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/ 

    

Zin House puts a focus on where and how produce is grown

It says a lot when a restaurant highlights the talents of its gardener.

The provenance of produce served to guests has never been more important, which is why Lowe Family Wine Co.’s The Zin House is celebrating the arrival of head garderner Lydia Blocksidge to its Tinja property in Mudgee,

Blocksidge's arrival is aimed at boosting the expertise of the certified organic and biodynamic farm behind Lowe Family Wine Co and strengthening the farm-to-table philosophy at the restaurant.

Brisbane-native Blocksidge  joins the team headed by director and executive chef Kim Currie, whose seasonal dishes are legendary.

“I’m thrilled to have Lydia expand our expertise at The Zin House across the kitchen and market gardens," said Currie.

"She brings a unique perspective and passion to the role, which gives us tons of potential to grow inside and out of the restaurant.

“There is already a terrific connection growing between Lydia and the kitchen team, which is critical to how The Zin House operates. Welcoming Lydia is an exciting step forward in best showcasing the entire produce lifecycle taking place on the property while further securing the sustainability of our produce supply for the future.”

After graduating from university, Blocksidge worked a year-long stint in Costa Rica, undertaking an apprenticeship in sustainable living with a focus on permaculture, agroforestry, natural building and homesteading.

On return to Australia, she spent two years in Brisbane at the Northey Street City Farm as nursery co-ordinator, followed by four years at Hungry Earth AgroEcology in Byron Bay.

She will work alongside biodynamics Expert, Kesh Mudaly, and the wider garden team.

“I think engaging the community in understanding how food is grown and what goes into growing it is such an important story," she said.

"I love sharing my experiences with people and seeing their faces light up when they see our work in the garden, so I’m incredibly excited to take on this role at The Zin House.

“There’s so much happening in the kitchen and market gardens at Zin House, and it’s a completely new climate to where I’ve worked in the past. Seasonally, I’m learning more and more about what thrives in this climate and the gardens that Kim and the team have created.”

In addition to the expanded team, The Zin House’s wine menu has undergone a significant update with the help of sommelier Samantha Payne, who has collaborated with chief winemaker David Lowe to create a wine list that champions certified organic and biodynamic Australian wines.

Six-course, three-hour seating sessions at The Zin House are $155 per person, with an optional $95 per person wine pairing selection.

For more information see www.lowefamilywineco.com.au/zinhouse/.

Handpicked Wines does things a little differently

 

The Handpicked Wines operation is very different to other Australian wine producers. 

For a start, Handpicked sources fruit from vineyards across the country - from the Barossa to Tasmania. 

Owner William Dong and winemaker Peter Dillon follow environmentally sustainable principles and sell many of their wines through their city centre cellar doors in Sydney and Melbourne rather than through more traditional avenues. 

Dong purchased Handpicked's first vineyard - the Capella Vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula (above) - a decade ago. 

That anniversary is being marked by the release of four 2021 vintage wines across its the Collection and Single Vineyard ranges.

In the past year, Capella Vineyard has achieved ‘Certified Member’ status from Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA) and Organic Certification from the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA). 

“For the better part of a decade, we have researched, trialled and enacted intense regenerative farming practices in the vineyard and surrounding natural habitats that comprise the Capella Vineyard site." says chief winemaker Dillon. 

"We’ve done this to deliver the purest, most expressive fruit possible and give our vines the best chance of being around for generations to come. 

“While I’m proud of the certification for the site, I’m even more excited by seeing Capella teeming with life - down to the highly active soils the vines grow in.”

Capella Vineyard is a small, ultra-premium vineyard site with 5.2 hectares of pinot noir and 1.6 hectares of chardonnay. 

Dong has subsequently purchased a further five vineyards in Yarra Valley, Barossa and Tasmania but says Capella remains the spiritual home of Handpicked's winemaking operations.

The new-release wines include the Collection Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2021 ($49.99) and the Collection 2021 Mornington Pinot Noir ($59.99).

The new Capella Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2021 ($69.99) is from just two blocks - while two blocks also provided the fruit for the Capella Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2021 ($89.99). 

My wife was a big fans of the pinots, describing them as "stylish and sophisticated" while my personal preference was for the chardonnays: both lean and mineraly with gunflint characters and with cool-climate food friendliness. 

See www.handpickedwines.com.au.

A uniquely Australian aperitif: meet a Sunny Arvo

 

Champagne, pastis; gin; ouzo; dry sherrries and cocktails like negronis or Aperol spritzes are all popular aperitifs; drinks served with hors d'oeuvres or an amuse-bouche and enjoyed before a main meal.

Now Australia has its own pre-dinner drink with Three Foxes Distillery in Melbourne having released Australia’s first certified organic aperitivo: Sunny Arvo. 

A drink that is quintessentially summery, Sunny Arvo is designed to be enjoyed on the rocks or in a spritz and weighs in with just 16% alcohol. 

“With Sunny Arvo we wanted to provide an Aussie alternative to international liqueurs and aperitifs," says Three Foxes head distiller and co-founder Sarkis Karakis, a fourth generation distiller. 

"For us, it was about curating an experience that brought Australians together socially, sharing a good laugh over palate-forward drinks and tasty sharing plates.”

To create Sunny Arvo the Three Foxes team used their own organic alcohol, infused with rosella, the herbaceous plant safflower and a variety of berries. 

Blended with orange brandy distillate, hibiscus, blood orange, and gentian spirit with cinnamon and zesty citrus bitters, this is a classic palate whetter. 

“We’ve always made our drinks from actual fruits and botanicals, sourced from farms, not factories," says Karakis. "All our flavours are made in-house by a combination of steeping, distilling, and blending, so it was an easy pivot for us. 

"Getting the certification just makes it official, so we don’t have to hide around words like natural etc.” 

Best enjoyed as a spritz in my view. It is too viscous on its own and needs ice or some bubbles to be seen at its best.

Three Foxes are also planning to release a non-alcoholic version to be called Sunny Arvo Organic Noperitivo in the new year.

Sunny Arvo Organic Aperitivo ($48, 500ml) is currently available to purchase online from the Three Foxes Distillery website: www.threefoxes.com.au

Enjoy a glass or two of wine; help save the planet

Tamburlaine Organic Wines has announced an innovative collaboration with gardening expert and environmentalist Jamie Durie to create a small batch of wines called True Earth Collective. 

The very limited releases are from organically certified vineyards, but also come with extra benefits.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Jamie and Planet Ark on a project that is so synergistic with our values,” said Mark Davidson, Tamburlaine’s chief winemaker (below).

“Tamburlaine has prioritised organic and regenerative farming practices across our vineyards for over two decades now. We’re staunch believers that it’s the way forward for winemaking and more broadly for agriculture in Australia.” 

For every bottle of True Earth purchased, consumers are donating $2 to Planet Ark’s National Tree Day, as well as receiving fractional shares in an Australian sustainability exchange traded fund (which sounds like a good thing). 

"I am passionate about the need to honour and heal our land,” said Durie. “This collaboration with Tamburlaine was born through the mutual respect for land and how it’s managed. We are tremendously excited to see this project from conception through to completion." 

Durie has been an ambassador for National Tree Day since 1999 and worked with Planet Ark on environmental initiatives for over 27 years. 

There are three wines in the collection: Wild Chardonnay, Malbec Shiraz and Cabernet Shiraz, each selected from organic vineyards across Orange and Canowindra in Central West New South Wales. 

True Earth Collective wines will be available for purchase exclusively online and through Tamburlaine cellar doors in the Hunter Valley and Millthorpe. All are priced at $30 with discounts for Tamburlaine club members. 

See https://tamburlaine.com.au/collections/true-earth