Leading viticulturist pulls up stumps

Great wines are often made by a team. 

In the case of Wynns Coonawarra Estate, that team comprises winemaker Sue Hodder, her offsider Sarah Pidgeon and viticulturist Allen Jenkins. 

But that team is about to be split up with today's announcement that Jenkins will retire following this year’s Wynnsday collection release on Wednesday. 

Jenkins has spent 20 years working on the many vineyards that Wynns has in the Coonawarra region. 

“It is incredibly rewarding to have led Wynns’ talented viticultural team for the past 20 years," he said. 

"We have a profound respect for our heritage, each other, and the precious environment that is Coonawarra. 

"There is an intense focus on the needs of the vines, on implementing new and courageous viticultural techniques, and on unravelling the endlessly complex web of interactions involved in growing the perfect grape.”

Hodder, who has worked with Jenkins for two decades, says: “Allen has literally transformed the landscape in Coonawarra though his viticultural efforts. Furthermore, he has had an impact on the way we think about everything from the history to the land and certainly the wines. A profound contribution and a massive legacy."

Jenkins helped craft vines that allowed Hodder to craft wines of greate finesse and elegance. 

In 2010, in recognition of his contribution to viticulture at Wynns he was joint recipient, with Sue Hodder, of the Gourmet Traveller WINE’Winemaker of the Year award.

He has also helped nurture the careers of many of today’s wine industry leaders. 

Stay tuned for a review of the new Wynns releases later this week. 

Cruise industry carries on carping

Despite many Covid-19 cases being traced back to infections on the Ruby Princess, the cruise industry continues to snipe at Australian authorities.

The Cruise Lines International Association is unhappy that the Australian Government has announced the reopening of international borders next month but given no date for cruise ships to resume sailing from Australian ports.

It says that presents the "absurd" position of Australians being able to fly overseas to go cruising but still being unable to sail from a home port, Travel Mole reported.

CLIA Managing Director Australasia Joel Katz said the announcement on the opening of international travel was welcome news for many parts of the Australian travel industry, but a lack of government action on cruising meant the jobs of more than 18,000 Australians were still in doubt.

"Australia is now one of the only major cruise markets in the world with no clear plan for cruising's revival," Katz said.

"Australians love to cruise, but we now face the ridiculous possibility that we will be able to travel overseas to take a cruise but won't be able to sail in our own waters."

Katz said health protocols had allowed a successful resumption of cruising in dozens of countries overseas, where almost two million passengers had sailed since last year.

"We need detailed discussions with Australian governments so we can break the cycle of inaction and agree upon a detailed framework for cruising's resumption," Katz added.

"The health protocols introduced overseas are working and we need an opportunity to introduce them in Australia so we can plan a careful and responsible recovery."

CLIA and cruise line members have proposed a phased resumption of cruising in Australia beginning initially with limited domestic operations for local passengers only.

Wine pouches are in vogue; and good for the planet

When I posted an image of the Greenskin wine pouches on social media a couple of days ago, it provoked an angry reaction.

Dinosaurs were out in force with comments like: "We don't need more plastic in the world, wine should be drunk from a bottle" and "the planet does not need more disposable packaging".

Wrong people. Wrong.

Greenskin Wines are promoted as Australia’s first 100% recyclable, re-sealable, glassless way to enjoy quality wine.

Ideal for taking on a picnic, or to the beach, the lightweight, "unbreakable", re-sealable Greenskin pouches each hold 750ml of wine, take 80% less energy than glass to produce, and weigh 40% less than bottles, producing far fewer emissions in manufacture and transport.

They also come with a reply paid envelope to send them away for recycling when they are empty.

“We have set up a free, easy recycling program,” says co-founder Kim McKee. “Each six-pack includes a pre-paid satchel for people to put their empties in and drop in the mail. They then go direct to our recycling partner, REDcycle. This is the first ‘mail-in’ system of this kind that we know of.”

The first Greenskin release features six different wines from the 2020 vintage made by producers in Margaret River and Great Southern.

Leading viticulturist and wine scientist Dr Richard Smart and green-leaning wine writer Max Allen are among those to have endorsed the idea. Trentham Estate is also selling wines in pouches under the Three's a Crowd brand.

Of the wines in the Greenskin range I have tasted, the rather delicious chardonnay is currently in my fridge awaiting another glass being poured, and the rosé was very dry and decent. 

Having tasted the range; the chardonnay is the star with the rose, cabernet merlot and pinot noir all very tasty. The syrah was the only disappointment. 

Co-founder Mike Davies says: "Forget your disturbing goon-bag memories from yesteryear; this is all about quality wine in a smart, convenient package."

So if you find traditional wine bottles heavy, bulky, breakable and very inconvenient to dispose of when camping or hiking or at the beach, here is a modern "easy to chill" alternative.

Greenskin Wine Series One has six different wines, sold by the six-pack direct to consumers. Prices are in line with a regular mid-level bottle at around $25-30. 

Check out the details and sustainability benefits at www.greenskinwine.com

So the scoffers are probably flailing angrily at the environmentally-friendly future.

   

A Barossa experience no wine lover will want to miss

Langmeil cellar door in the Barossa offers more than just a wine tasting experience.

Visitors to Langmeil also get to step back in time, and also (for a fee) get to taste a wine made from what are believed to be the oldest shiraz vines in the world. 

Once a derelict winery built amongst an abandoned trading village of a bygone era, Langmeil Winery is now a revived and captivating "must do" for any wine lovers visiting the Barossa. 

pocket of Barossa’s vine and wine history.

Guests are introduced to Barossa Valley and Eden Valley wines - and a free flight of rieslings is currently on the tasting menu. 

Tastings are a seated experience and bookings are preferred and take precedence over walk-ins.

For anyone wanting a complete Barossa experience, the Freedom Cellar, which was originally the cobbler's shop in the historic trading village, is now open. 

Lovingly restored, the cellar is now the ultimate location in which to sample Langmeil’s Old Vine Garden wines as part of a hosted winery and historic vineyard experience.

The two-three-hours tour operates Monday to Fridays only. 

The Langmeil property was revived in 1996 when Richard Lindner, Carl Lindner and Chris Bitter, whose families have lived in the Barossa for several generations, restored the old buildings, well and landscaped the grounds. 

In the clean-up prior to restoration, a small patch of gnarly old shiraz vines from the original 1843 plantings was discovered.

The most important task was to rescue them, and after some tender loving care the vineyard was successfully revived and named The Freedom. After careful viticulture, Langmeil's first harvest from the Freedom vineyard was in 1997.

The Freedom Experience is nothing short of an adventure for old vine wine lovers looking for total immersion in the Barossa region.

The tour begins with an explanation of the region's geography, settlement and broader agricultural history. 

Next, you move on to viticulture and a visit to that ancient vineyard before retiring to the privacy and ambience of the Freedom Cellar for samplings and stories of our Old Vine Garden Collection.

The tour is $100 per head and strictly by appointment. 

Phone 08 8563 2595 or email cellardoor@langmeilwinery.com.au

Why visiting New Zealand is about to become more expensive

Foreign tourists arriving in New Zealand will be stung by a more than double hike of the cost of the border processing levy (BPL).

Which doesn't seem a particularly smart move with tourism in decline. 

From the start of December, the BPL increases from $20.11 to $43.73 per airline passenger return trip and from $21.06 to $36.72 for cruise passengers, Travel Mole reported.


The BPL is used to pay for customs operations and biosecurity services.


The fee hike has unsurprisingly disappointed the tourism industry, especially as there is still no news when New Zealand borders will actually open for foreign visitors.


"We are surprised the BPL is going up before we know when our borders will actually open and what the demand for travel will be," Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Chris Roberts said.


"The new fees are supposed to recover the full cost of the border services over the next three years, but it is impossible to accurately predict what the travel patterns will be.


"Having secure border services in a pandemic is a critical public health requirement and it is not sensible to reintroduce the full-cost recovery model while border restrictions remain in place." 

He makes sense. 

The New Zealand Government has said it wants to transform the tourism industry in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, targeting more high-spending visitors amid concerns mass tourism is damaging the environment.

# Image: Auckland Airport 

Dining out hits peak idiocy

Restaurant dining reached peak imbecility this week in London, where the well-heeled lobotomised lined up to pay more than $1000 for a tomahawk steak at a new up-market eatery.

Celebrity chef Salt Bae, aka Nusret Gökçe, (presumably a celebrity in the Kardashian mould) charges outrageous prices at his Nusr-Et restaurant in Knightsbridge, and the idiocracy can't get enough of his prices.

The London branch of Nusr-Et is billed as “the one and only address for meat lovers”.

But diners pay £9 for a Coke and £630 for a Giant Tomahawk steak. A burger comes in at £100.

Turkish-born Gökçe opened his first restaurant in Istanbul in 2010 and has gone on to create a global steakhouse empire, with Knightsbridge becoming his latest branch.

Famed for his flamboyant technique for preparing and seasoning meat, the attention seeker owns steakhouses in Dubai, New York and Miami.

He has previously gained publicity by serving gold-flaked steaks.

Interestingly, the Nusr-Et website lists a menu but no prices.

Clearly a case of Caveat Emptor.