Winestate Magazine May - June 2021

THERE IS ONLY ONE MAJOR BUSINESS CONVERSATION about the economy that we are all continuing to talk about and that continues to be Covid; its effect on our health and wellbeing and the financial ramifications of personal debt and government debt, that it seems we will be paying on the never, never! Amazingly some sections have done well (particularly through on-line sales) and through Jobkeeper others have survived! But of course, whilst the Australian government should be congratulated for its lifesaving initiatives it can be criticised for allowing the state’s leaders to become little emperors in their own right with wildly different approaches to the pandemic – some states handling it better than others. As they say luck is more important than intelligence and both Australia and New Zealand are…

THE VINTAGE FROM HELL THERE were six words in all, only six. But in the powerful West Australian Newspaper morning daily headline, they said it all: The Swan Valley’s vintage from hell. It thundered as the vicious fire burnt up more than 10,000 hectare of land, 86 houses, numerous outer buildings, fences, gates, livestock, pets and wildlife on its terrible path to being one of the worst natural disasters to smash the region. Stunned local wine and table grapegrowers including winemaker James Talijancich, who with wife Hilda and parents Peter and Mary were evacuated, said they had never seen anything like it in a lifetime in the valley. James revealed seeing thousands upon thousands of flying red embers – like stars in the night – against the black background of the nearby…

LAWSON’S DRY HILLS CERTIFIED CARBON ZERO MARLBOROUGH producer Lawson’s Dry Hills gets to celebrate their 30th harvest alongside another special milestone – achieving carbon zero status. By quantifying and reporting their greenhouse gas emissions and removals, they met the requirements of ISO14064, receiving Toitu Envirocare accreditation. This builds upon Lawson’s Dry Hills’ ongoing sustainability efforts – in 2011 they achieved the environmental management system ISO14001, currently making them the only New Zealand wine producer to hold both ISOs. General Manager and shareholder, Sion Barnsley comments, “We have always considered sustainability in our decision-making across the business and to attain carbon zero status is an achievement we are very proud of. Our small team have strongly supported our vision and everyone has contributed to this important milestone.” Group Marketing Manager, Belinda Jackson…

THE IPCC’s (Intergovernmental panel on climate change) next Climate Change - Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability report is not due to be published until later this year, but the current, 2014, version was already unequivocal, “Climate change will change the geographic distribution of wine grape varieties …”, and elsewhere: “Vineyards may be displaced geographically beyond their traditional boundaries,” that is, existing appellation boundaries. In Europe appellation regulations tend to be much more prescriptive than in Australian GIs. There are rules on which grape varieties can be grown, what planting density, maximum yields, and some, also with details on winemaking options. Climate is a fundamental parameter of ‘terroir’ – the expression of sense of place. Where European appellations have a known, reputable, prestigious style, or range of styles, climate change risks wiping that…

TEMPRANILLO has probably more synonyms than any other grape variety. It is Spain’s most popular black grape found in many regions, but especially famous in Rioja, where it can be blended with garnacha, mazuelo (AKA carignan) and graciano. In the higher altitude cooler Ribera del Duero region, it is known as Tinto Fino or Tinta Fina, and is blended with cabernet sauvignon. Here you can find some of Spain’s most sought-after wines such as Vega Sicilia and Dominio de Pingus. Widespread plantings are increasingly found in Portugal where it makes a dry red under the synonym of, again, Tinto Fino and Aragonez. Travel to other parts of Spain and it is known as Tinta Madrid, Tinta del Pais and Tinta de Toro. In Australia, plain old tempranillo remains one of…

WITH the Federal government's halfprice air tickets up for grabs and the arrival of winter, few regions are as alluring as Australia's number one holiday destination - the Gold Coast. Over the past few years, the GC, as locals call it, has become a hub of sophisticated restaurants, regular bars and wine bars that are light years away from its family-friendly dining image. The area's fast-expanding wine bar scene is the best place to start a weeklong journey of discovery. If natural and small-batch producer labels are your druthers, head for Rosella's in Burleigh Heads. The decor is a deep dive into Australiana with native animal prints and Aussie floral arrangements and contemporary menu classics like Tasmanian beef tartare and Balmain bug and king prawn cocktail. Available by the bottle or…