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.
“Ask not what your country can do with my grapes, but what my grapes can do for your country.” Err, sure thing, Berlusconi.
An essay submitted for the 2012 Lorenzo Galli Estate Wine Scholarship
By Krystina Menegazzo
WHY AND HOW ARE ITALIAN GRAPE VARIETIES IMPORTANT TO THE AUSTRALIAN WINE INDUSTRY? DISCUSS FOCUSING ON AT LEAST TWO VARIETIES.
QUARTIER by PORT PHILLIP ESTATE Arneis 2011
Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
RRP $30.00
People tend to match wine with food and vice versa. It is an aspect of working with wine that I adore. Food AND wine? How could you not? However I also have an alternate matching battle going on in my head. Not only am I constantly thinking about food, but my mind has the habit of immediately wandering which song might suit the style, the flavours and the whole package of the wine before me. I’ll admit, it’s a bit strange.
Unashamedly, it turns out that my choice of Caribbean-style melody and dance seen in Kaoma’s 1989 version of ‘Lambada’ was the perfect accompaniment. This may seem non sequitur, considering that we are talking about the locally grown Italian white grape called Arneis, but allow me to explain as there is always a method to my madness.
Penfolds Grange is unquestionably Australia’s most famous red wine and has reached celestial heights in terms of adoration and expectation. From its experimental inception in 1951 by winemaker Max Schubert, Grange has been lovingly crafted to shine as a uniquely Australian wine of longevity, power and class.
“Grange’s aesthetic quality and remarkable aging potential is the stuff of legends.”
Andrew Caillard MW
In line with the 20-year celebration of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, an event was arranged that could commemorate the significance of this anniversary. Two bottles each of Penfolds Grange 1971 and 1976 (tested by the clinic in 2011) were obtained from a close friend of the owner of my workplace. The extensive museum Italian wine list was pulled out for perusal. It was like being a kid in a candy store as eight other wines were chosen that hail from Italy which would sit alongside Australia’s most iconic wine. The wines selected are classified in the upper echelon of quality and come from the most respected producers. These include rare wines such as Ceretto Bricco Rocche Barolo Brunate 1990, Produttori del Barbaresco Montefico 1985, Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino Schiena d’Asino 1990, Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella ‘Monte Olmi’ 1991, Castello di Ama Chianti Classico 1997 and even the famous Toscana IGT wine Antinori’s Tignanello 1985 and Bolgheri’s inimitable Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia DOC 1987.
In total, the combined age of these wines is over 200 years. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that I feel privileged to have been able to pour at. Below is a visual diary of the evening with small commentary made as to the condition of the wines.
La Donna del Vino savouring a glass of Grange
Sharon and Darren were out on what was officially their third date. Being such an auspicious occasion, he had brought her to the swankiest restaurant in town overlooking the bay. They both sat perusing the menu with Darren’s eyes immediately scanning the list of entrees. Underneath the kingfish and salmon lay the particular item he had been hoping for.
Oysters.
He had heard they were meant to be an aphrodisiac, ‘The perfect accompaniment to start what will hopefully be a perfect evening with Sharon’.
Or so he thought.
FIGHTING GULLY ROAD ‘Aquila’ 2010
King Valley & Alpine Valley, Victoria
RRP $24
Love and marriage. A classically predictable combination.
But love and marriage and wine labels? Perhaps not so in most cases, but I shall highlight how one day, not so many moons ago, these three became inextricably linked.
I have never considered myself an artist by any means. I did grow up though with a creatively charged mother fostering my finger painting/plaster fun house/pottery talents, as well as falling for that appendage on Mr Squiggle and making sure the ABC’s other godsend Art Attack was a permanent fixture in my weekly television intake. The teenage years saw my high school offer us students every art medium possible. I gave life drawing a go. I read and began grasping the technique of Naoko Takeuchi’s manga, before dappling with waterpaints as shown by my mother for how best to capture a memory when travelling overseas. Despite the various creative outlets I was given the opportunity to trial, there was one style that stayed strong and true wherever I would go. Close friends and family, in particular colleagues from past places of work, have at one stage or another been the victim of random cartoon sketches by yours truly during my employment. The most memorable was during my five month stint at Henschke winery in the Eden Valley. At the end of the working day I would occasionally loiter in the winemaker’s office/laboratory, whiteboard marker in hand, waiting for my unsuspecting victims to leave, before then leaping onto their desk and beginning an elaborate caricature of one of the employees. I think I chose my first suspect well. It just so happened to be the unassuming Stephen Henschke who walked into the office bright and early the next day to analyse the work board, only to be confronted by a strange cartoon likeness of himself on the adjacent side. Suffice to say that I think he was impressed, considering that I got asked to continue working post-vintage to assist in the cellar long after that sketch had first appeared.
Phew.
CASTAGNA Allegro Rosé 2009
Beechworth, Victoria
RRP $34
“They’ve done studies, you know. 60% of the time…it works every time“
That may be a quote that I stole from the movie Anchorman – The Legend of Ron Burgundy [2004], but such a highly intelligent saying could also be applied to the wine style rosé. We are in the midst of a Rosé revolution that hosts events through the month of November. However according to my standards of rosé appreciation and ridiculously good mathematical calculations, it is actually a beverage that has the capacity to be consumed during two thirds of the year, if not more. Melbourne weather permitting, I am referring to the period from the end of October to the start of May. “60% of the time…it works every time”.
On November 10th, I celebrated the beginning of the revolution with this rosé from Castagna called Allegro, which easily confirmed its position as one of Australia’s top rosé wines. What can I say? It is difficult to dislike such a pretty peach, salmon, blush hued wine. Well actually no. That was a blatant lie because if the wine did not perform and do wondrous things in my mouth then I would not speak of it so highly.
Fear not, Julian Castagna has created a wicked rosé mistress of layered complexity like no other.
She beckons you forth by opening with a perfume of sweet pink musk followed by a gentle puff of smoke. Soft and playful on the palate, she kisses you with sugared almond lips dusted with vanilla icing. Texturally, Madame rosé has got curves in all the right places and in the right proportions with that final flavoured flush of rose water pinning you down for another glass. She brings an impressive 14.00% alcohol to the table, but with such a vivacious personality, it is no wonder that you are more than tempted to have a bit of a play with the alluring rosé.
Last week I found myself in the country town of Mildura for the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show, or the AAVWS as it is perhaps more commonly known by the acronymphiles.
I was keen to participate so signed up as a Steward and attempted to prepare myself physically and mentally for the unexpected.
After all, this was the event they titled, “More than just a wine show“.
So I threw on one of my favourite David Bowie albums, Hunky Dory, and pushed play on Track 5 for a little inspiration.
“Will you stay in a lover’s story
If you stay you won’t be sorry
‘Cause we believe in you
Soon you’ll grow so take a chance
With a couple of Kooks
Hung up on romancing”
Track 5 The Kooks
David Bowie [1971], Hunky Dory
I once stumbled across a collection of words followed by a gorgeous photograph in a magazine that I used to find quite witty, but which has now fallen to that infuriating level of try-hard.
Hence, I subscribe to it no longer.
I may or may not have written them a letter reading,
Dear off-the-pulse editor of the magazine,
Farewell. You no longer fulfil me.
Signed,
Krystina
The point is however, that I believed in the motivational strength of these words so much that I applied it as somewhat of a philosophy for myself to work on in the year 2011 and beyond.
“Get out there. Share your ideas. Find your kinships. Start something new. Two heads are better than one.”
Edie Sedgewick and film director Ray Wisniewski in conversation at Andy Warhol
NARKOOJEE Pinot Noir 2009
Gippsland, Victoria
RRP $24
I sat there gazing at the Pinot Noir before me, which at first glance had the appearance and hue of a deep, unfiltered Burgundy.
“Won’t you take me to funkytown!“, I sung to myself.
This steers away from the more ubiquitous style of primary fruit-driven Pinot Noir that you tend to find at this price range. In fact, I’d almost dare to say that it’s a little naughty to be offering such chompy, boastfully-flavoured, savoury goodness so cheaply.
How very Mrs Robinson!
“What is art?”, I asked my Grade 6 Art teacher, the oh-so-appropriately named Mr Brushfield.
Mr Brushfield was momentarily flustered. For a twelve-year old, this bordered on the precipice of being a question almost as broad and curious as the existentialist’s classic, “What is the meaning of life?”
Art is specifically indefinable; a concept and product that is open for debate and interpretation by whomever has an opinion. However to look at it in its most simplest form, art is the product of creativity and imagination.
It evokes emotion.
It sparks passionate discussion.
It moves you.
It should leave you wanting more.
La Donna del Vino is certainly not an art blog. That is something I would leave to my wondrously talented artist of a mother who has enlightened and taught me the appreciation of art since I was little. However a blog allows one to probe occasionally into unexpected territory.
Art has traditionally been defined in the work of painting, sculpture, music, literature or even dance. For today only and for the purpose of relating my askew way of thinking to something more La-Donna-del-Vino-appropriate, I would like to trial the tolerance of inserting ‘Imbibing’ into that accepted spectrum of the art world.
You will have to excuse the use of the word ‘imbibing’ instead of something more commonly used such as ‘drinking alcohol’, but ‘The Art of Imbibing’ just sounded so much more appealing and enticing to read than ‘The Art of being a Damn Fine Boozehound’. Or am I just out of touch and should have rethought that?
Regardless, in the spirit of Julie Andrews:
“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.”
Massolino of Serralunga d'Alba
Massolino, also known as Azienda Agricola Vigna Rionda, is the name of one of the small grape grower/wine bottling families in the Serralunga valley whose business is named after their most famed and popular vineyard, Vigna Rionda. The business began with Giovanni Massolino creating the estate in 1896, followed by his son Giuseppe subsequently building the cellar a number of years later. Today, the winery is still in the hands of the Massolino family with brothers Roberto and Franco Massolino along with Giovanni Angeli acting as winemakers for the estate.
Back in August 2011, the Australian wine importers for Massolino, Bibendum Wine Co., held a long-awaited masterclass to highlight the producers various vineyards. The event was held at the gloriously spacious and sea-view aligned restaurant The Stokehouse in St Kilda. Just to heighten the opportunity to make someone green with envy, see the menu below for what delights were in store:
The well-dressed Italian representative (because there always has to be at least one good-looking Italian at these events) was none other than winemaker Giovanni Angeli. Softly spoken, but groomed within 007 standards, he acted as our amiable host along with head of Bibendum, Robert Walters.
"'Just living is not enough,' said the butterfly. 'One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.'" - Hans Christian Andersen
La Donna del Vino 