The Sound of Wine

9 Oct
2012

The hills are alive…with music and wine.

There are some who consider these two elements to hold a romantic link with one another. I could be referring to Alois Lageder in Trentino-Alto Adige playing classical music to his fermenting wines, or Shadowfax’s Matt Harrop playing Triple R radio non-stop to his stainless steel tanks. In this particular case, I draw your attention to a Sicilian producer called Tasca d’Almerita who forwarded this promotional video to me.

However there is a twist.

Instead of the traditional concept of playing music to wine…this talented group use the wine to make the music. 

Enjoy the Sound of Wine – sans Julie Andrews…

Bru & Nell’s Excellent Adventure

2 Oct
2012

The Original: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

“Brunello, exceedingly elegant and vibrant, with more complexity than muscle, won my heart.” – Kerin O’Keefe, from ‘Brunello di Montalcino’

Last week I hosted a tasting with Mark Protheroe looking at twenty-two Brunello di Montalcino wines of the 2007 vintage. The aim was to provide a thorough spread of producers to highlight the differences between the unofficial sub-regions of the Montalcino area. Below are some brief tasting notes and detailed information of the tasting, including what I wrote for the tasting booklet. If you do read right until the end, you may come across an interesting character with beady red eyes that some like to refer to as ‘Suckzilla’. You have been warned…

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I Dream of Gene [Kelly]

25 Sep
2012

Dancing the Salsa as part of the Street Latin bronze medal

Dancing has had me enamoured ever since I was a little girl. I grew up watching the old musicals such as ‘Calamity Jane‘, ‘Annie‘, ‘Oliver‘, ‘The Sound of Music‘ and my favourite, ‘Singin’ In The Rain‘. Consequently, music and dance have always played an enjoyable part in my life.

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Wine Reviews September

18 Sep
2012

andre clouet, champagne, clover hill, sparkling, tasmania, france, lambrusco, lini 910, italy

Spring has arrived and brought with it welcome bursts of sunshine. Keeping in line with the season, I thought I would write about three different styles of wine where each bottle bursts open in a shower of beads.

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Brunello Club – “Say hello to your friends”

11 Sep
2012

For most of the people who stumble across this blog, the reference in today’s title may be lost. However if you were a young lass like me in the ’90s, you’d be well aware of this ol’ chestnut and the theme song’s tag line, “Say hello to your friends“. It also inspired this:

baby-sitters club, spoof, funny, field, flowers, girls

Photograph from the 1995 film ‘Baby-Sitters Club’

What is with my infatuation with Brunello di Montalcino of late?

Well there is an event that I am organising with Grossi restaurant’s wine buyer, Mark Protheroe, under the Sommeliers Australia umbrella. We have organised a grand total of twenty-one wines, some of which have come directly from the Brunello Consorzio and are thus unavailable in the country. They all hail from the 2007 vintage and will be available at this one tasting.

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The Fathers, the Greats, the Gods and the Kings

4 Sep
2012
vintage photo, cane, book, sartorial,

Vintage photo by The Sartorialist

It was the second day of Spring, a glorious, bright blue filled the wide open sky and the sun was brimming with warming rays. It was Father’s Day and I was down on the farm eating and relaxing with the family. This setting made me realise that it is not often enough that we get to celebrate a person we hold so dear and admire so much. In fact, they should be honoured, loved and cherished at every possible opportunity. So here I am with what I thought might be a lovely idea by commemorating the greats, the fathers, the gods, or more fittingly, the kings. 

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Bibemus Boozes on Barolo & the Red Panty Threesome

28 Aug
2012

poem

On Monday the 20th August, an Italian-loving wine club experienced an evening entitled ‘Bibemus Boozes on Barolo‘. While it may not be the most eloquent choice of expression in relation to such a noble wine, it was deemed delightful by Bibemus’ core members nonetheless.

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A tidbit of La Donna del Vino in Australia’s Wine Business Magazine

21 Aug
2012

Two weeks ago I returned home from work and stuck my hand in the typically empty mailbox. Today was unlike every other day as there in the cold steel box lay the latest copy of Australia’s Wine Business Magazine (WBM). I threw it onto the dining table, made myself a cup of tea and began to flick through its pages.

A couple of months prior, WBM had put a little spiel by an unnamed wine blogger in their weekly e-newsletter called The Week That Was (TWTW). At the end of the piece they suggested to any other wine bloggers out there that they too should send in their story. A few days later I submitted a little piece about the La Donna del Vino blog to the magazine. The editor, Anthony Madigan, was in touch a couple of weeks later to request some photos as he may print it in the upcoming TWTW or the WBM. I was not holding my breath and the subsequent e-newsletters and magazine released immediately after did not contain the piece. As you can then imagine with this following issue, I was not expecting to be flicking through and stumble across this little tidbit on page 52 in the all-important Social Media section. I didn’t exactly squeal, but I did choke back a little gasp.

The title read: “Late one night after a bottle of Nebbiolo…”

Click through to read the article: WBM La Donna del Vino

Wine Reviews August

14 Aug
2012

head red gsm, brash higgins cabernet sauvignon, anselmo mendes muros antigos vinho verde

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Fifty Shades of Grey

7 Aug
2012


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Benjamin Leroux – The Good Stuff

31 Jul
2012

All photography by James Broadway

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Random: To make you smile

24 Jul
2012

Today I am simply sharing a beautiful quote and a 1964 clip that never fails to put a smile on my face. They both come from the great man, Signor Luciano Pavarotti.

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”
Luciano Pavarotti

Wine Reviews July

17 Jul
2012

Quealy Friulano Amphora 2011, Shadowfax Minnow 2011, Alain Graillot Syrocco Syrah 2009

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Bibemus boards the Brunello train. With surprise guest, Jean Claude Van Damme

10 Jul
2012

During June’s waxing crescent moon and under the watchful eye of team Bibemus, fourteen Italophiles converged in the darkness outside the Carlton Wine Room and craned their necks towards the sparkling night sky.

Together they chanted:

star light star bright, wine, quote, poem

Adapted by La Donna del Vino

The stars twinkled back at the happy group. Their wish would be granted.

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Butterin’ the Golden Bread (Pandoro)

3 Jul
2012

cooking, baking, recipe, vintage, lady

I have a problem…

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Battlesip

26 Jun
2012
Sipping, wine tasting, wine, glasses, red, drinking, spitting

Battlesipping in my Barolo King T-shirt. Any commentary on my attire can be directed to Nick Stock.

When I came up with the name for this post I had a good, hearty giggle to myself. I know I’m a lame-o, but say “Battlesip” quickly and it sounds like you have a lisp. Hey, come on. I thought it was clever! Small things really do entertain my small mind on a cold and wet wintery evening.

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Wine Reviews June

19 Jun
2012

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“Let us proceed to the Amontillado”

12 Jun
2012

I came across Amontillado (a pale medium-dry sherry from Spain) at the tender age of ten. Do not worry. This story is a little less devious than you might think.

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Being Indiana Jones and the Hula Hoop Queen

5 Jun
2012

I want you to picture yourself sitting in a room, overcome with an insatiable thirst and your favourite wine is sitting before you.

Now imagine that that bottle of wine is just out of reach. Frustrating, isn’t it?

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The Nonno Diaries – Chapter 4

29 May
2012

Recap: Elio is my grandfather, my Nonno. For someone who is known around his hometown as the man with a perpetual smile on his face, I can only hope to be as content as he is one day. These are simply the stories that he has recounted to me with a twinkle in his eye and that I hope to keep alive by writing them down.

THE NONNO DIARIES

To read ‘Chapter One – The Journey Over’ click here.

To read ‘Chapter Two – School & The Depression Era‘ click here.

To read ‘Chapter Three – The War Years’ click here

CHAPTER FOUR

LIFE, LOVE AND VERA

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