Terroir

If I recall correctly, one of my first posts on this blog made mention of the notion of terroir (pronounced teh-wah). I think at the time I believed it to be a French concept, not just a French word, a concept to add yet more mystique to their industry and a notion designed to eke a few more Euros out of the consumer of their wines.

Terroir is about a sense of place. A series of variables that all contribute to making a wine what it is. To paraphrase leading wine writer Huon Hooke from a book published in 1997 called Words on Wine, terroir is a series of factors that makes each wine unique and unable to be copied anywhere else in the world. For, to me, terroir is amongst other things about the climate, the soil structure, the micro-climate for an individual site on an individual block of an individual vineyard.

It is this that leads me to comment on this subject. In today's Australian Magazine (23rd/ 24th January 2010), James Halliday writes about the Shiraz Bledisloe, or the Hawkes Bay Syrah Challenge. This is a challenge in which Syrah from Hawkes Bay, NZs leading Syrah region with two thirds of its national planted total for that varietal, is pitted against Shiraz from Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley.

Now, I have some beef with this comp. For a start 85% of the red crush in Mornington Peninsula is of Pinot Noir and in the Yarra Valley, Shiraz is cited as the third principal red grape variety, after Pinot Noir Cabernet Sauvignon (taken from Halliday's Wine Atlas of Australia) . Further Halliday cites that the "choice of Australian regions was based on the similarity of the climate of the three regions". To link this to the title of this post, climate is just one contributory factor that makes a wine what it is. What little I know of Hawkes Bay - I have been and sampled some of the regions delights - one of the key features of the region are the alluvial plains with their famed 'gravels', something I believe neither the Yarra Valley nor Mornington Peninsula possess. This comp to me is a little like challenging the champ - my perception is that Shiraz is Australia's champ variety - to a bout in a discipline in which it is not. To me the Mornington Peninsula does Pinot Noir very well and the Yarra Valley is Chardonnay. Yes, they both represent other varietals well but an Aussie Shiraz contender should come from the Barossa, Canberra, Hunter Valley or McLaren Vale.

I am not disputing the quality of Hawkes Bay Syrah, or its wines in general for it could be said that it's 'Bordeaux' are even more supreme, but that, to pit them against Australia they should be pitched fairly against Australia's best. As to what Australia's best is I'll leave that to someone far more knowledgable than I.

Wine

Before any Strines reading this proclaim: "Typical Pom, always
whining" I am of course talking about matters vinous.
When I came to Australia, I set myself the objective of only drinking
Australian wine, more specifically Barossan Shiraz. I certainly took
to this task with zeal and was able to pursue this objective further with
a trip to the Barossa in Feb '09, along with the good lady and some
dear friends.
However, over 2009 I think it fair to say that I probably learnt more
about Australian wine than I had over the previous years. This was
largely thanks to extensive research for my aforementioned trip with
such resources as Taste by Messrs Jukes and Stelzer, James Halliday's
Wine Companion and latterly WineFront run by Gary Walsh and Campbell
Mattinson.
Now, this for me has only served to confuse further. Whereas with
drinking Barossan, I knew what I was getting, opening myself up to all
these other delights from across the country has led to my poor
palate being confused. Quite simply, I cannot get enough of the
stuff. I even developed vinsomnia (a self created term for the lack of
sleep caused by constant thought about wine) - it could get quite
unhealthy.
I have gotten to the point where I don't know what my 'style' is: do I
explore all these other wonderful regions? Do I go back to my first
love, the Barossa? Do I need an answer now? Or do I just enjoy the
journey and work out the destination when I get to it?
I feel a bit like the characters in Jack Kerouac's On The Road. To
me, in this book, they seem to spend the time zig-zagging across the
country, back and forth, back and forth. This is how I feel about my
desires for wine. I want to drink some from WA, maybe a Chardonnay;
then a pinot from Mornington Peninsula; a traditional jammy Shiraz
from the Barossa; a Riesling from Clare; a Semillon from the Hunter.
End result=confused boy!
So there is only one thing for it. Research. Thus the wine regions
that I would like to visit are:
1) Hunter Valley: semillons from lovely sandy/ loamy soils; hunter
Shiraz to see what that is all about.
2) Canberra: home of Australia's best Shiraz Viognier; cool climate
Shiraz; and some Riesling.
3) Orange: cooler climate region, home to some good Chardonnay, Sav
Blanc and even some cider.
4) Mornington Peninsula: Pinot Noir for me!
5) Victoria: too many regions to contemplate: Beechworth, Heathcote
and Bendigo, Yarra Valley.
6) Margaret River: Australia's answer to Bordeaux?
7) Barossa Valley: a return to my first true love!
So there's plenty to keep me occupied there, just hope the nipper
likes road trips!

Just a Small One

The title was originally a mantra for life, a stock response offered when asked if I fancied a drink, a drop, a brew.

Now that I have become a parent, it has an altogether different meaning and reflects the responsibility I now share with my wife in raising and bringing up the bundle of joy we have created together.

I would like to think that I am a decent citizen and actually contribute something to this world. I am no saint, but I would like to think I have good morals and that I can share this outlook with the newest member of our family. To use the title of a Nigel Planer book that I have never quite gotten around to reading I hope to be a "Good Enough Parent".

As long as the nipper stays away from my wine stash and joins me in persuading my wife/ her mother that the cricket needs to be on TV then we'll be alright!

More Ramblings...

Over the course of 2009 I fell in love with wine more than I thought possible. One of my greatest 'finds' of the year was a site called The Wine Front, an independent review site for consumers run by Gary Walsh and Campbell Mattinson. Available to all members of the public, certain attributes such as full reviews, scores etc are available by subscription only.

Following the birth of my daughter recently I was able to use the Wine Front's Wine Finder tool to find wines that have a connection to her:
1) Matilda's Estate
2) Henschke's Tilly's Vineyard
3) Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon; and if I want to go the whole hog then
4) Robinson Family Vineyards

Safe to say that I will be purchasing select cases of 2010 releases when they become available to see us through!!

Great Start to 2010

"Sleep, perchance to dream". Apparently it's a quote from Shakespeare. Bit highbrow for me but it's a nice segue into the real reason for my first post of 2010 and the first since September. 

Shortly after half past three on the afternoon of 7th January, my wife delivered our first daughter into the world. A little premature, she is currently under medical supervision to get her through these early days. 

Since her birth, many kind friends have been full of good advice and the men want to know when we're going to wet the babies head!

The most consistent bit of advice I get is to rest while I can. This is proving easier said than done. It's proving quite hard knowing that this bundle of joy you have co-created is lying there all defenseless, and your co-creator - the woman you love - is also alone, no doubt fretting too, trying to also rest in an alien environment. 

Your first instinct is to try and spend every waking hour with either or preferably both of them. Yet, there is also home to think about, our beautiful other babies (the cats) to get in and feed, washing to do so that your partner can feel clean in hospital and ensure she comes home to a good environment. 

You start to recognize you're neglecting yourself, meals become a sandwich from the hospital canteen, coffee consumption increases, you may sneak a beer when you get in to 'toast' your new arrival. And often there's this nagging voice in your head telling you to make up some dinners to pop in the freezer for both of you for when your progeny comes home. 

Above all of this your over riding emotion is one of joy at this amazing individual you have brought into the world and are responsible for. 

Welcome Tilly!