Out & About February 2017

top tipples by

Traveller’s Tales This month I will be talking about exploring the wine regions close to Adelaide and about the good things that Aussie wine-making has done. Having just come back from South Australia, I’m going to have a look at the mighty Barossa and McLaren regions. But let’s start with some technical stuff. Did you know?

McLaren Vale Originally only surveyed in the 1830s, it was producing grapes for Seaview and Hardy’s wineries in the 1840s. Now a protected area to stop encroachment by the Adelaide suburbs in the north, McLaren Vale is bounded to the south and east by the Hills and to the west by the sea. This is prime Shiraz country, where 50 per cent of the crush is from this grape variety. There are nearly 100 producers in McLaren Vale. My top tip would be for d’Arenburg (especially for older, mature wines, and Wirra Wirra). Barossa Valley First settled in the 1840s by German refugees from Silesia, the Barossa is some 40 miles northeast of Adelaide. Lying on high ground, its potential for grape-growing was quickly identified. Like the McLaren Vale, it too is dominated by Shiraz. In fact, it has some of the oldest commercial vineyards with Lot 1 in Tanunda having been planted by Johan Fiedler in 1847... amazing. Barossa Shiraz also features heavily in Penfolds classic Grange Hermitage, but at $850 per bottle you may need a bank loan. Top wineries abound in the Barossa. My tips would be Yalumba, a family-owned winery, for consistency and style, Ch Tanunda as an amazing place (with super wines) and for a smaller grower try Charlie Melton, who makes

The temperature in the fermenting vessel can get up to 35°C, blood temperature? When it does so, however, lots of the fruit flavours and aromas get lost. The wines end up hot, flat and tasteless. A big problem for a country like Australia, which is hot anyway. The amazing solution to this problem was to adopt industrial refrigeration techniques. Now, the winemakers can control the ferment temperature to between 20-30°C for reds and 7-16°C for whites, which are the ideal ranges. What’s more, the Aussies have adopted machine-harvesting and then extend that to picking at night so that the grapes arrive cool in the winery. So next time you are drinking that fruity Aussie wine... offer a quick thank you to their smart technicians! This is both free (mostly), easy and definitely enjoyable. It’s a great experience to move from one winery ‘cellar door’ to the next and compare the wines tasted. Most cellar doors also have restaurants or bistros attached. Sit, eat, drink and enjoy the view. Fantastic! Two considerations. Firstly, remember to use the spittoons if you are doing a winery tour. Secondly, if tempted to buy remember that prices at the cellar door are top whack, but you are paying for a great, a fun experience. Tasting wines in South Australia

REDHEADS VIN’ATUS TEMP GARN GRACI £12.99 From the tiny RedHeads wine studio team in the Barossa, this red combines a trio of Spanish grapes. Yet the playful Vin’atus (its name means ‘wine games’) is Australian through and through with its dark, brooding cherry fruit and toasty spice length. LA CURIO THE NUBILE GSM 13 £17.99 Over the years, this GSM red has scored 90+ points from many critics. It’s from Adam Hooper, in McLaren Vale, who tracks down the very old vines – 80 years old in fact – for this power packed red, then crafts it every step of the way. Magnificent, dense and long. REDHEADS CORROBOREE SHIRAZ 15 £13.99 Last vintage ‘Wine of the Show’ in London and New York, this vintage Gold and Best Value awards in China – we’re very proud of this rich, smoky, berry red. It’s from RedHeads in the Barossa and premium Koonunga fruit. All available from Laithwaites

classy reds. Try his Nine Popes, a Chanteauneuf- style wine. Terrific.

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