A new decadent delight: Tasmanian caviar

Huon Aquaculture was started in 1986 by a young southern Tasmanian couple, Peter and Frances Bender; sheep and cattle farmers who decided to dabble in producing top-class fish. They had one pen of fish and one employee. 

Almost 30 years on, Huon Aqua employs around 500 people and is the largest privately-owned producer of salmon in Australia.

The company was Tasmanian exporter of the year in 2012 with its premium products much in demand globally, including at Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji fish market.

Now Huon Aqua is entering a new phase: producing three ranges of high-quality salmon caviar for the Australian and Asian markets.

Traditionally, the term caviar refers only to roe from wild sturgeon in the Caspian and Black seas, but depending on the country, caviar may also be used to describe the roe of other fish such as salmon, trout and whitefish. 

This decadent traditional delicacy can be enjoyed as a garnish or a spread and is a superb companion for either vodka or quality sparkling wine. 

Huon Aquaculture last week launched its 2015 season caviar harvest with input and advice from Christian Zuther-Grauerholz, the co-owner of Dieckmann and Hansen, the world's oldest caviar house. 

The star turn is caviar from salmon reared in the wild waters south of Australia's island state.

“It is direct from the Southern Ocean and that’s one of those unique characteristics that no other caviar producer can claim on the international market,” Frances Bender said.

“We’re not trying to be black caviar or beluga caviar. All we’ve ever wanted was to be uniquely Tasmanian and we think the new season caviar is just that.” 

The launch was a black tie affair at Hobart’s newest restaurant, The Glass House on Brooke St Pier - and local sushi master Masaaki Koyama (above) was on hand to serve Huon Aqua sashimi alongside the caviar. 

Asked about Huon Aqua's recipe for success, Frances Bender said: "It’s all about getting the basics right – and paying attention to detail."

She says the stress-free and pristine Huon environment in which their sashimi-grade salmon are raised has a lot to do with the company's success.

“We are very proud of this region,” she says. “It is a clean, beautiful place with a real sense of community and we wanted our product linked with the region – hence the name. 

"We think it is great that the story of the Huon is now being told all over Asia. And it is great that we can be champions for this remarkable region.” 

The three caviars in the range are Huon Premium Caviar, Reserve Selection Ocean Grown Caviar and Reserve Selection Hand-Milked Caviar.

For details visit: shop.huonaqua.com.au or drop in to the Huon Aqua tasting facility on Brooke St Pier in Hobart. 

All change at the Wolf Blass cellar door

It is all change at the Wolf Blass cellar door in the Barossa Valley after a recent re-design.

Paying homage to Wolf Blass’ iconic Black Label wine, the most famous red blend in the Wolf Blass stable, the cellar door has recently created an impressive Black Label Wall, showcasing what is believed to be the world’s only collection of every Black Label vintage since the winery’s inception in 1973.

The wall is a tribute to the Black Label’s unprecedented Jimmy Watson success, Australia’s most publicised wine award.  Black Label is the only wine in the country to win the coveted trophy four times and has collected over 230 show gold medals.

For those who fancy themselves as amateur winemakers, the cellar door is offering two educational and interactive wine experiences. 

Guests can ‘Blend it like Blass’ by taking the Black Label’s regional components and then using them to blend their own version of the wine. The experience is available for $40 per person for a minimum six guests. 

If a more rustic tasting experience appeals, guests can taste ‘Black from the Barrel’. 

They taste the two individual components directly from the barrels, alongside the current vintage Black Label cabernet shiraz. This is available for $20 per person.

Black Label is a blend of fruit from across South Australia. It’s not about individual regions, vineyards or varieties, but blending the best components together. 

Over 100 different parcels of fruit are initially selected, then narrowed down. 

Predominately a blend of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz, Black Label often includes a touch of malbec or occasionally merlot. The regions vary from vintage to vintage but usually include Langhorne Creek, the Barossa and McLaren Vale. 

Adding to the cellar door’s offerings, visitors can check out a new installation of a life-sized artwork titled ‘Wolfie’. The oil and acrylic work is by one of Australia’s most recognised artists and fellow South Australian, David Bromley. 

The painting, which hangs proudly on the Black Label Wall, was created as a celebration of Wolfgang Blass’s 80th birthday. The artwork, depicting him wearing his trademark bow-tie, was entered in this year’s Archibald Prize.  

Wolf Blass is located at 97 Sturt Highway, one hour north of Adelaide. Opening hours are 10am-4.30pm daily. For more information visit www.wolfblasswines.com

Why Wirra Wirra decided to buy a tiny winery

McLaren Vale winery stalwart Wirra Wirra has taken a major leap into cool-climate red wine territory with the acquisition of renowned Adelaide Hills pinot noir producer Ashton Hills just before Easter.

Ashton Hills was founded by Stephen George in 1982 and built a reputation as one of Australia’s finest proponents of pinot noir, grown on a 3.5-hectare, unirrirgated vineyard in the Piccadilly Valley.

Wirra Wirra managing director Andrew Kay said the purchase was a logical expansion for his winery, which was founded in McLaren Vale back in 1894.

Wirra Wirra boss man Andrew Kay

“We first made white wines from Adelaide Hills fruit back in 2003 when [Wirra Wirra founder] Greg Trott saw the potential of the cool-climate region, but the red wine opportunity has eluded us until now," said Kay. 

"The chance to build upon the legacy of Stephen’s work was too good to pass up and for it to happen not only with his blessing, but also his ongoing contribution, is incredibly satisfying for us.” 

Kay said George had a definite role to play with the brand in the future. “Stephen will continue to reside at his home at the winery and he is keen to mentor our wine-making team in the intricacies of pinot making 'Ashton Hills style', as well as be involved in a hands-on capacity in the vineyard.”

Stephen George said he feels very comfortable handing the reins over to Wirra Wirra.

“I feel a definite rapport with their people and having seen how respectfully and successfully they have managed their business in the wake of Greg Trott’s passing,” he said. 

“I believe the legacy of Ashton Hills is in safe and sensitive hands and in fact I’m looking forward to helping them work through a long list of opportunities that I have compiled over the years, that lack of time and resources have prevented me from undertaking.”

To say Ashton Hills has flown under the radar except for those in the know would be an understatement. The winery does not even have a website. 

Kay said Wirra Wirra would continue to make its own Adelaide Hills range of white wines, but did not rule out an expanded offering under the Ashton Hills label.

Wirra Wirra is independently owned by members of the Trott family and private investors.

Meet the South Africans focusing on Austrian grapes in the Adelaide Hills

Take two South Africans, a vineyard in the Adelaide Hills and a love of Austrian grape varieties and you have a very different tasting offering at Hahndorf Hill. 

The operation here is owned by Larry Jacobs and Marc Dobson; Jacobs was once an intensive-care doctor who gave up medicine to become the founder of Mulderbosch Vineyards in Stellenbosch, South Africa. 

Larry Jacobs in the vineyard

Dobson is a former journalist and advertising copywriter from Cape Town.

Having built Mulderbosch into an international brand, Jacobs sold the winery and emigrated with his partner to Australia in 1997. 

Today Jacobs oversees all vineyard and winery operations at Hahndorf Hill, while Dobson is responsible for marketing and the cellar door.

Tasting options include the ChocoVino, a chance to pair different wine styles with various chocolates, while vinophiles love to enjoy varieties like gruner veltliner, blaufrankisch and zweigelt in Australia.

“It was our familiarity with blaufrankisch, which has grown at Hahndorf Hill for 20 years, that led us ultimately to its exciting white counterpart - gruner veltliner,” says Jacobs. 

From a first vintage in 2010, Hahndorf Hill's wine labelled “GRU” has developed a formidable reputation and is today made from six different clones. 

There are now three wines made from gruner in the line-up with the addition of GRU2 (a more opulent wine known as the smaragd style by the Austrians) made riper grapes and wild-fermented in French barriques, and a slightly sweeter style labelled White Mischief. 

"Gruner veltliner may be new to Australia, but we believe the Adelaide Hills offers the perfect terroir for this grape," says Jacobs.

But the focus is not entirely on Austria; Hahndorf Hill also produces some of the classic varieties for which the Adelaide Hills wine region is renowned - sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, along with cool-climate shiraz and two rosés, one made from zwiegelt and the other mainly from trollinger.   

Hahndorf Hill Winery, 38 Pains Road, Hahndorf. (08) 8388 7512. www.hahndorfhillswinery.com.au. 

A brilliant - and affordable - hotel in a funky quarter of Buenos Aires

Palermo Hollywood. It probably sounds a little more exotic than it is, just like neighbouring barrio Palermo Soho. 

Both, however, are trendy quarters of Buenos Aires, dotted with steak restaurants, lively bars and cafes. The perfect base, in fact, for anyone visiting the Argentine capital from overseas. 

Working class La Boca may be edgier, bohemian San Telmo may have the cutting-edge eateries, and Recoleta the boulevards and five-star places to stay, but when it comes to easy access to all the attractions of this sprawling 24-hour city then Palermo is probably where you want to be. 

Think arts and crafts markets, parks, leafy streets, and a district that is safe to walk around even late at night. 

Then think the funky Fierro Hotel, a boutique hostelry that has hosted me twice recently with grace and charm - no wonder it is among the top 10 rated hotels in Buenos Aires on TripAdvisor.

So what is it that makes the hotel stand out? For a start there are very helpful multilingual staff on a reception desk that is manned 24 hours a day. 

Then there are the comfortable rooms with excellent beds, well-equipped bathrooms, flat-screen TVs with cable channels, and iPod docking station, mini bars and Nespresso coffee machines.

There are comfy couches on which to chill out, as well as work desks with power points

For those who wish to stay connected there is free wifi access throughout the property, and a computer on which guests can work free of charge. Bravo! 

The hotel also has a sauna and a small rooftop swimming pool with sun loungers. 

The on-site UCO restaurant is excellent. 

It is named after one of the hottest new wine districts in the Mendoza region and has a wine list curated by Andres Rosberg, one of Argentina's leading sommeliers; who has also selected a few bottles in each room. 

The hip dining room and courtyard are busy at breakfast, lunch and dinner and Irish-born chef Ed Holloway prepares everything from breads to bacon and smoked trout in-house.

Think dishes like ceviche-style salmon carpaccio with crispy fried plantain and mango salad, or perhaps crispy-skinned suckling pig with roast butternut puree and pickled vegetables, or maybe an 18-hour-cooked shoulder of Patagonian lamb. 

The Fierro is a five-minute walk from the nearest subway station and a 20-minute drive from the city centre and room rates start from around $US149 for single-night stays - excellent value. 

Guests are offered free membership at a gym two blocks away. 

Hotel Fierro, Soler 5862, C1425BYJ, Buenos Aires. +54 11 3220 6800. www.fierrohotel.com. 

# The writer stayed at the Hotel Fierro as a guest of Wines of Argentina


   

Huka Lodge angling to entice lovers of luxury

Huka Lodge, at Lake Taupo in New Zealand, is among the most memorable of luxury experiences. 

The setting is sublime, with suites overlooking the bubbling river and the Huka Falls. 

The service, as you'd expect from the pioneer of New Zealand's luxury lodges, is top-notch, the food from chef Paul Froggatt renowned. Everything is elegant, refined and relaxed.

I've even seen Huka Lodge described as "the finest hotel in the world". 

This year’s autumn-winter program of events includes a series of intimate weekends and signature events featuring leading talents in wine, food, music and design, partnering with luxury lifestyle brands including Rodd & Gunn, Louis Roederer, Range Rover, Aston Martin and World Beauty. 

The program starts with the Rodd & Gunn Weekend, on May 29-30, where guests will engage with Rodd & Gunn’s head designer, a master craftsmen and members of the team, while also travelling between activities in the latest Range Rover Sport and experiencing Sealegs amphibious technology on Lake Taupo. That will be followed by Spanish-style tapas to complement sherry and port tastings from Glengarry Wines. A Winemakers’ Dinner featuring Amisfield wines, will accompany a five-course dinner menu.

The Italian Opera Weekend, on June 20, a huge success last year, will feature a five-course Italian dinner prepared by Sydney superstar chef Stefano Manfredi paired with Central Otago wines from Misha’s Vineyard while guests enjoy a recital performance by the finest emerging talent from the New Zealand Opera School.

The Celebrate the Art of Living Weekend, July 31-August 1, brings together experts in niche fragrances; World Beauty, for his’ and ‘her’ fragrance workshops with leading floral designer Davina Prankerd of Vida Flores, sharing how high fashion influences the direction of her work. Designer Nat Cheshire will share his provocative opinions and thoughts on Auckland, while Aston Martin will bring their glamorous sports cars to admire and test drive, as well as a special guest speaker.

The Louis Roederer Champagne Dinner, on August 29, features the creators of the legendary bling bubbles, Cristal. French-born wine ambassador Ben Longhurst will host a five-course dinner, with young guest chef Ryan Squires from Queensland’s Esquire.

The Big Red Dinner on September 26, features The Family of Twelve, a fraternity of New Zealand’s most prestigious wineries: Kumeu River, Villa Maria Winery, The Millton Vineyard, Craggy Range, Ata Rangi, Palliser Estate, Neudorf Vineyards, Nautilus Estate, Lawson’s Dry Hills, Fromm Winery, Pegasus Bay and Felton Road. 

Wine writer John Hawkesby will make a personal selection of fine red wines from The Family of Twelve, with five matched courses presented during dinner by Huka Lodge’s executive chef Paul Froggatt.

With the exception of the Italian Opera Weekend, all these events are presented with the compliments of Huka Lodge, at no additional cost beyond the normal rate.

For full details see www.hukalodge.co.nz.