Barossa Valley Wine Tour

No matter where in the world you travel, you can be certain to find a bottle of wine from the Barossa Valley in a bottle store. Whether you are in Giggleswick, (North Yorkshire, England) or Greymouth (New Zealand) the Barossa brand is internationally known.

It is home to some of Australia’s biggest and best known wineries, including Jacob’s Creek, Wolf Blass, and Seppelt to name but a few. The region accounts for 21% of Australia’s total wine production. But more importantly, it is also home to a wide range of boutique wineries, which, to get the full benefit of require an experienced and educated guide.

The Barossa Valley was settled in 1840’s by both English settlers and German immigrants who were fleeing religious persecution. They brought with them a culture of growing, cooking, and preserving, along with an ethic of working hard for what they wanted.

What has remained to the current day is Barossa’s enduring nature. This is due to its breadth of growers and producers. From the multinationals, through to the garagist wine producers who only produce a single label. They have captured their heritage, amalgamated it with ‘modern Australia’ and used it as a foundation for further development. A visit to the Barossa region is interesting on so many levels — architecture, horticulture, character, wine, and food.

The European influence is pervasive, from mouth watering metwursts (Linke’s Meat Store and Schulz Butchers), cheeses (from Ballycroft and Barossa Valley Cheese Co), and the bakeries (such as Apex Bakery or Lyndoch Bakery) with various types of Streusel cake and Bienenstich. It is a foodies heaven!

Viticulturally the Barossa Valley has the world's oldest Shiraz vineyards, some dating back to the 1840s. The Barossa Valley extends from Lyndoch in the south to Kalimna, Moppa, and Ebenezer in the northwest, at an elevation of 200 to 300 metres above sea level. Immediately to the east is Eden Valley which is at a higher elevation of 500 to 600 metres. It is much cooler than the valley floor and produces delightfully floral Rieslings.

Barossa Valley has a Mediterranean climate, characterised by cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers where temperatures are generally between 30C and 35C. It is a reliable grape growing area particularly suited to producing riper, bolder wines, and particularly full-bodied shiraz. It also grows a range of Rhone varieties such as Viognier, Mourvedre (also know as Mataro), and Grenache.

Go on visit Barossa Valley — gratify the senses!

Autumn in McLaren Vale Wine Region

Well, its now officially autumn, and vintage is almost over in McLaren Vale.

The cooling summer breezes from the Gulf St Vincent and the often quite strong gully winds that come down off the Willunga Hills in the afternoon and evening. These both combine to ensure that a McLaren Vale summer is a perfect environment to ripen grapes – neither too hot nor too cold. This normally makes for a prolonged ripening period during which time the grapes accumulate flavour and intensity.

To put McLaren Vale into a global context it is warmer than Bordeaux and similar to Montpellier in Languedoc in France. It is one of the premier shiraz growing regions of the world. Shiraz makes up the majority of the vine plantings in the region, with cabernet sauvignon, grenache, and chardonnay also abundant. ‘Alternative’ varieties are also planted in the region. These include; marsanne, roussanne, sangiovese, tempranillo, viognier, and zinfandel.

There are a number of sub regions within McLaren Vale — Sellicks Foothills, Blewitt Springs, Seaview, Willunga, McLaren Flat, McLaren Vale, and Clarendon. Each of these have different climates and soil types and so contribute to the complexity of the regions wines.

McLaren Vale reminds me of Tuscany, not only the grape varieties (with some fantastic sangiovese, and barbera’s being produced) but also fresh and pungent olive oils, crusty bread, and the essential stinky cheese — a gourmand would be in heaven. All this, with a beautiful coastline, and so close to Adelaide.

Viognier extinct!

20 years ago the Viognier white grape variety was almost wiped out. With as little as 35 acres in France remaining it was another unloved variety about to disappear. That would have been a great shame as people had only started to be able to pronounce it (vee-on-yeah or vee-ohn-yay).

That was when South Australian company Yalumba planted a few trial rows in Eden Valley, in the greater Barossa wine region. Which is distinctly cooler that the Barossa Valley floor. In France, Viognier was confined to a few areas of the Rhone region - Condrieu and Cote-Rotie appellations. Rhone is similar in climate to Barossa, so Viognier does equally well in South Australia.

Since Yalumba started its trials with Viognier, they discovered its full range of attributes. A typical Viognier white wine has a rich and luscious mouthfeel, which comes from the high glycerol of the grape. On the nose it is normally seen as showing ripe or dried apricot, and floral and citrus characters, with an interesting spice or anise/Thai basil note.

Also in the Rhone region a small percentage of Viognier is added to Shiraz/Syrah. They are allowed up to 20% Viognier as part of the AOC control system, but generally most winemakers never go above 5%. And so this approach has also been implemented into the New World. Even a small percentage (such as 3 or 4%) can change a Shiraz significantly. Adding to its floral character on the nose, and making the palate smoother, rounder, more voluptuous. It is always a surprise that adding a white grape to a red wine makes the red more intense in colour.

Some other boutique wineries who produce quality Viognier and which Rich & Lingering visit on their tours, include Langmeil Winery, and Torbreck Vintners in Barossa Valley, Petaluma in Adelaide Hills, Mr Riggs, and Olivers Taranga in McLaren Vale.

So indulge in a new old variety before it disappears.

10 Key Wine Terms to Help You Bluff with the Best

So you DO know the first thing about wine, but need to know the second. Well, try slipping these terms into you next wine discussion – preferably not all in the one sentence.

Acidity - Acidity is like the ‘pucker level’ of a wine, or how much it makes you smack your lips, or your saliva run. Acidity can add that zesty or crisp aspect to a wine, but if too acidic can make the wine appear quite tart or out of balance.

Balance – This has nothing to do with being able to remain vertical after a full day wine tasting tour. Balance is how the acidity, fruit, oak, sugar, alcohol, and tannin of a wine blend together so that the whole wine is balanced. In a well-balanced wine no one aspect should overwhelm the others.

Body - This describes the ‘weight’ of the wine in your mouth and is related to alcohol levels and fruit flavour.

Length – This is the sustained impression of the wine across the palate, once it leaves your mouth. Despite what people say length is important!

Finish - The final impression a wine leaves after you have swallowed it. Does the wine leave your mouth feeling clean, creamy, or fury?

Creamy – This is often used to describe Chardonnay or Viognier. It is a character of a wine that has undergone malolactic fermentation (a secondary fermentation). Leaving the mouth with a richness and that creamy feeling.

Oaky – This is the toasty, smoky, spice or vanilla aromas and flavours that come from aging the wine in oak barrels. Sometimes wine can be aged in French or American oak barrels, or both. Barrels made from French oak are generally thought have more subtle oak flavours than those made from American oak.

Tannin – This is predominantly a red wine term. Tannin adds to the texture of wine and gives you that furry drying feeling on your gums and inner cheeks. It’s the same mouthfeel from black tea. When there’s a lot of tannin in a wine it can make your mouth feel very dry. Tannin can come from oak, grape seeds and stalks, but mostly grape skins.

Astringent – A harsh, dry sensation in the mouth caused by high tannin or phenolic levels. People tend to use the word ‘phenolic’ to describe astringency in white wines and the word ‘tannic’ to describe astringency in red wines.

Phenolic – It is a feeling produced from a natural compound in grape skins, seeds and stalks. It can cause wine to taste bitter and harsh.

During Rich & Lingering’s private food and wine tours, these terms will be used on a random basis. Normally by the end of the day we try to keep words to single syllables.

Chocolate is one of the 4 main food groups

At Christmas time, if we have been naughty or nice, we should receive chocolate, so lets focus on one of the food main food groups.

Origin of Chocolate
Native to South America, cocoa beans first came to Europe in the treasure-laden galleons of the Spanish conquistadors. Quickly spreading throughout Europe and beyond, this gift from the New World won more and more admirers. But long before that, the cocoa bean had been enjoyed by the Maya and the Aztecs. So valued was the cocoa drink that they used it as a sacred offering and even employed cocoa beans as currency!

Cocoa Beans
Chocolate is made from the beans harvested from pods of the cacao tree, grown within 10 degrees north and south of the equator. The best-known beans are the rare, delicate Criollo and Trinitario varieties and the more robust Forastero. The finest quality cocoa beans come from hand-nurtured cacao plants and, like wine production, important factors are the local soil, weather and the grower's expertise. Each of these plays its role in the flavour of the chocolate produced.

Quality Chocolate
Quality chocolate has up to 75% cocoa content, compared with as little as 20% in cheap products. Made from carefully roasted and milled quality beans, it has a smooth, velvety finish. Mass-produced chocolate has a gritty texture, more sugar, lower-grade cocoa beans and non-traditional ingredients like dried milk and vegetable oil.

The most skilled chocolatiers learnt their craft in France, Belgium, Italy or Switzerland. First, they select the exact mix of cocoa bean varieties. Well-versed in each variety's special characteristics, chocolatiers create a blend that is balanced, yet with its own uniquely attractive personality. Gently roasted, these beans are then milled for many hours to produce a very fine cocoa. This is mixed with the only ingredients required for quality chocolate: cocoa butter, sugar, natural vanilla and lecithin. For milk chocolate, fresh milk alone is added.

Chocolate Tasting
Like wine, and any other quality food, the enjoyment of luxury chocolate involves all five senses. These are the characteristics that a true chocolate connoisseur looks for...

• Sight - Look for a shiny, smooth surface of completely blended chocolate, free from any imperfection.
• Sound - Well-tempered chocolate with a high content of pure cocoa makes a distinctive sharp snapping sound when broken.
• Touch - The feel should be satin-smooth - not grainy like low-quality chocolate.
• Smell - Like a vintage wine, premium chocolate releases a range of aromas.
• Taste - Chocolate should be a savoured delight. Press it to the roof of your mouth and let it slowly melt around your tastebuds. The velvety flavours gradually translate into a pleasantly lingering after-taste. Luxury chocolate can be complex and distinctive, with aromas ranging from citrus, fruity, spice, coffee, smokey, and so forth depending upon the origin of the bean.

For guests with a desire to focus on this particular food group, Rich & Lingering have designed tours to gratfiy their senses and indulge!

Rich & Lingering Receives Another Tourism Award

The 2007 SA Great Regional Tourism Services Award for the Adelaide Hills was recently awarded to Rich & Lingering by Catriona Rowntree, presenter of Channel 9’s travel program “Getaway”.

Catriona presented the award to Jason Miller of Rich & Lingering at the official awards ceremony at Auchendarroch House in the Adelaide Hills.

The award recognises and celebrates those individuals and businesses that have made a significant contribution to the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia. This award is open to specialised tourism services or facilities that enhance the visitor experience and integrate with other tourism products.

“It is great to receive recognition from the industry of our efforts, and caps off a very successful year for us” said Jason Miller. “2007 has been fantastic for Rich & Lingering. Not only being winners of the SA Great award but also coming just a few weeks after receiving a SA Tourism Commission medal.”

Rich & Lingering were the proud recipients of a bronze medal in the New Tourism Development category in the SATC Tourism Awards. It is recognition of their creativity, professionalism and innovation in the industry. The award highlights Rich & Lingering’s focus on providing both high levels of wine and food knowledge and excellent customer service to their guests.

Rich & Lingering provides 5 star food and wine tours for guests, focussing on Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, and Fleurieu Peninsula wine regions of South Australia.

“South Australia is a fantastic place for food and wine, with many new indulgence seeking visitors discovering the region for the first time (both international, interstate, and from Adelaide!). It’s great to see the state continuing to grow in a tourism sense, and Rich & Lingering aim to be a key promoter of the area into the future.” Jason Miller said.

Sherry for Summer

Sherry is disappearing, not evaporating, it is just not being purchased by consumers. The super sweet sherry which Great Aunt Nora used to consume from the early afternoon onwards doesn't really count.

True sherry takes its name from the town of Jerez de la Frontera, which is on the southern tip of Spain. Typically it is made from Pedro Ximenez (or PX to his friends) or Palomino grape varieties. Sherry is usually classified as flor (or fino), amontillado, or oloroso. The latter being older and sweeter.

To confuse consumers even more the name sherry (and port, and tokay) will begin to be phased out in the near future, following a trade agreement with the European Union. This follows similar off-limit names as Champagne, Burgundy, and Chablis.

A fino sherry is typically light in colour (eg pale straw), clean and dry on the palate, and generally they are consumed young. Fino sherry acquires its distinctive aroma and flavour from the flor yeast which grows in the barrel on top of the finished wine. This produces delicate nutty and salty characters, combined with refreshing acidity. For this very reason it is a fantastic drink for a summer’s afternoon, accompanied with olives, sardines, or chorizo, over looking the sea.

In South Australia one very fine example of a fino sherry comes from Seppelt in Barossa Valley. The Seppelt Fino DP 117, is light delicate, and very dry. It shows the beautiful characters of the flor on the aroma and the palate, which lasts for ever.

In Mildura (in Victoria) the local Slow Food group is proposing to have it classified as an endangered food and trying to included it in the international Ark of Taste. By including it in the Ark of Taste, Slow Food may work with local producers to promote the products and establishing quality and authenticity standards. In Mildura fino sherry has been made since 1888, using techniques appropriate for the Australian climate.

So this summer what better drink to enjoy with our Mediterranean climate than a refreshing and food friendly fino.