“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.
7 days to go, and it’s looking pretty bleak. The response has been less than impressive in the opening few weeks of ticket sales, but people keep telling me – “don’t worry, it’s Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, and they always buy at the last minute”. My partner in all of this, Patrick Haddock – aka, … Continue reading What Went On at What’s In Your Glass? – Newcastle’s ‘real’ Wine Fair!
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
The story of a more sustainable approach to food production and, consequently, consumption, is played out every weekend at an increasing number of farmer’s markets right across Australia and New Zealand. Whether it be sunshine or rain, these primary producers wheel out, stack, and showcase their locally grown produce for local conscientious consumers to inspect, … Continue reading On The Frontline – The Sommeliers Story of Natural, Organic and Biodynamic 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
“Integrity”, the one word chief winemaker Chris Carpenter uses to describe his entire philosophy for wine growing at Lark Hill biodynamic winery, in the cool climate of Australia’s Capital. Lark Hill was one of the first vineyards to be established in this cool continental region, back in 1978, when Chris’s parents, Sue and Dave Carpenter … Continue reading Practical Integrity – Lark Hill Biodynamic Wines
Welcome to Wine Idealism... 