Irregular Update
Sydney Time
Copyright © Ric Einstein 2009
Welcome to this shorter than expected edition of
the Irregular Update; unfortunately I spent yesterday restoring files on my
computer thanks to a software boot crash. (Apologies to the two people who
unsubscribed; that was the only file that had not been backed up.)
By now everyone will have read about the
devastating Victorian bushfires, much of it in the wine regions around
the Yarra, that have cost almost 200 lives and have left thousands homeless. I
have always known the wine industry was generous, but the generosity towards
this cause is mind blowing. Naturally winery owners (and staff), like most
Australians have personally donated to the cause, but when Bert Werden,
one of the partners of Melbourne retailer Winestar, sent out an email
announcing a raffle and asking for prizes to be donated from the wine industry,
in his wildest dreams he could never have anticipated the response. The amount
of prizes donated is in the many tens of thousands of dollars worth of wine (and
associated stuff.) The prizes are mammoth; thirty-three prizes ranging in value
from $25,000 to $400. Now all Bert has to do to make this worthwhile is to sell
a shipload of tickets, and that's where you come in. You can can be purchase
tickets here.
The weather thought-out much of Oz has been bloody
awful for growing grapes recently. In a recent email exchange with The
Pie King, whose vineyard is in Blewitt Springs, he told me,
"The grapes throughout the area are pretty much stuffed - some of the red grapes
have already been harvested! No prizes for guessing the quality of the wines
they will produce. I couldn't imagine any great wines being salvaged from this
areas grapes. My vineyard is a patchwork - some serious leaf burn (like someone
has taken a cosmic blowtorch to them), some vines are still sound, others have
had significant leaf senescence, some are not through veraison and others have
turned red and already started to shrivel - but no flavour in the grapes at all.
Hope this paints the picture!"
Its not the same all over the McLaren Vale Region. According to one
grower, this vintage is the story of two or maybe three vintages in one.
Surprisingly to all involved, very little picking has been going on the past
weeks because beaumes are still low in the good blocks. Strange year with some
bad news but maybe a fair bit of very good news too. Cabernet is brilliant and
much of the Chardonnay crop is the best in years. (But who gives a stuff about
Shar-don-ay anyway!)
I have it on good authority that other regions copped it at least as bad as
parts of McLaren Vale, but they are keeping their traps shut. Some local
associations send emails to members asking them not to talk to the media.
This weeks article is titled a 'Two Tales of One
Wine.' How can you write over 3,000 words about one wine, a wine that isn't
even a classic or icon. In this case it was easy as this story takes an in-depth
look at one wine that was sealed under both cork and screwcap, and the
differences between them. It then looks at the possible reasons this wine won
three trophies and four gold medals, when I, and a number of others, thought at
best, it was worth the equivalent of a silver medal. Has there been jiggery
pokery going on, or are there other reasons why this wine, to me, was way below
trophy standard. Some of the answers and propositions, hopefully, will really
make you think. It can be found
here.
This is a first! I have never posted a producers
newsletter on my site before because it could be seen as (free) advertising but
I am going to make an exception in this case. I have an enormous amount of
respect for Simon Clayfield, and he makes some damn good wines, but that
is not what this is all about. The vast majority of his latest newsletter is
about climate, climate change and contains some sound, as well as novel ideas
about this all important subject. Even if you don't agree with all that is
written, it is guaranteed to provoke thought, and that is still a good. The pdf
can be found
here.
I did have a few other items, but they will have to
wait for the next edition.
The News Section has been back to normal
level this week. Stories of interest include:
-
Foster's flags wine business restructure
-
Heat and fires decimate Australian vintage
-
Australian bushfires: eyewitness reports from Punt Road, Oakridge, Wedgetail
-
Wine exports continuing to fall
-
Australia: our Albariño is the real thing
-
Vineyards 'fall apart' in South Australia
-
Amorim cuts nearly 200 jobs as economic downturn hits the cork industry
-
For sale: Latour, Margaux and Mouton hidden from Nazis
Those stories and more can be found here.
This weeks quote. "I made wine out of raisins so I
wouldn't have to wait for it to age." --- Steven Wrigh
Until next time .... Cheers Ric
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Copyright © Ric Einstein 2009