In vintage 2000, Tasmania harvested 3263 tonnes of grapes, a little under 0.3 per cent of the nation’s 1.147 million tonne total.
Amongst the grape statistics, one little gem sparkles most. And that’s the relative volume of pinot noir being produced. The apple isle’s 1036 tonne pinot crush in 2000 represented 6.4% of the Australian total […]
With Tassie shaping up to be the pinot noir capital of Australia, both as sparkling wine star and as the southern hemisphere’s Burgundy, what better place to start than with two delicious red versions from the two producers set to take the style to larger audiences than have ever seen it before.Tamar Ridge Tasmania Pinot […]
Moondah Brook Chenin Blanc 2000, $11 to $15
Next burst of hot weather, chill a Moondah Chenin, pull the cork and revel in its bright and tangy tropical-fruit aromas and flavours. It’s delicious and offers quite a departure from chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon or riesling. Over a sip at BRL Hardys Reynella cellars last week (BRL […]
What has a bowl of tiny, exquisitely flavoured strawberries got to do with wine? The intense but delicate flavours of a cool climate, that’s what. The strawberries, fresh picked from Tamar Retreat B&B’s garden, became a metaphor for the equally intense but delicate Tasmanian wines tasted on a quick tour in late January.
As if to […]
Hahn Witbier, about $2.59 a stubby or $14.50 a six pack
If you’ve travelled and enjoyed the zesty delights of Belgium’s wheat ales (‘white’ or ‘wit’ beers), or sipped Belgium’s classic Hoegaarden from your local bottle shop, you’ll appreciate this new brew from Lion Nathan Chief Brewer, Bill Taylor (pictured). Brewed from wheat as well as […]
Two Tasmanian producers — Pipers Brook and Tamar Ridge — between them own a little over half the island’s approximately 500 hectares of vines. Both are set to boost production significantly and, through the hard-learned lessons of twenty-five years viticultural and winemaking experience, mechanisation of new vineyards and efficient winemaking processes, bring Tasmanian wines to […]
Grant Burge Barossa Valley ‘Hilcott’ Merlot 1999, about $18
Most of Australia’s merlot vines are very, very young. And many of the wines being made from it are very, very oaky and very, very light on definitive merlot flavour. This one is made from mature vines on Grant Burge’s ‘Hilcott’ vineyard. It’s beefed up with a […]