Time that is moved by little fidget wheels Is not my time, the flood that does not flow. Between the double and the single bell Of a ship’s hour, between a round of bells From the dark warship riding there below, I have lived many lives, and this one life Of Joe, long dead, who … Continue reading Balancing The Contradiction – Living Between Five Bells
The Hunter Valley has cast a long shadow over the NSW wine scene for many, many decades, and for good reason too, as it is Australia’s first, and oldest wine growing region. And then, there is the sleeping giant of Orange, located approximately 3 hours west of Sydney, which is, today, one of Australia’s fastest … Continue reading Out From The Shadows – Alex Retief and The Wines of NSW.
“It’s about the rock and roll”, says Tom Belford, from Bobar Wines, Yarra Valley, “you get some grapes and make some wine… it’s like you hang a mic from the ceiling, play some music, and make an album.” Bobar, is the passion project for Tom and Sally Belford, two viticulturists who met and studied together … Continue reading Rocking Out! – The Creative Simplicity of Bobar Wines.
“There’s no sidetracks, there’s no compromise, we want to be the best biodynamic producer in this region, full stop”, says a determined Mike Brown, chief winemaker at Gemtree Vineyards, in the McLaren Vale, South Australia. The Gemtree Vineyards were established in 1980, when Paul and Jill Buttery purchased a vineyard on Tatachilla Road, in the heart … Continue reading Determination and Team Work – Gemtree Vineyards
“We all just have to think back 150 years ago, it’s how all farming was done. There weren’t agricultural chemicals, so this notion of calling chemical agriculture ‘conventional’, I think is going to switch in years to come, and organic and biodynamic farming will be called conventional, while the other is going to be called … Continue reading Authentic Precision, 45º South – Felton Road, Central Otago, New Zealand.
The idea was simple. An informal degustation dinner to recognise four organic wineries in the Hunter Valley, and showcase their wines alongside a simple fair of food and good company. I wanted to promote the idea of wine idealism – wines that recognise their sense of time and place (terroir) in an authentic and honest … Continue reading What’s In Your Glass? – Newcastle’s First ‘Real Wine’ Event.
It’s been said by those who have met Fraser McKinley, of Sami-Odi wines in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, that he is very generous with his time, and that his passion and enthusiasm for wine is as infectious as it is knowledgeable. But when I spoke with Fraser, he was quick to assure me that … Continue reading Transparency in the Barossa – The Story of Sami-Odi
Abel Gibson grew up surrounded by wine but was never really interested in it. His father, Rob Gibson, was senior viticulturist and winemaker at Penfolds, where Abel spent his days running through cobweb riddled cellars and riding in the grower’s trucks from the weigh-bridge around to the crusher. But, the bottom line style of winemaking at … Continue reading The Rugged Beauty of The Barossa Valley – Ruggabellus Wines
Despite it’s inclination towards natural and rural connotations, wine can sometimes be, very much, an industriously conceived product. Not to say that wine is made to a recipe, much the same as Coke or a McDonald’s cheeseburger (although some certainly are), but when you consider the amount of allowable additives that a winemaker can legally utilise to … Continue reading To Be Or Not To Be – Is Ingredient Labelling Necessary for Wine?
Spring loaded kangaroos bound between the vine rows towards a rainbow that falls neatly behind some ancient eucalyptus trees. The wind moves fast, and Will Berliner is walking barefoot through his vineyard, situated just outside the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, in Margaret River, Western Australia. Having gained a degree in Ecological Oriented Biology at Yale, Will … Continue reading Making Small Moves – Cloudburst Wines, Western Australia
Welcome to Wine Idealism... 