Everything Is Go Astro Bunny

Everything is Go Astro Bunny

The last story in the series on wine labels; we look at a light-hearted but serious project by British Master of Wine Tim Wildmann. 


Project:  Fly to Australia, make a wine on a budget, with a deadline, get on a plane back to England - GO!


Astro Bunny is a project to produce as Tim puts it;
" A wine that has had its primary fermentation interrupted by bottling thereby rendering it naturally (naturel) sparking (pétillant) in the bottle".
Definition: Pétillant Naturel. (origin Fr.) abbrv. pet nat.





So have fun and dissect this 4 part story of wine made naturel:


Harvest Time in Australia

http://pet-nat.com/astrobunny/picking-it-2/

The easy step? - Winemaking

http://pet-nat.com/astrobunny/making-it/

What's In A Name

http://pet-nat.com/astrobunny/testing-it/

Sell, Sell Sell!

http://pet-nat.com/astrobunny/the-story-of-astro-bunny-2014/

Tim Wildman's Bio from webpage:

Tim Wildman is a British born MW who runs his own portfolio wine business involving travel, education and film.Tim became a Master of Wine in 2008 with a Dissertation on Australian wine, which is his professional speciality. You can read Tim’s Dissertation here 

He was awarded the Robert Mondavi Memorial prize for the highest score in Theory and his Dissertation achieved the highest pass mark in his year.With a background in teaching as well as wine Tim has helped dozens of MW students over the years to achieve their goals through his private tuition classes.

Tim has two travel companies specialising in wine tourism. James Busby Travel is a B2B company that takes wine trade professionals from around the world on educational tours to Australia.

Vineyard Safaris offers premium one day wine tours for private individuals and small groups in Australia

Tim is one half of film company Green-Shoot that provides wineries and wine companies with video content and integrated digital media solutions

He writes a monthly column for Australia’s Wine Business Magazine and prefers analogue to digital, in both music and wine. He divides his time between Europe and Australia

Don't Label Me

I would never buy a wine based on the label. My superior wine palate and knowledge means I don't need to resort to such trickery as a front label.




Wrong!

I'm a sucker for a wine label as much as any punter who goes into a bottle shop.


Exhibit A = Woods Crampton "The Big Show".

And fortunately for me, I'm not the only one who is susceptible to lures of wine marketers and their wily ways.



This Instagram post from Master of Wine Peter Scudamore-Smith, is acutely aware of the need for engaging labels.

For those interested in the psychology of wine labels and the ability of wine marketers to guide a customer in their purchasing behaviors. you can't go past this excellent article by News' Tony Love.

The story draws on insights from Professor Frank Lockshin from the University of Adelaide. Lockshin, a wine marketing expert and points out that on average a consumer takes 40 seconds to make a purchasing decision.


No pressure to get that label right.

You'll Love An Act Like this

De Bortoli Wines are one of the family wineries that often get tarnished because of their heritage. There success was built on affordable wines produced out of the grape processing factory that is Griffith.

And yet with many successful family businesses, the on going generations add depth and diversity to this original success. They adapt to find relevance to the society that they live in, make a living and consequentially creating a legacy.

And this is happening today with Leanne De Bortolli and her Yarra Valley division. With insightful marketing and modern winemaking from De Bortolli's husband Steve Webber.

Located on the Melba Highway in the upper Yarra, DeBortolli's have produced a beautiful range called La Boheme. A node to the Highway named after Australia's first entertainment superstar abroad, Nellie Melba and her role as the tragic Mimi in the Opera "La Boheme"

Be assured that this range is no tragic Opera, but with four distinct acts, the La Boheme is, as discussed earlier, insightful marketing and modern winemaking.

Act One is a Riesling blend, in what is a revisit of the classic Alsace wines of Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer.

Act Two a Pinot Gris blend is also a  look at the Alsace blends, this time includes riesling, Pinot Blanc, Gewurtztraminer and the interloping Piedmont varietal, Favorita.

Act Three is the very pretty Pinot Rose.

And Act Four is a Shiraz Gamay red to finish the opera.






Tasting Notes

Act One - Riesling

Blend: Riesling (93%), Pinot Gris (5%) and Gewurtz (2%)

Clean fresh. Slightly briney.White nectarine

Aromatic - rose petal, white peach

Juicy lingering acidity. Slightly bulky green apple middle and back end as the wine warms up.

Yummy.



Act Four Syrah /Gamay

In certain circles the Shiraz and lighter variety blend has quite the following. There are those who don't - only thing wrong with Shiraz Viognier is Viognier? This is a great lunch time wine.


Colour: Magenta - to garnet

Red Rose aromas - anise/clove

Slightly reserved in the fruits: Red fruits - raspberries.

Slightly heavy on the oak to the deteriment of the fresh fruit.

Soft delicate tannins, juicy acidity.

Lingering length

I've Got 99 Bottles But This Book Ain't One

The Psychology Of Wine Labels; Part 1


Wine labels. Do wine snobs still buy based on what a label looks like? You bet they do. 

This is a little warm up to a series of stories on the Psychology of Wine Labels. 

Creative Design companies don't always get the opportunity to show off their portfolio to the general public. 

99 Bottles Of Wine by CF Napa Brand Design is a beautiful book with a US focus. 

http://99bottlesofwine.com/

99 Bottles of Wine: The Making of the Contemporary Wine Label  is a celebration of this unique and evolving art form. David  Schuemann, Owner and Creative Director of CF Napa Brand Design, reveals the inspiration and strategic thinking behind ninety-nine of the most successful packaging designs from thecompany’s portfolio—from solutions for boutique producers 

Manky Cherries Are A Thing

Wine gets better with age - right? Right? Anyone? Taste is such a personal thing and aged wine sometimes bring characters to them that don't always ring bells for me. The key to the recipe is tannins. Tannins those elusive compounds that apparently make wine the bees knees.

Spanish Tinto

These large complex compounds that are drawn from the wine skins as well as the barrels during maturation are anti-oxidant in nature. You know? the healthy antioxidant.

During the maturation process the tannin compounds will slowly chew up the interesting characters that make a young wine, a young wine. The purple colours and fresh fruit characters.

With their antioxidant effect, the tannins will oxidise these delicate flavours and colours, giving way to the underlying red colour and savoury flavours.

And that is an aged wine. 

Now the Spanish Tinto I tried recently received the following review;

         Well that was a challenging wine.

         Manky cherries, sock-it-to-ya oak 

         spewing out the anise and a slippery 

      acidity to clean it up. One for the wine fans

 #notthattheresanythingwrongwiththat

So if we get serious for one moment, let's translate my dodgy words into a serious tasting note describing this 9 year old wine. And below is a tasting note from the Importer Echelon Wines as a young wine.

Tasting Note:

With a slightly smelly nose that disappears with decanting, the wine is dominated by a slightly over ripe cherry character, followed by a star anise, licorice strongly reflecting new oak that once blended in with the delicate fresh fruit characters. The savoury finish and fine delicate tannins, that sneaks in the end is balanced off with a fresh bright acidity that makes this still a great food wine.

Echelon Wines - 2011
Deep red in colour with purple hues, the VT displays a nose of blackberry, lively spicy fruits, currants, and freshly sawn wood notes. The upfront lifted red fruit palate presents exciting and fun licorice flavors with elegant tannins and a well balanced acid structure.

Is it better? For me no. But for many it is; but the key most importantly is that it is different and that is the joy of wine. Diversity in style, the variation and the unpredictability.  Enjoy.

A New Year Resolution

Of course a New Year's resolution is meant to be broken; after all what would the human frailty be without failure.

The origin of a New Year's resolution is murky at best, but my suspicions are that it was born of some futile Victorian Era piety. Those guys were party poopers if ever there was a generation to dampen things.

None the less, my endeavour is the write some more. I enjoy the research aspect of writing. Pulling together ideas that may produce a coherent and engaging narrative. A narrative that people will freely invest their time in. 

Ideas don't come easily nor freely and most certainly not chronologically. They take time to ferment and stew and are utterly obvious to deadlines; implied or imposed. But with some inspiration from the Spanish lateral thinker, Picasso I push on to hone this craft. For those looking for similar inspiration you can find some of his insights at Brain Pickings here. 

And my final thoughts on the subject come from this simple saying I discovered recently. I actually had it said to me firmly this year. It is necessary occasionally, but I do wish for enough energy for it to come from within, rather than have it pointed out. Be careful what you wish for? 

So... proceed 2015.

Heritage Lost

A cellar door environment is such an amazing place to meet a diversity of people. In a place like the Hunter Valley you are  always likely to meet people who work in the mining industry and those that you meet a most likely to be at a relatively high level in the organisation.

Discussion almost always politely leads towards the balance of mining and agriculture. Sometimes I am cheeky enough to discuss environmental rehabilitation programs; always a favourite, because of course as soon as you discuss water table protection and soil profile you get a change of subject - heritage lost.

The Hunter Valley is a place of heritage lost from many different perspectives as I am certain many of the Dairy Industry could tell you. From a miners perspective, there is much money being spent to demonstrate that co-habitation with agriculture is viable long term; go to the NSW Miners Page for more information.

The corporate raiders who make decisions on our lifestyle come from many different fronts and many different eras. For a look at wine rationalization during the 20th century one only needs to look at the treatment of the Lindemans name by companies like the cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris, followed by corparate winemakers, Southcorp.

This story is best articulated by the "Best Wine Under $20" webpage; the article is titled "Death by a Thousand Cuts".

And to finish on a positive note, heritage is never lost when passionate families get behind their own region and invest for the long term. There is a no better example of this than the Tyrrell family, headed by Bruce Tyrrell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz_084MGzPM.

Alternate Grape Varieties

                       

Of all the subjects on wine that I have researched over the years, this paraphrased article from the 1st Century AD historian Pliny The Elder proves one thing. As humans, we remember little and we learn from nothing. Harsh, but please humour my little academic exercise in what are alternative wine varieties.

                        I cannot sufficiently express my astonishment, that some  

                        grape varieties and even their names have become totally 

                        extinct, and lost to history; while some varieties written 

                        about by various authors, have wholly disappeared from

                        modern production.

                       Despite the loss of these ancient varieties, who does not 

                       readily admit that with modern communication methods 

                       we have made a rapid progress in access to an incredible 

                       array of new alternative wine styles and varieties to enjoy? 

                       Pliny The Elder - Natural History Encyclopedia (79 AD)

                     

CHAP. 1 —THE NATURE OF THE VINE. ITS MODE OF FRUCTIFICATION.

Pliny The Elder - Wikipedia

One of the most well known wine quotes of Pliny is the phrase "In Vino Veritas" which is often translated to "in wine there is truth". Another translation which is perhaps more accurate and perhaps intended is, "Drinking wine leads to the truth".

DRINK WINE, MAKE WORDS - The Wine Cellar

Wine cellars are such beautiful places; mostly dark, quiet, peaceful places. Sometimes decorated. Sometimes neat. Sometimes messy. But always likely to present a surprise.

A wine cellar is the repository of the owner's past, present and future endeavors. Maybe it holds the wine that was inherited, or collected for old friends to share and reminisce over. On the other side a cellar whispers the aspirations of the future and places yet to have arrived at. 

Stepping into my own wine cellar, the room has a clean floor and polished walls of refrigeration panel. The wines are stacked in neatly positioned racks. Not obsessively ordered - not far from it. I feel it needs some more work; to make it authentic. But the space was previously a hen house - how more authentic does it need to be?

When the weather is cold and you need to find something to warm the cockles of your heart, accessing wine requires commitment. A trek through the garage, out to the back of the yard, through a shed and into the cellar. 2 sets of keys are required to get through this labyrinth as well as exposure to the elements - it takes commitment.

What to drink? With a large cellar, sometimes the choices are too difficult. But heading to the Pinot section is always fun. You get down on your knees searching for something elusive, something that probably disappeared long ago. 

Hold on. What have I got? Rub the dust and a little bit of mould too.  

You beauty... 2008 Giant Steps Gladysdale Pinot Noir.

Rib Eye Fillet and Hunter Shiraz By The Fire

Let’s have a look at food and wine pairing. Just in case you haven’t been outside all week – Winter is here!

What better way to celebrate the change in season, but to get stuck into a big piece of red meat, with a Tower Estate Shiraz and settle in by an open fire.

Now that we have your attention and your mouth watering, we have a great recipe for you. Executive Chef George Francisco has got a fantastic Rib Eye fillet recipe for you to try out.

And if you are in the Hunter Valley this weekend, you can always call into Roberts Restaurant and get George to cook it himself; after all this awesome dish is on the current menu.

download it here

Enjoy.

Rib Eye Fillet and Hunter Shiraz By The Fire

 

Print

Oven roasted Ranger’s Valley rib eye Black pepper blistered green beans, rich puréed potatoes béarnaise sauce, jus.

Author: George Francisco

Recipe type: Winter Meal

Cuisine: Comfort

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Oven roasted rib eye:
• 2 kilos Ranger’s Valley rib eye
• sea salt
• black pepper
• Black pepper blistered green beans:
• 480 grams green beans
• 100 grams butter
• 10 grams freshly ground black pepper
• 8 eschallots
• 30 grams corn flour
• 120 ml vegetable oil
• sea salt

Instructions

1. Oven roasted rib eye:
2. Rub sea salt and black pepper all over the rib eye. Warm a thick large pan or barbeque until very hot. Place rib eye in pan and brown each side very well. When all sides are browned. Place on baking pan and roast in 200 degree oven until it is cooked to your liking. The recommendation is 40 minutes at 180 degrees and then rest the beef in a warm place for 30 minutes.
3. To serve re warm if necessary in the oven or just slice and plate as it is.
4. It is recommended to serve the roast rib eye with black pepper blistered green beans, rich pureed potatoes, béarnaise sauce, jus and any condiments you find necessary.
5. Black pepper blistered green beans:
6. Trim the green beans of any woody ends. Slice 4 of the eschallots thinly and toss in the corn flour. Heat the oil in a sauce pan until 170 degrees. Fry the  schallots in the oil stirring carefully to ensure they brown evenly. When light brown and toasted remove from oil. Blot dry on paper towels and season lightly with sea salt. Reserve until ready to serve the beans.
7. Soften the butter. Dice the remaining eschallots.Sauté lightly in a sauce pan with a touch of oil until transcucent. Remove from pan and add to softened butter. Add freshly ground black pepper to the butter. Season lightly with sea salt and then mix the butter well.
8. Bring water to a boil in a pot and heat a sauce pan to very hot. Add the trimmed beans to the water and cook until al dente. Remove the beans from the water and immediately add to the very hot sauce pan. This will blister the beans. Saute the beans for a few seconds and then add the butter mixture to the beans and season with a bit of sea salt. Cook the beans until they are well blistered and coated with the butter.
9. Serve in a dish with the fried eschallots sprinkled on top.

State Of Origin - NSW Wine Vintage

With vintage well and truly done, it is time for a bit of review from Andrew Thomas at Thomas Wines via Gourmet Traveler Wine.

For the full article check it out here.

Mike Bennie takes us on a tour of NSW’s wine regions, talking to winemakers about the 2013 red vintage. 

Andrew Thomas, Winemaker, Thomas Wines, Hunter Valley
"Well, despite some challenging conditions with all that nasty weather up north, we've actually come through relatively unscathed," says the affable Andrew Thomas of Thomas Wines. "It seems much of New South Wales didn't get smashed by rain and talking to winemakers around the area, everyone is extremely happy with the quality of the reds this year," he qualifies. This comes off the back of the red wine disaster in the Hunter Valley in 2012, where summer seemed to pass unnoticed, quashed by incessant rain.

Thomas, affectionately known as Thommo by most in the wine community, says that red wines from 2013 offer respite. "This year it's so good to have high quality reds in the house - I am pretty impressed. I talked to people in the supermarket or pub, winemakers like Jim Chatto, Mike De Iuliis and PJ Charteris, and everyone is punching the air and saying it's all looking great."

So why the turn around in 2013 for red wines of New South Wales? "Well, a lot of it comes down to vineyard management, pedigree of vineyard, vineyards we hear about that might have that something special to get them over the line," explains Thomas. "It also comes down to crop levels, anything that was too big a crop struggled to get ripe. We go through and thin down anything that looks on the higher side."...

The Hunter, of course, still holds Thomas' biggest interest for red wines. "The contemporary style of Hunter Valley shiraz is more fruit driven with aromatic vibrancy and it's elegant, medium bodied and savoury," he says. "Across a lot of New South Wales we've seen producers following this lead with unforced wines which are ticking the authentic-to-region box, which is something often overlooked." Thomas cites Clonakilla, particularly Tim Kirk's work with shiraz, as iconic wine of New South Wales. He also elevates Canberra District producers Ravensworth, Nick O'Leary and Alex McKay as "doing great stuff with red grapes". He earmarks Winburndale, Chalkers Crossing, and Lowe from Mudgee as heirs apparent.

Winter In The Vineyards

Winter in the vineyards is not everyone’s favourite time of the year; cold mornings and late sunrises aren't always fun. Grape vines look like they are having a hard time too; bedraggled with intertwined canes devoid of leaves.

But it is such an important time of the year.

The vines have worked so hard producing fruit, drawing water and nutrients all summer to make the perfect grapes; the sap that is so important to sending the nutrients to the leaves and fruit has now stopped flowing.

It is time to rest.

Pruning of the vines has started. With no sap in the vines, the canes can be safely pruned, ready for the spring burst of heat. The pruning process is not mechanical. Yes. Not mechanical.

This is a job for the keen eye and a perfectionist who loves the outdoors. Remember that they are pruning in the fresh winter mornings. Pruning controls the quantity and the quality of fruit for the coming year. Too many buds left on the vine and you have excess fruit, struggling for nutrients. Too few buds and you have cut your crop and your income in half. These are important decisions being made. Decisions that we will rely on over the coming years.

For the benefit of your wine.