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!

2 days in Orange? Too little time for this beautiful Australian wine region!

Sep 8, 2020

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.

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.

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.

All the ingredients for the one-pot pasta! Peas, asparagus, lemon, linguini, olive oil, salt, garlic scapes, spinach and cheese. Our Pantry pairing!

One-pot spring vegetable pasta with asparagus, peas, garlic scapes, spinache, lemon and cheese

Tertini Pinot Blanc amidst the pea shells

Tertini 2018 Pinot Blanc from New South Wales Southern Highlands with a one-pot spring vegetable pasta

I made a one-pot pasta with linguini and everything I picked, adding lemon and topping it with finely grated cheese.

Travel in a bottle – back to Australia to the Southern Highlands

Then we did a bit of travel in a bottle to Tertini Wines in Australia. This winery is in New South Wales in the Southern Highlands wine region south of Sydney. We visited with Tertini Winemaker Jonathan Holgate last October and he took us out to the Yarrandoo Vineyard where they grow the grapes for this wine.

Mediterranean salmon with white bean-artichoke salad from Sun Basket

Tertini Pinot Blanc Pairing #2 with Mediterranean salmon & white bean artichoke salad from Sun Basket — Mediterranean salmon with white bean-artichoke salad from Sun Basket

We did not drink this all in one sitting. I think I was trying to stretch it to last as long as possible. We did another pairing the next evening with a Sun Basket dinner of Mediterranean salmon with white bean-artichoke salad. Both pairings were delicious and sadly at this point, we had finished off this bottle that I wished could have lasted forever.

Roasted togarashi salmon with miso-glazed eggplant & a Trimbach 2016 Gewurztraminer

This was a delicious earthy meal with miso and eggplant, lightened by a carrot edamame salad on the side. The salmon got seasoned with shichimi togarashi (a blend of mild chile, orange peel, and nori). Then the eggplant is sliced and glazed with a miso & maple glaze, adding umami and sweetness. These roast and then the carrot and edamame salad with a dressing of almond butter, sesame oil and apple cider vinegar, finishes the plate.

Travel in a bottle – to Alsace France

I chose the Gerwurtz initially to pair with the togarashi. The Trimbach is from Alsace. It was pale lemon in color, with a pronounced nose of Ginger, rose, honey, and leechee fruit. On the palate, it was dry with the alcohol sitting at 14% and medium across the board for body, acid, and intensity. I got tropical and citrus fruit on the palate. This wine did have a bit of viscosity. When I posted a photo on Instagram, I found that this is a popular and accessible wine, with lots of folks saying this was a go-to Gerwurz for them. (SRP $22.99)

Trimbach has been around for a while in Alsace. They were founded in 1626 and are run now by the 12th generation f Trimbachs. Maison Trimbach is located in Ribeauville which is in the northern section of the Haut-Rhin (which is the southern section of Alsace).

Ingredients for the Roasted togarashi salmon with miso-glazed eggplant to pair with the Trimbach Gewurztraminer

Roasted Togarashi salmon with miso-glazed eggplant from Sun Basket

Trimbach 2016 Gewurztraminer with Roasted Togarashi salmon with miso-glazed eggplant from Sun Basket

Steaks with Chimichurri & harissa-roasted sweet potatoes with a Carhartt Vineyards 2016 le f.p.

This is one of those pairings that just falls together and it’s just so pretty. Another where we sourced from Sun Basket. It really is a great way to cut down on needed trips to the supermarket and still keep the fresh veggies in the fridge and our diet! The sweet potatoes just needed to get roasted in the oven the stead gets cooked on the stove, the chard sauteed with garlic and olive oil and then the chimichurri sauce is drizzled on top. It is one of the simpler dishes, but it’s so tasty!

Ingredients for our pairing with Carhartt Vineyards le f.p. 2016

Steak with chimichurri and harissa-roasted sweet potatoes from Sun Basket

Carhartt Vineyards le f.p. 2016 (previously four play) with steaks, chimichurri, roasted sweet potatoes and greens

Travel in a bottle to California’s Los Olivos

We didn’t travel far for this one, just out to California to Los Olivos and Carhartt Vineyard. Their “le f.p.” was previously known as “four play” a play on words for this wine (as you can see by the label with the stork). This is their Bordeaux style blend with Merlot, Cab Sav, Cab Franc & Petit Verdot. It’s a fan favorite and was delicious with this dinner!

Were there more Pantry Pairings? Did we continue to Travel in a bottle?

Were there more dishes? Well if you have seen our Instagram feed, you will know that there were. Pantry pairings from nachos to full dinners, with wines from California, Oregon, South Africa, and oh so many more. Here is a small sampling.

Boschendal 2019 Rose from South Africa’s Western Cape with blackened sole and a corn & black bean salsa from Sun Basket
Nachos and Malvasia Bianca from Larner Vineyard in Santa Barbara’s Ballard Canyon
Randall Grahm’s Riesling to Live, method Champenois Riesling with a frittata and salad
Tablas Creek 2019 Dianthus Rose with a curried chicken with dried fig and cashews
Carhartt 2019 Sav Blanc and a pasta salad
Gloira Ferrer Royal Cuvee 2009 with turkey lettuce cups
Carhartt 2016 Quello Grande
Pairing for that Quello Grande Seared steaks with roasted red pepper ajvar and cauliflower from Sun Basket
Tablas Creek Cote de Tablas Blanc 2017 with a grilled apricot salad
Roasted apricot from Gilcrease Farm with bacon, goat cheese and pecans on greens.
Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigar Blanc and Turmeric-mojo shrimp with roasted carrots and poblano from Sun Basket
Take Flight White from Girardet Vineyard and nachos. Nachos are a recurring theme.

Have you been making any pantry pairings or taking an evening to travel in a bottle? Share with us your adventures in the comments!

7 resources for more information

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Robin Renken CSW (photo credit RuBen Permel)

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

Digging into Biodynamic farming with Rod Windrim of Krinklewood

Jun 16, 2020

Last October Michael and I visited Australia and while in the Hunter Valley, we visited Krinklewood Vineyard. Rod Windrim the Vigneron, took us on a walk around the property. Rod is using biodynamic farming methods in his vineyard and it was something I really wanted to discuss with him.

When we met him, he gave us a bit of the history of the vineyard. You can read about that here. It also includes a couple of videos from our visit.

Rod Windrim Vigneron, Krinklewood Biodynamic Vineyard

Varieties in the vineyard

Rod and I start our wander, heading out into the vineyard and he tells me about the varieties they are growing. This includes Semillon, Chardonnay, Verdelho, Shiraz, Tempranillo and a little bit of Gewurztaminer. They were growing Mourvedre, but it just wasn’t suited to the site, so they switched to Tempranillo, which does very well. The Gewurztraminer was added because he really liked adding it to the Verdelho to give it a slightly savory note, and he could not find a place to source it.

They produce some varietal wines and some blends. Their Wild White is a mix of all of their white grapes. The Verdelho was Rod’s alternative to Sauvignon Blanc. Not a fan of “Savy Blanc”, the Verdelho is his answer to a wine that Sauvginon Blanc fans find they like (even if they have trouble pronouncing it.)

With some varieties they must put in a bit of extra work to keep them healthy. With the Tempranillo it is important to keep the canopy open for the breeze to come through, because the big soft Tempranillo leaves are prone to downy mildew. The Semillon, which is so famous for botrytis in Bordeaux, they carefully drop fruit so that none of the bunches are touching. This again, keeps the bunches safe from mildew and disease.

Yeast

I ask if they use native yeast. His answer? They do both native & inoculated. They create a pied de cuve, which you can kind of think of as a sourdough starter.

“We culture our yeast with … the nicest bunches we can get, put them in small carboys then just leave it out of the sun so you get about 25 degree temp and just monitor it with a hydrometer until it gets down to about 6 baume and then shandy it into the…mix it in gradually.”
Rod Windrim, October 2019

Sometimes they have used cultured yeast, when the weather has been uncooperative and they could get good grapes to start the pied de cuve.

The beauty of the site

Krinklewood, biodyamic Vineyard, in New South Wales, The Hunter, Australia

The pond for irrigation at Krinklewood NSW Australia

The vineyard seems like it’s own universe, spread between Yellow Rock (the hills to the East) and Mount Isobel off in the western distance. Mount Broke and Mount Adams frame Drews Creek that feeds into Wollombi Brook. There are neighbors, but you don’t feel like there are.

“It’s heaven! I think being surrounded by mountains, it’s lovely. At night it gets that you can’t see your hand in front of your face. It’s wonderful for lying on the grass, looking at the stars”
Rod Windrim, October 2019

Willa! Our constant joyful companion on our wander at Krinklewood.

Here I must give a shout out to Willa. She was our constant companion joyfully playing on our wander. She is Rod’s daughter Carla’s dog.

Solar for energy efficiency

Rod points out the solar panels in front of us. They have a 15 kw set up here and another 10kw on the other side of the property.

Solar panels at Krinklewood Vineyard Broke in the Hunter Valley of NSW Australia — Solar panels at Krinklewood Vineyard

This leads to……

“we don’t want to rave about organics too much. To me it’s like telling someone you’re honest. The moment someone tells me they’re honest, hmmmm. We feel a little bit the same way about organic and biodynamic and also getting caught in sort of the thing I hate this “I’m more organic than you and I’m more biodynamic than you and all that.”
Rod Windrim, October 2019

But I have asked. This is not marketing or bragging, this is answering the questions I am asking. I like the fact that he is doing this because he believes in it, and does not want it thought of as a marketing ploy.

The Cosmic Pit where they bury the cowhorns for their biodynamic preparations at Krinklewood in NSW Australia

Flow forms for mixing the biodynamic tea preparations for in the vineyard at Krinklewood

Compost at Krinklewood biodynamic Vineyard NSW Australia

We pass the sheds with tractors and cultivators, the flow forms and stainless steel tank for making compost teas. There is a patch with buried cow horns and areas for making compost that has fencing so you can see the layers. These were built back when they did weekend biodynamic classes here with Hamish Mackay.

Influences and sources for biodynamic information

The farming here is just farming biology. Rod rattles off names; Arden Anderson who was a student of Carey Reams. Both do what is called biological farming. He also mentions Elain Ingham, a microbiologist and Philip Calahan, who got into the frequencies plants put out. I am grateful we are recording so I can look up there work later (I’ll include links in case you are curious, below). Rod did his research and he is quite well read on the subject.

I learn from him about biological coverage on leaves from compost teas that keep pests from attacking it. You can check the brix of the sap within the stems of the vines. If the brix are at 16-18, the plant is healthy and the pests won’t attack it. Pests, like predators, attack the weak and unhealthy. This is where Callahan comes in. He was monitoring the frequencies that plants give out and discovered that when they give out certain frequencies, the pests detect it and come running.

Unhealthy conventional farming cycles

There is a cycle that you might be familiar with, that happens in conventional agriculture. You add a fertilizer recommended from a company, nitrogen perhaps. The plants start growing fast. They send out all this soft new tissue and that attracts the pest who come to eat it. Then of course the company recommends a pesticide to kill off those pests. It’s a vicious circle. It’s also about quantity over quality. Add the fertilizer and you get bigger plants, bigger crop, but with less nutritional density.

Natural innovation to save a vintage

I ask about the pressures of summer rains when using biodynamic farming methods. Most of the regions we have seen using these practices are blessed with dry summers. Rod gets excited here. He has a story for me.

“We started using biodynamic preparations here in 2002. We got to 2008 and local contractors and colleges, when we said we’d survived another year, they were like “yeah, but it’s a fucking drought”. 2008 came and it pissed down raining the whole vintage. We had downy starting to break out. Lawson, that worked for me at the time was really awesome. We’d met up with some guys in the cotton industry that were heading toward organic. This guy was breeding a geni of fungi that predated on downy spores. So we got some and made a compost tea, we bred the numbers up and sprayed this out. We survived the vintage with downy and picked every grape on the property.”
Rod Windrim, October 2019

Downy Mildew (Plasmopara vitikola) is a fungal disease that affects a grape leaves. Common grapevine diseases and treatment. *bildlove, Adobe stock*

Downy spores are white on the underside of the leaf. The tea turned them a rusty red color. They hadn’t wanted to give up on biodynamics after working so hard for so many years.

“This wine writer rang me in March after vintage and asked how the vintage was. I said it was pretty tough. He said, so what do you mean? I said it pissed down rain, we got downy breakout. So he said you are going back to…I said No Way! We are convinced now, we can actually wave the flag, we’re biodynamic, cause we survived!”
Rod Windrim, October 2019

We walk around the back and he points out the Verdelho, the Shiraz, the Gewurz, Chard and Semillon that is next to the creek.

Irrigation

I ask about water and Rod says they have a dam and then drip feed. Here you have to irrigate or the vines would not survive. But they only irrigate to keep the biology healthy and breeding. They use the system to place biological food for the vines, like fish emulsion, kelp and molasses.

Soils

Soils here are sandy loam, which are great for white grapes, not so great for red. Red wines want those rich red volcanic soils to make powerful reds like those in McClaren Vale and the Barossa Valley. Here the reds are more akin to a big Pinot Noir.

Spraying biodynamic preparations with a recovery system

Tractor with biodynamic spray and catch unit at Krinklewood

At that point the tractor pulling a sprayer comes toward us. This sprayer has a recovery unit on it. This early in the year there is not as much foliage, so there is a cover on both sides to recover about 80% of what they are spraying. This keeps the spray from being wasted in the air or on the ground.

We spent quite a bit of time with Rod, so check back with us as we continue our walk and get into the winery for a bit of barrel tasting.

The truth of 2020

It’s worth saying that a biodynamic approach can help you through drought, it can help with the health of your vineyard, but there are some things that are beyond the help of biodynamics. Australia and the Hunter Valley were hit with major fires this year. Krinklewood, like so many vineyards in the Hunter, lost an entire vintage to smoke taint. Rod tells me they tested and after getting the results, they did not harvest. After that, they were hit by COVID-19, having their cellar door again closed down.

They have been able to reopen their cellar door, which is an amazing place to get away, enjoy the country, watch the peacocks (who roam and preen), and enjoy some amazing wine. I encourage you to go visit. It will do your soul good. You can taste and see for yourself the difference using a biodynamic approach can make in a wine. The wines here are really spectacular. Make sure you have room in the car to take some home.

Be sure to call ahead and set an appointment. They are appointment only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, for the moment. Pre-book your tasting by calling 0265791322 or via email [email protected].

You can find them at 712 Wollombi Rd, Broke NSW 2330, Australia

If you see Rod, please tell him I say hello.

Sources & Resources

If you, like me, are fascinated with biodynamics and want to learn more, here is a list of the authors that Rod mentioned.

Krinklewood also has a page devoted on their site to their story with biodynamics that is well worth a read! https://www.krinklewood.com/biodynamics/

One other book, that I really need to pick up and read is The Future Makers -Australian wines for the 21s Century by Max Allen. I met Max at the Wine Media Conference. In his book, he looks at Australian winemakers and vineyard owners, and the directions the wine industry will need to take to combat global warming. He spent some time speaking with Rod about Biodynamics.

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.

Krinklewood – Disco Balls, Biodynamics and the History of the Vineyard

May 29, 2020

This area in the Western part of the Hunter Valley feels isolated and remote. As you pass through the village of Broke and drive down the 2 lane Wollombi Road, the hill of Yellow Rock rises up on your left while fields reach out past Wollombi Brook to the Mount Broke on the right. Out here is where you will find Krinklewood, a biodynamic vineyard and winery in the Broke-Fordwich sub region of the Hunter Valley.

We arrived and turned down the lane at Krinklewood. You can’t help but be transported. Green vineyard rows are capped with mirror balls. The sunlight catches them and bounces the morning light about. It’s beautiful with a bit of joyful ktich.

Krinklewood in Hunter Valley Australia 2019 Biodynamic Vineyard — Krinklewood Biodynamic Vineyard with its disco balls and Minti

Rod Windrim, the owner of Krinklewood, met us with his dog Minti. Meeting Rod, there is no doubt that you are in Australia, he sports a bush hat with a colorful hat band, and an easy going demeaner.

Rod Windrim, vigneron at Krinklewood. — Rod Windrim, Vigneron at Krinklewood.

Birds and disco balls

Rod asked if I had seen the disco balls before. I had not. They use this here, as a deterrent for birds. It’s a bit flashier than the tinsel you see in many places.

“With birds there’s all sorts of partial solutions, there’s no total solution. Other than standing over them with a machine gun. This came about because I’ve got a neighbor that moved into the area across the road and the sound of electronic speakers and things drove him nuts. He was a miner so he was working shift work, so it was my attempt to try to get on top of the problem in a gentle soft sort of way.”
Rod Windrim, October 2019

He’s even thought about adding wings to them, to catch the breeze better. They look fantastic and let you know that this place does not take itself too seriously. Driving up to the cellar door, you won’t expect a hauty, snooty greeting after seeing those. It sets the mood. It also makes you think immediately of music, and music as we will see, plays a big part in these wines.

The History of Krinklewood

Rod and his family live in Sydney and started coming to the Hunter in 1978. They planted a vineyard in Polkobin in 1981.

“We then moved out of Pokolbin to Wollombi because we felt Pokolbin was becoming too suburban. Actually we thought, next there will be traffic lights and there were tarred roads…so it wasn’t what we were looking for. So we ended up moving to Broke, because it was sort of like we were in the country.”
Rod Windrim, October 2019

In 1996 they decided to plant the vineyard here. They spent 2 years doing the research with soil pits etc. In 1998 they planted to conventional methods, but Rod was researching and found a book by Nicolas Joly on biodynamics. He was fascinated and took a night course on biodynamics. He would rush home late after the class and wake his wife up to tell her all the exciting things he had learned. It was the synergy of this method that really attracted him.

The contractor they were working with was open to this, while still a bit skeptical. They started using biodynamic preparations in 2002 and were certified biodynamic in 2007.

When I say certified biodynamic, it is for the entire property, which includes an orchard and garden, as well as multiple animals they have on the property.

They had sheep, but spent so much time moving the electric fencing, as they moved the sheep from area to area, that it became too much work. With biodynamics, you cannot use chemical drenches to kill worms and parasites in your sheep. The alternative is to have pasture open to heat and light and allow the parasites to die before allowing the sheep in that field to graze. Hence the moving of the fencing constantly.

The inspiration for the Krinklewood label

They still have cattle, but the numbers are dwindling due to the draught. The cattle are an important symbol here, you see them on the label. These are Limousin cattle. When they bought the property they had 60 head of these cattle here. This breed comes from the Limoge province in France. The ancient cave paintings here were the inspiration for the Krinklewood logo.

Cave Paining in Lascaux Cave in the Dordogne region of France, the inspiration for the Krinklewood logo Thierry, Adobe Stock
Krinklewood, Biodyamic Vineyard, in New South Wales, The Hunter, Australia

In addition, they have chickens and there are geese. The idea is biodiversity. It is bucolic and beautiful and it makes you breathe deeper, wrapping you in a sense of calm.

Next we head out for a “wander” as Rod says, to see the property and discuss their biodynamic approach. You’ll want to check back to join us.

Sources & Resources

And here is a link in case you want to look up the books by Nicolas Joly that he refers to! https://www.amazon.com/Biodynamic-Wine-Demystified-Nicolas-Joly/dp/1934259020

And if you, like me, are interested in these cave paintings…

Ancient History Encylopedia Lascaux Cave

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

An Australian Semillon and Malaysian Noodles

Apr 11, 2020

While following our #stayathome orders, we are grateful that there are meal kit delivery services out there, so that we can prepare a delicious fresh meal. We give thanks to those people picking the produce and gathering ingredients to put these kits together and the people who are out there delivering them to us.

We had tried these meal kits earlier this year, thanks to a neighbor who was out of town and asked us to make use of her delivery while she was gone.

I like the idea of having no food waste with the meals. The first that we started with was Malaysian stir fried Hawker Noodles with shrimp. It makes 2 servings and comes with all the ingredients needed with the exception of salt, pepper and oil.

So what to pair with a dish like this? We chose a Semillon from Australia, although many white wines or even a light rosé would work. Perhaps a Torrontes or a Gruner Veltliner or a New Zealand Sav Blanc (which will pull out the vegetable notes). If you choose to use the sambal oelek hot sauce with it, you might want to choose a sweeter wine to tone down the heat, something like a German riesling or maybe a sparkling wine that is demi-sec or a sweeter style of rosé. Most sparkling wine would actually work nicely with this also, Cava, Prosecco, Crémant or Champagne…

Semillon

We happened to have an older Semillon from our trip to Australia. Semillon is a wine grape you may not have heard of. In France it is a white wine of Bordeaux and is used to make the sweet wines of Sauternes in the southern part of the Bordeaux region. As a still wine you sometimes see it in the Entre Deux Mers, the central part of Bordeaux where the wines are not as fancy and pricey as those Left and Right Bank Bordeaux wines that you hear more about.

As a still wine is it often blended with Sauvignon Blanc. Outside of France there is not alot of Semillon grown, except for one region in New South Wales Australia, the Hunter Valley, where Semillon has come into it’s own.

We visited Australia back in October and tasted many Semillon’s in the Hunter Valley. This particular Semillon came from a littler further afield. Before heading to the Hunter, we visited another wine region which is south of Sydney, but still in New South Wales. This beautiful region is the Shoalhaven Coast.

Coolangatta Estate

We booked at stay at Coolangatta Estate on the Shoalhaven Coast. This place was awarded a 5 red star rating by the Halliday Wine Companion in 2019. The vineyard surrounds the historic grounds of the convict built village that house the cellar door, their restaurant and the resort. While there we had a chance to speak the owner Greg Bishop about the place and the wines.

The stable building at Coolangatta Estate

Spring Vines at Coolangatta Estate in the Shoalhaven Coast New South Wales Australia

Coolangatta Estate Originally opened in 1822, renovated and reopened in 1972. Shoalhaven Coast New South Wales Australia

Mt. Coolangatta in the morning mist. New South Wales

Rolling vineyard in the shadow of Mt. Coolangatta, Coolangatta Estate Shoalhaven Coast New South Wales Australia

Greg’s parents purchased the dilapidated village of buildings and the land around them in 1947 with the dream of one day fixing up the historic buildings and creating a resort. Greg re-established the vineyards in the 1980’s.

Wollstonecraft Semillon 2011

Malaysian stir-fried hawker noodles with shrimp with Coolangatta Semillion

This wine is an award winning wine. Grown and harvested from the Wollstonecraft vineyard on the estate and vinified by Tyrrell’s in the Hunter Valley. Their Semillon’s are award winning here and this is one that is note worthy with multiple gold silver and bronze awards and with a trophy for best Australian Semillon in 2020. The thing is, this wine will just keep getting trophies. Semillons just get better with age. We actually have a bottle of their 2005 which has won 12 trophies.

So what makes this wine special? It is bright, but round, it has great citrus notes without too much acid. You get subtle notes of lanoline (which is typical of a semillon) and then meyer lemon and citrus zest. It is perfect for pairing with this dish with the stir fried noodles. It’s refreshing and it sits at 11% abv, so you don’t have to worry about getting shnockered too quickly. This wine is not on their current range lineup, so you will have to check with the winery to see if they are currently offering it with their museum collection of wines. If they are, you can expect it to run around $60 Aus.

For more info

If you want more information on this region, you can read another piece we wrote on the Shoalhaven Coast that included Coolangatta. I’ll also include some links for information on the area as well as a link to Sunbasket in case you might be interested in that.

We will be back with another #pantrypairing soon!

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

Lowe Wine – a brief history with David Lowe

Apr 7, 2020

Mudgee, it’s a fun name to say. The name of this region in Australia’s New South Wales is derived from the word “moothie” for “nest in the hills” in the Wiradjuri tongue. We drove from the Hunter Valley over the mountains and into this region to speak with David Lowe of Lowe Wine. I asked David about his history as well as that of his family in this region.

European Settlers in Mudgee

The region was settled by Europeans in 1824, with people moving west from Sydney. The agriculture then was mostly sheep and people settled along the river for water. It was 1825 when Robert Lowe was granted land in the Mudgee Region and 1832 when Robert’s widow Sarah and her 11 children moved to Mudgee, to live on this land. David’s family worked with sheep, cattle and wheat crops.

Farms started to pop up. Australian horticulture at this time was like the American Midwest. They set up large expanses of land devoted to a single crop (you know, mono-culture). This area, however, was a bit more varied and one crop, or way of growing, didn’t work for the entire region. They found that much of this land was better for smaller farms and raising more diverse types of agriculture.

Similar to California, grapes got started with the gold rush. Where there are people, there is bound to be wine. The gold rush in this region of Australia hit around the 1850’s.

How David Lowe got into wine

David’s family have always been in agriculture. There was a winery next door as David was growing up and he worked on the bottling line. When the laboratory technician had to be gone for a while, they put David in the lab. He found he loved the chemistry. So, at 15 when he had to choose the elective that would be his career, he announced to his family that he wanted to be a winemaker.

“I made that decision and I’ve stuck to it. So, who knows if I’m good at anything else or not. In fact, my parents, I found out later on, I think used to go to church to pray for my soul. Their view of a winemaker, was someone who had a bottle in a brown paper bag under a bridge.”
David Lowe, October 2019

Eventually he did convert them, and they started their own wine cellar. David helped his father plant the first vines at Tinja, the family property in Mudgee in 1973.

Len Evans – an early influence in David’s career

After graduating with his degree in Oenology from Roseworthy College, David worked as the Assistant Winemaker for Rothbury wines. Rothbury in the Hunter valley was run by Len Evans and Murray Tyrrell.

Len Evans was a writer, vineyard owner and much more. Those of you who are older might remember “The Galloping Gourmets” a book he co-authored with Graham Kerr, which Kerr later turned into the syndicated cooking show. More importantly, he became one of the most influential people in wine. He created the Australian Wine Bureau and was chairman of several wineries over his career including Rothbury Wines, Petaluma, Evans Wine Company and Tower Estate. He transformed blind tasting into a sport and to this day the Len Evans Tutorial aims to educate Australians in the wine industry through an intensive 5-day tutorial of tasting and judging wines with Masterclasses on the greatest wines of the world.

“I was very fortunate to work for a wine company that had … as the chairman of the company arguably one of the 5 great men of wine in the world. His name was Len Evans….I was exposed to some of the great wines of the world. He was adamant…on Day 2 when I was working there, that I had to try the best 20 wines in the world. I think he wanted to have them himself afterwards, but at the time, I went along with it.”
David Lowe, October 2019

Discovering biodynamics

Bush trained vines at Lowe Wine in Mudgee Australia

Nine of the twenty wines that Len Evans had him taste were either bio dynamic or organic. This made him want to explore bio dynamics. What was it that made these wines better? What was this relationship between bio dynamics and quality?

It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that he was able to attend a conference in Australia on bio dynamics. This changed the way he wanted to grow. He headed home to the family farm. His parents were older and had not been working the vineyard and the property was rundown from being inactive. He looked at bio dynamics as being a way to fix the property.

“So, we started down the path to learn about bio dynamics. And that’s taken now nearly 20 years to get right. And I don’t think we have it right or anywhere near it, but we’ve made an improvement.”
David Lowe, October 2019

Zinfandel Vines with leaves just coming out at Lowe Wines Tinja vineyard in Mudgee Australia

More to come…

We will speak more with David about Bio dynamics later. His philosophy of Slow Wine making was one of the things that drew me to this place. He cares deeply about the land and continues to try to improve his stewardship of the land each vintage.

You can read more about David and his Zinfandel (yes I said Zinfandel, in Australia) here.

For more on the Mudgee Region check out Visit Mudgee, and take a look at our interview with Cara George.

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.

Exploring New South Wales – Hunter Valley

Feb 27, 2020

The Hunter Valley is a large region and holds the lions share of wineries when you look at New South Wales. In this region which covers more than 30,000 square kilometres (that’s over 18,000 square miles) you will find more than 150 wineries and cellar doors.

This is the oldest wine growing region in Australia. James Busby, the father of Australian wine, brought cuttings to the region in the 1820’s. Originally known for Riesling and Semillon, the region now produces a wide range of varieties. Semillon, is it’s signature wine. The grapes expression here is like no other region in the world.

When we visited in October of 2019 for the Wine Media Conference, we took a bit of time to explore the region, before, during and after the conference. Here is a bit on the few of the places we had time to visit. This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are many more that we did not have time to get to, but we will drop a link at the bottom to help you find all the other amazing wineries and more in the region.

Muse at Hungerford Winery

We start out with a restaurant. Not just any restaurant, Muse is a dining experience. With a seasonal menu that makes your mouth water just to read and dishes that are almost too beautiful to eat, this is an experience not to miss when you are in the region.

What you find on every beautiful plate is sourced sustainably and locally, with some of the vegetables coming out of the garden on site that they maintain.

The wine list is filled with local wines and it is well worth tasting some of the aged Hungerford Semillons on the list. Did I mention the food is beautiful? I dare you to get through the slide show of our dinner without drooling.

1st course at Muse restaurant in the Hunter Valley Australia NSW

Dinner at Muse Cured and charred kangaroo, wattleseed yoghurt, mulberry, purple daikon, native pepper berry salad Hunter Valley NSW Australia

Dinner at Muse entre Slow cooked lamb breast, black garlic glaze, fresh and salt baked beetroot, garlic shoots Hunter Valley NSW Australia

Dinner at Muse dessert Red gala apple, miso custard, verjuice caramel, brioche, macadamia, wattleseed Hunter Valley NSW Australia

Dinner at Muse in Hunter Valley NSW Australia Amuse bouche

2nd course Muse Petuna ocean trout served raw, smoked bonito mousse, Hunter Valley NSW Australia

Dinner at Muse 3rd Course Barbequed Murray Gold cod, kohlrabi, XO butter, nasturtium seeds, leaves and flowers Hunter Valley NSW Australia

Palate cleanser between courses at Muse in the Hunter Valley NSW Australia

Dessert at Muse Raspberry, white chocolate, rhubarb, wild fennel, liquorice Hunter Valley NSW Australia

Tamburlaine

Tamburlaine is organic. They had been on my radar, and then I met winemaker Aaron Mercer at the opening gathering for the Wine Media Conference. I had an opportunity to taste his wines, while he told me about the winery and their organic vineyards. They work hard to limit their impact on the environment and are one of Australia’s largest organic producers. They do also have some Vegan Friendly wines!

Scarborough

We spent our first afternoon in the Hunter with Jerome (Jer-Oh-Me) Scarborough of Scarborough Wine Co. They are known here for Chardonnay, which is a little atypical for the region. We tasted in their beautiful tasting room on Gillards Road, which was originally the family home. His father Ian, known by most as “Scarbie” is one of the Hunter Valley “Legends”. Scarbie replanted the Gillards Road Vineyard when they took it over, pulling up the Cab and Shiraz and planting Chardonnay on the red clay soils.

Jerome took time with us for a wonderful interview and we look forward to sharing that with you in the future.

Tyrrell’s

Tyrrell’s is one of the oldest wineries in the region. They have been family owned since 1858. Known for their Semillon & Shiraz, the Vat 1 Semillon is one of Australia’s most awarded white wines.

In 1858 Edward Tyrell took up 320 acres of land in the Hunter that he named “Ashmans” which is the name of his maternal grandmothers ancestral home in Suffolk. They built an iron bark slab hut as a residence. The historic building stands today.

If you are looking for history in the Hunter…this is the place.

Keith Tulloch

Keith and his wife Amanda got into the wine business back in 1997. They grew the business purchasing the “Field of Mars” vineyard in 2008 and opening their state of the art winery in 2011. Keith Tulloch is a carbon neutral winery. I had messaged with Keith, but he was out of the country during our visit. Brendan their Winemaker took us out into the vineyard to show and tell us about the varieties they are growing, their sustainable methods, show us their insectary garden and then the winery.

We finished with a tasting upstairs at their beautiful cellar door. Cameron their Cellar Door Manager walked us through a tasting, answering all of our in depth questions.

They also have another of the Muse restaurants onsite. This is the Muse Kitchen. They serve lunch most days, and dinner a few days of the week so check ahead of time.

Krinklewood

If you know me you know that I will search out bio dynamic wineries. They are my people. Krinklewood was no exception. We headed out to Broke/Fordwich to meet Rod Windrim, the Vigneron (and owner). We were greeted by the sparkle of mirror balls lining the driveway at the end of each vineyard row. This keeps the birds away and it looks spectacular!

Rod met us and walked us around the property. He is passionate about bio dynamics and sustainability and was happy to talk with me about his views and practices. He took us past the solar panels into the winery, which itself is a pretty spectacular building and we were treated to some barrel tasting before we headed back to the cellar door and the gardens.

There are formal gardens here as well as some stellar organic produce gardens and a peacock or two that wander the property. We finished with a tasting with Rod before he had to jet off to Sydney for a meeting.

Brokenwood

We were lucky enough to make a couple of trips to Brokenwood. It’s centrally located and pretty easy to get to.

We did a morning meeting for an interview with Senior Winemaker Stuart Hordern, who is also a Director on the Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association Board. He came in from the vineyard to tell us about the region and then a bit more about Brokenwood itself.

We visited again for the “Legends of the Hunter Valley” event and…once more for dinner on the winery crush pad with a group of wine writers.

This winery was established in 1970 by 3 businessmen from Sydney, one of which was James Halliday, the noted Australian wine writer and critic who is known for Wine Companion, his annual overview on Australian Wine.

Audrey Wilkinson

While at the “Legends of the Hunter Valley” event, I met Daniel Byrom. We had a great conversation while he poured me the Audrey Wilkinson wines. He did tell me also that they have a stunning vineyard with the best sunrise shots in the Hunter Valley.

So we got up early and headed out to see the sunrise their ourselves. He was right, it was stunning, as were their wines.

So much more…

There are so many more wineries in this region. Many we caught up with at the conference like First Creek, de iuliis, Briar Ridge, 1813, Wombat Creek, Whispering Brook, Tulloch, Tintilla, Mount Pleasant, Margan, Thomas, Peter Drayton, Oakvale and so many more. (You can look forward to more on these wineries coming up)

It’s a beautiful region, with lots to do, that sits just 2 hours from Sydney. They have a big concert series in addition to fantastic restaurants, festivals, hot air balloon rides, nature retreats, golfing, spas…there is really something for everyone. For more information visit Hunter Valley Wine Country

On Australia – fires and wine

Feb 25, 2020

First things first. Many of the wineries and vineyards in Australia have been severely affected by the drought and the bush fires. The best way to help? Get out and drink Australian wine. Some of these vineyards may not have a vintage this year, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have wine. Most have their cellar doors open. If you are in Australia, go see them! If you are not…well head to your local wine shop, where ever you are on the globe and ask for Australian wine. Search for smaller producers that could really use your help. Yes, it might be difficult to find. Keep asking, drive up the demand.

It was October and we found ourselves in Australia’s New South Wales for the Wine Media Conference, that was held in the Hunter Valley. At the time, this seasons bush fires had only recently begun. Most of these were happening north of where we were in Queensland and our friends who were touring the Granite Belt wine region brought us stories of the fires there. Small fires were popping up. You could see the worry when you spoke with people. But at this point, the concern was mostly about the drought.

Drought after drought

There was a significant drought from 2003 to 2012. After a few years, that were a bit more normal, drought hit again in 2017, this time the impact was more severe. We spoke with people who had family farms that were suffering as available water levels dropped to a point where they could no longer irrigate. We also spoke with winemakers who were concerned about the future of their vineyards.

The drive from Hunter Valley to Mudgee

We traveled through several regions in New South Wales, but our drive to and from Mudgee illustrated the difficulties of the drought most starkly.

We drove into Mudgee from the Hunter Valley. The Hunter, at this point in the spring, was pretty lush and green. From the Hunter we headed inland through the Goulburn National Forest. This is considered “the bush” in Australia. The “bush” is an area that is undeveloped and filled with indigenous flora and fauna. Think of it as backwoods or hinterland, it’s really just a mostly untouched natural region. These regions cover a large portion of Australia.

The drive to Mudgee from the Hunter Valley

As we drove the road became smaller. The population is lower in the inland regions. Most of Australia’s population forms a ring around the country on the coast. With smaller population come smaller roads and we went from 4 lane to 2 lane to a road with no center stripe, and even a section of gravel and dirt, as we crossed through the forest to Mudgee.

The impact of the drought on wildlife

We saw our fair share of kangaroos and wombats, sadly none were living. People asked when we returned if it was like dear on the East Coast of the US. No…it was a dead animal every 50 yards for a great portion of the trip. Much of this comes from the drought. We were told by a winemaker that the roos come to the green strip of grass on the sides of the road to feed, because there is so little for them to feed on otherwise. At dusk and dawn, drivers are hard pressed to miss them.

They do care deeply about their wildlife. We saw signs, like the one below, along all the roads with numbers to call if you hit or see injured animals.

The fires increase

It was not long after our return to the states that the fires spread. In early December a friend was visiting Sydney and took a photo in the Royal Botanical Gardens. Standing in a spot close to where I had been just a month and a half prior, she took a photo of the Lewis Wolfe Levy fountain, a statue of the goddess Diana, with a background of a brown and orange glow of a sky filled with smoke. I had been following the fires as they encroached on Sydney, but this picture brought home the severity of the fires, showing me the stark contrast to the city I had visited.

Sydney smoke covering the Park — photo credit Rebecca Zoltowski

Sydney20191014 4822 — photo credit Rebecca Zoltowski

The 2020 Harvest

Wineries and vineyards now look to what to do this harvest. While, the wineries and vineyards we visited have not been directly impacted by the fires there are those indirect impacts, greater lack of available water, smoke taint, lack of access for visitors and impacts on their employees, many of whom may travel in from areas more affected by the fires.

We have seen wineries, like Tyrrell’s, one of the oldest and largest wineries in the Hunter Valley, publicly state that they will not pull in a harvest this year. Read more from the Guardian here They do not want to compromise the quality of their wine and do not feel comfortable with the amount of smoke taint that their vineyards may have encountered. Depending on the location of the vineyard and the winds, some may be impacted, while others are not.

2020 in the Mudgee Region

I reached out to Cara George with Mudgee Region Tourism to see how the Mudgee Region had been affected this year by the fires and the drought. Cara provided me with a statement from Mudgee Wine

The 2020 grape growing and wine making vintage has been a particularly tough one for growers throughout Australia including the Mudgee Wine Region.
We have all felt the effect of the prolonged drought, extreme heat and continued bush fires and subsequent smoke. Firstly we want to express our sympathy to those who have lost vineyards, wineries and stock in various wine regions in Australia. We also sympathize with those regions that may be dealing with the effects of smoke in grapes in the upcoming harvest.
Secondly, it is important that we acknowledge that 2020 is not the ideal vintage for everyone in the Mudgee Wine Region. As a region we pride ourselves on making top quality wines that consistently win awards across the country. With our commitment to the very high standard of wines that drinkers have come to expect from Mudgee, and the effects of the drought and smoke across the region we are expecting to see a much smaller than average harvest in 2020.
Mudgee Wine Association along with many individual members have been and continue to conduct testing with the Australian Wine Research Institute in relation to effects of smoke in the grapes. Given the results of these tests along with some small batch ferments conducted in wineries, it is likely that many brands will choose not to harvest in 2020. Those who do choose to harvest will be doing so with confidence that the quality of the wine will remain at the high standard expected of the Mudgee Wine Region.
Despite the harsh realities of the 2020 vintage, our region is full of beautiful vineyards, cellar doors, accommodation and restaurants that continue to be open for business and ready for visitors. Our various Mudgee wine brands currently have fantastic vintages available from 2016, through to 2019 for tasting and purchase. In fact, there couldn’t be a better time to visit and support these small growers and winemakers in our beautiful region.
Mudgee Wine Association January 28th, 2020

What is smoke taint

Smoke taint. Okay, I heard a bit about this issue with the fires in Sonoma in 2017. The difference was that those fires happened in October, and harvest was well underway. Many vineyards were not affected at all. In the case of Australia, the fires were beginning in the spring. Late January into March is harvest here in Australia, and the risk smoke taint increases after verasion (when the grapes change color).

The chemicals in smoke that cause smoke taint are volatile phenols and glycosides. These are found in fresh smoke and in lignin from burnt wood. They dissipate in 1 to 2 hours typically, so vineyards that are close to fresh smoke will be affected. At longer distances (and keep in mind smoke can travel long distances), you mostly just see suspended carbon particulates that are less likely to affect the grapes.

bushfire in grassland with trees in australia — bushfire in grassland with trees in Australia

Affects of Smoke Taint

Smoke taint in wine is aromatic and tactile. In small quantities it can present like Brett, with dulled fruit and a strange dryness in the mouth that is similar to oak. In higher concentrations this becomes magnified and decidedly off putting (think burnt garbage).

So…how to determine if your grapes are at the level that they will have off putting smoke taint? Well, the compounds can be detected on grapes by gas chronography, but this is an expensive process. Keep in mind we are trying to detect in parts per million. For most winemakers, the solution is to do a sample pre-harvest and do a sample ferment. Volatile phenols release during fermentation. The levels in fermented grapes are 5 to 10 times higher in fermented grapes compared to fresh grapes. In fermented grapes these volatile phenols can be detected, by smell or taste.

The New South Wales Government is providing grape growers with funding for smoke test kits. Labs that do the detailed work are working overtime and expect to be busy into March. The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Australia is also pretty advanced with technology in vineyards and a piece by Wine Australia gives some details on new spectrometry techniques for diagnosing smoke taint.

A word from David Lowe in Mudgee

We spent time in Mudgee before the conference visiting for an afternoon with David Lowe of Lowe Wines where he is growing bio-dynamically and making some superb Zinfandel. Yes…I said Zinfandel, yes…in Australia. David was kind enough to send us a few words on how they were coping.

The drought has proved challenging and we know we will have about ½ normal yield.
Additional challenges re the dust storms and constant smoke, which we are working through on an ongoing basis.
It’s a national problem and the fires close to houses and vineyards like California means we are sharing experiences that are tough on everybody.
Fred Peterson made contact with me recently it seems the whole world knows about our problems and there is great camaraderie offers of help and sympathy. The wine industry is a close one.
Immediate impacts are tourism and visitation, which are such a part of the experience we are offering.
Our solution is to increase our range of hospitality experiences, increase local visitation and keep the farm watered and viable particularly so we can maintain our ecosystem.
David Lowe, Lowe Wines January 30th, 2020

From Mudgee back to the Hunter via the Golden Highway

On the return trip, we headed to the Golden Highway to the north of the region. Here roads were wider and the landscape went on forever over dry brown hills dotted with trees, that didn’t look so good. The dry brown grass, sometimes gave way to burned patches and often to dark brown expanses where there was not enough water for even the grass to grow. There were cattle farms here with cattle bunched together with little to eat. Mind you, this was spring, when you should see some green somewhere. It was desolate and eerily beautiful, in a post apocalyptic way. Some cattle were lying on their sides…as we weren’t close, I decided to believe that they were still breathing.

Cattle and sheep farmers are struggling. Deny climate change if you will, but these folks are witnessing it first hand.

Now come the rains

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service announced that the fires were contained on February 12th, 2020. We will hope that this continues. But now we are on to the rains. These rains assisted with putting out many of the fires. I’m sure there is gratitude for the rain, but being from California where we have our annual fire season, followed by our annual mudslide season, I am well aware of the devastation that torrential rains cause on areas already devastated by fire. The ground cover is gone and there is little to hold the soil down as creeks become rivers rushing downhill.

The region along the Golden Highway that were so dry? Well hopefully this rain will be helpful. For other regions like the Shoalhaven Coast, this could cause difficulties with roads for visitors to arrive and depending on where they are with harvest, they could have additional complications. We will continue to follow these regions.

The takeaway

Australians are nothing if not resilient. They will rebuild and find a better way to do things. For many this means the loss of a harvest. That is extremely difficult, watching an entire year of work disappear. The cellar doors are still open, they still have wine. Much of the reds from last years harvest are still waiting to be bottled and whites just bottled this spring are ready to be poured. Support the industry and these people. Visit if you are able and if not search out their wines.

For more…

You can read more on our visit to Australia and our #ouraussiewineadventure here on Crushed Grape Chronicles.

You can also find out more about Mudgee, New South Wales and Australian Wine regions in general at these sites.

You can look forward to more in depth pieces on with winemakers we spoke with as well as our visit to the Orange & Hunter Valley Regions of New South Wales.

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

Mudgee Region with Cara George

Feb 25, 2020

While visiting Australia in October of 2019 to attend the Wine Media Conference, we had the opportunity to meet and speak with Cara George the CEO of Mudgee Region Tourism.

Mudgee Wine Region

We visited Mudgee before the conference and soaked in the feel of this wonderful inland town where they are growing so many different varieties of wine grapes. We tasted Zinfandel with David Lowe of Lowe Wines, Italian varieties sipping Prosecco with Col Millott at First Ridge, did a morning visit to Robert Stein where they make some astoundingly good Riesling and sipped Spanish varieties with Sam at Vinifera.

Yes, that’s a wide range of wines! Mudgee has a little something for everyone.

The town itself makes you want to disconnect from everything. It’s a place to stroll, eat great food, find a great shop and of course enjoy some great wines. You will want to keep your phone handy though, for photos. Picturesque spots abound. You’ll be ready to send pictures to everyone you know, but you won’t want to leave.

This is Australia, and this year (2020) they are struggling. Unless you have been living under a rock, you are aware of the fires. Well the fires are a result of drought and this has been tough on the vineyards.

Wine is a product that takes months to years to be ready for sale, so you will find these wineries have white wines available that were bottled this spring and reds that may be anywhere from the 2013 to the 2018 harvest, not to mention older bottles of sparkling or sweet wines. There is plenty of wine that they have ready for you to enjoy.

Cara George CEO of Mudgee Region Tourism, told us that they are doing a campaign in February around Valentine’s Day called “Feel the Love in the Mudgee Region”.

#Feelthelove

Visitors are encouraged to live their own love story in Mudgee Region – sharing experiences with their friends and families and on social media using @mudgeeregion #feelthelove

Feel the Love experiences and packages are available from 14 February through to 30 June. To view all the FEEL THE LOVE experiences and packages, and to create your own love story, visit mudgeedeals.com.au
For more information on Mudgee Region visit visitmudgeeregion.com.au

Mudgee Region is loved as a contemporary country destination, infused with art and music, serving quality produce and wine and shaped by a strong sense of community. Visitors are encouraged to connect right across the region, including the townships of Mudgee, Gulgong, Rylstone, Kandos and beyond, to enjoy a vibrant yet intimate setting. Located less than 270km northwest of Sydney, the fuss-free journey is all part of the experience, and what awaits is a stunning mix of charm and sophistication. It’s just a 3.5- hour drive from Sydney, or 45-minute flight from Sydney airport.
mudgee Region Tourism

Get out and explore Australian wines. There is so much more than Yellow Tail Shiraz my friends!

For more information on Mudgee…

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.

Exploring New South Wales – Mudgee #ouraussiewineadventure

Feb 19, 2020

During #ouraussiewineadventure in October we traveled to the Mudgee Region of New South Wales to spend a day exploring the town and the wineries that surround it.

Mudgee, through the fires and the drought, is still open for business!

From the beginning, I want to acknowledge that they are having a tough year, as is all of Australian wine country. Mudgee, like most regions has been impacted by the drought and the bush fires. While the fires are not directly in the vineyards, they must deal with the smoke, the increased lack of water, the slowing of tourism during the fires and on a more personal level, many employees and their families may be directly affected by the fires.

The thing is, they are still open for business and you can support them by getting out to visit. What? You are not in Australia you say? Well get yourself to a wine store and buy some Australian wine. Ask for wines from wineries other than Yellow Tail! Increase the demand for these wines. Drink them and talk about them. That’s what we plan to do. Wine is a product that takes months to years to be ready for sale, so you will find these wineries have white wines available that were bottled this spring and reds that may be anywhere from the 2013 to the 2018 harvest, not to mention older bottles of sparkling or sweet wines. There is plenty of wine that they have ready for you to enjoy.

#Feelthelove

Cara George CEO of Mudgee Region Tourism, told us that they are doing a campaign in February around Valentine’s Day called “Feel the Love in the Mudgee Region”.

We are waiting with open arms to welcome visitors. #feelthelove
Cara George, CEO Mudgee Region Tourism, January 29th, 2020

We will use this post to tell you about this region, to fill you in on it’s beauty, it’s people, it’s wines. But you can expect that we will be following up with details on the struggles that they are facing and how they are dealing with it.

Mudgee

Mudgee is a wine region in New South Wales. It sits inland from the Blue Mountains and on the West side of the Great Dividing Range. The city is the 2nd oldest settlement West of the Blue Mountains, established in 1838.

In the 1870’s two gold rushes swelled the areas population. The downtown area is picturesque with plenty of heritage listed buildings. It is a great place to stroll and enjoy the shops and food, but don’t miss getting out of town to the surrounding vineyards.

Wine in Mudgee

The name Mudgee means “nest in the hills” in the aboriginal tongue. The name comes from the perimeter of hills that create a “nest”. Grapevines were first planted here back in 1858 by German settlers. Most vineyards are found on the gentle slopes, where you get beautiful vistas. This nest does have it’s downfalls as it can have frost prone pockets.

We drove through the Great Dividing Range from the Hunter Valley to get here and the climate here is very different. There is no maritime influence and bud burst is later here due to the cold nights.

Rainfall is lower here. If you are aware of the bush fires and the current severe drought being felt across New South Wales, you realize how much of an issue that is. Irrigation is essential here, and with the drought they are running low on water to irrigate with.

Harvest here will run a full month behind harvest in the Hunter Valley to the east. It’s warm in summer and autumn. They are at 32 degrees south here and prime wine growing regions sit between 30 and 50 degrees, so they are the warmer edge. Luckily, they sit at about 1476 feet, which helps moderate the heat.

You will find a little more than 40 cellar doors in the area and a wide range of wines, from rieslings to zinfandel.

Lowe Wine

Lowe Wines in Mudgee Zinfandel Tasting Room

Lowe Wines in Mudgee Zinfandel Vines bush trained

Bottles of the Lowe Wine Nullo Mountain Riesling lined up on a foudre in the tasting room Mudgee NSW Australia

Our first stop as we drove into Mudgee, was a visit with David Lowe at Lowe Wines. David is growing bio-dynamically and is a proponent of Slow wine. We had a fascinating conversation with him in his beautiful and busy tasting room. After wondering the property with the map they provide in tasting room to see the orchard, the compost, the gardens etc…we left with a bottle of Zin. Yep…he is well known for his Zinfandel. You can see some of our interview with David:

National Zinfandel Day with an Aussie Zin from Lowe

The Parkview Hotel, Mudgee

We headed back into town to check into our lodging. We were guided on our choice by the suggested accommodations for the Post Wine Media Conference Tour that we were unable to join. (3 tours…we couldn’t do them all, so we came early!)

Modern country elegance with history preserved at the Parkview Hotel in Mudgee NSW Australia

The veranda at the Parkview Hotel overlooking Robertson Park Mudgee NSW Australia

Room 6 at the Parkview Hotel Mudgee NSW Australia

We found the Parkview Hotel, just off of the main area of town overlooking a quiet park. This historic building, originally built in the 1870’s, had recently reopened after extensive renovations. It retains it’s historic charm while adding modern conveniences. They have a cafe, which sadly was not open when we were there mid week. Our suite was easily accessible on the main floor, a boon as we needed to do some repacking! There is a lovely wrap around veranda on the 2nd floor, which they made us aware of upon check in and encouraged us to enjoy. We did. With a bit of time before our sunset meeting, we sat and enjoyed the quiet of the park, with blossoms dropping from the trees and scattering and drifting across the floor of the veranda. It’s was the perfect peaceful break in the afternoon.

First Ridge Wines

Sunset found us at First Ridge, taking in the amazing views over Prosecco with Col Millott. Here they focus on Italian varieties; fiano, vermentino, pinot grigio, sangiovese and barbera. Col, the viticulturist, met us as their cellar door on the vineyard. It was after hours, being at sunset and he kindly drove back to the property and opened up their modern cellar door, that is made from 2 shipping containers.

They are located South East of the city of Mudgee and from their location you can truly see the “nest” that this valley is. Michael set up cameras to catch the views and Col opened up the walls of the cellar door and poured some Prosecco for us to sip while we chatted.

You will have to watch for our interview with Col that will be coming out later.

The sun set, and as the light began to fade, we gathered up the equipment and let Col get home for the day.

First Ridge Wines in Mudgee NSW Australia

The drive to the cellar door at First Ridge Mudgee NSW Australia

Col and I sipping First Ridge Prosecco, while he told me about the history and the soils of this place.

Dinner at the Red Heifer

We had planned a spot for dinner, but Col suggested the Red Heifer at the Lawson Park Hotel. It was a beautiful evening and the walk felt good.

The town of Mudgee is really a bit enchanting. By the time you get here, you have driven through quite a bit of bush and for me at least, it was a relief to see civilization. As we pulled into Church Street the town oozed charm. In the mid day sun, the parking spots along the streets were full and the town hummed with people making their way from shop to shop. Now in the evening it was quieter. The streets were mostly empty and the dark sky was pierced by the light of the clock tower. We strolled, taking it all in, until hunger pushed us to move a bit faster.

We arrived at Lawson’s and found the Red Heifer. The bar and restaurant are separate, so we grabbed a glass of local wine from the bar and, too tired to grill our own, (which is what the place is known for) we went simple with some fish and chips. It was seat yourself, casual and comfortable with the wall painted to show you all the best cuts of beef.

Full and happy, we strolled, a little more slowly now, back to the hotel.

The Lawson's Wine List with over 40 local Mudgee wines NSW Australia

I had the Salt & Pepper Squid at the Red Heifer in Mudgee NSW Australia

The Mudgee clock tower at night NSW Australia

Sunrise at Vinifera

Sunrise was out at Vinifera Vineyards, which is near Lowe Wines and across from the airport. We shivered in the cool morning, arriving early as always to catch the first rays over the vineyard. It was cloudy, so we caught bits as it broke through the clouds. Some of the vines were just hitting bud break here. We ventured back later in the day to do a tasting with Sam, daughter of Tony and Debbie McKendry who planted the vineyard in 1994 and still run it today. She has stepped in as the second generation here at the vineyards. But first…there was breakfast to be had.

Sunrise at Vinifera

Vinifera Vineyard Sunrise Mudgee NSW Australia

Mudgee Wine Region, Vinifera Vineyard Sunrise Mudgee NSW Australia

Alby + Esthers

The Wine Media Conference would return here with a group after the conference. We could not join them, but we did grab their itinerary as a guide. They would be breakfasting at Alby + Esthers so we figured we would give it a try.

The entrance is a brick archway down an alley between shops. You feel like you are sneaking into a spot others might miss. The space opens to a courtyard between the buildings with small seating areas next to an open door into the cafe proper. There are a few seats inside, but why on earth would we not want to enjoy this enchanting garden. Words, don’t do the place justice. You’ll have to settle for some photos.

The entrance to Alby + Esthers in Mudgee NSW Australia

Squeeze down the alley and there is another secluded courtyard Alby + Esther's Mudgee

Beautiful, healthy and delicious, yogurt and granola at Alby + Esther's Mudgee

Cocoa at Alby + Esther's Mudgee NSW Australia

In addition to being a great spot for breakfast, they are open as a wine bar in the evening. With the lights strung over this cozy courtyard garden, I image that would be pretty amazing.

Now it was time to try to fit in another tasting or two, before heading back to the Hunter Valley.

Robert Stein – Riesling

We headed north out of the city to Robert Stein. It was still early and we were likely to be the first people in the tasting room. We pulled up out in front of the rustic looking cellar door, and took in the cloud filled sky, then strolled down to visit the vines.

Clouds at Robert Stein, Mudgee NSW Australia

Riesling vine at Robert Stein Vineyard Mudgee NSW Australia

Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley, CA Grape Cluster

Stein's Wines cellar door entrance at Robert Stein Mudgee NSW Australia

The Robert Stein Cellar Door under a beautiful sky Mudgee NSW Australia

So many varieties and styles at Robert Stein

Stuart in the tasting room took us through a wide range of their wines, which include styles for every palate in varieties including: cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, chardonnay, semillon, pinot noir, gewurztraminer, riesling, sparkling wines, dessert and fortified wines. Their dry Riesling is the star, with multiple awards and medals.

They also have a motor cycle museum and the Pipeclay Pumphouse Restaurant, which we sadly did not have time to visit. We packed a couple of bottles (sadly the suitcase is only so big), and got ready for another drive.

More information on Mudgee

Our drive then would take us back to the Hunter Valley for the Wine Media Conference, where we had an opportunity to speak with Cara George, the CEO of the Mudgee Region Tourism. We look forward to sharing with you our interview with her, where she gives us an overview of the Mudgee Region. For more information visit:

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

Speed Dating for Wine – the Lighter version – White/Rosé Social

Dec 11, 2019

At the Wine Media Conference, they have an events called “Wine Socials”. Sounds like something you would expect, right? It’s a wine conference, they will drink wine and be social. But if you caught our Speed dating for wine – Red Wine Social at the Wine Media Conference piece, you know that it’s a different play on the word “Social”. Well, they do the lighter version also, the White/Rosé Social.

So today we revisit those wineries and winemakers that we had a brief 5 minutes each to speak with, and share with you again, our instagram posts from this tasting. It was 50 minutes, 10 wines, 5 minutes each for them to tell us all they could about their winery and the wine…and for us to post about it on social media. It’s alot to fit into 5 minutes.

I did my posts on InstaGram, so …

Here we go….

Tulloch 2018 Verdelho Hunter Valley

Tulloch 2018 Verdelho #wmc19 White/Rosé Wine Social
Matt pouring the 2018 Tulloch Verdelho

Tulloch 2018 verdelho one of 5 verdelhos (including a fortified) that you can find at their cellar door #wmc19 @huntervalley @visitnsw
crushedgrapechron IG post October 11

Tulloch Wines poured in the Red wine Social and I told you about them then. Here is the synopsis: early winery – 122 years & 4 generations making wine – vineyard owned by other companies for a bit – 2003 bought back from Rosemount – now again family run.

This wine is part of their Tulloch Range, which sits at a very affordable $16 au per bottle. If you look online, they are now on to their 2019 release. This wine is lush and tropical with a zesty finish.

de iuliis fiano two thousand and nineteen special release

2019 Special Release de Iuliis Fiano #WMC19 White/Rosé Social
Mike De Iuliis pouring his Fiano

This fiano was bottled just 10 days ago! From Broke Fordwich…pretty nose! @huntervalley #wmc
crushedgrapechron IG post October 11

So as I mentioned before…(he poured at the Red Wine Social too), we got to hang with Mike a bit during the Dinner Excursion. He had our bus off roading in a vineyard on our way to tasting Semillon and oysters. James Halliday (the Australian wine guru) has only the nicest things to say about Mike. He’s making amazing wine and does not take himself too seriously (I never saw him wear anything fancier than a t shirt).

The De Iuliis Fiano he brought us was under their special release label and had just been bottled. This variety from northern Italy does well here in the Hunter Valley. Mike let this sit on it’s lees (the dead yeast) for 6 months before bottling, which gives it a creamy texture, but it still retains great acidity, with white peaches and herbs on the nose. This sits at 12.5 abv and runs $35 au.

Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Semillon 2019

Tyrrell's 2019 Hunter Valley Semillon — Tyrrell’s 2019 Hunter Valley Semillon

161 year old vineyard. This glorious sem is just $25. #wmc19 @huntervalley
crushedgrapechron IG post October 11

Tyrrell’s has been family owned since 1858. It is the old dog in these woods.

They are well known for their Semillon. This one comes from 4 blocks in the HVD vineyard (planted by the Hunter Valley Distillery back in 1903). They hand pick and sort in the vineyard and press with a small percentage of whole cluster. This sees very little time on lees, to keep it crisp and fresh and there is no oak use. This sits at 10% abv and runs $25 au.

Thomas Braemore Semillion 2018 Individual Vineyard Hunter Valley

Thomas 2018 Braemore Semillon #WMC19 White/Rosé Social
Pouring the Thomas Semillon

this one (oops that should have been “was”) one of my favorite wines from last night. 2019 sem! #wmc18 @huntervalley
crushedgrapechron IG post October 11

Okay…the name on this probably needs a little explanation. The Winery is “Thomas” with wines made by namesake Andrew Thomas. Braemore is the vineyard. Sadly, he was one of the winemakers we were unable to meet. We did indeed taste his Semillon, both this and one that was 10 years older, on our vineyard dinner excursion. With Semillon there is often a note of “lanoline”. On a personal level, I find this slightly offputting. Some people enjoy it, for me…I tolerate it. But these wines did not have that note. I found them crisp and clean and with a vibrancy that I really enjoyed.

As I mentioned the grapes for this wine come from the Braemore Vineyard. Planted in 1969, this vineyard is known to be one of the best sites in the region for Semillon (some say handsdown the best). This wine is bright with lemon & lime zest. I’m not sure of the abv, but I would imagine it to be around 10%. It was brilliant with the oysters. It runs around $31 au.

Taylor’s St. Andrews Riesling Clare Valley 2017

Taylor's 2017 St. Andrews Riesling, Clare Valley #WMC19 White/Rosé Social — Taylor’s 2017 St. Andrews Riesling, Clare Valley #WMC19 White/Rosé Social

Stunning Clare Valley Riesling from Taylor’s in the Clare Valley. #wmc
crushedgrapechron IG post October 11

So Taylor’s is one of the few wines we tasted from outside the Hunter Valley. I had met Anna from Taylor’s on the Dinner Excursion and we hit it off. This winery is located in South Australia in the Clare Valley, where they have been making wine for three generations. The area is known for it’s riesling.

This wine is in the St. Andrews line, named after the historic property that was established by Scottish immigrants back in 1892. This is their flagship line and it is only released in the best vintages.

This wine was delicious with great acidity and notes of lemon & lime. It runs around $37 au.

Tamburlaine Reserve Semillon 2013 Hunter Valley New South Wales

2013 Reserve Semillon Tamburlaine #WMC19 White/Rosé Social
Aaron Mercer Winemaker Tamburlaine

2013 sem from Tamburlaine poured by winemaker Aarom Mercer #wmc19
crushedgrapechron IG post October 11

Okay…first off, his name is Aaron Mercer…speed tasting leaves no time for spellcheck. I had the opportunity to meet and speak with him at the Welcome event at Brokenwood. He is charming and passionate about his wines.

Tamburlaine is an organic winery and proudly so with vineyards in the Hunter Valley and in Orange. The winery was founded in 1966, but was purchased in 1985 by a group of friends who turned to contemporary organics.

Aaron poured for us their 2013 Vintage Reserve Semillon. This wine recieve 96 points from James Halliday. The nose has floral notes, green apple and a hint of pinapple. It has good acidity with citrus notes and a little creaminess from resting 4 months on the lees. This one is not currently available from the winery, but you can find the 2018 which will run you $33 au.

Scarborough “The Obsessive” Chardonnay Gillards Rd Vineyard Hunter Valley

Scarborough 2017 “The Obsessive” Chardonnay #WMC White/Rosé Social
Jerome Scarborough of Scarborough Wines
Terra Rossa Soil from Scarborough’s Gillards Road Vineyard

The Obsessive chardonnay with Jerome Scarborough from Scarborough wines. #wmc19
crushedgrapechron IG post October 11

We had the opportunity to do an interview with Jerome Scarborough before the conference and did their Chardonnay tasting at their Gillards Road Vineyard. So this was a revisit for us.

The Obsessive from Scarborough is their cellar door exclusive range that is single vineyard. The fruit for this wine comes exclusively from their Gillards Road Vineyard which holds their tasting room that was previously the family home. The soil here is red/brown terra rossa, and Jerome brought a soil sample for us.

This wine exhibits notes of butter, roasted nuts and spice from the 15 months it spends in new french oak. It’s creamy texture comes from the monthly lees stirring while in that oak. It sits at 12.7% abv and runs $40.00 au.

Peterson House 2007 Sparkling Semillon

10 year sparkling Semillon stunner! #wmc19
crushedgrapechron IG post October 11

Okay…I am a sucker for bubbles. These were 12 year old Semillon Bubbles! This Peterson House wine was a Museum Release that they broke out for us. Toasty but fresh, you get all those warm brioche notes and fullness in the mouth and then a clean fresh citrus finish. It is available on their site at $60 au.

Peter Drayton Anomaly Vermentino 2019 Hunter Valley

Peter Drayton 2019 Anomaly Vermentino #WMC19 White/Rosé Social
Peter Drayton and his daughter Natalie

2019 Vermentino from Peter Drayton they grow 16 different varieties @huntervalley #wmc19
crushedgrapechron IG post October 11

The Drayton family goes back 5 generations in the Hunter Valley and Peter owns and runs a construction company in addition to his winery.

Peter Drayton and his daughter poured us this 2019 Anomaly Vermentino. I am a Vermentino lover, so I was happy to have this variety in my glass.

The fruit for this wine comes from the Upper Hunter Valley. Made all in stainless this wine has great minerality with notes of citrus and pear. 13% abv and $30 au.

Oakvale 2018 Rosé Hunter Valley

Oakvale 2018 Rosé of Shiraz #WMC19 White/Rosé Social

A lovely rosé of Shiraz from Oakvale Wines! Beautiful onion skin color! #wmc19 @huntervalley
crushedgrapechron IG post October 11

At last! A Rosé! Oakvale Wines believes in minimal intervention. They also make vegan friendly wines. This winery was founded in 1893 and was owned for generations by the Elliot family. In 2010 the Becker family purchased the vineyard and eldest son James became the winemaker.

This rosé of shiraz is a pale onion skin color. Notes of strawberry and cranberry and a crisp finish. 11.5% abv $26.00 au.

I will admit…the White/Rose Wine Social is decidedly easier than the red. Lighter wines that don’t blow your palate make life much easier. And…having the practice in from the previous day was helpful.

There was more, oh so much more, at the 2019 Wine Media Conference and you can look forward to hearing more…we can only write so fast!

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

New South Wales

History of Angullong

The Orange Wine Region

The Angullong Vineyard

Climate change

Angullong Cellar Door in Millthorpe

Welcome to Country

Indigenous Dances

Welcome Aboriginal Dance

Dances to tell the story of a people

Mother Earth Dance

Personal stories through ancient dance

Indigenous Cultural Adventures – and Bush Tucka

Ben Crossing and the wines of Angullong

2019 Angullong Sav Blanc

2019 Angullong Pinot Grigio

2018 Angullong Chardonnay

2018 Fossil Hill Chardonnay

2019 Fossil Hill Vermentino

2018 Fossil Hill Sangiovese

2017 Fossil Hill Barbera

2015 Crossing Reserve Shiraz

Exports and the Australian Market

Plan your visit to Angullong

Sources & Resources

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ORANGE

Millthorpe

Angullong Cellars

The Wiradjuri

Nashdale Lane

Glamping at Nashdale Lane

Rowlee

Agrestic Grocer

Mt. Canobolas

Philip Shaw

Byng Street Boutique Hotel

Printhie Wines and their “Swift” label for Sparkling Wines

Ross Hill Wines

There is so much more to Orange, NSW Australia!

More on wine regions in New South Wales

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7 resources for more information

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Varieties in the vineyard

Yeast

The beauty of the site

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Unhealthy conventional farming cycles

Natural innovation to save a vintage

Irrigation

Soils

Spraying biodynamic preparations with a recovery system

The truth of 2020

Sources & Resources

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The inspiration for the Krinklewood label

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Semillon

Coolangatta Estate

Wollstonecraft Semillon 2011

For more info

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