Rowlee 2018 Single Vineyard Nebbiolo – Day 7 of the 12 Days of Wine

Dec 19, 2020

We visited Rowlee a little over a year ago with a group from the Wine Media Conference This was a post-conference excursion to Orange Australia sponsored by Orange 360. We joined Nicole and James at their cellar door on the vineyard. We gathered on the porch to look out on the vineyard as the sun began to set, tasting through their Pinot Gris, Riesling, and rosé.

Rowlee is in the Orange Region of Australia which is a high altitude region. This 8-hectare vineyard sits at 950 meters above sea level. That’s over 3000 feet. They sit at the foot of Mount Canobolas with ancient volcanic soils.

As we gathered at Rowlee, we sipped wines and enjoyed snacks before a tour of the property.

Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Rose from Rowlee Orange NSW Australia

Our evening began with Pinot Gris, Riesling and Rose from Rowlee

The cellar door at Rowlee is elegant and understated with a patio overlooking the vineyard

Pinot Gris in the spring at Rowlee Orange NSW Australia

October and spring in Australia, the Pinot Gris at Rowlee was just leafing.

Nicole and James had a delicious dinner prepared for us in the tasting room, which paired with their beautiful wines.

We had a tour of the property, and James shared with us some of the fascinating studies and technological advances they have been working on. We then gathered around the table to feast and taste their wines.

2018 Rowlee Single Vineyard Nebbiolo

One of the standouts from our tasting and a bottle of wine that we left with, was their 2018 Rowlee Single Vineyard Nebbiolo.

They have 2 clones of Nebbiolo and they only make it in the best years. James says they know the Nebbiolo is right when it tastes like a piece of licorice when they taste it on the vine.

2017 was not a great year and it did not have those notes, so they decided to drop the fruit and mulch it back into the soil. They did save a little of the fruit and turned it into Grappa. The 2018 vintage, on the other hand, was spectacular.

My notes

The 2018 Rowlee Nebbiolo has notes of black fruit, red fruit, cocoa powder, sweet tobacco, licorice, and a lovely floral note in the back, like crushed rose petals.

It has great acid and flavors of bramble fruit and red cherry with a long finish.

14% abv 100% Nebbiolo $60 AU SRP

Bleu Cheese Burger with bacon and tomato marmalade

To pair with this beautiful wine, we made burgers with some toppings to tie in the flavors in the wine.

For a while, I have made my burgers by the Bobby Flay method.

First, your meat should be 80% lean. Then you make a ¾ inch patty and make a deep thumbprint in the middle of each patty. This will keep them cooking evenly. Season with salt and pepper and cook in a cast-iron skillet with a bit of canola oil. 3 minutes for the first side then flip and cook 3 minutes on the other side. Then add your cheese, put a lid on it and cook for 1 more minute. The burgers come out medium rare and juicy.

For this burger, we cooked the 2^nd side for 4 minutes and added bacon and bleu cheese. After that, I drizzled with a little balsamic reduction. We also topped it with spinach and a bit of tomato marmalade. This recipe we made a couple of years ago and I still have a jar left. It’s soo good. Maybe I’ll dig that recipe up to share with you later.

Blue Cheese bacon burger with tomato marmalade and the 2018 Rowlee Nebbiolo from NSW Australia

Burger with bacon, blue cheese, balsamic reduction, spinach and tomato marmalade, & fries

The wine with this burger was lovely. Usually eating a burger is a bit messy and drippy, oozing with umami and we pair it with a Syrah or a Cab Franc. This burger was delicious, but the wine made it behave. The wine was elegant, popping the bleu cheese notes and bringing out the tomato in the marmalade. It tamed the bacon, which always wants to be the star of the show. It made this burger ever so civilized. I almost felt like I should be eating it with a knife and fork.

Blackberry Goat Cheese Chocolate Bombs

To tie in the black fruit and cocoa notes in the wine, we made these fancy-schmancy blackberry goat cheese chocolate bombs. While we could have just hand-dipped them, we just bought silicone dome molds and I was dying to use them. So, I learned to temper chocolate (only afterward finding an easier way) and created these delights. We made them in 2 sizes and I kinda prefer the smaller ones that you can pop in your mouth in one bite, even though the larger size looks prettier.

Check out the recipe for all the details!

Sources and Resources

More from Crushed Grape Chronicles on Orange Australia

2 days in Orange? Too little time for this beautiful Australian Region

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

Robin Bell Renken I have always loved people’s stories. I spent a career in Theatre helping to tell stories, as a Stage Manager. Daily enabling artists to freely and safely tell stories through their art. Then I fell in love with wine. There are so many details, so many nuances, not just in the glass, but in the vineyard, the region and the people. As I met winemakers and vineyard owners and even the people in the tasting room excited to pour me a glass and tell me the story of this wine, I knew these were stories I wanted to share. I completed my study and became a Certified Specialist of Wine and continue learning daily as I meet and interview people in this industry.

Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Blackberry Goat Cheese Chocolate Bombs

Dec 17, 2020

Blackberry Goat Cheese Chocolate Bombs

Whew! That’s a mouthful, isn’t it?

I was looking to pair with an Australian Nebbiolo and Goat Cheese and Blackberry…well that with chocolate would just do the trick.

I found this recipe on Pinterest and tracked it down to Crumb Top Baking

https://www.crumbtopbaking.com/frozen-blackberry-goat-cheese-chocolate-bombs/

Of course, I needed to adjust from metric and then, we just bought these great silicon molds, so rather than dip these, I wanted to temper chocolate and make domes! (What was I thinking!) I will admit to learning along the way with these and I will share some of my mistakes and what I would do differently as we go along. Keep in mind, if you don’t have silicone molds, you can follow Leanne’s instructions in the link above to dip these!

Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

Yield: 8 Servings

mini blackberry goat cheese chocolate bombs — In the mini chocolate bombs, you can see the filling

What to Pair?

2018 Rowlee Single Vineyard Nebbiolo

We visited Rowlee Vineyard in the Orange Wine Region of NSW Australia in October of 2019. One of the standouts and a wine that we left with, was their 2018 Nebbiolo. They have 2 clones of Nebbiolo and they only make it in the best years. James says they know the Nebbiolo is right when it tastes like a piece of licorice when they taste it on the vine.

The 2018 vintage has notes of black fruit, red fruit, cocoa powder, sweet tobacco, licorice, and florals. It has great acid and flavors of bramble fruit and red cherry with a long finish.

14% abv 100% Nebbiolo $60 AU SRP

Tempered Chocolate

Ingredients

1 ½ cup of chocolate chips (be sure this is not composite chocolate there should be no fats or oils other than cocoa butter)

There are several methods for tempering chocolate, which if you are a cooking show junkie like me, you are probably aware of at least 2 of them. Tempering chocolate is a method of heating and cooling the chocolate to get the cocoa butter crystals to align themselves so that when the chocolate sets it is smooth, shiny, and crisp.

There are 3 methods I found:

Seed Method
Tablier Method
Microwave Method

The Tablier method is that one you see at the Chocolatiers, where they have a large piece of marble and a putty knife and they spread and scrape the chocolate.

The Microwave Method felt shady to Michael and we didn’t (think) we have a silicone bowl.

So the Seeding Method was what we were going with.

Directions

Melt 1 cup in a double boiler, (I use a glass bowl over a pot of water) stirring constantly until it reaches 115 degrees (55 C). Be careful that steam and water don’t get into your chocolate.
Remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the double boiler (sit it on a towel on the counter) and add the remaining chips. Stir the chocolate to melt and continue stirring until the temperature drops to 83 degrees (you can, and probably should, move the chocolate to a second bowl after you stir in and melt the chocolate. This will speed up the cooling process. I did not and it took FOREVER!)
Now put this back on the double boiler and get it back up to 88 to 90 degrees which is where you want it to be when you are working with it.

*Plan B – use the microwave method! (see below)*

Now, you can make your domes
Using a spoon the appropriate size for your dome, drop a dollop of chocolate in the mold and then paint it up the sides using the back of a spoon. Here is a video that I followed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgSeH5nNB_w
These go in the freezer to set up for 15 minutes.
While they are setting, make the filling.

Plan B – Microwave method of Tempering Chocolate

Two days later I realized I did have a silicon dish! So here’s how you would do this in the microwave!

Place the chocolate in your silicon dish, microwave for 30 seconds on high, then stir (use your instant read thermometer) don’t let the temperature go over 90 degrees.
If the chocolate is not completely melted return for 30 seconds, then 15 seconds, then 10 seconds, stirring each time and checking the temperature. When the chocolate is melted, you are good to go.

This is sooo much easier than the seeding method. I will never go back! (I used this for another recipe that will be coming up!)

Here is a great resource for tempering chocolate. https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/tempering-chocolate/

Filling

Ingredients

10 ounce log of goat cheese

3 tbs honey

2 tsp vanilla

½ cup unsweetened coconut

1 cup of chopped fresh blackberries

Directions

In your stand mixer, mix the goat cheese, honey and vanilla
Beat on high for 2 minutes
Add the coconut and mix another 20 seconds
Take the bowl out of the stand mixer and fold in the blackberries by hand

Assembling

Pull the set domes out of the freezer and fill (but not completely) with the filling.
You will need a bit more chocolate to finish these, coating the filling and forming a bottom.
Put these back in the freezer 15 minutes to set.

Watch our quick video for the highlights.

Blackberry Goat Cheese Chocolate Bombs with a Rowlee 2018 Nebbiolo

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Tertini 2018 Arneis – Day 4 of the 12 Days of Wine 2020

Dec 16, 2020

Early one spring morning we headed into the Southern Highlands region in New South Wales Australia to visit Tertini Cellars. It was October and we were staying on the coast in Shoalhaven. We arose early and headed inland up through the Kangaroo Valley, past Fitzroy Falls. It was a rainy morning and the driving felt a little treacherous; winding roads into the mountains, with the rain and driving on the opposite side of the road and car than we were accustomed to.

This area is so lush and green. Spring was definitely in the air. It was so different than the Shoalhaven area we had just left.

We made it, arriving before the cellar door opened and Jonathan Holgate, the Tertini winemaker met us to tell us a bit about the wines, and show us the winery. He took us out to the Yarrandoo Vineyard which is closest to the winery before taking us through a tasting at the cellar door.

This is a high-altitude region with a moderating maritime influence. We had just driven up from the coast. This gives them a long growing season. When I say high-altitude, the vineyards here sit between 650 and 715 meters above sea level. That’s around 2100-2300 feet. The Yarrandoo Vineyard is the highest of their vineyards at 715 meters. Here they grow, Pinot Noir, Arneis, Riesling, and Chardonnay.

Tertini is sensitive to the needs of the wildlife locally and leaves 30% of their property undeveloped. They say doing this gives the animals shelter and places to forage, so they don’t bother the vines, so everybody wins.

The Tertini entrance sign, unpretentiously nestled in the trees

The Tertini Tasting Room in Australia’s Southern Highlands

The Patio at Tertini Wines

The elegant Tertini Tasting Room Southern Highlands New South Wales Australia

The elegant Tertini Tasting Room Southern Highlands NSW Australia

Spring Vines in Tertini’s Yaraandoo Vineyard in Southern Highlands

Tertini Wines Yaraandoo Vineyard in Australia’s Southern Highlands

Tertini 2018 Private Cellar Collection Arneis

This Arneis is from the Yarrandoo Vineyard that we visited with Jonathan on that drizzly spring morning. There were only 62 cases produced. This does a partial oak ferment. Yes, I said ferment. Jonathan said that at the time he did not know of another Arneis being made in this way in Australia.

13.5% abv SRP $42 AU

This Arneis was medium lemon in color, with notes of light smoke, dusty citrus, bruised herbs like tarragon, grilled peach, earth, and roasted nuts.

Medium in alcohol, body, and medium to high acidity, it had pronounced flavors of tart yellow apple, almond, vanilla, and under-ripe white peach, with a long finish.

This wine was not loud, but quietly confident. It swam around the food enveloping it beautifully. When you return to sip it on its own it is bolder and brighter. It’s like a brilliant friend who is a good listener.

This vintage is sold out, but the 2019 Vintage is now available.

We paired this with a grilled peach, roasted chicken, and tarragon salad. If I could have found duck, I would have used duck, but…pandemic, ya know!

Tertini Private Cellar Collection Arneis from Southern Highlands NSW Australia

Grilled peach, roasted chicken, and tarragon salad paired with the Tertini Arneis

I sliced the roasted chicken and warmed it in a pan with olive oil and butter. After removing the chicken to a plate to keep warm, I added honey and more butter to the pan. When the butter melted I added lemon juice and salt, stirred this up, and removed it from the heat.

Sliced peaches and shallots are cooked on a grill pan, then the salad assembles with greens on the bottom. We used artisan salad greens, frisee, red leaf, and butter lettuce, but you can use whatever you have on hand. This gets topped with roasted chicken, grilled peaches, and shallots and drizzled with the honey dressing. Finish this off with fresh tarragon and sliced almonds.

I found that this barrel-fermented Arneis really made the tarragon pop.

See the full recipe here.

Ingredients for roasted chicken, grilled peach and tarragon salad

Tertini Private Cellar Collection Arneis with grilled peach, chicken and tarragon salad

Peach crisp

Dessert was a peach crisp made in two individual gratin dishes. We mixed fresh and frozen peaches with sugar and flour to coat and placed them in the buttered gratins. This was topped with a mixture of butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and rolled oats. We served this warm with vanilla ice cream.

This was warm and wonderful with the Arneis, much of that was due to the fresh peaches which cut the sweetness of the dish.

See the recipe here.

Tertini Private Cellar Collection Arneis with peach crisp

Finding Tertini and the Arneis

If you find yourself in Australia (I realize that is unlikely to happen soon unless you already live there). Head to Southern Highlands and visit Tertini. The region is beautiful especially in the spring and the wines at Tertini are a step above.

While they are sold out of this vintage, I spoke with Craig their Cellar Door Manager and he recommends the Tertini 2019 PCC (Private Cellar Collection) Arneis, which spends 10 months in oak and he says “Looks terrific”.

Sources and Resources

More by Crushed Grape Chronicles on Tertini and Southern Highlands

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Peach Crisp paired with a beautiful Tertini Arneis

Dec 11, 2020

Peach crisp

This is such a simple recipe, it almost doesn’t need measurements. I whipped this up after lunch for Michael and me to enjoy as a dessert with a wine that really wanted peaches.

What to Pair?

Tertini 2018 Private Cellar Collection Arneis

This wine comes from Tertini Wines in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales Australia. It is Arneis which is a white Italian grape from the Piemonte region.

Time: 45 Minutes

Yield: 2 people

Ingredients

Peach crisp

For the topping

¼ cup of flour

6 tbs of light brown sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

¼ cup of unsalted butter cut into cubes (keep this cold)

½ cup of rolled oats

Filling

2 cups of peaches (these can be fresh sliced or frozen or a combination, which is what I used)

2 tbs sugar

1 ½ tbs flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Butter 2 individual gratin dishes
In a large bowl mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt
Add the cold butter, mixing with a fork or pastry cutter. This should come together and be crumbly (I used my fingers a bit at the end, just be careful not to melt the butter)
Stir in the oats, then toss the bowl in the fridge while you get the fruit ready
Put the peaches in a large bowl, sprinkle with the flour and sugar. Stir until the peaches are covered.
Spoon the mixture into the 2 gratin dishes.
Cover with the topping
Bake for 30 minutes until they are bubbly and the top is lightly browned
Cool only slightly and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Peach crisp

Watch our quick video for the highlights.

Peach crisp with Tertini Private Cellar Collection Arneis

This crisp was so easy and made the house smell terrific. Don’t forget to top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This was warm and wonderful with the Arneis, much of that was due to the fresh peaches which cut the sweetness of the dish. These were late-season peaches and were crisp and not as sweet as summer peaches.

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As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Grilled peach, Roasted Chicken and Tarragon Salad perfectly paired with Tertini Arneis

Dec 11, 2020

Grilled peach, roasted chicken, and tarragon salad paired with the Tertini Arneis

You can never go wrong with grilled peaches and this salad looks so lush and elegant. Grilled peach has those lucious fruit notes, with the texture made soft and the umami from those grill marks.

Find some good greens, I used frisee, red leaf and butter leaf, but you could incorporate herb greens, other lettuces or even beet greens or chard!

While I used roasted chicken, any poultry would be good here and you can choose your onion. I went with shallots, because I had them on hand and they are milder.

The tarragon and the dressing are the finishing touches that make this salad, utilizing the pan drippings with butter, honey and lemon juice.

Time: 25 Minutes

Yield: 2 people

Grilled Peach and Roasted chicken and Tarragon Salad Ingredients

What to Pair?

Tertini 2018 Private Cellar Collection Arneis

13.5% abv SRP $42 AU (the new 2019 vintage is now available)

Grilled peach Roasted Chicken and tarragon salad

Ingredients

½ roasted chicken (you can roast yours if you like, I bought mine at the store pre- roasted)

2 peaches

1 to 2 shallots cut into rings

2 tbs honey

3 tbs butter

1 lemon juiced

Fresh tarragon

Assorted greens (I used frisee, red leaf and butter lettuce)

¼ cup of slice almonds

Olive oil

Sea salt

Directions

Slice the roasted chicken and warm in a pan with olive and 1 tbs of the butter
Remove this to a plate to keep warm
In the same pan add the honey and the remaining 2 tbs of butter.
When the butter is melted add the lemon juice and salt.
Stir this to combine and remove it from the heat. This is your dressing
Slice the peaches and shallots and cook on a grill pan. Make sure to get bar marks, they make this extra pretty.
Assemble in your serving bowl, placing the torn lettuce on the bottom
Top with the chicken, peaches and shallots
Drizzle with the honey dressing, making sure to dress all the chicken.
Top with torn fresh tarragon and sliced almonds.

Grilled Peach and Roasted chicken and Tarragon Salad Plating

Grilled peach, roasted chicken, and tarragon salad

Watch our quick video for the highlights.

Grilled peach, roasted chicken, and tarragon salad paired with the Tertini Arneis

This Tertini Arneis was rich, but with good acid and with the notes of tarragon in the wine, I knew this would pair well. It would also be really good with duck breast, but alas, I had no duck breasts.

I found that this barrel-fermented Arneis really made the tarragon pop, and the richness of the wine from the barrel aging worked well with the rich flavors and still had good acid to cut through. The grilled peach pulled up the fruit notes in the wine.

Minted Pea Mash

Roasted baby potatoes with burrata, basil, spinach and radicchio with lemon

Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Savory Berry Drizzle

Alloro – Stunning Wines from Oregon’s New Laurelwood District AVA

An Affordable and Aromatic Gewürztraminer Paired with Thai Red Curry #WinePW

Thai Red Curry with Shrimp and Vegetables

Bacon and Butternut pasta recipe to pair with a Langhe Nebbiolo

Bonny Doon 2018 Riesling to Live – Day 12 of the 12 Days of Wine 2020

Herederos del Marqués de Riscal Reserva Rioja 2014 – Day 11 of the 12 days of Wine 2020

Bailey Family 2017 Chardonnay – Day 10 of the 12 Days of Wine 2020

LaZarre 2017 Central Coast Pinot Noir – Day 9 of the 12 Days of Wine 2020

Hungarian Nut Cake with Apricot

Meinklang h17 – Day 8 of the 12 Days of wine 2020

Rowlee 2018 Single Vineyard Nebbiolo – Day 7 of the 12 Days of Wine

Tablas Creek 2019 Bourboulenc – Day 6 of the 12 Days of Wine 2020

Co Dinn 2015 Syrah Roskamp Vineyard Block 2 – Day 5 of the 12 Days of Wine 2020

Tertini 2018 Arneis – Day 4 of the 12 Days of Wine 2020

Terre di Bacco Prosecco – Day 1 of the 12 Days of Wine 2020

Hungarian Nut Cake, Caramelized Apples and Crème Anglaise with Prosecco

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Nashdale Lane – Great People, a Rainbow of Wines and the Perfect Glamping Experience in the Orange Wine Region

Nov 11, 2020

As we turned in the drive to Nashdale Lane, passing row upon row of vines in the rolling vineyard, we could feel ourselves decompressing a bit. It had already been a busy day. We were up really early to drive to Orange from the Hunter Valley and had spent the afternoon in Millthorpe at Angullong Wines. Now we had just a bit of time to get to our accommodations for the evening and meet Nick and Tanya of Nashdale Lane.

They were waiting for us in front of their cellar door, a renovated apple packing shed from when the property was an apple orchard.

The cellar door is open and bright with an open ceiling and beams, the wall are simple plywood on the inside of the corrugated metal building. A large farm table and barrels dot the interior which has large windows all the way around with expansive views of the vineyard.

Tanya and I sat by the window looking out onto the wide expanse of lawn between the tasting room and the vineyard. It’s the perfect place for guests to relax and picnic and for the kids to kick a ball around. They want the experience here to not be stuffy.

They do have a VIP room behind the bar, where people can get serious about the wines. This way they can separate the serious tasters from the “punters” and keep everyone happy.

The tasting mats are the first thing that gives you a bit of insight into their style. It is a rainbow of soft colors, each for a wine, keeping these wines approachable and hip, much like the owners.

This property had been 60 acres of apple orchards, with it’s historically “Australian” corrugated metal packing shed. Previous owners had replanted the orchard with vines and in 2016 Tanya and Nick discovered the property and their dream of owning a vineyard and winery became a reality.

Vineyard

The vineyard is in the Orange Region of New South Wales Australia, which means that it is high altitude. These vineyards sit at 860 to 900 meters above sea level. That’s about 2800-3000 feet. Soils here are primarily basalt.

They grow 8 varieties here, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and a small amount of Arneis. The cellar door looks out onto the Pinot Gris and Riesling. It was the Shiraz and Tempranillo we passed on the way in.

The Shiraz sits in the highest part of the vineyard where it is a little warmer. They sit right on the border of where Shiraz will ripen. The diurnal shifts cause the grapes to ripen slowly giving the wine complexity and body, while still being delicate and elegant.

The hills roll here allowing them different aspects for the different varieties. Down the hill, the Chardonnay is the first to hit bud break, everything else quickly follows. When harvest arrives, Tanya tells me, it is two busy months, with everything coming in at different times so they can focus on each one. The Tempranillo ripens last signaling the end of harvest.

View from the Tent at Nashdale Lane outside Orange Australia

Biodiversity is important here, a bonus being wildflowers in the cover crop that make their 8-year-old happy. Nick’s family in the UK have an organic farming background, so the philosophy of sustainable agriculture is second nature to him.

When they arrived they found deficits in soil nutrition. They planted cover crops: clover, vetch, fava beans, and oats and noticed improvement within a year. They have sheep to keep down the weeds and are looking to move to organic accreditation in the next year or two.

Wines

We move to discuss the Nashdale Lane wines, a pastel rainbow of labels lined up on the window ledge. Their wines are broken down into 3 ranges, the Social Range, the Colour Series, and the Legacy Range.

Nashdale Lane Cellar door wine list in Orange NSW Australia

Nashdale Lane Cellar door wine list with the special pricing for at the cellar door

The wine menu at Nashdale Lane in NSW Australia

They chose a bright style at Nashdale Lane with colors for each wine which speak to it’s essence.

‘the social’ range

This is a simple easy pairing range with 2 wines that are easy drinking and easy pairing.

‘the social’ Blanc is a white wine blend with Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Arneis. It has “lappable” fruit notes that make it perfect for entertaining. 12% abv $30 au

‘the social’ Rosé is a dry rosé with beautiful pink color and notes of strawberry. “Quaffable”, again it sits at 12.5% and $30 au

They are looking to create a Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Tempranillo blend to add to this line that would be what Tanya calls “a fancy Pizza wine”.

The Colour Series

This is the series that runs the color palette with a range of varietal wines

This series covers Pinot Gris, Riesling, a Sauvignon Blanc in a Fumé Blanc style, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and Shiraz. These wines vary from $30 to $55 depending on the variety and the vintage.

The Legacy Range

The Legacy Range are the higher-end Reserve wines. The Nashdale Lane 2018 Pinot Noir and Tempranillo both took good scores from the Halliday Wine Companion 95 and 92 respectively. They only do these wines when the vintage dictates. These wines run $65 au

They were adding one more to this line which was fascinating to hear about, though it had yet to be released. The 2019 Nashdale Lane Legacy Rosé is left on the skins longer to get a deeper color and flavor. Made from Shiraz it moves to age in 3-year-old French Oak for 12 months.

Nick says they moved it around in a few different barrels constantly playing with it to see how far they wanted to push it.

“I’d like it to be one of those wines that may polarize people a little so that someone who loves their wines will love this style of rosé.”
Nick Segger, Oct 2019

On their site, for this Legacy Rosé, they list: “Winemaking: tank & wild ferments, malolactic fermentation, patience”.

Glamping

We were not just there to chat with Nick and Tanya, we were also staying here for the night in their “in-vine” accommodations, thanks to Orange360.

Tanya says they wanted the accommodations to be small and exclusive. This was meant to be a benefit of the Nashdale Lane wine club membership.

In their travels, they had done a bit of glamping in South Africa and Italy and loved it. They were determined to do it right and imported their glamping tents from Holland. Tanya says “It’s sort of the Mercedes Benz of the Glamping world.”

They also wanted to have something that felt at home in the vineyard. A traditional building would not do that. This way they could tread lightly and be sustainable.

They have 2 glamping cabins and are not likely to increase this. More than that would change the experience.

To the Glamping Cabin

They directed us to the tent/cabin. The canvas tent is mounted on a raised wooden platform, which has a full front porch overlooking the vineyards behind the cellar door. The stairs have solar lights built-in for when you return after dark, the porch has a lower level seating area to lounge in as well as a table and chair that I found perfect for morning coffee. There is a grill on the deck for easy cooking. Oh and a large herb bed next to the cabin for sourcing fresh herbs for your meals.

Unzip and open the flap to step inside, where the large room is divided into a seating area, a kitchen and dining area, and then the 4 poster bed tucked in the back. A woodstove separates the spaces to keep the whole cabin toasty.

There is a bath with a shower and running water, which is surprisingly glamourous for tent life.

The 4 poster bed has a canopy of netting and heating pads to adjust for each side of the bed. It’s pretty romantic.

There is a bookshelf stocked with books and games to help you unplug.

Nashdale Lane cellar door sign lit at night surrounded by dark sky and stars

In early spring the fire was welcome to warm things up a bit in our Nashdale Lane tent

We settled in quickly as we were off to a dinner tasting at another winery. When we returned the sign at the cellar door was lit up against the night sky. We did start a fire to enjoy the ambiance with a glass of their Riesling and then curled up for our all too short stay.

Morning found us up early to catch a bit of the gorgeous view before heading out for the day. They have comfy slippers and a French press coffee maker, so slippers on my feet and coffee in hand I watched the vineyard wake up.

comfy warm slippers that kept my toes warm while I enjoyed by morning coffee on the porch at Nashdale Lane, NSW Australia

Thinking of everything, they provided comfy warm slippers that kept my toes warm while I enjoyed by morning coffee on the porch at Nashdale Lane.

They must have known, I don’t do anything before coffee. I could make my French Press and wake up to the sites and sounds of the morning vineyard at Nashdale Lane

We loved our stay, but really, I wish we had been able to just go, unplug and nest. A book on the deck, glass of wine in hand with that view.

You really can't beat a beautiful glass of wine and a gorgeous vineyard view Nashdale Lane NSW Australia — You really can't beat a beautiful glass of wine and a gorgeous vineyard view

Finding Nashdale Lane

Nashdale Lane is located in the Orange Wine Region just 3 hours from Sydney.

125 Nashdale Lane

Nashdale, NSW 2800 AU

https://nashdalelane.com/

Visit the website for current hours for scheduling a tasting.

More on Orange, Australia!

Want more information on the Orange Wine Region in Australia? Check out these other pieces we’ve written on the region!

And there is more to come!

Our visit to Nashdale Lane occurred during our post-conference tour at the 2019 Wine Media Conference, This media trip was arranged by Orange360 who provided accommodations and internal travel. No other compensation was received. All opinions are our own.

Resources for planning a trip to Orange

More on Australia

We visited a bit of New South Wales while we were in Australia. Here are some more pieces on the regions we visited.

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Swift – Delicious Traditional Method Sparkling Wines from Printhie and the High Altitude Vineyards in Orange Australia

Oct 30, 2020

It’s no secret, I like bubbles, so I was excited for our visit to Printhie while we were in Orange, NSW Australia. Printhie has a second label, called Swift, for their passion project under which they bottle traditional method sparkling wines.

Ed Swift of Printhie Wines and Swift Sparkling Wines speaking to us at their Nashdale Cellar Door in Orange NSW Australia — Ed Swift of Printhie Wines and Swift Sparkling Wines

Swift happens to be the family name of the owners of Printhie Wines. Ed Swift, who manages the business with his brother Dave, met us with winemaker Drew Tuckwell at the Packing Shed that has become their tasting room in Orange.

The Printhie winery, where their cellar door has been located, is a 30-minute drive from here. This new property in Orange, allowed them to move their cellar door, closer to town, and this location has great elevation for growing grapes for sparkling wines.

Located in the foothills of Mt. Canobolas at between 920 and 1000 meters (2600 to 3200 feet) this area is ideal for growing grapes for sparkling wine.

Drew Tuckwell, the winemaker for Printhie and Swift, pouring a Swift Sparkling wine. In Orange NSW Australia — Drew Tuckwell, the winemaker for Printhie and Swift, pouring a Swift Sparkling wine.

Orange, historically has been an orchard region. At its peak, there were 268 orchards within a 12 km radius of the city. Today there are just 40 in the same area. The area is known for hail, which can damage the fruit and requires netting. Insurance companies won’t insure for hail here and supermarkets only want to buy perfect fruit, so it’s been tough for the orchards.

When they bought this 56-acre property it was an apple orchard. While they took out some of the trees to plant the vineyards of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, they wanted to keep sections of the orchards. They won’t make money off of them, but they can preserve the history and heritage of the region as well as add a bit of biodiversity. They cherish the view from the ridge with the dappled farmland of vineyards and orchards.

New Vines at the Millwood Vineyard at the Printhie Packing Shed Cellar Door in Orange NSW Australia — New Vines at the Millwood Vineyard at the Printhie Packing Shed Cellar Door

The cellar door here is the old packing shed for the apple orchard. They have hung a chandelier and brought in tables next to the apple packing equipment, giving the place a shabby chic feel. There is a platter of fruit and cheese on the table and a wine barrel whose top is covered in ice and is full of Sydney Rock Oysters.

We get a little education on the oysters while we are here. The flavor and size change depending on the tributary the oyster beds are on. These are Clyde River oysters that Ed had shucked just before our arrival. What could be better with sparkling wine?

They began Swift in 2010, with the intent to make premium sparkling wine from Orange. They sent Drew to Champagne to soak up as much information as he could over the 2-week harvest in France. He spent time with Rodolphe Peters of Champagne Pierre Peters. Rodolphe’s advice to him was to blend for structure.

“If you have the structure, you have the freshness, and you have the backbone to build complexity. “
Drew Tuckwell October 2019

They currently produce 5 sparkling wines: a Non-Vintage Cuveé, a Non-Vintage Rosé, a 2012 Vintage wine, a Blanc de Blanc, as well as a Blanc de Noirs which had yet to be released at the time but is available now.

The Swift Sparkling Wines

Swift NV Cuveé

This wine was based on the 2013 vintage with some reserve wine from earlier vintages. It spent 5 ½ years on tirage lees. It is chardonnay dominant with 60% and then 40% pinot noir. Dosage is 7.0 g/L and abv is 12.7%. This is their entry point sparkling wine.

It has white fruit, with a bit of red fruit (think strawberries) from the Pinot Noir. There are florals and yeast and a wonderful nuttiness.

This entry-level wine is $40 AU and took the Best of the Best Award in the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion Awards as well as a 96 pt score. It is a consistent award-winning wine.

Swift NV Rosé

The pink version of their NV is 65% chardonnay and 35% pinot noir. The color is given by pinot noir added at disgorgement which gives them a bit more control. The dosage here is 5.0 g/L and 11.5% abv. It spends 60 months on lees.

Another value at $40 AU which garnered a 95 rating from the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion.

Swift 2012 Vintage

The vintage blend is 72/28 (chardonnay/pinot noir). Chardonnay is the strength of this region. The wine we were drinking had been disgorged 12 months prior and spent 6 years on lees. Dosage is 5.0 g/L and abv is 12%. This again got 95 points in the 2012 Halliday Wine Companion.

It’s a bit more expensive at $50 AU, but for this wine, it is still a steal.

Swift 2010 Blanc de Blancs

100% Chardonnay, this wine is their flagship. It spent 8 years (that’s 96 months!) on lees. With low dosage at 4.0 g/L, it sits at 11.5% abv.

Drew speaks about blending for structure and how that allows these wines to age so beautifully and stay so fresh. It also is why they evolve so slowly. Drew tells us that this wine as a young wine had such sharp acidity it was almost undrinkable. Now it is rounder and richer, still with amazing acid.

This pinnacle of their wines runs $85.00 AU per bottle.

We discussed gyropalettes and disgorging machines. While Ed dreams of having a riddling and disgorging line, they currently send the wines out for this. The wines leave the “above ground cellar” for 2 weeks total for this. 7 days in the gyropalette does what months in a riddling rack would do.

We continued chatting, sipping on these tasty bubbles, rescuing the oysters from the melting ice, and storing them away in our stomachs, as the sun started to set. We emerged from the Shack in time to witness the sun going over the ridge in the vineyard.

The sun setting over the orchard on the ridge at Printhie's Nashdale Cellar door just outside Orange NSW Australia — The sun setting over the orchard on the ridge at Printhie's Nashdale Cellar door

These were delicious wines and fascinating people to speak with. They are passionate about creating quality sparkling wine and that’s not an easy task. Champagne has had a couple of centuries to figure out this process and Swift has only been making it in Orange for 10 years.

They know that they are not making Champagne, but the goal is to make a glass of wine, from Orange, that can stand on its own next to a glass of Champagne. That, I think, they’ve done.

How To Find Them!

The Printhie Cellar door is located in the Packing Shed at 208 Nancarrow Lane in Nashdale, just 10 minutes from Orange. Check the website in advance for hours and to schedule a booking. https://printhiewines.com.au/

More on Orange, Australia!

Want more information on the Orange Wine Region in Australia? Check out these other pieces we’ve written on the region!

Our visit to Printhie occurred during our post-conference tour at the 2019 Wine Media Conference, This media trip was arranged by Orange360 who provided accommodations and internal travel. No other compensation was received. All opinions are our own.

Resources for planning a trip to Orange

More on Australia

We visited a bit of New South Wales while we were in Australia. Here are some more pieces on the regions we visited.

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

Angullong in Millthorpe – Wine, Welcome to Country, Indigenous Dances and bush Tucka in Orange NSW

Oct 13, 2020

Last spring, we found ourselves in Australia for the Wine Media Conference held in the Hunter Valley. Well really, last fall for us in October, but it was spring in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere.

After the conference, we attended one of the sponsored post-conference tours to the Orange wine region. You might have seen our overview of this trip “2 days in Orange? Too little time for this beautiful Australian wine region!”

After arriving in the Orange region, our first stop was at Angullong Cellars in the village of Millthorpe. Our group was set up in the garden behind the historic bluestone stable that is now their tasting room and we were greeted with sparkling wine.

History of Angullong

Angullong was established in 1950. This family-owned wine company has vineyards on the southern lower slopes of Mount Canobolas. This ancient volcano is the highest point in the region. If you head west, everything gets lower and flatter out to West Australia. Ben told us the next highest peak to the west is in South Africa! The Angullong property has steep undulating hills that quickly descend to meet the Belubula River.

Ben & his brother James are the third generation of their family managing this property that at one point grew wheat and raised cattle and sheep. They still raise cattle in addition to growing wine grapes on the 5000-acre property.

Ben greeted us in the garden, welcomed us to Millthorpe, and filled us in on the Orange region.

The Orange Wine Region

The wine region is named for the city of Orange, and vineyards must be at a minimum of 600 meters (1968 feet) above sea level. They sit just west of the Blue Mountains. This area is considered “Central West New South Wales” or the “Central Ranges”.

Originally known for its orchards of apples and pears the region has now added wine grapes. Over the last 30 years or so around 30 vineyards have been planted in the area, of all sizes.

The region is known for having all 4 seasons. But at the time we were there, the region was in a drought. This is the drought that led to the horrible fires in January. They are in better shape than areas east of them, as we could attest to driving in from the Hunter Valley, where dams are empty, and lakes are dried up.

Currently the Orange region was green with blossoms on the trees and the bright green of trees just leafing out. Spring was in the air.

This is considered a cool climate region to the altitude. Most of Australia’s other cool climate regions are in maritime climates to the south.

They get a bit of snow. In fact, there had been snow on Mount Canobolas the previous weekend. It was brief, and high on the Mountain. Spring at this point had sprung with the vineyards in bud burst. During the summers temperatures can get to the high 30’s typically (100-102 degrees Fahrenheit).

With a long winter and late budburst, their growing season pushes into late summer and fall. The fruit ripens in late summer and then has a long slow ripening into fall that gives them better color in the reds and allows the grapes to retain their natural acidity as well as intensity of flavor.

The Angullong Vineyard

Angullong Vineyard in Cellar Door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW

The Angullong vineyard straddles the Orange Region and the Central Ranges with vineyards from 550 meters to 650 meters (1800 to 2100 feet). The vineyard is about 30 km from Millthorpe in Panuara and is one of the larger vineyards in the area with 200 hectares (almost 500 acres) of vines.

The property is diverse with a good supply of water due to being on the Belubula River. They have a high-security water license that allows them to pump out of the river, which is a very fast-moving river.

Climate change

While they have only had grapes here for 20 to 30 years, crops have been grown here much longer. Farmers say cereal crops have come forward almost a month (a day per year) over the past 30 years.

“As farmers in Australia, we are on the receiving end of the global damage.”
Ben Crossing, October 2019

Angullong Cellar Door in Millthorpe

They moved their tasting room into this old bluestone stable about 10 years ago.

Angullong Vineyard Cellar door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW Australia

Angullong Vineyard converted stable into Cellar door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW Australia

Ben Crossing and brother James in picture Angullong Vineyard at the Cellar Door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW Australia

Angullong Vineyard converted stable into Cellar door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW Australia

Angullong Vineyard Cellar door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW Australia

Welcome to Country

At this point we stopped as Michael Newman gave us a First Nation welcome in the Wiradjuri tongue which he then translated to English.

He began by teaching us the greeting “Yamandhu marang” which translates roughly to “are you well?” He gave us a traditional Welcome to Country greeting. This begins with extending respect to the Wiradjuri elders as well as beyond to elders of other nations that call this area home.

He then spoke his welcome in the Wiradjuri tongue, then at the end translated for us.

“Ladies and gentlemen, young men, young women, and distinguished guests, First I want to pay my respects to Wiradjuri elders both past and present. By acknowledging that I pay my respects to other elders of other nations here today, I want you to remember, you are on Wiradjuri land today.
Our people lived and cared for this land for a long time. Our people have lived and danced for a long time on this land.
Our land the Wiradjuri land is known as the land of the three rivers, the Lachlan, the Murrumbigee, and the Macquarie. You must respect and honor, all people, and all part of country.
Give honor, be respectful, polite, and patient with all, then the people will respect you. Hold fast to each other, empower the people, respect everything living, and growing. You look after the land and rivers and those land and rivers; they’ll look after you.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s wonderful to see that our footprints are side by side in the soil on Wiradjuri land, that indicates that our people are walking and talking together, so let’s work together to make everything good for all people.
So ladies and gentlemen my name is Michael Newman, I’m proud to be Wiradjuri, I’m proud to be on Wiradjuri land, I thank you very much and Welcome!”
Michael Newman, Proud Wiradjuri Man

Indigenous Dances

We then moved into our welcome through dance. The indigenous dance troupe performed several dances.

Welcome Aboriginal Dance

The first dance symbolized the indigenous peoples first meeting with the settlers. Wary of these new people they would begin spears drawn, checking the new people’s energy, and seeing what kind of respect they had for the people and the land. The greeting went well, and the spear were stuck safely into the ground.

Dances to tell the story of a people

These dances told us about the history of the Aboriginal people, and welcomed and cleansed us. A fire was lit, in the traditional way and gum leaves were put on it to create the smoke which was used in a cleansing dance. The dancers used branches to wave the smoke out to cleanse the area and the people and sang out to the ancestors to join & bless us.

This is a reminder of how we are connected. The earth is the Mother, and the trees are part of the earth, so when the elders pass, they return to the earth and so they are part of the trees and these branches. This theme of being connected with the land continued. The next dance began on the ground to connect their souls to Mother. The dancers jumped up to draw in our energy and connect that to the earth, this earth that they then paint their bodies with. The earth and ochre, the original paint has been used by people around the world for thousands of years.

We move to a bit of creation story, To a dance symbolizing 4 animals that connect to their creation story. They begin with Goanna the ancient one (monitor lizard) who has been here since time began. They then move to the kangaroo, and the emu who both move forward, which is important, as these are two very different animals, but like all of us, they move forward together. Lastly the echidna who when confronted, digs in and stands his ground.

Mother Earth Dance

The next dance was introduced by reminding us of the drought. There are places in New South Wales that have been without water for over a year now. Rivers are empty, and while the country is always dry, none of the elders have ever seen the rivers run dry before. The rivers here are a life source and not just for the aboriginal people. Mother is suffering, her energy pulled out but not replenished.

This dance sends vibrations into her, to let her know that we are here, and mean her no harm. They then request a bit more energy of those of us there, pulling that back and returning it to Mother. Typically this dance is done on dirt (they were on grass here). The idea is that the dance kicks up dirt from Mother, uniting her with Father in the sky. This dance is their Mother Earth dance.

Personal stories through ancient dance

The last dance The Eagle gives respect to the dance troupe leader’s totem. It creates a spirit connection with his Grandfather, whose shares the eagle as his totem. He says that often when he dances it, his grandfather will call him and say he felt it.

These connections, to history and heritage are so important. These stories remind us that however different we are, we all move forward together.

Indigenous Cultural Adventures – and Bush Tucka

Gerald tells us about the Indigenous foods we are about to taste here in Millthorpe Australia

Kangaroo, Emu and Crocodile on the menu at Angullong Cellars — Gerald tells us about the Indigenous foods we are about to taste here in Millthorpe Australia

Gerald Power of Indigenous Cultural Adventures speaks next, they have set up a spread of bush tucka for us to enjoy.

Gerald introduces himself, beginning with his Mob. He is from far North Queensland the Djiru Mob with is from around the Whitsunday area and the Kanaka who were South Sea Islanders brought to Australia in the 1800s. He is part of the Vanuatu people as well as Aboriginal.

He explained that we were now going to tuck into some of the animals the dancers had portrayed. These are foods that the people on this land have consumed for over 60,000 years. They share their journey because the aboriginal history is not taught in the Australian system, so it must be shared by people like Michael Newman, the dancers like Luke and his family and Gerald with the food.

We tasted bites of Emu with Warrigal Pesto on Wombok, Emu Kofta w/smoke bush tucka dressing & Johnny Cakes, Crocodile with Lemon Myrtle Sweet Chili Sauce, and Kangaroo skewers with bush tomato relish and paired them with the wines.

Ben Crossing and the wines of Angullong

Vineyards in Orange are relatively young. 30 years ago when the vineyards were being planted, there were a lot of alternative varieties available, so the region is planted with more than Chardonnay, Cab, Shiraz and Merlot. Here you will find Vedelho, Pinot Grigio, Savignon Blanc, Tempranillo and Sagrantino among others.

When they started their vineyard, they contracted with some big wineries like Southcorp which is now Treasury. They sold grapes to them for the export market, but always had their own small vineyard with some alternate varieties.

2019 Angullong Sav Blanc

This is their biggest selling wine, and it leans a little riper in style to find more of those passion fruit notes. This is fresh and zesty $22 AUD

2019 Angullong Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Gris, is being made into multiple styles in the Orange region. At Angullong they lean a bit more to the Italian style which is why they call it Pinot Grigio. They do several picks to get that acidity, then a few later to bring in the flavor. This wine has one a Trophy as well as several gold medals. . $22 AUD

2018 Angullong Chardonnay

Grown at the Angullong vineyard at about 600 meters, this Chardonnay is a modern wine with layers of citrus and stone fruit and balanced oak. $22 AUD

Angullong 2017 Shiraz Vionier and Angullong 2017 Tempranillo at Angullong Vineyard in Cellar Door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW Australia

Angullong 2015 Crossing Reserve Shiraz at Angullong Vineyard in Cellar Door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW Australia

Angullong 2017 Tempranillo and 2016 Sagrantino at Angullong Vineyard in Cellar Door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW Australia

Angullong 2019 Vermentino at Angullong Vineyard in Cellar Door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW Australia

Angullong 2019 Verdelho and 2019 Pinot Grigio and 2019 Savignon Blanc at Angullong Vineyard in Cellar Door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW

Angullong Rose and Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut at Angullong Vineyard in Cellar Door in Millthorpe, Orange NSW Australia

2018 Fossil Hill Chardonnay

From the higher altitude Balmoral vineyard which sits at 850-950 meters, this Chardonnay has some barrel fermentation with 20% new French oak. You get more citrus with the higher altitude compared to stone fruits in lower altitude vineyards. $26. AUD

2019 Fossil Hill Vermentino

Vermentino is one of the alternative varieties that you don’t see grown often in this area. Planted on a rocky ridge with lots of sun, its thick skin holds up to the exposure and sunburn, without getting too phenolic. It requires some major canopy management to prevent too much sun in these high altitudes where the UV is higher. They have been using kaolin the clay-based product which coats the grapes to protect from sunburn and coats the leaves, so they reflect the heat and keep the temperature of the vine lower. While this vermentino gets pretty ripe it still holds its acid and has notes of nectarine. $26 AUD

As we got into tasting the Sangiovese, Ben’s wife Heidi came around with cheese biscuits made by Ben’s mom.

2018 Fossil Hill Sangiovese

They originally planted sangiovese back in 1998 and keep planting a little bit more, because it is so successful. They moved to Brunello clones which have more fruit intensity and use original Sangiovese now mostly for their Rosé. This wine is still a harder sell. Aussie palates are tuned to Shiraz, and that is only beginning to change in the past 15 years or so as they see an increase in imported wines. $28 AUD

2017 Fossil Hill Barbera

This is just the 2^nd vintage of Barbera made from vines they planted in 2010. Barbera is late ripening, but it has thick tannic skins. They are right on the margins for growing it here. Any cooler and it would not grow. This wine holds its acidity and is beginning to soften in the bottle. Ben suggests this wine would be great with a great big steak or perhaps some kangaroo. $28 AUD

2015 Crossing Reserve Shiraz

This Family Reserve is the highest of the 3 tiers of Shiraz they produce. This comes from barrel selections from low yielding vines that are dry grown. It is aged in first and second year oak, so it needs a little time. $48 AUD

Exports and the Australian Market

They export a bit to Germany, and they used to export to the UK, but since the Australian dollar and American dollar hit parity it’s hard to get things to the US. China is a big market for them.

There are pros and cons to the import market. While it exposes Australians to a wider variety of wines beyond, Cab, Merlot, Shiraz and Chard, it is still competition. It breaks Ben’s heart when he is in Sydney and see’s wine lists filled with imported wines.

Plan your visit to Angullong

After a wonderful afternoon, learning so much about the Wiradjuri culture and the wines of Angullong. We set off for our next adventure.

If you want to visit them, you can find them in Millthorpe, jusst 15 minutes from Orange. They are in the Old Bluestone Stables at the corner of Park and Victoria Streets. Be sure to call ahead for a booking. During these times of COVID appointments are necessary to keep their beautiful but small tasting room safe for everyone.

Phone: +02 6366 3444

Email: [email protected]

You can also visit the Links below for more details on Angullong, the Orange Region and New South Wales.

Sources & Resources

For more on our Aussie Wine Adventure, check out these articles!

The Byng Street Boutique Hotel in Orange Australia – Treat yourself to Quiet Elegant Luxury

Oct 6, 2020

During our stay in Orange during our post-conference tour at the 2019 Wine Media Conference, Orange360 provided us with accommodations. Our second night in the region we stayed in the city of Orange and the beautiful Byng Steet Boutique Hotel.

Orange Australia

Orange is a city in New South Wales Australia and is located within the Orange Wine Region. We came for the wine, but the region has so much to offer, with amazing shops, great food, lakes and mountains, and charming surrounding villages.

The Byng Street Boutique Hotel and its history

Arriving at the Byng Street Boutique Hotel was a bit deceiving. As you arrive, you are greeted by the large front lawn and the original family residence built in 1896. The homestead was originally named “Yallungah”. The homestead had become rundown but was located in Orange’s heritage conservation area.

Historic Elegance meets Modern Luxury at the Byng Street Boutique Hotel in Orange
The Byng Street Boutique Hotel Orange NSW Australia
the Byng Street Boutique Hotel from the front the historic Yallungah homestead
The front patio and lawn at the Byng Street Boutique Hotel. a perfect spot for a cup of tea and a chat.
The heritage wing through the trees from Byng Street
The heritage slate roof at the Byng Street Boutique Hotel

In 2014 the Nock Family acquired the property and set about restoring it to its former glory. They restored the slate roof, the brickwork, and many of the beautiful interior details.

They had some snags, new construction in an area like this is always bound to. The new construction was the addition of 25 rooms to be built in a wing off the back of the original homestead.

As I mentioned, arriving was a bit deceiving. It appeared to be a relatively large historic home. As we entered the driveway down the side of the building, we encountered the new modern wing behind the house. It is beautiful, but cannot be seen from the street, thus keeping the historic appearance of the property.

Peace and calm around every corner

Afternoon sun is dappled in the lounge in the Modern Wing at Byng Street.
It’s the details. Quiet nooks to rest and be calm fill the Byng Street Boutique Hotel
Entrance to the Modern wing at Byng Street Boutique Hotel
The guest lounge in the Modern Wing, Byng Street Boutique Hotel, Orange NSW, Australia
The guest lounge with its architectural screen keeping the light soft and cozy.
Modern lighting fixtures in the modern wing
The guest lounge with a fireplace at Byng Street

As we parked and headed to check in, I was taken in by the quiet. This was a peaceful neighborhood and immediately, you felt the calm.

Inside we were greeted and directed to our room in the new wing. There is a stunning common area, with chairs and books on the side of the wing, an architectural screen allows dappled sunlight through into the space which is modern and inviting.

Afternoon tea was waiting for us in our room. How lovely is that!? Byng Stree Boutique Hotel — Afternoon tea was waiting for us in our room. How lovely is that!?

The perfect spot to curl up with a spot of tea and watch the petals fall from our room at the Byng Street Boutique Hotel, Orange, NSW Australia — Afternoon tea was waiting for us in our room. How lovely is that!?

At our room, we found tea laid out for us. Through the window into the side yard, blossoms floated to the ground from breezes in the trees. I longed to curl up on the couch and watch the petals with a cup of tea but needed to get our bags in before we were off to another winery.

We gathered our bags from the car and there is an entrance with an elevator on that level. That we needed. It’s hard to travel light with camera equipment, and this was also our opportunity to repack our bags for our flight home.

Breakfast in the Yallungah Dining Room

We were scheduled to meet our group for breakfast the following morning to say our farewells at Groundstone Coffee at the Orange Regional Museum. Well, we did, but it was mostly for just for coffee. I mean how could we leave the Byng Street Boutique Hotel without enjoying breakfast in the Yallungah Dining Room?

Fresh fruit, jam, and yogurt with granola to start your day as well as expertly made coffees at Byng Street
Breakfast options including granola, fresh fruit, and yogurt.
Yogurt, local fresh fruit, and homemade granola start our breakfast
Morning coffee and hot cocoa in the Yallungah Dining Room at the Byng Street Boutique Hotel
In addition to the quick items, Byng Street Boutique Hotel offers complimentary hot breakfast items.
A bit more than just a bagel with lox. This breakfast sandwich was perfect to get me through the day.

We entered to find a counter of fruits and granolas, juice, and coffee and then headed to the dining room to find a seat near the front to look out over the lawn as we enjoyed breakfast. They have a full menu for breakfast, and we had arrived early enough to enjoy the room almost to ourselves. Slowly other guests quietly came in and you could feel the contentment of a relaxing breakfast before setting out to enjoy the day in Orange.

The Historic part of the Hotel is this Yallungah Wing, which has all of it’s old charm, with wooden staircases, stained glass windows and elegant touches.

Wooden stairs with stained glass windows in the Heritage wing at the Byng Street Boutique Hotel in Orange, NSW, Australia

Elegant with a blend of traditional and modern at the Byng Street Boutique Hotel in Orange, NSW, Australia — Wooden stairs with stained glass windows in the Heritage wing at the Byng Street Boutique Hotel in Orange, NSW, Australia

A stroll down Byng Street

We finished breakfast and strolled down Byng Street to the coffee shop. This is such a beautiful area with historic bars and restaurants mingled in with churches and private homes. Large trees line the street. It really was a perfect start to the day.

The Gladstone Hotel and a historic church across from the Byng Street Boutique Hotel
Historic church on Byng Street in Orange, NSW Australia
The Orange Civic Theatre surrounded by trees in their bright green spring finery in Orange, NSW Australia
The Orange Regional Gallery in Orange, NSW Australia
The trees on Byng Street were spectacular in their brilliance as they popped with vivid spring green.
Sister city gardens Byng Street in Orange, NSW Australia

Sadly, we had but one night here. It’s really a magical spot and worthy of staying a few days to relax and stroll the town, oh, and maybe visit a few wineries.

How to find them

The Byng Street Boutique Hotel

62 Byng Street, Orange NSW 2800

[email protected]

(02) 5317 8200

Prices include breakfast and run between $280.00 – $460.00 Aus

Of course I am sure there have been some adjustments with COVID-19, so check with the hotel for all current details.

Homepage

Resources for planning a trip to Orange

ORANGE

The first thing that comes to mind? The color, the fruit….

Then maybe you remember something about Prince William of Orange?

There were actually a few Prince William of Oranges. This city in New South Wales Australia was named after one of them.

We spent just 2 days exploring the Orange Wine Region that surrounds the city last October, while we were in Australia for the Wine Media Conference. This excursion was sponsored by Orange 360, in partnership with the Orange City Council.

Michael and I drove from the Hunter Valley to Orange, as we had rented a car for our entire Australian stay. It’s a shorter drive if you are coming from Sydney, a mere 3 ½ hours and through the beautiful scenery of the Blue Mountains.

Our First stop the Village of Millthorpe

Millthorpe

Millthorpe is a historic village within the Orange Wine Region. It’s a charming town, filled with shops. The 19th-century buildings remain largely unchanged. We passed the Grand Western lodge the two-story building wrapped with a veranda that was built in 1901. We stepped into the Millthrope Corner store & café and ordered sandwiches and a coffee for me. Then we wandered through the sleepy town down Pym Street past it’s shops to the historic train station.

Angullong Cellars

We caught up with our group at the Angullong Cellar door.

This cellar door is in a historic stable building made of bluestone.

We wandered into the garden behind the tasting room, where we were poured a Sparkling wine and gathered for our official Welcome to Country ceremony.

The Wiradjuri

The traditional landowners of this region are the Wiradjuri people. The name means “People of the three rivers”, those rivers being the Lacklan, Macquarie and Murrumbidgee. We crossed the Macquarie as we came into Wellington on our drive here.

Michael Newman offered us a traditional “Welcome to Country” in the native Wiradjuri tongue. Reminding us to respect and honor the land and all things living and growing.

Wiradjuri dancers then performed a series of traditional dances to cleanse our spirits and tell us about their land.

As wines were poured we tasted bites of Emu with Warrigal Pesto on Wombok, Emu Kofta w/smoke bush tucka dressing & Johnny Cakes, Crocodile with Lemon Myrtle Sweet Chili Sauce, and Kangaroo screwers with bush tomato relish, prepared by Indigenous Cultural Adventures and Gerald Power. Food from the land and of the people. This made for a warm welcome to the region.

Finally, Ben Crossing spoke to us about the wines. Ben is the General Manager for the family business his brother James manages the vineyard which sits at the edge of the Orange region above ancient limestone caves. If you are a wine lover with a bit of knowledge about soil, I’m better your ears just perked up. Vineyards on limestone soil are prized in the wine world. We tasted through the wines and finished with cheese biscuits baked by Ben’s mother, just for us.

What to do when you visit!

While they don’t do this sort of thing everyday, you can contact them to do a seated tasting at this enchanting cellar door.

You should also look to learning about the Indigenous Cultures of the region and I recommend emu!

Angullong Cellar door

Feeling fully welcomed to this beautiful region, we set off to our provided accommodations for the night.

Nashdale Lane

Nashdale Lane‘s cellar door is located on their vineyard which sits just outside Orange.

As we pulled up Nick and Tanya were waiting for us in front of the cellar door. Before settling into our Glamping Tent, we spent some time with them in the tasting room learning a bit about them, the vineyard and their wines which range from Riesling to Shiraz.

They are listed as a 5 star winery by the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion.

Glamping at Nashdale Lane

We then headed to our luxury glamping tent on the vineyard.

Outfitted with a four-poster bed with netting, a wood stove, a bathroom complete with shower, a kitchen-living room dining space, we were beautifully set up to be completely comfortable.

The view of the vineyard can’t be beaten.

What to do when you visit!

Visit their site to schedule a booking, to join them at the cellar door to taste through 6 of their wines. Currently for safety reasons (Sept 2020) they allow just 7 groups at a time in order to abide by social distancing rules.
Leave some time to snap some photos of this beautiful vineyard.

Nashdale Lane cellar door

Before our evening/morning of glamping, we still had dinner to fit in. We joined the gang at…

Rowlee

Nicole and James met us at the Rowlee cellar door on the vineyard and we sipped on their Pinot Gris, Riesling and Rose as we waited for the rest of the group to arrive.

After a stroll of the grounds and some fascinating conversation about some of the scientific and technological advances they were making that would influence Australian and world winemaking, we took in sunset and then made our way inside for an elegant family-style meal, paired with some extraordinary wines and the stories behind them.

What to do when you visit!

They have a wide range of experiences you can book here. From a simple wine tasting that you can add cheese or chocolate to picnic hampers with wine that you can takeaway, to a two-night getaway staying in their private guest house. While we had a wonderful evening here, it would be a perfect spot to spend a couple of days. They are open daily.

Rowlee cellar door

Sated and happy, we returned to our Glamping at Nashdale Lane. The luxurious bed had separate heat controls for each side which made both Michael and I happy.

Morning saw me on the front deck looking out over the vineyard with a French press of coffee and some comfy provided slippers. This is Glamping at its finest. We felt far away from the rest of the world, with all the comforts of home.

What to do when you visit!

By all means Glamp! There are only 2 tent/cabins, so plan ahead. You won’t regret this. It is the perfect opportunity to disconnect and decompress. Put the electronic gadgets away. You will find the space outfitted with books and games.

Really all you need is the view and some quiet…oh and maybe some wine.

Glamping at Nashdale Lane

Now it was time to pack up and head out for breakfast at…

Agrestic Grocer

The Agrestic Grocer is more than a restaurant. This straw-bale/brick building is all about the local area and houses Badlands Brewery and The Second Mouse cheese company as well as a shop for local food and art. They often do music in the evenings.

We were here for Breakfast and enjoyed freshly squeezed juice, amazing coffee and delicious locally grown food for breakfast.

What to do when you are here!

Come hungry! And yes, they are open! Head to the website and book ahead for Breakfast, which they serve from 8:30-11:30 or Lunch which is served from 12:00 to 3:00.

The Grocer is open 8:30-5:30 through the week and 8:30 to 4:00 on the weekends.

The Agrestic Grocer

From here, we were out for a bird’s eye view of the region from the top of…

Mt. Canobolas

Mt. Canobolas is an ancient volcano standing over 4,500 feet (1395 meters) above sea level.

It’s topped with transmission towers and has a series of walking trails.

From here you can see over the entire Orange region and to the Blue Mountains to the south east.

What to do when you are here!

Visit the lookout and then leave a bit of time for a hike! There several walks to do. But do check out their site ahead of time to check for alerts.

Mt. Canobolas National Park

Leaving the Mountain we drove to our lunch tasting at…

Philip Shaw

Philip Shaw Winemaker, Nadja Wallington, met us to tell us about the vineyards and the wines.

We enjoyed their Winemaker Pairing with small bites and an amazing lunch, followed by a vertical of Chardonnays. Sitting at Nadja’s elbow, I soaked up so much information on the region that she graciously shared. She grew up working in her families vineyard Wallington Wines in Canowindra, southwest of Orange.

What to do when you are here!

Currently you can book ahead for their Koomooloo Taste & Plate, pairing 4 of their wines with cheese and charcuterie. Check their site to see what other experiences they are offering. As we move out of the pandemic they will add back many of their additional experiences and tastings. They are open 7 days a week, but their Saturdays book out quickly!

Philip Shaw

We left unwillingly to head to check in to our new abode for the evening…

Byng Street Boutique Hotel

From the front the Byng Street Boutique Hotel is quaint and historic in the city of Orange.

As you drive in you are greeted by a more modern stylish design in the newer section of the hotel that sits off the street. This is a luxury Boutique.

I was almost sad to miss the evening wine happy hour. Luckily we were able to enjoy the complimentary breakfast the following morning.

What to do when you are here!

To start with you will need to determine if you want to stay in the elegant historic Heritage Wing or in the Modern Wing. Both are beautiful. Allow time to stroll through Orange as well as time to curl up in your beautiful room with a book and a cup of tea. You may never want to leave. But, come morning, you will need to so you can enjoy the delicious breakfast in the beautiful Yallungah Dining Room.

Byng Street Boutique Hotel

Bags dropped our driver for the group picked us up and ushered us off for an afternoon of bubbles at…

Printhie Wines and their “Swift” label for Sparkling Wines

Their cellar door at this Printhie Wines site is in “The Packing Shed”. It is an old apple packing shed.

This region has been known for apple orchards for a long time.

Ed Swift and winemaker Drew Tuckwell met us with sparkling wines that are under the brand “Swift” appropriately and with oysters in abundance! They talked us through the wines.

Their Swift Cuvee has been listed in the “Best of the Best” sparkling wine category in the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion.

What to do when you are here!

You can book a tasting at “The Packing Shed” . They have a couple of options so visit their site to check those out.

Hours are longer on Weekends right now, from 11:00 to 5:00. Weekdays are just 3:00-5:00.

Do read over their Covid conditions on their site. They are looking to keep the experience safe for everyone.

Printhie Wines

As the sun began to set over the vineyard we were off to our final stop…

Ross Hill Wines

Ross Hill Wines Winemaker Luke Steele and his wife met us. We toured the winery and then settled in for a cooking class and dinner with Chef Michael Manners, paired with Ross Hill Wines. After another delicious and educational meal we stolled back out to a gorgeous cloud filled moonlit sky.

What to do when you are here!

Book a tasting and enjoy the day outside if it’s spring! You can also book one of their early tours of the carbon neutral winery (these happen at 10 am!). They have a flight and tasting plate option with olives, hazelnuts, cheese and meats to pair with wines also.

In addition Barrel & Larder does have cooking classes and event. Visit their site and see what is coming up!

Ross Hill Wines

There is so much more to Orange, NSW Australia!

There is so much to Orange. We barely scratched the surface. But the people of the region are warm and the food and wine exceptional.

This gives you an idea of how much there is to take in.

This is just a quick overview, you can look forward to much more from us on the wineries we visited.

Orange is a great region. If you only have 2 days do it! Just know that you will want to return. No, 2 days are not nearly enough to take in all of Orange.

While you might not be able to travel to Australia right now. When we can all travel again, this is a wonderful region to visit and celebrate in. They make quite a bit of bubbles here.

If you happen to be in Australia, the cellar doors in Orange are open and would love to see you. You can visit the websites of the wineries we mentioned to see what their current status is for bookings and experiences.

And of course, check out The Orange 360 site for the latest details on what is happening and for help with planning your trip! https://www.orange360.com.au/

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

Keep your eyes on this space! This is just our overview. We look forward to sharing more details on our visits to these wineries in the Orange Region of Australia.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

This visit to Orange was held in conjunction with the 2019 Wine Media Conference. It was supported by Orange 360, who provided transportation within the region as well as lodging for the media attendees. They arranged with local wineries for time and tastings with winemakers as well as several meals. Media attendees paid a small fee as well as provided their own transportation to and from the region.

All opinions are our own.

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More on wine regions in New South Wales

Pantry Pairings – Travel in a Bottle – Affordable Virtual travel in a pandemic

Jul 15, 2020

Ahh…the best-laid plans. When we began sheltering in place in March, we ordered a selection of wines from around the world to do some pairings with! We had set up with Sun Basket to provide some meal kits that would allow us to have fresh vegetables to allow us to do some pantry pairings.

We did pretty well for a while! Getting out posts on our pairings. Then, life happened. Yes even while sheltering in place, we manage to find a way to become extremely busy! We are working on content from our in-depth visits with winemakers across the globe. Then came tastings and online events and I decided to add #WinePW and #ItalianFWT groups to my writing schedule. So…several pairings we enjoyed, but never shared with you! Today I will remedy that with a bit of our backlogged pantry pairings and travel in a bottle menus. Prepare for a bit of a photo montage!

Tertini 2018 Pinot Blanc and a one-pot linguini with spring vegetables – Pantry Pairings

We were able to get a bit of fresh air, back in early May, getting out to our local Gilcrease Farm to pick some vegetables. It’s a large property, outdoors, with plenty of space. We were socially distant and wore our facemasks. We actually met a couple of friends out there. People I have missed terribly. We cried as we stared at each other an could not hug, and took comfort in seeing each other eyes. I picked peas, Michael found zucchini and they had garlic scapes and asparagus at the checkout.

Lady bug in the peas at Gilcrease Farm in Las Vegas.

Australia

Rowlee 2018 Single Vineyard Nebbiolo – Day 7 of the 12 Days of Wine

2018 Rowlee Single Vineyard Nebbiolo

Bleu Cheese Burger with bacon and tomato marmalade

Blackberry Goat Cheese Chocolate Bombs

Sources and Resources

More from Crushed Grape Chronicles on Orange Australia

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Blackberry Goat Cheese Chocolate Bombs

Blackberry Goat Cheese Chocolate Bombs

Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

Yield: 8 Servings

What to Pair?

2018 Rowlee Single Vineyard Nebbiolo

Tempered Chocolate

Ingredients

Directions

*Plan B – Microwave method of Tempering Chocolate*

Filling

Ingredients

Directions

Watch our quick video for the highlights.

Blackberry Goat Cheese Chocolate Bombs with a Rowlee 2018 Nebbiolo

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Plan B – Microwave method of Tempering Chocolate