A cellar door some fifteen minutes walk from the busy centre of Melbourne? Sounds very implausible, but it can only happen in North Melbourne and can only feature Keith Brien and his Silverwings wines.

You know the cellar door is open if the barrel is on the footpath. From the outside it looks just like any other three storey dwelling that has been architecturally designed from an old factory in the middle of an old industrial area.

Keith gave up flying with Ansett when they disbanded in the 19980s and set up a winery in Lancefield in the Macedon region. The wines were superb and the old mansion, Cleveland, was lovingly restored. I can still vividly remember tasting a chardonnay there before the ABC campaign began and it was mind blowingly French in style. It was a 1991 with intense butterscotch flavours, something I’ve been trying to find in chardonnays ever since with very limited success. Experts told me that’s what Chablis should taste like, not the overoaked varieties that scandalised winemaking in Australia for two decades.

As Lancefield is very prone to frost, Cabernet in particular was hard to ripen. Another stand out from the Cleveland days was the Minus 5, a cab-merlot blend, getting it’s name because it was usually picked at that temperature. Keith saved the last vintage, a 1998, as a reserve as he thought it the best he’d produced. You can buy this at $25 a bottle at cellar door but there’s a catch. When he started drinking some a few months ago, he discovered that there was one bottle in each dozen with cork taint. He can’t guarantee you will get twelve to the dozen that are potable.

But you can pick up stunning bargains from now until August. There are some sparkling wines. The Macedon vignerons decide to call their sparklings Macedon to ward off the French “Champagne nazis”. Keith has a Brut Rose for $27 and a 1993 vintage XO Brut with added cognac for $50. Unfortunately, the 1998 Brut sold out on the first day of his winter tasting when I bought the last case at $29 a bottle. The full list of wines to sell before the next pallets of wine come in are listed on the website www.silverwingswines.com.

Some of the wines made for the American market, a Riesling sourced from the Margaret river and a Grenache, Shiraz, Mouvedre blend are absolute steals. The Silverwings flagship wine is a Shiraz-Mouvedre from the Goulburn valley, made from the fruit from old vines planted in the 1950s. The 2008 will be released shortly and will be last of the blend as Keith moves on again to another winery on the slopes of Mount Macedon – not quite full circle.

Coming up soon, after a mandatory trip back to France, Keith will host a tasting where he will rerelease the 1999 Cleveland Pinot Noir pitted against some Burgundies. The 1999 was another wine with a story. I tasted a barrel sample at the winery and was literally blown away. It was huge. Not a timid watery Pinot but a monster with so much alcohol I had to sit down for an hour after the taste. It was a limited release in dozen lots to valued customers as there was precious little produced because of the drought conditions and bird strike. Keith says it is drinking beautifully now, so it might be time to take the cork out of one of the untouched dozen. I am a bit afraid it might still bite me although the label says 14% alcohol, I’m sure it is much bigger than that.

By Michael Metcalfe

What do you get when you add a Dane to Rhone varietals plus a dash of

The answer is Valhalla – some sort of Norse heaven.

On our many trips to the Rutherglen region in nothern Victoria, we’d passed by often enough but it was never open. One of those Rutherglen region boutique places open on weekends and by appointment. So, you can imagine our glee when we saw the flags waving and the open sign on the driveway. Another new Rutherglen winery to tick off – only three more to go unless you count the other by appointments.

The surprise doubled as we met a familiar ex-Cofields face and the warmth of the greeting was equal to the 14 degrees inside compared to the 8 degrees outside.

The wines were very well crafted for a winery in its fourth year. The Viognier was well, Viognier, but the Riesling was crisp and dry and rather moorish for a cold winter’s day. I was interested in the Marsanne as there is so much more being made in the district and people are realising it can thrive in the warmer Mediterranean climate of the Northeast. This one was a 2009, not overoaked and promising to be long lasting.

But, as one wise wine drinker once said, “Life is too short to drink white wine”, so we started on the GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre). Just the right balance with the Grenache rightfully dominating the front palate and a fine Mourvedre finish. I wasn’t sure of the name for the Durif-Shiraz blend, the Ranga, but was assured it was a nickname for redheads and as our new Prime Minister is a red head, we were patriotic and drank it. It must be the cheapest Durif in the world and the tasting notes suggested it is a drink now wine. This is unlike most of the Durif (known as Petite Syrah in the US) in the region. It is a recently released 2009 that would be interesting to taste in a couple of years time to see if the tasting notes were accurate.

The 2008 Durif was more like it and cost twice as much. It has many years left in the bottle. The difference a year makes. The 2008 vintage seems to have been great across the region while 2009 was difficult because of soaring temperatures.

We passed the Shiraz-Viognier just because too many people are doing them and I can’t think of one that justifies adding another $5 to the price for 5% of fruit that I don’t think adds much to a great wine. The 2008 Shiraz just proved me right again!

The green bit impressed me. Lots of water recycling and a quest to be sustainable. Hosting a green living fair in September is part of the package as are slow food Sundays. A welcome relief for the stressed diners we saw in other eateries in the area.

Well worth a visit to find out why a Danish person ever wanted to go to Rutherglen…

By – Michael Metcalfe

As part of the on-going celebration, United Cellars organised a tasting of some specially released Tahbilk wines at Libertine, a French restaurant in North Melbourne. The wines complemented the food perfectly. A Viognier was matched with hors d’oeuvres and then two Marsannes were tasted with a fish soup. The current release Marsanne is a 2009 and shows some intense fruit. The other was a 1999 vintage ‘1927’ vines from one of the oldest plantings of marsanne in the world. It is released as an aged wine and shows the benefits of years in the bottle. It hadn’t developed the golden honeysuckle taste that older marsannes do but it was splendid and could easily be left another eleven years. Our Tahbilk marketeer, John Irvine, told a story of two 1953 marsanne that were opened recently. They had been made as part of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. One was corked, the other drank beautifully.

Two Cabernet Sauvignons accompanied a venison dish and again these were a current release 2006 and a special release 2004 Eric Stevens Purbrick. The older wine this time only just beat its younger sibling. The 06 vintage was fabulous all over Victoria and South Australia, this cab sav retails for less than AUS$20, and its best years are still to come. We were advised that this one could last for 20 years easily.

In the spirit of comparing two wines, the eye fillet was presented with a 2006 estate Shiraz and another 2004 Eric Stevens Purbrick Shiraz. This time the later version was far superior. It was rich in colour and long on the palate. The steak was another perfect match for the wines.

The highlight of the night was the 1860 Vines Shiraz from 2004 that came with the cheese platter. These vines were planted at the start of the winery’s existence and still produce a single vineyard wine that is believed to be one of the oldest in the world. I questioned the choice and felt it would have been a better partner for the steak. However, it cut through some of the acidic imported French cheese with consummate ease. When we were offered another glass of our choice, I had another. Even without food, it is a stunning drink.

Tahbilk prides itself on the production of Rhone varietals. Its marsanne is a fabulous taste of quality Australian wine. They also make a Roussanne that is nowhere near as popular. Rumour has it that a Granache-Shiraz-Mouvedre could be on the market soon to extend the Rhone portfolio. Tahbilk also prides itself on sustainability. The winery has a wetlands area that is home to native flora and fauna. A very pleasant Wetland Café overlooks one of the billabongs that make up the wetlands area and serves as a tasting room for large groups.

If you see Tahbilk wines being promoted where you are, go along and have a taste of some of the great wines from the very old vines from the estate. I am sure you will enjoy them.

There are three labels to try. The Hundred Tree Hill wines are the export label and come from vineyards around the Pyrenees and are crafted at the winery. The range is only available via cellar door. Tasting these wines alongside the Sally’s Hill varieties showed why they are half the price.

The Sally’s Hill range is also estate grown and hand picked from the vineyards surrounding Hundred Tree Homestead on Sally’s Hill including the famous Sally’s Paddock vineyard. These exceptional varietal wines reflect the wonderful characters and flavours of Redbank grapes. Made in small batches, hand punched, wild yeast fermented and basket pressed, these wines truly express the potential of single varieties from our non-irrigated vines. The only white wine grown is Chardonnay, which I found ordinary. The Cab Franc was the standout here. The 2008 comes in at 14% alcohol and really packs a punch.

Well worth a visit and a meal at the self-styled “deli”. If you’re lucky, and we were, there may even be a musical performance. Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World”, Sally’s Paddock, local cheese, a sunny afternoon – what IS heaven like?

Kabminye Wines commenced in 2001 when Rick and Ingrid Glastonbury came back to the land in Krondorf in the Barossa Valley which Ingrid’s great great grandparents settled on in 1847. Their cellar door is set in an environmentally friendly building and includes a restaurant and contemporary art space. 
Krondorf was renamed Kabinye as a result of the anti German sentiment during the Second World War and renamed Krondorf at a later date. It is an aboriginal word meaning ‘Morning Star’.
The wine is unusual, reminding me of the Fetiaska we used to drink from St Leonards in the Rutherglen region. St Leonards dug the vines up because they couldn’t get a consistent taste. Like the Kerner the bouquet promised a sweet fruit driven white but surprised the palate with an extremely dry finish.
We were brave and drank the Kerner with tacos. It stood up to the chili and the guacamole incredibly well.

I only bought one when we visited the vineyard in 2008 and wondered why I hadn’t opened it until now. Now I wonder why I didn’t buy some more.

This week’s Wine Experience of the Week is the 2007 Cofield Sangiovese. It is the 6th harvest of the variety at Cofield winery, and the quality seems to get better every year. The 2007 has a deep inky colour. It nose is earthy with some cherry fruit. The taste is of fresh sour cherry to earthy richness, and then the pallet dries to leave you with a tongue slapping finish. The wine matches very well with pasta and red meat. They add a little Shiraz to the wine which gives it a little more fruitiness, and is aged in French oak for 4 years. The result is fantastic value at AUD $20 at the cellar door.

Although this is a pretty big red wine, it does make a change from the usual fair you find in the wine shop from Australia. The pallet of the Australian wine drinker is definitely moving on from the huge, alcoholic reds that Australia is still famous for. I hope this continues, and these wine makers trying new and innovative things are rewarded for producing new and interesting wines. It gives the consumer a different option when dining, even if, like me, you have many options at your local wine store from around the world.

So give it a try if you are lucky enough to see it at the shop. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with how complex and interesting this wine is. For the price I am sure you will find it hard to get a better European red wine.

In Australia, the majority of immigration from Italy occurred after World War II. Italy was the second most common origin of settlers in Australia after the UK and Ireland between 1949 to 2000. It is estimated that over 800,000 Australians are of Italian origin. They have been a very important part of the country’s development into a prosperous and economically powerful nation.

The King Valley in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, about 3 hours north from Melbourne in Australia, has attracted a large Italian community. The weather, landscape and fertile land makes it a “home away from home” for many Italian-Australians. The area was mostly used for tobacco production up to the 1970’s. The change in government subsidies at this time made many farms change what they grew. Thankfully many turned to the growing of grapes. Initially to sell to other wineries, their grapes became highly sought after because of their quality. It was only a matter of time before the region’s reputation changed from fruit to wine production. The combination of sun, soil and knowhow of the family owned estates here is generating top quality and innovative wines.

This week’s Wine Experience of the Week is from the King Valley. The Dal Zotto 2008 Sangiovese-Cabernet is a fantastic example of strong Italian wine making traditions and modern Australian techniques. The Dal Zotto family started growing Merlot, Cabernet Savignon and Chardonnay to sell to other wineries. Otto Dal Zotto brought with him a wealth of wine making experience from Italy, and soon the family were making impressive Shiraz, Cabernet Merlot and Riesling wines. The Dal Zotto estate became a pioneer in the planting of Italian varieties in Australia, by introducing Sangiovese, Barbera, Prosecco, Pinot Grigio and Arneis to the winery in 1994. Visiting the winery is a great experience. The family still do all the work around the winery. From the cellar door to marketing, sales and of course the wine making. Just chatting to any of the family members about wine gives you an instant idea of how passionate they are about their wines and wines of the King Valley region.

The Sangiovese-Cabernet is a very creative wine. The rich fruitiness of the Cabernet is blended with the earthy Sangiovese to make an excellent wine for spring time meals. At under AUS $20 it represents excellent value for anyone who likes big berry filled Australian wines. The smell is dominated by spicy berry aromas. The taste continues with an explosion of fruit, the twist with this wine is the length and depth that the Sangiovese provides at the end. It is a very satisfying wine just by itself, but with a nice lamb or tomato-based pasta it comes alive even more.

The Australian industry has been given a lot of negative press recently. The issues of over production and price pressures it has placed on the industry has put a cloud over Australian wine around the world. The feeling is getting so strong that boycotting Australian wine in general has been murmuring around the internet. It is these wines and wine makers like Dal Zotto, which give the Australian wine industry a lot of hope. The adventurous and innovative wines being produced in many of the smaller wineries around Australia are worth searching out. That is if you can find them among the ocean of cheaper mass produced wines coming out of Australia.

If you are thinking of visiting Australia and wanting a great few days out, the King Valley is a stunning place, with some great food and of course wineries like Dal Zotto dotted around the valley. It will give a far better appreciation of the wine industry in Australia than what is on offer at the supermarket wine section.

Is it possible to have too much wine? Of course it is.

The Australian wine industry is in a bit of a pickle at the moment. South Australian premium winemaker, Brian Croser, told a meeting of agricultural and resource economists at Adelaide Convention Centre on 8 February, “The biggest problem for the fine wine community is the negative and deteriorating image problem created by the behaviour of the branded commodity wine industry,”

The oversupply of grapes and a “wine lake” estimated to total more than a million unsold bottles has also been created by massive plantings mostly from the major companies or through contracted vineyard growth that is now not viable, Mr Croser said.

Too much wine is not something that you hear most Australians complain about. In the Australian wine industry however, the glut of wine being produced is starting become a negative. Established brands, like Penfolds’ Grange Hermitage will continue to be recognised as fine wine, and has the price tag to prove it, but there are many great vineyards and wine makers around Australia who cannot command the same sort of price. With a glut of wine being produced that is simply sitting in store rooms, warehouses and bargain bins all over the world, these smaller producers are struggling to be recognized as quality wine makers simply because Australia appears on the label.

I was in Australia at the end of last year and visited a few small wineries in Bendigo, Rutherglen and the King Valley. These “regions” are all in Victoria, in the southeast of Australia. I say “regions” because Australia doesn’t have the same controls traditional European wine regions have. There are state government controls of quality of wine in Australia, however this has not stopped the over production issues it is seeing now. The majority of the European controls, or Denomination/Appellation of Origin Controls, do more than just taste the wine and say if it is good enough for them to give a seal of approval. They also control the volume, therefore quality of wine being produced each year. Each winery has to inform the controlling body how many tons of grapes they have produced and the controlling body tells them how much wine can be produced from that tonnage. This does not happen in Australia, so smaller vineyards who want to produce fine wines are at the mercy of the big corporations when they come to pricing their wine.

Australia is a big country and the big wine producers often have vineyards in many different areas which eliminate the risk of low production. They carry on producing the same amount of bottles regardless of where the grapes come from. Many of Australia’s wine producing regions are in the middle of a very long drought. You would never notice this by the huge volume of wine the corporations are pumping out a year. In Heathcote near Bendigo, I visited a small producer, Pondalowie, who were considering either buying water (which is very expensive in Australia) for the vines. The other option was simply cutting all the fruit off the vines and skipping a vintage if rains didn’t come soon. If they were able to get top dollar for their wine, they may not worry about the cost of buying the water, however, with the current state of the market for Australian wine – that is not really a viable option.

This raises a difficult question for Australia; should they introduce more stringent controls to their wine industry? If so, how would they work? Would this put more pressure on the industry or improve sales? If not, will the smaller producers simply be eaten up by the big corporations? South America, South Africa and now Eastern Europe and China are able to produce wine with lower overheads which is eating into the bulk Australian market, so should they cut their losses now and try to compete in the mid to high end of the market, or keep producing huge quantities and hope their competitors can’t keep up?

I would like to hear other people’s ideas on this, because on one hand it could take away Australia’s competitiveness in the export market, but on the other, it will raise the quality and give the smaller producers more freedom to produce excellent wine.

Author – Chris Metcalfe