An intimate evening with Sam Neill at ,The Pavilion, serving authentic Thai cuisine in a charming alfresco setting, in the canopy of the rainforest. The main dinning room will be the venue for the feature event “The Pearl” with Allen Meadows serving a western-Malaysian influenced banquet.
Situated in the heart of the rainforest, in an open-air “Kampung Style” setting, the Gulia house serves traditional Malay curries and Indian specialities and will be the venue for our lunch with Josh Jensen presenting Calera Wine Co. wines.
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These wines are the standouts of the 2010 lunar drinking year. Why the lunar year? Notwithstanding I reside in Asia, the nucleus of my ideologies revolve around a back to nature approach with wine, food and the environment – sustainable, organic and biodynamic principals that have its roots in ancient feng shui and Chinese gardening that have evolved over the eons yet pivotal today. So not only do I care about the planet, I have gone lunar!
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There are no duds in the Rolf Binder range of wines, writes Curtis Marsh, who tracks the rise and rise of the South Australian business.
Having recently unearthed some possessions from storage in Australia, not sighted for some eight years, I am rather pleased to be reacquainted with my comprehensive collection of old wine books. When I say old, they are not antiquities, but largely from the 60s, 70s and 80s, an era of prolific wine-book authoring and publication.
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Over the past few years, both in our own vineyards and with the support of our growers, Nautilus Estate has continued to expand and develop its vineyards with 2006 seeing the introduction of the Nautilus VSP pruning system – a world first.
Ongoing research into the best combination of the preference of different clones for different sites continues to improve the fruit characters and aroma intensity of our fruit. For example, we now have over twenty-four hectares of Pinot Noir planted in vineyards throughout the Marlborough region, in a variety of clones including AM10/5, the Pommard clones 5 and 6 and the Dijon clones 114, 115, 667 and 777.
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Cloudy Bay may have put a certain white wine and a region on the map but Australian expertise started the trend.
Despite being shunned by wine buffs and recalcitrant writers such as myself, sauvignon blanc remains the world’s most popular white grape variety and has been for more than a decade, dismissing any notion it is a passing trend. While there is no sign of sauvignon blanc’s prevalence waning, overconfident producers should not be complacent. As witnessed in the past, entrenched styles and fashionable varieties can easily become passe.
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Vine cuttings can be matched to various soils and regional characteristics of other countries, enhancing the complexity and finish of a wine.
With practically every significant pinot noir producer in New Zealand available in Hong Kong, my advice is to be adventurous in your selection, as you will not come across a bad wine, with quality high across the board. Rather, it is a question of budget or regional style and above all, what appeals to your taste.
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One of France’s finest winemakers explains the philosophy behind his art to a fascinated Curtis Marsh.
I recently attended an enlightening symposium on riesling and pinot gris held by the ardent winegrowers of Nelson, New Zealand. Situated in the very north of south island, Nelson is somewhat over-shadowed by its commercially heavyweight neighbor Marlborough. However, as clearly evident in the regional and international tastings we experienced, Nelson – and New Zealand as a whole – is making world-class examples of these varieties.
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A Californian vineyard is a deserving bearer of the torch of old-world winemaking, writes Curtis Marsh.
In the world of fine wine, what was old is now new. This is not a past fashion reinventing itself, nor a renaissance of a specific variety, style or region. It is the acceptance of an age-old reality: that truly great wines are made in the vineyard.
There are distinct vineyard sites and soils emblematic of this around the world, begetting truly distinguished wines that are expressive of their unique terroir, endowed with an encompassing spirit of place and indisputable authenticity.
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The Benchmark of Marlborough and representative New Zealand Vineyard
Savouring my glass of 2007 Seresin Sauvignon Blanc, actually I am guzzling and already on to my third glass, so good is this wine; concentrated, complex, invigorating and comparable to any top Sancerre or Pouilly Fume. It is the quintessential New Zealand wine, an exemplar and nexus to the geography and fast-evolving wine culture of New Zealand.
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The Quintessential Modern Artisanal Australian Winery
The Adelaide Hills vigneron Shaw & Smith celebrate their 20th vintage this year, a significant milestone in the relativity of establishing a vineyard and winery in the new world. This may seem a mere blip to some of the venerable generations-old wineries of Europe.
However, the wine-world is a very different place now and the pioneering spirit and determination to succeed in the extremely competitive and demanding wine industry, establishing a brand from scratch and attaining an enviable international reputation shows both extraordinary creative talent and business acumen. I applaud this family-run partnership between Brothers Mathew and Michael Hill-Smith (M.W.) and Cousin Martin Shaw. Bravo!
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