Tag Archives: Australian Wine

The Vincast with Greg Lambrecht from Coravin

Greg Lambrecht discovered an interest in wine while growing up in California, but his passion for discovery began when he studied in Boston and met the woman who would become his wife. Through family and friends he was able to taste and learn while he developed an incredible career in medical technology. During his wife’s pregnancy he wanted to enjoy a glass of wine but it seemed a waste to open a bottle as she wasn’t drinking. Thus he conceived of a device that could allow someone to drink from a bottle without opening it, and the Coravin is now changing the wine industry around the world.

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Greg Lambrecht

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Vino Intrepido 2017 Part Three – The Press

Increasing the volume of fruit for this vintage meant a lot more pressing. Luckily that was largely automated thanks to the pneumatic press, but there was quite a lot of manual labour required, bucketing solids into the press. Six separate skin-contact ferments were all press at different times, and every time the press needed to be cleaned. The pressing program was as follows;
– One of two tonnes of Riverland Vermentino were fermented on skins in two separate ferments. One was pressed immediately after the completion of fermentation, spending a total of nine days on skins. The other was pressed twelve days later, spending a total of three weeks on skins. Both were transferred to neutral white barriques for ageing.
– One tonne of Mildura Nero d’Avola was de-stemmed and split into two fermenters. After only two days of fermentation one half-tonne was pressed and completed fermentation in a stainless steel tank, whilst the other half-tonne completed fermentation on skins but was pressed soon after, a total of 10 days on skins. Each press went to a 300L mature hogshead barrel for ageing.
– Two tonnes of Pyrenees nebbiolo were de-stemmed and split in half. Both finished fermenting on skins. Nothing was added or removed from these ferments. One tonne was pressed after 15 days on skins, the other spent 56 days on skins. They were split between 2010 and 2012 vintage barriques.

Vino Intrepido is a (soon to be launched) brand that combines great Italian grape varieties with great Australian wine regions and growers, experimenting with different winemaking techniques to bring you delicious wine! If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch via email on vinointrepido@gmail.com

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July 5, 2017 · 8:24 am

Vino Intrepido 2017 Part Two – Fermentation

The 2017 vintage was very prolonged, and each of the three varieties finished fermenting before the next one arrived. The fermentations were as follows;
– Two tonnes Riverland Vermentino were split in half – one tonne was pressed and one tonne de-stemmed for skin-contact fermentation. Half of the pressed juice was transferred to neutral barriques for barrel-fermentation, the rest fermented in stainless steel. The two skin-contact ferments had a neutral commercial yeast added to help them through ferment.
– One tonne of Mildura Nero d’Avola was de-stemmed and split into two fermenters. After only two days of fermentation one half-tonne was pressed and completed fermentation in a stainless steel tank, whilst the other half-tonne completed fermentation on skins. Due to the low acids and high pH, tartaric acid was added to help balance the wine.
– Two tonnes of Pyrenees nebbiolo were de-stemmed and split in half. Both finished fermenting on skins. Nothing was added or removed from these ferments.

Vino Intrepido is a (soon to be launched) brand that combines great Italian grape varieties with great Australian wine regions and growers, experimenting with different winemaking techniques to bring you delicious wine! If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch via email on vinointrepido@gmail.com

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July 4, 2017 · 11:20 am

Let’s Taste – Billanook Estate Barbera 2013

Whilst the D’Aloisio family have been involved with agriculture in the Yarra Valley since the 1960s, it wasn’t until 1994 that they planted their own vineyards. Starting with the most important varieties for the region (Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc), they have since diversified with alternative varieties. Barbera is one of those grapes, and I was excited to try a bottle of their 2013 vintage. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Billanook Estate Barbera 2013 – $22.00 at Atlas Vinifera

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June 28, 2017 · 7:07 pm

Let’s Taste – Heggies Vineyard Chardonnays

Heggies Vineyard is part of Hill-Smith Family Vineyards, planted at high elevations in the Eden Valley region of South Australia. Much of the wine is sold through major retailers or exported. The focus is on white wine, particularly chardonnay. These samples were submitted for my impressions, let me know what you think in the comments below.

Wines tasted;
Heggies Vineyard <500m Chardonnay 2016 – RRP $22.00
Heggies Vineyard Estate Chardonnay 2015 – RRP $31.00

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Let’s Taste – Old Mate Wine It’s Lit Riesling 2016

I’ve been friends with Sam Jorgensen (aka Old Mate Wine) on social media for a few years, and was thrilled to finally meet him in person over in Perth two years ago. He’s been working in the industry for a while and gave me a bottle of his first wine to taste. Two years later his approach to riesling has changed a bit, and while he and his partner were over for dinner I thought I would open his 2016 riesling with him, to discuss how he made it last year. Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments below.

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June 18, 2017 · 8:50 am

The Vincast with Phil Hude from Armadale Cellars

To be an institution in the Melbourne wine trade you need to have been around for at least ten years and retain the elements that made you so amazing in the beginning. After 20 years as the owner-operator of Armadale Cellars, Phil Hude is most certainly an institution. He’s been in wine retail for 30+ years, and has seen a great many wine trends come and go, and supported several Australian icons since they were young winemakers. Phil and I recorded this episode down in the wine catacomb of Armadale Cellars, discuss how Phil got into the business, his unique approach to wine retail over the years, and the exciting events that are being run to commemorate two decades of continuous wine retail on High Street.

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Subscribe to the Intrepid Wino channel on YouTube and watch a few videos!

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Subscribe to the podcast on iTunesStitcherPlayerFM or Podbean, and don’t forget to rate and review!

Phil Hude from Armadale Cellars

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Let’s Taste – Frankly, This Wine Was Made By Bob Riesling Petit Verdot Merlot 2016

The first I became aware of Bob Colman was as a listener of my wine podcast The Vincast, and met him in person at Rootstock Sydney 2015. He’s been a fan of the new wave of low-intervention wine in Australia, and started making his own using fruit he purchased, made in his shed in the Blue Mountains. This is own of his 2016 wines, which he donated to the cause whilst visiting Melbourne recently. Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments below!

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June 12, 2017 · 11:02 pm

Let’s Taste – d’Arenberg The Galvo Garage 2013

A wine from d’Arenberg that I hadn’t encountered before (not hard considering they make a few), a blend of bordeaux varieties that celebrates the tradition of small batch ‘Garage’ winemaking. Let me know if you’ve tasted this wine before and what you thought!

Wine tasted;
d’Arenberg The Galvo Garage 2013 – RRP $29.00
d’Arenberg Wines website – http://darenberg.com.au

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June 5, 2017 · 11:01 am

Let’s Taste – d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab 2016 & d’Arry’s Original 2014

Some more submissions from d’Arenberg in the McLaren Vale region, new vintages of two of the best known wines they make. Let me know if you’ve had any experience with either of these wines, or indeed anything from d’Arenberg and/or McLaren Vale.

Wines tasted;
d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab 2016 – RRP $15.00
d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original 2014 – RRP $18.00

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June 5, 2017 · 9:03 am