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I’ll Come Running Back To You
27 Mar2012
It began with an array of memories that washed over my mind. Then there were the Steely Dan songs I heard aired on the radio. Then I was outside gardening and loving the feeling of dirt between my fingers.
All this developed into a deep longing. I recall the sensation as it was building: A palatable excitement…A nervous grin…An itch…
Random: Street Names – Feelin’ Groovy
31 Jan2012
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)
Many moons ago, I was kindly put up in a house for five months within the town of Nuriootpa, or ‘Nuri‘, as the locals call it. It was vintage 2010 and I had driven over from Melbourne to the famous Barossa Valley. Nuri was the central base for the working people of this community and made for a pleasant, quiet and convenient town to be in. I resided on a property off from Johnson Court. Johnson…quite the common, stock standard name for a street, I dare say. This never bothered me until one day, I began to hear whispers of a wondrous land located not too far away, where the situation was somewhat different.
To train the growth, or go all bush?
28 Nov2011
What did you think this would be?
I dissertation that discussed the potential benefits in ‘To groom, or not to groom your nether regions?’
As much as I would like to venture into great detail on the topic (I kid), this is a blog that is read most eagerly by none other than my mother, which tends to prevent ghastly filth from pouring from my mouth and onto the keyboard. I have heard that it is probably a good thing to be tamed.
Continuing on, the play on words at least allowed me to demonstrate my cunning punning expertise.
I will call it my ‘cun pun‘, for short.
Love and Marriage and Wine Labels…
22 Nov2011
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.
Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours
30 Aug2011
Ladies and gentlemen, the moment has arrived.
At last I have stepped into adulthood.
This is the time when you should be heartily clapping and cheering for me from your side of the computer screen. Go on, you know you want to.
Friends, lend me your ears!
Awaiting the grand announcement...
La Spinetta in La Stampa, La Repubblica & Wine News
14 Apr2011
Contratto by Leonetto Cappiello
My dear friends at La Spinetta have purchased the famed Contratto property and business in Canelli, Piemonte. See articles below for the full story (all translated into English):
La Stampa 15 marzo 2011, Le bollicine Contratto cambiano Padrone translated into English
The Moscato d’Asti ferment – “Bubble bubble boil and trouble”
1 Mar2011
Have you ever thought about the risk involved in making a joyful beverage like Moscato d’Asti? Surprisingly for such an easy-drinking wine, it is one with a fair amount of winemaking technique involved. Ladies and gentlemen, Moscato d’Asti is not your standard, sweet, fizzy drink. This is a more serious matter. The trouble only just begins with the bubbles…
- La Spinetta Moscato d’Asti Bricco Quaglia
As a means of providing a brief introduction, Moscato d’Asti is a low-alcohol sweet white wine made from the Moscato grape (grown in the Asti province in Piedmont of northern Italy). The sweetness does not come from adding sugar. Instead, it is provided by the natural sugars remaining from halting the fermentation. I prefer not to get overly technical, so here is a short tale from the 2008 vintage when I worked in a small town called Castagnole delle Lanze at La Spinetta winery.
- Castagnole delle Lanze – Photograph by La Donna del Vino 2008
It was the beginning of September and the Moscato vineyards were almost ready. La Spinetta has been making Moscato d’Asti since the late 1970’s, when Giorgio Rivetti took control of his father Pin’s grapes and purchased more from other vineyards to create what was to become one of Italy’s most celebrated Moscato d’Asti wines.
The first week patiently waiting passed by with ease with the team’s attendance at a party in Tuscany to celebrate the opening of their winery in the typically Italian named town of Casanova. Upon completion, we herded the team back to Piedmont where we began the harvest, or la vendemmia as the Italians call it.
- The harvest – Photograph courtesy of La Spinetta
DAY ONE: L’Erudito – The Lorenzo Galli Wine Scholarship 2011
17 Jan2011
Who says it’s too early to drink wine before 9am?
Clearly if you want to be involved in this Galli Scholarship you better get your act together!
Chardonnay Comes of Age – Tim White FR 2010/11
2 Jan2011
by Tim White for the Weekend Financial Review, 29 Dec 2010 - 3 Jan 2011
Tenute Cisa Asinari Dei Marchesi di Gresy & Alberto
30 Dec2010
“I consider myself very lucky because life gave me, almost for fun, the chance to live an uncommon ‘agricultural’ experience.” – Alberto Cisa Asinari di Gresy, in Piemonte…noblewoman of wine by Andrea Zanfi
- Alberto Cisa Asinari di Gresy by his very lovely Porsche
Photograph by Gio’ Martorana, Piemonte…noblewoman of wine
Today I recalled a beautiful moment after bottling some La Spinetta Ca di Pian 2006 at work one day in 2008, when the cellarmaster Stefano took me to see Martinenga vineyard at the Marchesi di Gresy winery in Barbaresco as we knew Alberto the proprietor would be there to show us around. Stefano used to work there for a great number of years before moving to La Spinetta so it’s not like he needed to be ‘shown around’, but hey, it had been more for my sake anyway. Continue reading
Welcome to Henschke Park, Sam Neill!
27 May2010
WARNING! Please refrain from touching the wild animals in the cellar on your journey through Henschke Park. We hold no responsibility should you be sprayed with wine, trip over a hose, hear loud noises known as Triple J, or mistake a female animal for a male.
Jack with Sam & Gazza
That’s right Ladies & Gentlemen, today we had an honourable guest arrive at the winery. He has his own winery in NZ called Two Paddocks, and is these days more famously known for his red meat endorsements rather than latest acting accolades. Mind you, he will always hold a special place in my heart for his courageous battles against the animal kingdom in Jurassic Park! I am talking about none other than Sam Neill!
I’ll admit, he looked like an old man coming out of a camping trip…and he is an old man at that, but he was pretty lovely. So lovely in fact that he was nice enough to have a snapshot taken with us goofbags (from left: Gazza, Cynthia (cellar door), Sammy boy, Susannah (PR & Marketing) and Elaine (cellar door). I suppose I shouldn’t pick on his attire considering my own manly threads (shakes head).
Hot-air ballooning with the Henschke’s over the Eden Valley
3 Apr2010
About to take off: 7:15am
Dawn breaks in the Eden Valley
The Hill of Grace Vineyard
Captain Andreas (son of Stephen Henschke) touchdowns and we swap crew
Beautiful colours looking up
Stuart and I follow the balloon closely by car as the boys contour fly and skim the valley
The balloon lands roughly and Stuart and I scan the landscape in search of the boys in some paddock
Packing the balloon up in an old lady’s cow paddock
THE END…great day
La Donna del Vino
"'Just living is not enough,' said the butterfly. 'One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.'" - Hans Christian Andersen
La Donna del Vino 