finish was beautiful too, nutty and honey-like. Loved it!

2006 Banner Year for Austrian Wines

Having recently returned from a ski and mini wine tasting trip in Austria, I thought the article from Wine Spectator to be quite interesting. It seems to me that the current big hype is Chilean and Argentine wines (thank god DGS got ahead of the curve by trying them while the wines were still cheap), but perhaps wines from Austria could become the next wine sensation? While in Austria, we tried a couple of Gruner Veltliner and a St. Laurent (red grape) that were absolutely fantastic. Excellent price point too.

Austria’s Tour De Force
Rieslings and Grüner Veltliners from the 2006 vintage excel
By Kim Marcus
From Wine Spectator magazine, June 15, 2008 issue

At first glance, the medieval town of Weissenkirchen, Austria, complete with a fortified Gothic church and surrounded by breathtakingly green countryside, seems a well-preserved page from the past. Rugged mountain slopes with terraced vineyards rise above the banks of the surging Danube River. Narrow country lanes wind their way to small, family-run wineries flanked by well-tended vines of Austria’s leading white grape varieties, the native Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.

Yet appearances can be deceiving. Weissenkirchen and its neighboring villages lie at the epicenter of Austria’s remarkable upsurge in quality over the past two decades. The latest evidence is the 2006 vintage, one of the best in recent memory, which has delivered hundreds of delicious wines ready to drink now. The year’s top bottlings also hold out the promise of further development with long-term aging. For Lower Austria as a whole, I give the vintage a rating of 95 points on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale.