Winetastic

Sydney International Wine Competition - Exhibition of the top 100 wines 2007
“Educational tastings of the Blue-Gold Award winning wines from the 2007 Sydney International Wine Competition. Pour a measured sample for yourself, taste, spit it out, keep notes in the your-to-keep Note Pad which lists the wines in the same order as they are presented. The wines are grouped into thirteen Style categories, from lighter to fuller bodied, in separate displays, facilitating like-with-like comparisons.”

Place:
University & Schools Club, 60 Phillip Street, Sydney CBD.

Date and Time:
Saturday 24 March, 2.00pm to 5.30pm

Price
$55.00 per seat

Good Food & Wine Show - Sydney
“With more than 300 exhibitors the Good Food & Wine Show is the ultimate place to explore new tastes and discover the latest culinary trends from around the world…” A list of wine exhibitors can be found here and it looks as though there will be a wine and beer tasting theatre.

Place:
Sydney Exhibition Centre

Date and Time:
Friday 15 June, 10am - 6pm
Saturday 16 June, 10am - 6pm
Sunday 17 June, 10am - 5pm

Price:
Information not available at time of writing (details should be available early 2007)

The Boutique Wine Festival 2006 was held last weekend at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, surprisingly the event was staged on the same weekend as Wine Australia 2006. Fortunately the result of the clash was a relatively low attendance at the 11am-3pm session of the boutique festival that Gemma and I attended on Saturday.

The first standout winery were Vinrock from the McLaren Vale. They produce two wines, a Shiraz and a Grenache, both of which were excellent and well priced. The Vinrock Grenache 2005 ($17) showed lush berry fruits in a full bodied wine with a well balanced drying finish. The Vinrock Shiraz 2005 ($20) showed a more robust structure and needs some more time in bottle, however I feel it will develop into an excellent wine.

In a complete style contrast with Vinrock, the cool climate wines of Darling Park Winery from the Mornington Peninsula stood out due to their finesse and balance. The Darling Park Syrah 2004 ($24.50) showed restrained red fruit and pepper and the excellent balance convinced me it was worthwhile trying the Darling Park Pinot Noir 2004 ($28), which was by far the best example of the variety at the exhibition. Finally I tried the Darling Park Chardonnay 2004 ($24.50) which showed excellent balance between fruit and acidity with just a little oak on the finish.

There were many wineries from the Barossa Valley present, most of which had terribly overripe, overoaked and unbalanced wines. Enter our Barossan savior Balthazar, showing wines of intensity and balance. The Balthazar Shiraz 2001, 2002 and 2003 ($38) were all excellent, the 2002 being the pick of the bunch showing loads of ripe dark fruits, coffee flavours and enough drying tannin to provide structure and balance. I only wish these wines fell within our general price range.

Taking the Winetastic prize for the most unique wine at the show were Outram Estate from the Hunter Valley. The wine in question was the Outram Estate Verdelho 2000 ($18), which had actually been aged in oak. Another highlight was the Outram Estate Merlot 2003 ($24), which displayed typical hunter valley characters of earth and a little leather and is not unlike a softer Shiraz from the region.

The final tasting of the day was with Murray Street Vineyards from the Barossa Valley. I must admit at this stage it was becoming difficult to taste anything, even after following a strict regime of spittoon use. Starting with the Murray Street entry level range, ‘The Barossa’ Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2004 ($20) is a big and ripe example of the traditional blend that does not go over the top, it was the best GSM I tried at the show. Looking at the super premium wines, unsurprisingly all were excellent, however my pick was the MSV Greenock Shiraz 2004 ($40), a dry-grown, single vineyard Shiraz of intensity and balance.

On the whole, the majority of the wines available for tasting were very average, especially from some of the newer wine growing regions. It was actually possible to purchase wine at the event and there was a direct correlation between the quality of a producers wines, and how keen they were to offload a case or two. The top producers were happy to simply talk about the wines at length, knowing that the wines would sell themselves.

Two wine events are running at the same time next month in Sydney:

Boutique Wine Festival at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney from July 14-16. Tickets are $25 online or $30 at the door.

Wine Australia 2006 is the largest wine event in the country and will be held at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre from July 14-17. There are a load of seminars and tutorials during the event as well as the opportunity to taste more wines than you could possibly manage in a day. Tickets are $27.50.

Gemma has already posted most of our impressions from this event, however I have a few points I would like to add, as well as a list of my “top wines” at the show.

First of all, the wineries from the inland regions Mudgee and Bathurst are producing some seriously good red wines at crazy low prices. The average “boutique” wine from these regions fetches $15 at the cellar door, the premium reds were generally around the $20-25 mark. Several of these premium red wines would easily fetch upwards of $30-40 if they came from a region such as the Barossa or even Hunter Valley. There were not as many standout wines from the producers of Cowra, Young or Orange, indeed one particular Orange producer has got to be kidding themselves if they are asking $40 for their so-so Shiraz.

Winetastic Top Wines of the Show

Mudgee Region
Farmer’s Daughter Cabernet Sauvignon - 9/10
Farmer’s Daughter Merlot - 8/10
diLusso Estate Sangiovese 2004 - 8/10
diLusso Estate Vino Rosato - Rich Rose style wine, lovely dry finish - 8/10
diLusso Estate Aleatico 2005 - Pink dessert wine with dry tannin finish - 8/10
Elliot Rocke Estate Merlot 2004 - Big Merlot like most from Mudgee - 8/10
Mansfield Wines Spectabilis Red - Beujolis style, full bodied Rose, only $13! - 8/10
Mansfield Wines Touriga - New variety for me, very long finish and great balance - 8/10

Bathurst Region
Winburndale Wines Solitary Shiraz 2004 - Wine of the show, only $25 - 9/10
Winburndale Wines Fontana Cab/Merlot - Rich, complex wine - 9/10
Mount Panorama Winery Shiraz 2005 - Showing really well very young - 8/10
Mount Panorama Winery Riesling - Good acid backbone, citrus and floral notes - 8/10

Cowra Region
Mulyan Viognier 2005 - Bursting with apricot and nutty flavours, very long - 8/10

In essence these are the wines that stood out from the rest. Keep in mind that I am in no way an experienced judge, especially of over 200 wines on the day! Across the board, Farmer’s Daughter have the most complete range, diLusso are the most interesting, Mansfield are the best value for money and Winburndale had the best premium wines, ones I would be prepared to pay far more than $25 for.

Last Saturday Murray and I attended the NSW Inland Food and Wine Festival which was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney and i’d like to share some of my thoughts and feelings on the event and some of the wines on offer.

There was a fairly large crowd at the event on the Saturday morning, which is primarily aimed at the general public - one winery representative was even honest and open enough to share his dissapointment at the lack of industry people present. I personally felt very comfortable at this event, unlike the feelings of awkwardness and insignificance i left the Exhibition of Victorian Winemakers experiencing earlier on in the week. I found the representatives of the wineries and the winemakers to be much more approachable at this event, they were really enthusiastic about their wines and we weren’t dismissed because of our age. There was an obvious strong sense of community amongst the wineries and the reps as well, there was a lot of friendly banter and everyone seemed to know everyone else.

Several of our favourite Mudgee wineries were present, including Farmers Daughter Wines, Simon Gilbert Wines and di Lusso Estate, plus we got the chance to sample wines from several wineries we hadn’t had the time to get to whilst in Mudgee.

Across the board the standard of wine at this event was good, there were a lot of what i would call ‘average’ wines, but they were priced accordingly, so i could easily see myself drinking them as quaffers. For us the Semillons were particualrly dissapointing, we may have had high expectations though because of our experience with Frog Rocks 2004 Old Vine Semillon. The reds seemed to wipe the floor with the whites but maybe that’s becuase we both prefer fruit driven wines, not to say there aren’t some good fruit driven whites on the market at the moment. We did however stumble across some little gems.

Winburndale Wines produce a fantastic 2004 Solitary Shiraz which is full of rich berry flavours mixed with chocolate and spice, all beautifully balanced. They also have a 2004 Fontana Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc & Merlot which is superbly smooth and a little sweeter. I think these two wines along with Elliot Rocke Estate’s 2005 Ice Wine, and di Lusso Estate’s 2005 Aleatico were my pick of the show. The Aleatico is a pink sticky with a soft muscat nose, and on the palate there is a slight sweetness present that isn’t overpowering, followed by a lovely dry finish. It really is a beautiful, balanced wine and at $25 a bottle i think there is fantastic value to be had.

Overall i came away from the event impressed. Impressed at the different styles within some varietels and impressed with the value of some of the wines on offer. Also i’m keen to explore ‘ice wine’ having never even heard of it before the show. The show was definatly worth attending and i feel a lot more familiar with the wine varieties and the big names to look out for in NSW.

When there are a large number of wineries in the one place it might be easy to get overwhelmed and want to experience them all - some of your old favourite wineries and ones you missed the last time around.

A noble goal to be sure, but this isn’t a trip up to the Hunter Valley with enforced waiting time between wineries, or cheese and bikkies handed to you on a golden platter of sobriety… no, this could quite well be the best and worst day of wine in your life.

Don’t try and drink all the wine. Don’t even try to drink half the wine.

Although you might think spitting is morally offensive, and an abhorred waste of good (or even quite average) wine, it will save your life at wine events such as these… allowing you to go further and discover more great wine! Furthermore;

Tipping out wine after you’ve tried half of the poured serving doesn’t work!

Also, some warning signs to watch for that you might about to have the best and worst day of wine in your life:

• A marked feeling of dread, since a part of you knows you need to slow down and drink water and eat… anything. (act on this feeling!)
• Wine maker representative compliments you with a proud gusto on being the first to “drink all their wine”.
• The room is spinning
• You can’t even stomach a Quarter Pounder

Also, it might be wise to have more than a Cheesymite scroll from a bakery before the event.

This ends the quick tip.

Only just noticed that Darby from Vinodiversity has recently completed a book: Emerging Varietal Wines of Australia. Vinodiversity is a great site which I have used in the past to expand my knowledge of the less common grape varieties being grown in Australia, best of all the information is all there for free.

I wish him all the best with the book launch this saturday, which also includes some tastings with Joel Pizzini from Pizzini Wines.

Event Details:
Saturday 4th February 2006 12-2pm

Cloudwine Cellars
317 Clarendon Street
South Melbourne

This will be the final post in my coverage of the Exhibition of Victorian Winemakers which Gemma and I attended last Monday. Unfortunately time had run away from us during the pinot noir class, leaving only a short amount of time to taste some of the red wines of Victoria. I can honestly say that across the board the reds were far more appealing than the white wines, however before I get to the serious business of Shiraz and Cabernet blends, a quick note on Victorian Rose.

Most of the producers had a rose as part of their lineup, almost all were thankfully very dry in style and we only tasted one that was sweet lolly water. The typical Cictorian Rose is an “onion skin” colour, very subtle wines that are… actually ill stop there, I shouldn’t bother writing about them, nor should you bother drinking them, especially with the rather high $20 average price tag.

Back on track once more, there were some standout reds from the handful of producers we managed to reach before the event ended for the evening. Delatite confirmed its position as my favorite winery at the show, with the outstanding 2002 RJ Cabernet Merlot, which I recall retails for around $40. Stanton & Killeen Wines also came through with a nice surprise with their 2002 Durif, a variety which is very much out of fashion, but I enjoyed its incredible length.

We did manage to sample several shiraz offerings from the Heathcote region. A far cry from the fruity numbers from South Australia, most of these wines have a far lower focus on fruit flavours and a distinct minty character.

All in all the event was definitely worth attending. I feel I could have walked away with far more positive wine reviews, especially on the red front had I been familiar with the wineries of Victoria. At least now I know a few names to look out for, a few to avoid, and a better understanding of the wine regions in general.

Dont forget the NSW Inland Food & Wine Festival coming up this weekend. If any fellow bloggers or readers are attending the Sat 4 Feb 11am-3pm session then please post in the comments below!

Having spent two hours tasting whites, the call went out to say that the “sideways look at victorian pinot” tutored tasting was about to start. There were eight wines in the lineup, with the winemakers from six of the wineries present to discuss their particular regions and objectives.

Before the tastings began, some discussion was heard around the merits of the 02, 03 and 04 vintages. Across the board, most felt that 2002 was a very difficult year for pinot noir in Victoria, however a few wineries had turned out some top class wines. On the flipside, 2003 and even more so 2004 were being talked up as some of the better vintages for some time.

Some very brief tasting notes are listed below along with the lineup, and the order which I ranked them.

1. Austin’s Barrabool Pinot Noir 2004 - Simple and light, rank #7
2. Paringa Estate Estate Pinot Noir 2004 - Excellent length, lots of fruit and tannin, hot in the mouth. $50 RRP, rank #2
3. Paradigm Hill “The Oracle” Pinot Noir 2003 - Excellent length, softer tannin than the paringa, food friendly style, rank #3
4. Lethbridge Wines Pinot Noir 2003 - Earthy nose, less cherry than previous two. Lower alcohol was a relief, less fruity & more earthy tones, $28, rank #1
5. Willow Creek Benedictus 2004 Pinot Noir - Huge nose of eucalyptus and mint? Soft tannin and good length, $50, rank #5
6. Yering Station Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2003 - Plummy nose, not as overt as the willow creek, $20-25, rank #6
7. Eldridge Estate “Clone 777″ - More subtle again, excellent balance without the heat of many others, darker fruit + earthy characters, cannot buy this wine anymore, rank #4
8. Carlei Estate Pinot Noir 2002 - Huge nose again, mostly bacon fat? Winemaker appeared to be proud of this fact for some reason, couldnt take more than one sip, rank #8

Overall I was not impressed with any of the wines at their price point. Most were around the $50 mark, however the high alcohol content of many, 14-15%, was a big turnoff. The wines were not full bodied enough to carry such a high percentage.

The winemakers themselves were certainly passionate about what they do and firmly beleive they can make some of the best pinot noir in the world. The general consensus from the panel was that the quality of australian pinot had improved dramatically over the last decade, hopefully their passion will translate into further improvements over the years to come.

Overall the tutored tasting was well worth attending, although I had hoped for more in depth analysis of the wines from their makers, specifically the aromas and flavours and how they would relate to the typical varietal characteristics. I did feel that I have a far better grasp of victorian pinot noir than before I set foot in the room.

Coming up tomorrow: Part 3, Red Wines & Conclusions

Last night Gemma and I attended the Exhibition of Victorian Winemakers at the Menzies Hotel, Sydney. There was a fair size crowd in attendance, made up primarily of those working in the industry, with a few keen consumers such as ourselves thrown into the mix. There are many points I would like to discuss around the event, so my coverage will be split into three parts over the next few days. Today is Part 1: Introduction & Victorian White Wines.

The representitives for the various wineries fell into two distinct categories, those who seemed determined to ignore the presence of the younger folk with no “industry name badge” and those who were open, friendly and keen to talk about their wines with anyone who was interested. A few reps and even one winemaker completely ignored us when we approached the table, im sure times are tough for this less popular wine region and those folk are pushing for publicity and distributers at what is admittedly an industry targeted event, however at least pour a taste for those consumers keen enough to get along to the tasting as well!

Across the board, the standard of the Victorian whites was rather average. It seemed nearly every winery had a Pinot Gris/Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc on offer. Not being a fan of the latter two varieties I wont go into depth there, however I went in with an open mind on the Pinot Gris front and was left feeling rather jaded. Wine after wine, they all tasted basically the same, the better examples had some up front fruit flavours but lacked any real backbone, the rest were a bit of an acid assault to the senses. Many winemakers were really pushing the variety as “the next big thing”, I have yet to hear any consumers give it a big wrap however. As usual, most of the chardonnay examples smelled of oak, tasted of oak and had a long oaky finish.

The shining light through all of this was Delatite. We have previously given their Gewurztraminer a big thumbs up on the blog, and I am pleased to say their 2004 Riesling is just as good. Another name to look out for on the Riesling front is Paradigm Hill, they had a 2005 offering showing great finesse and balance.

Tune in again tomorrow for Part 2: A tutored Pinot Noir tasting.