“I feel very fortunate to be able to spend my days working on the farm with my family, all together,” says Sam Statham from Rosnay. Sam is an organic farmer. He grows organic wine grapes, olives, and figs on his family’s property in Canowindra, NSW. He studied Environmental Georgraphy at Sydney University and completed his … Continue reading ‘Go For The O!’ – Rosnay, Canowindra, NSW
Happy New Year, Wine Idealists! Welcome to 2016… It’s been a while between stories (but definitely not between drinks!) on thewineidealist.com… I’ve had almost a month off to unwind and assess the evolution of The Wine Idealist over the last three years. Both it and I have come a long way since I wrote a few enthused lines about … Continue reading Welcome to Wine Idealism in 2016…
They say, ‘good things come in threes…’ Back to the Future, definitely. Godfather Trilogy, absolutely. The first and second Chicago Bulls three-peat (’91-’92-’93, then ’96-’97-’98), big time… So, what about Rootstock Sydney, 2015? “The collaborative spirit from food and wine people… was palpable.” A lot has changed since 2013, when Rootstock Sydney humbly tumbled out … Continue reading ‘Good Things Come In Threes’ – Rootstock Sydney 2015
In case you haven’t noticed, Rootstock Sydney is on at Carriageworks, this weekend… Once again, there’s loads of great winegrowers, artisans and producers attending, many of which I’ve written about, here, on The Wine Idealist! So, before you go, why not read up on who’s who, what they do, and why they do it… AUSTRALIA … Continue reading Get Thee To… Rootstock Sydney 2015
“Who wants some of this?!” yells a guy wearing blue denim jeans and a ripped, red flannelette. He passes a long, skinny bottle of white wine with a strange looking label over a seething mass of party people’s heads. A hand reaches up from the mob, five fingers grasping desperately for the bottle. It eventually, … Continue reading “Hey Man!” – Rootstock Sydney 2015
– – The Wine Idealist is 3 years old! Happy Birthday to The Wine Idealist! Thank you for reading! I started this blog, back in November 2012, because I wanted to learn more about natural, organic, and biodynamic wines, specifically from Australia and New Zealand. And, because I like drinking wine… obviously. Being a journalist, I figured … Continue reading Happy Birthday! – The Wine Idealist is 3 Years Old!
– – “It is what it is,” says Daniel Graham. Daniel is a Barossa Valley winemaker who used to make wine for Jacobs Creek. He grew up in Griffith, NSW, where his father is a winemaker. He studied viticulture and winemaking at Charles Sturt University, in Wagga Wagga. After graduating, Daniel moved to Canada, before doing vintages … Continue reading ‘It Is What It Is’ – Sigurd Wines, South Australia
The Battle of Bosworth was fought on the 22nd of August 1485. It was to be the final significant battle of the War of the Roses, a civil war between two rival claimants to the throne of England by the Houses of Lancaster and York. It resulted in Henry Tudor defeating Richard III, at the … Continue reading ‘My Kingdom For A Grape Vine!’… Battle of Bosworth, McLaren Vale
– – – – “Do I have anything useful to say?”, asks David Fesq, creative conspirator, and winemaker behind one of Australia’s trendiest wine labels – Between Five Bells. “One thing I do know is that I don’t need to add any more wine to the industry.” “Wine can be so full of bullshit…” David … Continue reading VINTAGE WINE IDEALISM – Between Five Bells
“When people decide they want to convert their farm or vineyard over to organics, or biodynamics, they usually go in head first and make a lot of noise about it,” says viticulturist Toby Bekkers. Toby was GM of Paxton Vineyards, and was responsible for converting their 170 acre property in the McLaren Vale over to a certified biodynamic regime. … Continue reading ‘Slow Down. Skill Up.’ How to Convert to Biodynamics…
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