Kangaroo Island Seafood Feastival

Kangaroo Island launches its first seafood feastival with celebrity chef Pete Evans. Discover island life and share fine food, local wine, music and conversation as you explore Kangaroo Island's four day seafood FEASTival.
Strategically located at four idyllic seaside settings around the island, you can choose between fine dining tasting menus and cooking demonstrations to casual seafood barbeques and entertainment by the sea.

For years Kangaroo Island has been crying out for its own Seafood Festival and so the LifeTime team have made it happen.

Launching on the 27th April 2012 (as one of the South Australian Tourist Commissions Tasting Australia associated events), the Seafood Feastival focuses on sharing island life with the locals over freshly caught seafood, beer and local wine - set in stunning coastal locations.

Each of the ticketed events will be hosted by local food and wine producers and a selected celebrity chef. Event producer Nick Hannaford says "all I can give away at this point is that we have the seafood BBQ man himself, celebrity chef Pete Evans, booked in for the Friday launch night!"

More information and ticketing through Tickatec will be available in January 2012.

Hey Shiraz, Say Hello to My Little Friend!

Lets face it, winemakers love to play. New techniques in the winery, new varieties in the vineyard, new oak forests. It all makes the industry grow and develop. One of our favourite winemakers in McLaren Vale who has a range of new varieties is Oliver’s Taranga. Amongst the ‘small batch’ wines winemaker Corrina Wright loves to play with, are a range of alternative varieties; Fiano, Vermantino, and Sagrantino.

Sagrantino is an Italian variety from Montefalco in Umbria and many of you may have heard of it, however very few have seen it in Australia. Sagrantino has great adaptability to wine regions with windy, dry zones, with a preference for clayey-flinty soils- a perfect match for McLaren Vale vineyards around Seaview subregion.

Olivers Taranga Sagrantino



Don and Margaret Oliver (5th Generation Olivers) travelled to Montefalco in 2006, after planting Sagrantino a year or so earlier. Apprehensively, they asked the locals their opinion on this variety and like all good Italians they answered to give this vine ‘time’ and have 'patience', reassuring them that they wouldn’t be disappointed with the wait.



Sagrantino is well known for being a tannic wine, due to the rich anthocyanins in the berry skins. Generally it should come with a warning on the label. That warning should be; “Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate” your gums and cheeks shall never be the same.



So it was with trepidation that I started tasting the 2009 Oliver’s Taranga Sagrantino. It is a dark red ruby colour. On the nose it has a dark berry fruit, roast meat, almost soy /savoury character. With a delightful floral earthiness. The intensity of the aroma has you preparing your tastebuds. It has good acid, with dark morello cherries. And again that smoky chacuterie. I found it both herbal and spicy – a combination of dusty fennel seed, cardamom, sort of Indian spice. Both interesting and complex. This is definitely a full bodied wine, with quite a warm alcohol hit despite being 13.5%. While the tannins are abundant and grippy, they are fine and powdery in texture. What it lacks a little in length, it makes up for in upfront intensity.

I tasted this over several days to see how it would develop. The grippy mouthfeel does soften a little, and that spicy character becomes more meaty. During the tasting I was contemplating what to eat with this. It definitely requires food, a rich meaty ragu with smoky pancetta may be a good match. Or potentially even grilled venison marinated in red wine and juniper berries – if you’re game and love to play.

Alcohol 13.5%
RRP $40
Closure: Screwcap
Sample: Provided by producer

2012 Cellar Door Wine Festival

South Australia’s wine industry will once again come together under one roof for the second Cellar Door Wine Festival - Adelaide in February. The Cellar Door Wine Festival gives wine enthusiasts the opportunity to explore 12 iconic wine regions and enjoy tastings from more than 150 wineries.

SA Wine Festival Masterclass

The 3-day festival (February 24-26 2012) features a series of Master Classes including Tastes of the Barossa, Wine and Chocolate Tasting, and a Spiegelau Beer Glass Tasting.

There will also be a regional Farmers Market where visitors can sample and purchase regional delights from boutique producers, and beer fans can sample brews from micro breweries through to iconic SA brewer Coopers Brewery.

“The Cellar Door Wine Festival is a great model to promote South Australian wines to a local consumer audience right in the heart of Adelaide,” Wine Australia’s Domestic Market Development Officer, Chad Elson said.  “An exciting component of the festival is the mix of smaller wine producers alongside famous and well known brands, as well as the range of educational and entertaining master classes on offer,” Mr Elson said.

Cellar Door Wine Festival entry ticket includes unlimited tastings and your very own Riedel wine glass.  For more information on the Cellar Door Wine Festival please visit http://www.cellardoorfestival.com/

Shiraz, Cardigans and Leather Elbow Patches

Some of our tour guests have a view that all Barossa shiraz are very similar. That the concept of terrior doesn’t really exist in the New World. Well low and behold many regions around South Australia are very varied. Barossa and McLaren Vale are two great examples of this sub-regionality. Soils vary significantly, climates and temperatures also vary.

To explore these concepts Barossa HQ recently had its first online wine tasting. With wines from across Barossa Valley and Eden Valley. This was a tasting which anyone could join in the comfort of their own home. So put on the fluffy slippers, get out the good glassware, and no need to take off the dodgy cardigan with the leather elbow patches (no one can see you).

In the line up for the tasting were some single site wines from Turkey Flat, Dutschke, St Hallet and Yalumba. In my glass I had Yalumba’s 2006 Single Site Fromm Vineyard Shiraz. This was from Lyndoch in the southern part of Barossa. The vines were planted in this 2 acre block on their own roots in 1935. The area around Lyndoch is the lowest in the Valley and one of the earlier to ripen. The soils are generally ironstone, loam, and sand over clay. Typical of this region there is a rich ripe unctuousness to the wines.

In appearance the Yalumba’s Fromm Vineyard Shiraz looks like one serious shiraz. Aromas of ripe red and dark fruit, with hints of very dark chocolate and a slight savoury edge. In the mouth this is definitely a soft and succulent wine – typical of the Lyndoch area. Sweet dark and brooding fruit upfront, with layers of mocha and vanilla, probably from the oak (43% new French oak 22 months, 57% older American oak). An interesting subtle savouriness, almost of roast meats at the finish. And a sensational length too. Fine powdery tannins support the finish. Definitely a rich and lingering example from Lyndoch.

At once this is both a gutsy and an elegant wine. Sort of Mike Tyson is a velvet smoking jacket. Possibly without the leather elbow patches though.

RRP $59.95
Alc 14.5%
Closure: Cork
Scores: James Halliday 95pts, Tyson Stelzer 95pts, Campbell Mattinson 94pts
Sample: Provided by producer

Clare Valley Wine Show 2011

The results of the Clare Valley Wine Show are out. Some of our favourite producers which we visit on our private tours are big winners.  Knappstein Wines collected the trophy for Best Wine of Show and Crabtree Watervale Wines who won Best Small Producer. Jim Barry Wines who was named Best Exhibitor of Show. 

This year, 45 exhibitors submitted 352 wines across 22 classes. In total, there were 224 medals awarded, including 36 gold and 44 silver medals.

Glenn James, this year’s Chair of Judges, said; “I wondered how the current vintage whites where going to look but it was a great satisfaction that amongst the 2011 Riesling there were still classic Clare Rieslings worthy of gold and trophy awards. We tasted a decade of Riesling in the older Riesling class and it was just stunning the depth and quality of the wines was just astounding.”

2011 Clare Valley Regional Wine Show Trophies

• Best Sweet Wine:  Kilikanoon Wines, Mort's Cut Late Harvest Riesling 2009
• Best Fortified Wine:  Crabtree Watervale Wines, Liquor Muscat 15 yrs
• Best Exhibition Section Dry Riesling, 2010 Vintage:  Tim McNeil Wines, Watervale Riesling 2010
• Best Exhibition Section Dry Riesling, 2009 Vintage and older:  Knappstein Wines, Single Vineyard Ackland Watervale Riesling 2005
• Best Vintage Section Shiraz:  Kirrihill Wines Pty Ltd, Clare Valley Shiraz 2010
• Best Vintage Section Cabernet Sauvignon:  Knappstein Wines, Enterprise Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
• Best Vintage Section Dry Red:  Jim Barry Wines, Three Little Pigs 2010
• Best Dry Red from Exhibition Sections:  Koonowla Wines, Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
• Mick Knappstein Trophy Best Current Vintage Riesling:  Kilikanoon Wines, Mort's Block Reserve Riesling 2011
• Carl Sobels Trophy Best Vintage Section Dry Red:  Jim Barry Wines, Three Little Pigs 2010
• Best Riesling of Show:  Knappstein Wines, Single Vineyard Ackland Watervale Riesling 2005
• Best Small Producer:  Crabtree Watervale Wines
• Best Single Vineyard Wine:  Crabtree Watervale Wines, Watervale Riesling 2006
• Viticulturist Trophy:  Brendan Pudney (from Crabtree Watervale Wines)
• Best Exhibitor of Show:  Jim Barry Wines
• Best Current Release Wine of Show:  Kilikanoon Wines, Mort's Block Reserve Riesling 2011
• Jim Barry Trophy Best Wine of Show:  Knappstein Wines, Single Vineyard Ackland Watervale Riesling 2005
• Best Museum Wine of Show:  Knappstein Wines, Single Vineyard Ackland Watervale Riesling 2005

Fiano, Fiano, Where For Art Thou Fiano

I was immediately enchanted to discovere Fiano through a couple of McLaren Vale producers a few years ago. It was different, it was interesting, it had my attention. It wasn’t a fruit bomb wine, had loads of texture and complemented much of the food we have around South Australia. It was also something new for our winelists. It was something we had been longing for.

Fiano originates from the Campania region east of Naples in Italy. So immediately I think of light fresh seafoods, sometimes richer dishes such as (seafood) risotto, or richer poultry dishes. Generally it has a nutty, herbal, characters which I just remember as pesto; ie pinenuts, basil, parmesan cheese. It can be quite aromatic, and sometimes with smoky spicy notes. It naturally retains its acid and so should work well in the warmer South Australian regions, where other varieties lose acid quickly.

I recently had the opportunity to try the 2011 Coriole Fiano. They had just won the trophy in the McLaren Vale Wine Show, for best White Wine. I have been an admirer of both Coriole’s earlier vintages and the Fiano from nearby Olivers Taranga. Both of which we visit on our McLaren Vale private tours.

The 2011 Coriole Fiano had that distinctive nutty character and lovely citrus floral aroma. On the palate pleasant rounded acidity, but not as much as I would expect from this variety and given the cooler 2011 vintage. Nice and soft moderately full, with a distinctive citrus pith grippy finish. A style just calling out for food to balance the grip. Lovely long fresh finish.

RRP $25
Alc 13%
Sample: Provide by producer.

Around South Australia also look out for these other producers for Fiano.
Olivers Taranga
Ducks in a Row
Fox Gordon
Scott Winemaking
Beach Road

McLaren Vale Wine Show 2011

McLaren Vale wine show has just been completed for 2011. The three-day show, featured more than 650 wines. Twenty trophies and four highly commended certificates were awarded by the judges, similar to previous years.

The majority were awarded to red wines. International guest judge Lisa Perrotti Brown, from the US, chose the 2010 Shingleback Red Knot Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre as her top pick for the show.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, said. “It was an incredibly packed week judging at the McLaren Vale wine show. Got a great overview of the recent vintages and the new trends for this region. A lot of exciting new grape varieties are emerging with less emphasis on vines that clearly can't excel in this region (eg Sauvignon Blanc) and increased plantings of warmer climate / more expressive grapes such as Fiano, Vermentino, Grenache and Mataro.

The Bushing King - the region’s best wine maker was Steve Pannell from SC Pannell.

McLaren Vale Wine Show winners
Best McLaren Vale Chardonnay and blend of:   Highly commended: 2011 Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale Chardonnay
Best McLaren Vale White Wine other:   2011 Coriole Fiano
Best McLaren Vale Rose or Sparkling Wine:   Highly commended: 2011 Mrs Wigley Rose
Best McLaren Vale Shiraz under $25:   2008 Kay Brothers Basket Pressed Shiraz
Best McLaren Vale Shiraz $25 - $50:   2010 Wirra Wirra Woodhenge Shiraz
Best McLaren Vale Shiraz over $50:   2009 III Associates Squid Ink Shiraz
Best McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon:   2010 Battle of Bosworth Cabernet Sauvignon
Best McLaren Vale Grenache:   2010 SC Pannell Grenache
Best McLaren Vale Single Red Varietal Other:   2009 Pertaringa Wines Tannat
Best McLaren Vale Shiraz Predominant Blend:   2010 Fox Creek Shiraz Grenache Mouvedre
Best McLaren Vale Cabernet Predominant Blend:   Highly Commended: 2010 DogRidge THE PUP Cabernet Merlot
Best McLaren Vale Red Blend Other:  2010 SC Pannell Touriga Tempranillo
Best Fortified Wine:  Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards The Banished Fortified
Best McLaren Vale Museum Wine:  2004 Hardys Eileen Hardy Shiraz
McLaren Vale Icon Red Wine:   Chapel Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2009/2005