Winemaker wants you to drop an ice cube into a glass of his wines

It's OK to drop a cube of ice into your glass of wine on a warm day, one leading winemaker says. 

But not all wines - just fresh, crisp white wines. 

 
"Some wine enthusiasts might scoff, some may question me, but once you try it this summer, I bet you'll be on board." says veteran winemaker David Lowe, formerly of the Hunter Valley and now based in Mudgee at Lowe Family Wines. 

"What am I referring to you? Popping a large ice cube in your glass of white wine this summer. 

"Now, I'm not claiming this is a new trick, and there's plenty of wine out there where if you add an ice cube to it, yes it will chill it, but in doing so it also compromises the structure, flavour and alcohol of the wine through dilution. 

"What I'm banging on about, after much experimentation, is that I have found two varieties that are not diminished when I put an ice cube or two in the glass: ansonica (also called inzolia) and vermentino, both from the 2023 vintage.

"The ice chills the wine, whilst keeping the same aroma and intensity of colour, and the taste is just as good, maybe even better. If you're a non- believer, I challenge you to grab a bottle."

Of course, it just so happens that Lowe makes an ansonica and a vermentino that he would very much like to sell to you. 

But it is also a reminder than wine snobbery can also be foolish and self-defeating. 

Veteran winemaker shows he has some new tricks

 

David Lowe has been making wine for some time. Back in the 1980s, I drink shedloads of the delicious wines he made at the late lamented Rothbury Estate in the Hunter Valley.

But Lowe is also a winemaker who keeps abreast with consumer trends, hence the release of his Bio-Logical range of wines that very much capture the zietgeist.

For the past couple of decades Lowe has been based in Mudgee, sourcing fruit from the across the various regions of the Central West of New South Wales, but mainly from his own organic and biodynamic vineyards. 

The Lowe Family Vineyards Bio-Logical wines, which retail for $45 a bottle, and are preservative free, vegan friendly and, except for the white, certified organic.. 

The range comprises a very crunchy and vibrant 2023 Bio-Logical Red, made from shiraz, a dashingly youthful and very drinkable 2023 Rosé, also crafted from shiraz, and a 2023 White made using fruit from the Murray Darling region in Victoria. 

The red is unoaked, just grape juice and wild yeast. It doesn't even see oak and is probably best enjoyed in its youth, well chilled. All three wines share a wild spirit; a sense of "otherness".

Interestingly, the white is made from what Lowe calls ansonica, a white variety from Sicily that is probably better known as inzolia and is still rare in Australia. 

If you are heading to Mudgee, a tasting at the Cellar Door and lunch at the Zin House eatery operated by Lowe's partner Kim Currie is de rigueur. See https://lowefamilywineco.com.au/