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A weekday trip to McLaren Vale

08 Wednesday Dec 2010

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It happened that a number of my classmates, including myself had the day off today. We decided to do a small day trip to taste through McLaren Vale. We visited several wineries, and revisited some that I’d been to already. The previous day’s thunderstorms had passed and it was a perfectly beautiful, unusually cool day to go wine tasting.

Our first stop was Fox Creek Wines, where we tasted through their basic line of wines. While the Duet Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot blend had an unusual green character, the JSM Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc was the star of the show. The wine was not too overwhelming, showing balanced fruit and smooth tannins.

Next, we went to the beautiful Primo Estate. The modern architecture an interesting counterpoint to the more “Old World” inspired wines. The winery has close ties with Italy, and the wines we tasted show this influence. The cellar door showed us a great time, tasting us through both their regular and JOSEPH bottlings. While the JOSEPH wines were a bit out of the uni student budget, we were thankful for the opportunity to taste them. All of the wines were balanced and had good structure. Notable among the bunch was a Colombard with floral tropical fruit flavors and personality. I did not expect to find a Colombard with so much flavor! There was also a Nebbiolo and an Amarone style wine called Moda, made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It was very interesting to try–The weight and concentration was the similar to true Amarone, but the flavours were very different from the Corvina grapes used in Italy.

S.C. Pannell was the next stop, located on Main Street in McLaren Vale. Unfortunately, we were visiting on a Wednesday, and they only shared two wines with us–the Nebbiolo and the Tempranillo Touriga blend. The wines were interesting, but the room was small, cluttered and not the ideal tasting space.

We then went to the Salopian Inn, which not only serves food, but operates as the tasting room for both Gemtree and Dowie Doole wineries. The wines were reasonably priced and were solid efforts. The Gemtree Shiraz wines all had great spicy fruit, and were a bargain. After the tasting, we stayed to have lunch. The food was good, if a bit pricey. But there were some McLaren Vale beers on tap and the ambience was nice and relaxing. 

After lunch, we visited Tapestry Wines. Tapestry was a beautiful spot. While the wines were solid, they did not excite me as much as the view from the patio. This could have been due to post-lunch fatigue, though, so I look forward to trying these wines again at a later time.

Samuel’s Gorge seemed to be the favorite boutique winery of all the folks we ran into today. It was nice to revisit this spot. I walked away with their Grenache, which I hope to open during Christmas.

Our last stop was Olivers Tarranga. It was wonderful to revisit this winery. This time, the Fiano was available to taste, and I appreciated the racy mouthwatering acid. The most notable wine was the Reserve Shiraz. Its grapes came from a vineyard block where half is made into the Reserve Shiraz, while the other half is sent to Penfolds for Grange. The quality of the fruit definitely shone through despite our tired palates. We were able to try the current release, 2008, as well as a museum release from 2003.

All in all, it was a great day to visit McLaren Vale, and I still can’t believe we tasted wines from 8 different producers in one day! A weekday was a great time to go, as crowds were minimal, and we were able to have great conversations with the cellar door staff. I highly recommend coming wine tasting during the busy summer season during the week if you can.

Tagging Vines in the Barossa

03 Friday Dec 2010

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Today, the research group trekked out to the Barossa to tag vines in the South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI) Nuriootpa vineyards. The vines were artificially treated to warm their growing environment, and the vine and berry development has been monitored over the year. My team is focused on acid development in the grapes.

To “heat treat” the vines, plastic structures were built to encase and radiate heat from the sun. Similar to how a car in the sun heats up, these clear plastic increase the temperature of the environment by about 3 degrees Celsius. To tag the vines, we had to open and squeeze inside and search for bunches to tie with colored tape. Let me tell you, the heat treatment works very well, especially on a hot sunny day! The heat treatment study allows researchers to examine the effects on warmer temperatures on vine development, and perhaps prepare the industry for further effects of global warming.

We’ll be checking on the vines every couple of weeks, sampling berries and freezing them onsite with liquid nitrogen. There will be more vineyard sampling on the campus vineyards as well. I’m really excited, and I’ll be learning loads this summer!

Semester Reflections and Summer Plans

30 Tuesday Nov 2010

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To explain the lapse in updates, all I can say is that it’s been a little more than crazy lately. Between wrapping up the semester, studying for exams and finding a new flat and moving, it’s been a busy couple of months!

My first semester has been truly fantastic in terms of learning and befriending truly outstanding individuals. That Chardonnay wine we spent all term making turned out better than we hoped, if not a bit alcoholic — 14.3% abv!! All the classes I’ve taken were worthwhile and I hope next term will be as interesting. The post-grad students have certainly become a tight-knit group over the semester and it’s been really great socializing and learning together. Apparently, last year’s class did not have the same social dynamic as we do, so I count myself very lucky and privileged to be a part of this stellar group. Over the term, there were countless BYO dinners in Chinatown, and BBQs and parties. Last week, the gang had a fantastic Thanksgiving feast complete with two turkeys, bountiful sides and pies. And of course copious amounts of wine!

I’m getting a real handle on what Adelaide has to offer, and so many of my classmates are working local cellar doors that I am bound to know someone wherever I go. Now that things have quieted down, I can endeavor to keep this space updated with my wine adventures this summer! And boy, there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming months! I will be helping one of my favorite professors Dr Chris Ford with some research in his lab. And when I’m not working, I’ll be travelling! Next month, I will be traveling to Melbourne, the South Island of New Zealand and from Adelaide to Melbourne through Coonawarra and over the Great Ocean Road. Watch this space to see what wineries I check out!

Photos from field trip to Wirra Wirra

19 Sunday Sep 2010

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This past Thursday, the Introductory Winemaking class went on a field trip to visit Wirra Wirra Vineyards in McLaren Vale. We met with the viticulturalist and two winemakers who gave us a tour of their operation.

Shiraz Budburst! Can you see the beginnings of 2 bunches of grapes in there?


Head viticulturalist at Wirra Wirra

While the vineyards owned by Wirra Wirra are in the process of biodynamic certification, the grapes bought from other growers are unfortunately not biodynamic. The vineyards are laced with soursob (the yellow flowers found between the rows), clover and lupin (blue-purple flowers). After a review of the vineyard’s biodynamic preparations and spray treatments, we were led on a tour of the winery. Grape recieval and fermentation tanks were all outside, while the historic winery is used mainly for barrel maturation.

Grape recieval at Wirra Wirra


Winery at Wirra Wirra


View from the top of tank fermenters


Historic press at the winery, only for show


Oak barrels upon barrels

After walking through the winery, the winemakers allowed us to taste some unfinished and finished wines. All in all it was an informative trip, and good to learn about the viticultural and winemaking operations at Wirra Wirra.

Flooding in Clare Valley

04 Saturday Sep 2010

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This morning, fellow students and I braved the stormy weather to visit Clare Valley which lies just under 2 hours driving northeast of Adelaide. Apparently, work crews had been trolling up and down the road all day removing debris and fallen trees from the main arteries. Despite the torrential rain, Clare Valley has become my favorite wine region I’ve visited so far in Australia. The whites were consistently bright and racy, while the reds were very elegant and food-friendly Cabernet and Shiraz. To top it all off, the wines were all very reasonably priced.

We started off with a visit to Jim Barry Wines. While the cellar door was friendly, but not very knowledgeable. Fortunately, the wines spoke for themselves. Most of the wines were priced under $20. There were several Rieslings in many styles and flavor profiles from fruit-forward to austere and dry to sweet. The Shiraz/Malbec/Cabernet blend the Three Little Pigs won us over with its approachable fruit but with enough heft and complexity to keep us interested. I left looking forward to sharing my bottles of the Three Little Pigs and the Watervale Riesling.

Next, we wanted to visit Leasingham, but soon learned the cellar door had been closed for over a year. So we then consoled ourselves with the offerings at Kirrihill Wines in their beautiful tasting room. The staff was very knowledgeable, and the wines were solid if not a touch boring. Among the memorable wines was the Chardonnay Brut sparkler which was lemon crisp, rich, and had a very creamy texture.

Then we made a brief stop at Tim Adams nearby where other students were tasting. This winery was unique in offering a Tempranillo, a botrytized Riesling and a 20 year old port. The wines displayed wonderful typicity as well as value. The favored red among the students was the mouthfilling ‘The Fergus’ Grenache blend that had a balance of acidity, fruit, and tannin.

A number of locals raved about the food at Sevenhill Hotel, so that seemed to be a logical place to go for lunch. We were ravenous, which made the slow kitchen seem even slower, but the food hit the spot. The weather just did not let up, and we decided we could visit one more winery. Our first choice, Kilikanoon, was inaccessible due to flooding in the roads.

We finally found ourselves at Claymore Wines, where all the bottlings were named after various rock albums. The kitsch did not detract from the quality of the fruit and winemaking. The red wines were the most bombastic that we had all day with grippy tannins and flavors tending more toward Barossa heft. It was nice to see the range of styles that could be produced with in Clare Valley, even if those heavier wines are not my preference.

It was now time to head back before we got flooded in ourselves. We left very satisfied with our visit to Clare Valley and we will definitely be back, hopefully in sunnier conditions!

A Sunny Day at Barossa Gourmet Weekend!

22 Sunday Aug 2010

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View from Barossa Valley Estate's Cellar Door Patio

The rainclouds gave us a much needed break this weekend, which was perfect timing for the 2010 NAB Barossa Gourmet Weekend! Yesterday and today, numerous wineries opened their cellar doors, hosted live bands and some of the area’s finest caterers to serve food that pairs with the wines. This weekend extravaganza happens every August, and you can check out this year’s program at www.barossagourmetweekend.com.au. This morning, some enterprising wine marketing students organized a bus to go to a number of venues and check out what the day’s events had to offer. With a filled bus, the transportation for the day only cost me $20!

Our first stop was the Magnificent 7: Wine Guns from the West tasting event in Angaston. I bought a glass for $5 and went straight to the ‘Terroir Table’. Here, various buckets of soils were laid out in front of 7 different Shiraz wines. The soils ranged from sandy loam, clay-rich, conglomerate and rocky soil types. It was interesting to see and I can’t say that I could taste their influence so much, but my favorite wines from the table were from Tscharke and Russell Wines. Tscharke was in a more elegant style and less fruit-forward, while the Russell Wine was a great example of a fruity powerful Barossa Shiraz.

St Hallett

The next stop was St Hallett in Tanunda. At St Hallett, I lunched on suckling pig on cauliflower mash, paired with their Old Vine Grenache, and split the Shiraz cake with a friend. The pork paired well with the Grenache, but I wish the Grenache was not so watery for drinking on its own. I later had a glass of the Blackwell Shiraz which had everything you’d want in a great Shiraz — length, fruit, and interesting flavors that balanced  the alcohol.

The final stop was Barossa Valley Estate in Marananga. Here, I sampled the E & B Black Pepper Shiraz, but decided to get a glass of their Chardonnay to go with the mushroom spinach and feta bruschetta. The live band played some nice 60s Beatles and Motown covers, and it set the mood to a great way to end our day in Barossa. Great conversations and enjoying wine to good music and food, I definitely got a flavor of what Barossa Gourmet Weekend is all about!

A Dreary Sunday Tasting in Adelaide Hills

01 Sunday Aug 2010

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Today, a few classmates and I decided to go tasting in Adelaide Hills despite the rainy weather. A few of us had never been before and wanted to check it out, as well, as to try examples of Adelaide Hills Chardonnay in particular. (In one of our classes this term, we’ll be making a wine made from Chardonnay grown in this region.) If you are planning a visit, please know that unlike other wine regions in the area, the wineries in Adelaide Hills are pretty spread out. A good map or a dedicated GPS is highly recommended. Our friend was using his iPhone for a GPS, and it kept losing its signal.

Our first stop was the tasting room at Petaluma. It was located in the historic Bridgewater Mill, which was converted to a beautiful tasting room and entertainment space. We tried several of the premium Petaluma, the more modest Bridgewater Mill wines and the Croser sparkling wines. The sparklers were phenomenal. We tasted the Chardonnay that put Petaluma (and Adelaide Hills) on the map. It was tremendously oaked and very buttery. Only the Bridgewater Mill and Croser wines were made from local fruit. The Petaluma wines were sourced from some of the top vineyards across South Australia, including Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra.

We then made it over to The Lane Vineyard. The estate is picturesque and the cellar door also houses one of the best dining rooms in the area. It turns out that one of our classmates was working the cellar door that day so we got a good sampling of every wine on offer. They had a that was fruit-driven and some oak, and a buttery oaked Chardonnay that managed to retain good acid.

Then it was off to Hahndorf, a quaint German town, for lunch at the German Cake Shop. I got a Cransky (German sausage baked in puff pastry and topped with sesame seeds) and a pretzel, delicious! Then we decided to stop into the Bierhaus in Lobethal to get some palate cleansing beer before going to another tasting. The Bierhaus was totally full, so we decided to power on to the next tasting and come back later for beer. Luckily, Tilbrook Estate’s winery was only a few hundred meters away. The small winery and tasting room were in the same room, and the winemaker poured and explained his wines to us. The Sauvignon Blanc was stellar, but unfortunately they were sold out of their Chardonnay. The entry level reds were fantastic, and we couldn’t believe they cost only $15.

After a glass of beer at the Bierhaus, we went over to Ashton Hills, which is known for their Pinot Noir. It was interesting to taste the style of pinot noir which was more medium-bodied, not overly fruity, and more Burgundian. There was also a 1992 Cabernet Malbec blend made from grapes sourced from the Wendouree area of Clare Valley. Wendouree is known for extremely tannic wines, and this was very apparent in what we tasted. The wines still had a lot of fruit and very grippy tannins, despite being 8 years old. It was getting close to 5pm, when most cellar doors close, so it was time to go home. It’s astounding, it only took 15 minutes for us to get home! It was definitely an inspiring trip, and I hope we can make a Chardonnay this year even half as good as what we tasted. This is definitely a spot I would love to revisit!

Visiting McLaren Vale before classes start

24 Saturday Jul 2010

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Yesterday, some friends and I drove up to McLaren Vale to do some wine tasting before we get super busy with classes. We visited 4 wineries: d’Arenberg, Coriole, Pirramimma, and Samuels Gorge.

D’Arenberg was clearly the largest operation, and the name most familiar to everyone, as they export around 75% of their production. The wines we tasted were all top notch. I was most pleased with the crisp yet buttery Olive Grove Chardonnay, and a gorgeous botrytized Viognier Pinot Gris Marsanna wine called The Noble Mud Pie. So many dessert wines in Australia tend to be fortified, and I was delighted to find a good late harvest example.

Next up was Coriole. They were sold out of their Fiano, but we tried some nice Chenin Blanc. Afterwards we decided to break for lunch. We ended up at Magnums, which served generous portions and some local wine and beer. After lunch we went to Pirramimma. Pirramimma is known for their port style wine, which unfortunately they were sold out, and we could not taste it. Instead, we sampled a fortified wine made from Grenache. Below is a picture of part of the cellar at Piramimma.

Our last winery visit was Samuels Gorge, which does not export at all. Around 85% of their sales are through the cellar door, and the rest on their mailing list. It was by far the smallest operation, and the cellar door employee let us walk through their winery operations. Apparently, 50 to 70 tons of grapes are basket pressed each harvest in very modest press, pictured below. Their grenache was the best example we’ve found so far in our visits so far!

Overall, it was a great visit, it’s unbelievable that all these great wine producers are literally an hour away from Adelaide. A perfect way to get geared up for the semester!

Visiting the National Wine Centre of Australia

21 Wednesday Jul 2010

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Not far from the University of Adelaide’s North Terrace campus is the National Wine Centre. The building itself is an architectural feat, my camera wouldn’t do it justice. A visit here can literally hit all your senses. In addition to conference spaces, and dining facilities, there is a very large interactive exhibit called the Wine Discovery Journey. There are touch screens, a gallery of many different varietals, smelling stations, microscopic views of vineyard pests, and interactive modules to make your own wine. You can explore all the wine regions of Australia and see interviews with Australian winemakers and chefs. The cafe offers wine tastings at a cost, depending on what wine flights you choose. There are also tasting events with various winemakers every Friday. Periodically, the Centre also runs wine education classes as well for those looking for more in depth knowledge.

Overall, the National Wine Centre is a great way to spend an afternoon. There is even a wine tourism information desk to help plan your next trip into wine country. The exhibits are free, and the building is open to the public, every day even holidays. This place is designed to get you excited about wine, and it certainly does!

National Wine Centre of Australia
Corner of Botanic and Hackney Roads,
Adelaide SA 5000
Phone: +61 8 8303 3355
Fax: +61 8 8303 7444

Getting settled and signed up for classes

20 Tuesday Jul 2010

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I have a few more days of exploring before classes start, but yesterday, I went to the campus for a bit of a meet and greet with the other international wine students. The students come from all over the world, from China, Japan, India, South Africa, Venezuela, Canada, Israel and of course the United States. The Waite campus has a huge arboretum (pictured above), and of course vineyards, which you can see in the photo below, through the gumtrees.

I have already signed up for classes for the semester. I’ll be taking Introductory Winemaking, Fermentation Technology, Sensory Evaluation, and Distillation, Fortified and Sparkling Wine. It’ll be a pretty busy semester, all the classes have 4 hours of practicals (lab work) every week, in addition to lectures and tutorials (discussion). It looks like we’ll be put in groups to make a barrel of white wine, which is pretty exciting. Just a few days more!

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