Tag Archives: Australia

March 19, 2015 · 9:00 am

The Vincast with Randall Pollard from Heart & Soil

Randall Pollard is a name in Victoria synonymous with independent fine-wine sales, having worked in the industry for almost 20 years before opening his own wine store in Geelong (Randall’s), and then importing a range of outstanding artisan wines from France and Europe (Heart & Soil). His love of wine stems from sneaking glasses of wine from the cask at the age of 15, enjoying it with cheese and bread. He shared more stories from his career on this episode of The Vincast.

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Randall Pollard from Heart & Soil Wines

Randall Pollard from Heart & Soil Wines

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February 19, 2015 · 9:00 am

The Vincast with Johannes Hasselbach from Weingut Gunderloch

Weingut Gunderloch in the Rheinhessen region of Germany is one the greatest wineries in Europe if you are in the know. They are the only winery in the world to have received 100 points for the same wine in three separate vintages, for their incredibly rare trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). Johannes Hasselbach hadn’t intended on running his family’s estate, until in 2010 when his father became ill (since recovered), and his sister who had been involved with the winemaking relocating to Austria to work with her husband. An intrepid philosophy led Johannes to travel and explore, and he has slowly began to introduce this into the winery since then. He joined me in the Treasury Gardens of Melbourne on a sunny morning to talk about his journey.

Visit the Wurzelwerk website to learn more and like them on Facebook

Make sure to read all about my experiences working vintage at Weingut Gunderloch in 2012

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Vintage 2012 - Day 23

Johannes Hasselbach from Weingut Gunderloch working hard in the vineyard

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February 5, 2015 · 9:00 am

The Vincast with Bill Downie from William Downie Wines & 1000 Candles

It’s impossible not to like Bill Downie as he is such a down-to-earth person, a brilliantly talented winemaker, and is also incredibly humble. His skills are not his technical prowess, skills which he picked up for the most part learning on the job, but his ability to simply capture the essence of what nature provides in a certain place. He joined me on this episode of The Vincast to discuss his background, his approaches to wine, and how he imparts as little of himself to his pinot noir for William Downie Wines and the singular 1000 Candles from the Yarra Valley.

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Bill Downie

Bill Downie

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January 29, 2015 · 9:58 am

The Vincast with Tom Barry from Jim Barry Wines & Clos Clare

Someone like Tom Barry is rare indeed, as he is probably one of only a few third-generation qualified winemakers in Australia. His grandfather Jim Brazill Barry was an early winemaking graduate of Roseworthy college in 1944, the first agricultural college in Australia, and the first qualified winemaker in the Clare Valley. Tom’s father Peter James also studied at Roseworthy, and Tom himself recently completed the course at the Waite campus of the University of Adelaide which Roseworthy merged with some years ago. Being based in the Clare Valley, one of the most important varieties for Jim Barry Wines and Clos Clare (which he and brother Sam took over a few years ago) is undoubtedly riesling. He joined me on this episode of The Vincast to talk about his background, the Clare Valley, and how important riesling is.

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Tom Barry

Tom Barry

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January 20, 2015 · 9:00 am

The Vincast with Brad Hickey AKA Brash Higgins

After working for many years as a sommelier with some of the best lists in New York City, Brad Hickey had a chance to work vintage in Australia, and fell in love not only with the lifestyle but also his eventual partner Nicole Thorpe. He had the opportunity to create his own expression from the Omensetter vineyard that belonged to Nicole’s family, and the name he chose for the brand was a nickname he’d been given by the locals; Brash Higgins. In only a handful of vintages he has gained a reputation for making some of the most interesting wines in the McLaren Vale and beyond, sometimes working with unfamiliar varieties like Nero d’Avola and Zibibbo. He shares his story and how he came to make the wines he does.

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Brad Hickey

Brad Hickey

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January 16, 2015 · 11:26 am

The Intrepid Wino drank things in 2014

Last year was a particularly good year for drinking for me, I have to admit it. Thanks to all the fantastic people I met and venues I discovered, who all work with some beautiful products, I got to both taste and drink (sometimes a bit too much) some amazing stuff. Some of these wines were tasted at events or trade tastings, some at my favourite bars & restaurants, and a few were tasted at wineries I visited (which was too rare in 2014). You’ll notice that many of these wines are Italian which very much reflects where I was at this year working for an importer of Italian wines, and also visiting Italy in June.

Let me know what you think, and tell me in the comments what were your highlight wines for 2014.

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2014 was a momentous year as it was the first time I tasted Claret!

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December 31, 2014 · 9:00 am

The Vincast with Anthony D’Anna from Boccaccio Cellars and Mondo Imports

Many Melbourne-based wine lovers would be familiar with the name Boccaccio Cellars, as they have regularly advertised in the Epicure lift-out of The Age every Tuesday. The Balwyn-based retailer has been selling wines for nearly 40 years, specialising in Italian wines. Anthony D’Anna, second generation Italo-Australian, has been heavily involved in the family business for many years, not only with Boccaccio but also their winery in the Yarra Valley (Hoddles Creek Estate) and more recently, Mondo Imports working with some outstanding small producers from Italy. He joined me on this episode of The Vincast to talk about his upbringing and work in the family business, and his perspective on Italian wines in Australia.

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Anthony D'Anna

Anthony D’Anna

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November 20, 2014 · 9:00 am

The Vincast with Owen Latta from Eastern Peake

Owen Latta from Eastern Peake joins me on this episode of The Vincast, talking about growing up with the vineyard his parents planted when he was born, taking over from his father at a young age, and discovering new projects along the way.

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Owen Latta

Owen Latta

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April 10, 2014 · 8:42 pm

The Vincast with Ed Merrison the Bonnezeaux Gonzo

Ed Merrison has a very unique perspective on wine, particularly Australian wine. Firstly as he is a freelance journalist with an open mind, a thirst for a unique angle, and a desire to tell a story rather than simply the facts. Secondly, he is an Englishman with very little family background in wine. He moved to Melbourne in 2002 with his Australian wife, and through being introduced via the local wine culture and also travelling to a number of wine regions, found Australian wine and the people who work with it to be authentic, vibrant and honest. On this episode of The Vincast he talks about his journey and his passions.

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Ed Merrison

Ed Merrison

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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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