James and Annie Millton of Millton Vineyards and Winery are very congenial hosts. They don’t draw sharp lines between their business, their views and their lives. They have created something special from their Gisborne base especially from the steep hillside named the Clos de Ste Anne. The coast here can be very beautiful even on a
Postcard from Millton Read More »
Villa Maria is the big boy in the Family of XII, as well known to the supermarket shopper as to the wine connoisseur. In recent years it has crushed about 27,000 tons of fruit each year. On our visit in January 2016 to the Auckland winery, 20 wines had been lined up for us to
Postcard from Villa Maria Read More »
On our first, bright and hot, morning in New Zealand we visited Kumeu River estate, world-famous for its Chardonnay production. We learnt: Unusually the vines here are predominantly Lyre-trained (see the pictures). The split canopy means better exposure to both the sun (helps with ripening) and breezes (less disease). The vines are planted at 2,500
Postcard from Kumeu River Read More »
I have so much more to write about our week in South Australia and visits to Pewsey Vale, Shaw+Smith, Penfolds Magill, d’Arenberg, Yangarra, S C Pannell and Samuel’s Gorge but that will have to wait as Janet and I have now moved on to New Zealand. This is the main phase of our trip and has
Arriving in New Zealand … Read More »
The tag ‘people, places, wines’ perfectly sums up the subtle and profound appeal of Henschke‘s wines. People This is another story of early free settlers in South Australia making a home and a living in a remarkably remote spot. Even today with excellent roads and a short drive from the Barossa Valley, you feel
Henschke – the pinnacle Read More »
Rockford Wines are famous for their Basket Press Shiraz and for an amazing sparkling Shiraz, a true local speciality. But there is much more to their range that that. Visiting the cellar door is an opportunity to taste a good range of less well-known but equally interesting wines. Even, because of enormous demand, you
Rocking Rockford (2) Read More »
My self-imposed rule about ‘postcard’ length posts from my tour of South Australia is going to be sorely tested by Rockford Wines. I really dislike the modern use of ‘iconic’ of wines (and increasingly almost anything) but Rockford would deserve it and I could write at length about them. There really is so much to
Rocking Rockford (1) Read More »
Many wineries claim a unique point-of-difference, few do so as convincingly as Seppeltsfield, on the very edge of the Barossa Valley. As the peak of a large and inventive range of wines, each year since 1978 they have released a single-vintage, 100-year old Grenache-based tawny from their Centennial Cellar. To achieve this each vintage they
Seppeltsfield’s Centurions Read More »
Stepping out of a  café at 9:30 in the morning in Kapunda, Barossa Valley, you feel the heat. And here is why: So there is a difference if 31° C between Kapunda and home … Or even Tuscany.
It’s definitely hot here Read More »
