January 23, 2014 · 9:26 am

The Vincast with Richard Burch of Burch Family Wines

Burch Family Wines although new in name originates back in the mid 1980s, when Howard Park was first established in the Denmark area of Great Southern in Western Australia. In the last 30 years or so it has gone from strength to strength, expanding to the Margaret River and recently becoming a member of Australia’s First Families of Wine, an initiative designed to highlight the unique regions and families behind some of the countries best loved producers. Richard Burch is one of the ‘next gen’ of the group, and he joins me to talk about what this means to him as well as some of the exciting initiatives the group is engaging in to get the message out to the world.

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Richard Burch

Richard Burch

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November 19, 2013 · 9:39 am

The Vincast with Tom Carson from Yabby Lake and Heathcote Estate

The Jimmy Watson Trophy is one of the most coveted and prestigious prizes in Australian winemaking, and for the first time since the 1950s a Pinot Noir has recently taken it out. On this episode I welcome the trophy-winning winemaker from Yabby Lake Tom Carson, who over the past 20 years has established a place in the industry not only for his exceptional skills as a vigneron but also his innovative business insights. We cover his origins, his studies and his path in the industry that has led him to putting pinot noir back on the map.

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Tom Carson

Tom Carson

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November 18, 2013 · 4:50 pm

Bentleigh Tasting Group – Piedmont Nebbiolo

This month I got the opportunity to pick the theme, and for obvious reasons I chose an Italian theme. Considering many of the members of the Bentleigh Tasting Group are very experienced sommeliers, some of which are studying either WEST or Court of Master Sommelier courses, I thought the most beneficial topic would be nebbiolo from Piedmont. Considering how revered wines from this variety and region are, and the complicated nature of the DOC and DOCG systems, it would be interesting to look at how vintage, producer and site variations effect the wines.

Bentleigh Tasting Group discussing nebbiolo

Bentleigh Tasting Group discussing nebbiolo

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November 3, 2013 · 3:31 pm

The Vincast with Martin Fiegl from Fiegl Winery

The Italian region of Friuli is possibly one of the most diverse in the world, with many distinct areas and vineyards planted to numerous varieties. Within the unique area of Oslavia on the Slovenian border can be found Azienda Agricola Fiegl where my guest Martin Fiegl’s family have grown grapes for many generations and have made wines under their own label since 1992. We chat about the winery, his responsibilities in the family, and his views of Italian wine in the global market.

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Martin Fiegl

Martin Fiegl

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November 3, 2013 · 10:36 am

Bentleigh Tasting Group – Alsace Whites

The group met recently after a brief hiatus to look at a pretty diverse topic. Alsace is a French region very close to my heart having visited twice. It is possibly the most underrated and also misunderstood, which is partly to do with the seemingly unfocused nature (no one key variety or style) and the fact that it has a complicated history (several times it has been part of Germany). In my opinion it is the most beautiful wine region, and the people are some of the warmest in the country, possibly due to their history of oppression and war.

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October 14, 2013 · 2:20 pm

The Vincast with Luke Lambert

Yarra Valley based Luke Lambert joins me on this episode of The Vincast. Originally from Brisbane he discovered a love of elegant food-friendly wines early on and after being inspired by Italian wines decided to become a winemaker, applying for university from a phone box in London. He explains how he has become one of the leading lights of small batch “hands-off” winemaking in Australia in the space of ten years.

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Luke Lambert

Luke Lambert

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October 1, 2013 · 10:31 am

The Vincast with Daniel Honan the Wine Idealist

On the fourth episode of The Vincast I sat down with Daniel Honan, originally from Newcastle with a background in journalism. Whilst working for a wine bar in London he discovered ‘Real’ wine, wines made using organic, biodynamic and/or natural practices. When he returned to the Hunter Valley earlier this year he wanted to learn more and share his passion with the world, and now writes about Australian wines in this vein. We attempt to dissect what these wines are whilst talking about his past present and future.

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Daniel Honan

Daniel Honan

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September 29, 2013 · 7:25 pm

Bentleigh Tasting Group – Morey-St-Denis

The Bentleigh Tasting Group met again recently, and this time the theme was a particular appellation in the Cote-d’Or of Burgundy; Morey-St-Denis. Not unlike the first tasting, it was incredibly hard to source wines for this tasting, particularly as it was a single appellation, and the wine also had to be younger 2008 or younger. On a fixed income the $100 price tag was a bit tough, but at the end of the day it was worth it to be able to taste not one but 10 outstanding examples. Also like the first tasting and limited access to wine there were two bottles that were the same, and again through bottle variation looked different. Here are my notes from the tasting. Continue reading →

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September 28, 2013 · 12:27 pm

Mount Mary Dinner – 17/09/2013

There are more than a few words that get thrown around pretty indiscriminately in the marketing and communication of wine. Words like premium, estate, reserve, authentic, terroir and unique. In most cases it is a pretty empty assertion, rarely can the claim be legitimately justified. Few people can truly say they are a pioneer, but John Middleton certainly can. With a background in the RAAF he found himself in the Yarra Valley as a regional family doctor back in the 1950s. He established the estate, inspired in part by the Swiss settlers of the 1850s (de Castella, de Pury), and the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Continue reading →

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September 27, 2013 · 1:46 pm

Bentleigh Tasting Group – Napa Valley Tasting

In my recent exploits attempting to gain employment back home in Melbourne I trialled at the now 18-year-old Punch Lane Wine Bar & Restaurant. The venue is a staple in the city centre, having been an early proponent of the now famous lane way culture here. Whilst here I met with James Dossan, a certified sommelier originally hailing from Sydney, who is managing this venue. James runs a monthly tasting group for friends who are in the industry, which includes sommeliers and wholesalers alike. Each of them has is or will study wine and thus the tastings are designed to improve everyone’s skills in analysis. A theme is chosen and each member brings a bottle to be tasted blind. Continue reading →

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