Wine spritz season is underway

Wine spritzes are set to be all the rage this Australian summer.

The refreshment quotient and effortless drinkability have seen spritzes boom over the past two years.

Brands like Zonzo Estate and Dal Zotto have set the bar high with their limoncello-style offerings, and now some of the biggest names in the wine industry are weighing in with different flavours and styles.

[Yellow Tail] recently launched a new range in collaboration with TV personality Sophie Monk, and Brown Brothers' brand Innocent Bystander has just launched a watermelon spritz.

De Bortoli launched its Limoncello Spritz last year and it became an immediate hit.

Now, the family-owned winery is turning up the fizz with two new flavours for summer: Lemon & Lime Spritz and Sangria Spritz. 

The first taps into the enduring popularity of citrus in drinks. Crafted from a lightly sparkling wine base, it blends lemon’s bright freshness with lime’s zesty acidity, while Sangria Spritz takes inspiration from the classic chilled Spanish pitcher drink.

Both are under 10% alcohol by volume - and both are vegetarian and Vegan friendly. 

Wine doesn't have to be serious. 

Sometimes it can just be fun, whether it is aperitivo hour, a picnic in the park or a backyard dinner.

See https://www.debortoli.com.au/wines/our-wines/de-bortoli-limoncello-spritz#/ranges 

Rousing send-off for quiet achiever

Pioneering winemaker Julie Mortlock has been given a rousing send off. 

Mortlock has just retired after 35 years with the De Bortoli family at Bilbul in the Riverina, and has been in charge of making Australia's premier dessert wine, Noble One, for many years. 

The De Bortoli team described the departure of their senior executive winemaker as a "a sad but very special day". 

"After 35 years Julie has made the decision to retire and leaves behind a wonderful legacy that the De Bortoli family is so very proud of," the company said.

"She will forever be known as a wonderful role model for women in wine, a multiple award winner, and a humble and hard-working employee of De Bortoli Wines."

Last Friday night Mortlock was honoured with the 'Riverina Legend Award' at the Rivernina Winemakers Wine Show Awards. 

Mortlock grew up on a dairy farm and had ambitions to be a chef. Instead her passion for science kicked in and for the next 10 years she became a self-confessed “dairy lab rat”, a qualified tester of cream and milk.

She later became a lab assistant in the quality control labs at De Bortoli.

Mortlock later started working as a winemaker’s assistant (“doing the jobs they didn’t want to do,” she says) and began studying, firstly for a Bachelor degree in Wine Science and then another in Wine Business, both from Charles Sturt University.

Mortlock began looking after all the white wines produced at Bilbul, then moved onto the reds and fortified wines. 

Meet a new wine with direct appeal for younger drinkers

Chill Bill

As a pinot noir sipping dilettante, I am clearly not the target market for De Bortoli's new wine release Chill Bill.

If you are just starting your wine journey, perhaps transitioning from canned mixed drinks, then you are certainly a potential consumer.

The De Bortoli marketing team describe it as a "new deliciously chilled and spritzy red wine that brings an adventurous attitude to the wine world".

I showed it to a couple of younger drinkers and the responses were "perfect for a party in the park" and "tastes like sparkling Ribena".

The wine - with a funky label aimed at a younger crowd - is a direct response to surveys that show traditional wine might not be the first choice for today's younger crowd, with trends indicating that wine is losing its appeal among Millennials and Gen-Z drinkers.

Chill Bill, made for serving, you guessed it, chilled, ticks a whole lot of boxes for the younger drinker. It is relatively low in alcohol at 9.5% - many reds are 14.5% or more - and is vegan friendly.

It is fresh and vibrant and reminded me of an alcoholic cherry cola. You'll find it for under $20.

Chill Bill a blend of fruit from two warmer regions: the Riverina and Rutherglen, and is a blend of tyrian (a newish red grape developed by the CSIRO), shiraz and other unspecified varieties and has been fermented on skins for seven days at 23-27°C.

It is deep purple in colour, defiantly fruity and fizzy. You could pair it with pork ribs slathered in barbecue sauce, or maybe with a meaty pizza.

The PR is gushing: "Chill Bill is more than just a name; it's a lifestyle. We're talking about a red wine that's chill by nature, a symbol of relaxation. Embracing the youthful spirit of exploration, Chill Bill is a fruit forward, lighter style of wine with vibrant flavours that are bursting with the juiciness of cherries and an explosion of fruitiness."

A sweet deal for lovers of sticky wines

Calling lovers of serious sweet wines. 

De Bortoli Wines are celebrating the 40th year of  Australian wine icon Noble One Botrytis Semillon with an exclusive Limited Edition release. 

The 40th Anniversary Limited Edition comes with a vintage wine from each of the last four decades, showcasing the potential longevity of Noble One.

Only 40 Limited Editions were curated and autographed by Darren de Bortoli, who first pioneered the production of Noble One in 1982.

De Bortoli believed that conditions in the Riverina region were ideal for sweet white wine, and crafted Australia's benchmark "sticky".

The long warm days interspersed with showers of rain and heavy morning dews during autumn, are ideal conditions for botrytis cinerea mould (known as Noble Rot) that produces intensely flavoured sweet wines. 

Noble One has been awarded over 182 trophies and 505 gold medals, with every vintage winning multiple awards.

The Noble One 40th Anniversary Limited Edition includes the 1984, 1993, 2004 and 2018 vintages, 

The collections are available exclusively available at the De Bortoli online shop for $2000 per Limited Edition.

Visit www.debortoli.com.au/nobleone40thanniversary

Star chef signs for Yarra Valley gig

There is a new big-name chef working in the Yarra Valley. 

De Bortoli Locale has appointed former Otto, Stokehouse and Il Bacaro pan handler Maurizio Esposito as head chef.

Esposito has also worked at eateries including Cecconi’s in Melbourne and his own award-winning restaurant Esposito in Carlton. 

He has told the de Bortoli family that he wants to create food in an environment that cares about sustainability, fresh produce and nose-to-tail eating. 

He intends to strip away the formalities and pretensions of fine dining to create a "relevant" modern eatery. 

Leanne de Bortoli says: “My grandfather's dream was to make wine a part of everyday life, affordable and enjoyable. 

"When he migrated to Australia he grew his own produce, raised chickens, pigeons and pigs so that he could feed his family and friends at his home. He was living sustainably, growing and recycling at a time when that was just what you did. 

"My family are also living with similar values to leave a healthy and viable business for generations to come.”

Esposito says he is excited to work with local producers and with the potential to grow produce on the de Bortoli farm. 

"We know we have a responsibility to do what we can to mitigate the effects of climate change and to protect the planet we all call home. I’m eager to use locally grown produce and highlight dishes reflecting my Italian heritage and that of the de Bortoli family.”

Plans are already underway to enlarge the kitchen garden and orchard on the farm and the menu features dishes like deep-fried zucchini flower filled with silverbeet and cashew nut purée, served with homemade tomato relish; and salt-cured Yarra Valley Buxton rainbow trout served with fresh fennel, herb jelly and vodka caviar. 

Locally raised Dixons Creek beef also features heavily.  

"With Maurizio at the helm and leading a young and enthusiastic team, expect to see a vibrant, rustic menu; a reintroduction of the family’s salami-making celebration in winter; cooking classes throughout the year and regional Italian lunches; the next one highlighting the food of Puglia," says Leanne de Bortoli. 

Locale restaurant is open Thursday-Monday for lunch and Saturday evenings for dinner. Bookings can be made at www.debortoli.com.au or on (03) 5965 2271.

Milestone for an iconic Australian wine

A trend-setting Australian wine, De Bortoli's iconic Noble One, is celebrating 40 years of continued success. 

Since its first release in 1982, Noble One has been awarded over 182 trophies and 505 gold medals globally. 

It is one of the most awarded wines in history.

Darren de Bortoli created Noble One at the family winery at Bilbul, in the Riverina region of New South Wales in 1982. 

Today the "sticky" remains the benchmark of Australian botrytis dessert winemaking.

"It feels like only yesterday that Dad and I were asking the local growers to allow their grapes to go rotten." Darren recalls. 

"They thought we were both mad, yet here we are celebrating 40 years of Noble One and what a journey it has been. 

"One of my favourite memories from the early days of Noble One was being awarded the trophy for best sweet wine in the world at the International Wine and Spirit Awards in 1984 by Madame Odette Pol Roger. 

"At the time it was like a dream." 

 
One fascinating fact about Noble One is that there is no sugar added into the wine, the sweetness is all natural and comes solely from the semillon grapes. 

This makes it an ideal wine for pairing with blue cheese and pates, with the salty/savoury characters of the dishes balanced out the natural sweetness of the wine. 

See www.debortoli.com.au/