JAM Estate News January 2012

The JAM team have just returned from a weekend's work at JAM Estate Vineyard.  This time, with an expert vine consultant in tow, we have come away confident that our soil is healthy and our vines are well on their way.  We were rather enamoured by our grape clusters, but forced to prune them away, as all nutrients must be savoured to maximise next year's growth.  One more year of TLC and we reckon we have ourselves a decent harvest, some wine (yes, we really believe some actual wine!) and of course that First Vintage celebration party!  Can't wait.  Hope you'll stick with us.

I'm also pleased to announce JAM Estate's newest acquisition, namely the local Binginwarri Estate Vineyard, situated just 5 minutes around the corner (5 minutes by ride on mower).  Binginwarri Estate had a few good vintages many years back (apparently the old Shiraz vines churned out a tipple popular with high court judges and the like) (no pressure then). This acquisition provides JAM Estate with a further 70 well established chardonnay vines, plus 30 Pinot Noir vines and a few Reisling.  The vines are approximately 6 years old and although (due to neglect) are not producing fruit this year, the JAM team are confident that a little TLC over the next 12 months will help improve our overall 2013 yield.

JAM Estate grapes 2012

Other reasons to visit the vineyard...

jojobee

A French and some Aussies

Bon soir! I'm in 'la mood francais' so have been quaffing a few french reds. This is purely to prepare my palate for an upcoming trip to France. I leave in 11 days and people have been asking Can you speak French?' Well, my answer is 'Non, not exactly BUT I do speak the language of wine...oui, oui?’

My favourite over the past month has been a 2009 Cotes du Rhone and I gotta tell ya, it’s a stayer! I’ve taken it to every dinner party, tucked it under my arm for each BYO restaurant and have had it as my home-alone quaffer, and I just keep going back for the same. Don't get me wrong, I do support local wines (Oh boy do I support them - In fact, the current glut of wine in Australia is purely due to the fact that I took a month off drinking a couple of years ago!!) and I have tasted some Aussie winners lately (and promise to mention them below) but I guess right now I’m just having a French focused phase.

Anyway, “wrap ya laughing gear” around these, or as they say in gay Paris, 'Wrap la bouche!' (*see footnote)

French pick of the month
Pierre Amadieu, 2009 Cotes du Rhone, Roulepierre (the stayer, the quaffer, the French phase)


Australian - on the lighter side
Shantell 2006 Yarra Valley Pinot Noir – Shantell have just released their 2006 Pinot and I was lucky enough to slurp my way through a generous pour, while indulging on duck on the deck! You must dine at Shantell – always the most magnificent lunch and view.


Getting heavier
Fergusson 2005 Yarra Valley ‘Benjamin’ Cabernet Sauvignon - I gate crashed a 60th birthday party and the generous birthday boy was serving this for his guests. He insisted I take a bottle away with me. I drank it the following night and it was a truly divine experience.

Shantell 2005 Yarra Valley cabernet Sauvignon – after pinot and duck on the deck I loaded my car boot with other morsels to try. This was superb with my home made spag bog


Sante!

*Footnote: I doubt very much that they say that

The Musings of a Wine Drinking, Wannabe Poet

Season of Misssts and mellow fruitfulnessss
Close bosom friend of the maturing sssun
Consssspiring with him to...
etc etc etc
Was it a superb bottle of Chateau Lafite that inspired Keats to write his [Ode] To Autumn? Did he wake in the morning, a little seedy from a night of pleasures and purple tannin’d delight, and like what he saw?(after editing out the extra S’s)
While careful observation of the atmospheric delights of one’s favourite season and a well educated literary mind with a penchant towards sensual imagery, may contribute towards a poetic masterpiece, I’m here to sell the merits of a few glasses of wine to get the creative juices flowing.
In my experience wine clearly inspires poetry. The liquid coats the tongue, pulls the taste buds out to play and in turn the alcohol stimulates the rampant right side of the brain and I find myself with pen and paper in hand, lolling a little drunkenly and creating the best god damn poetry (if I do say so myself). If you want poetic results, then do try this at home. I find it usually takes a full glass before inspiration flows, however if you are new to this and would like to hurry things along, then try 3 large gulps on an empty stomach. Please be assured that I am all for responsible drinking, but not at the expense of great poetry! A $23 bottle of Italian Nebbiolo (Mark St James 2003) did it for me last week and this is what it inspired:

I dream of being a famous poet
Each time the vino hits the spot
Although, I haven’t been writing much lately
But I’ve sure been drinking alot!

And following a long and lazy summer lunch, where several bottles of a fresh and lively Pinot Gris (2005 Sanctuary from the Marlborough region in NZ) and more than a slurp of Pinot Noir (a 2004 from Shantell Vineyard in Victoria’s Yarra Valley) were enjoyed:

I take you to my lips
By the bottle
Or by the glass
I wish I could slow my consumption...
For the sake of the size of my arse
I love you with friends,
And I love you alone
Sometimes I love so much of you,
That I can’t drive home
I like you in white
I adore you in red
I’d drink you at the table
And take you to bed
Oh purple velvet,
won’t you coat my throat
With your abundant berry-ness
and some other fruity note

The question of course: Is it the quality of wine consumed or the quantity that inspires great poetry? You could argue for quantity, given that some of the greatest poets were said to enjoy more than a drop - Dylan Thomas, Dorothy Parker, Edgar Allen Poe (every word written under the affluence of incohol).
And our Dorothea Mackellar grew up in the New South Wales Hunter Valley region - Hardly the environment for an abstaining poet. I wonder if she consumed great delicious quantities of those dusty Shiraz’s to inspire her famous My Country?

I love a sunburnt country
A land of sweeping plains
Of rugged mountain ranges
Of droughts and flooding rains - Although not in our wine regions because grapes hate droughts and flooding rains and we Aussies don’t want to be drinking dust and Botrytis by the BBQ although having said that, a few years of droughts and flooding rains can make the vines grow back stronger, which in turn can produce superior quality grapes but one would require great patience for this, and imagine the drought on good poetry during such a spell...

All things considered;

I love a sunny hillside
With rows of pinot vines
And a rugged, expert winemaker
producing exquisite wines

And so, back to John Keats, my favourite of the great Romantic poets; was he delightedly lucid with just a drop of red, or rather drowsy with drunkenness from half a vat when he wrote Ode to a Nightingale? (Actually, he was probably more likely to be under the influence of opium)
If I’m honest, I’d say that most of my poetry has been the result of quantity, so in the name of research, I’m very keen to see what a 1980 Penfolds Grange can produce. But, alas! Ever so poetically and with devastating sadness, I’m unlikely to be able to wrap my wallet around such a drop, and so I shall regale you with a piece of poetry inspired not by wine, but by that regret and sadness found deep in the cave of my soul. And who better to help with this, than W H Auden and his Funeral Blues?

Funeral Blues(the death of Sauv Blanc)by Jo Broom,with help from W.H.Auden

Pop all the corks, put on the blood ‘n’ bone
Prevent the frost from ruining the grapes we’ve grown,
Siphon the lees and with 10 gallon drum
Bring out the first vintage, let the drinkers come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message Chardonnay is not Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the wine we love,
Let the oenology police wear black cotton gloves.

We planted my North, my South, my East and West,
On a working week and during my Sunday rest,
By noon, by midnight, it took so long;
I thought that vintage would last forever: I was wrong.

Marlborough Sauv Blancs are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the Reidel glasses and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the sediment and keep the unwooded Chardonnay
For nothing now can ever taste as good.

Oh dear, think I’ll leave that one... Perhaps it will get better with age?
Written by Jo Broom (C)

The JAM Spring Carnival Diaries – September, October, November, December 2009

September
Chalk and Fromage
The JAM team are usually a united front, but this was not the case during September. We were divided, not just by the equator, but by intent. While the “A” in JAM sauntered around Southern France, indulging in fromage, baguettes, truffles and, oui, oui, oui, fine french wine, the “J” & “M” embarked upon, and successfully completed, an alcohol free month (a ridiculous annual pilgrimage, designed by “M”, to cleanse the body and clear the mind) (Clear the mind? I went stir crazy!!!)
Anyway, at the end of September, “A” returned to her alcohol-free (and slightly self-righteous) friends in Melbourne, with news of a new love...french reds.
More than ready for a drop, J & M allowed A to share a few of her little french gems, and pretty soon we were oui oui-ing all the way home.
Merci Mademoiselle!

Two French reds of note are from the Cotes du Rhone region; the 2006 Tardieu-Laurent by Guy Louis and the 2007 Pascal Chalon, La Petite Ourse. (Pascal Chalon makes biodynamic Cotes-du-Rhone vintages in his Grandmother's garage!)
We tasted the two together for the sake of comparing wines from the same region.

La Petite Ourse is 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache. On the nose, it was a nice balance of subtle musky perfume with a slight meatiness, followed by pure fruit aromas. I detected a peachy, apple aroma which would make this wine perfect with a pork roast. On the palate it was pure fruit with supple but gripping tannins.

The 2006 Guy Louis Tardieu-Laurent wasn’t quite as elegant and maybe not as complex as the La Petite Ourse. It was all about vanilla and cigars, with darker fruit flavours - still very drinkable with our lamb roast, oui?


October
What a Dal Winner!
Well and truly back in the wine drinking saddle, the JAM team ventured to the Grampians for a little hiking and wine tasting. The highlight was a visit to the vines of Dalwhinnie, set in the stunning Pyrenees. We tasted through the small range of classic wines and surprised ourselves by agreeing on a Shiraz as the pick of the day. At $150 you’d have to love it and so, utterly convinced by the rare and luscious beauty of this 2003 Dalwhinnie Eagle Series Shiraz, we threw in $50 each and purchased a bottle.
You’ll be happy to know that, on 2 December, when we eagerly popped the cork, it was every bit as full bodied and graceful as we remembered. The thing that got me about this dark, blackberry, licorice shiraz was the rich and long lasting finish. A delicious, not-so-long-lasting, $150 experience!


November/December
JAM Estate Vineyard Update
Santa has been early to JAM Estate Vineyard and, as you can see in the picture above, our gift is in the post! Yes, the wires and posts have finally been erected and our thriving vines are looking happy and healthy. It won’t be long before they make themselves at home by curling their tiny tendrils along the wires, and before we know it, they’ll be flopping with plump grapes. (I wonder if Santa would be kind enough to drop in and help us at harvest time)
Hands protected with crusty garden gloves, the JAM team spent the first weekend in December at JAM Estate, tidying, weeding, mulching and admiring Santa’s trellis work. There'll be more hands on in the coming weeks as I head down there to give the vines some New Year lovin'.

Written by Jo Broom (c)

And all that Shiraz!

Quite note worthy (and taste worthy!) are the following reds: Shiraz One and Shiraz Two - both quite different styles.

Shiraz One
2008 Tar & Roses Shiraz, Heathcote
I enjoyed this Shiraz with a basic lasagne, one quiet Friday night at home. It's actually a slightly lighter style, floral Shiraz, with lots of those summer berry flavours. You could probably even enjoy it with a lighter dish, like lamb or duck. I picked it up for eighteen bucks in a hurry (not desperate, just hurried). I think you could find it cheaper if you shop around.

Shiraz Two
2007 Brown Hill Estate Chaffers Shiraz, Margaret River
One of our faithful vine donors also donated this bottle of Chaffers Shiraz to the JAM research team for comment. Only two of the JAM team were present to share it though (fortunately I was one of them). Enjoyed with a home made spaghetti bolognaise, this was more of your traditional Shiraz, very velvet, with quite an incense-spice to it. Lots of cedary oak and dark lusty flavours like chocolate and black cherry. More please! Thanks Mr T!
(I did a little internet search on this one and you can actually fetch it for $16 a bottle!)
Written by Jo Broom (c)

VINE PATIENCE
If you’ve been rushing eagerly to your inbox each day, hoping to find the latest Wine Jam blog entry, only to be bitterly disappointed, time after time, then let me explain.
The Jam team have been holding back...deliberately. You see, it’s a ploy to bring you on this wine making journey with us, to include you in the experience and to make your experience as real as possible. And the reality of growing and producing wine is that YOU HAVE TO WAIT! It’s all about the patience (something of which I have very little), about the perseverance, about the slow, toe-tapping, finger drumming, paint drying, kettle boiling, Christmas coming WAIT! You have to exercise patience and you HAVE TO WAIT! In the voyage that is viticulture there’s nothing for a long time, no joy and no love, nothing to see and certainly nothing to taste. You plant your root stock and then, well then there’s just nothing, nothing for a long long time, and naturally that’s difficult. To endure such pain and disappointment requires strength and patience and this, my friends, is our journey, together. Be assured, that by with-holding blog entries over the past few months, the JAM team have contributed to your strength of character, your stoicism and your capacity to endure the challenge of the years to come on the JAM Estate Vineyard quest. You now have vine patience. You have passed your initiation. You are powerful and complex, ripe and fruity, enhanced by gentle patient notes. You have intense, layered flavours with soft, supple yet strong character... and a very long finish.
Written by Jo Broom (C)


*******************************************
JAM Estate update May 2009
It appears that Chardonnay vines are very hardy indeed.
Until recently, the JAM team hadn’t had an opportunity to frolic in the vines for a couple of months, but thanks to Papa Jam’s regular visits and to sheer fluke that Binginwarri receives more rainfall than anywhere in Victoria, and couple this with the fact that there’s been some jolly decent sun, our beloved vines look perfectly happy and abundantly healthy!
On our recent visit, we did discover a slight weed problem, but Mama Jam jumped on the ride on mower with a blind determination and ploughed the buggers to death (taking the corners on two wheels and narrowly missing our precious vines!)
Anyway, there’s obviously a number of seasons to wait until we are supping on a decent butterscotchy JAM Estate Chardonnay, so in the meantime, I recommend you get your Chardy legs in, by indulging in a Mornington Peninsula fav’ of the JAM team, namely the 2006 Red Hill Estate Chardonnay – Fun to buy at the cellar door (lots of worthwhile tastings to be had here) but 5 bucks a bottle cheaper at Dan Murphy. (If you are at the cellar door though, try their 2005 Classic Release Chardonnay - Quite tropical fruity, with that nice cashew flavour that I love in a Chardy).
P.S The JAM team are in mourning for the loss of Claire de Lune‘s 2006 Pinot Noir. All stocks are depleted. That such a fine specimen should be no longer, breaks my fragile heart! In its memory I am now drinking its little brother, the 2007 – quite a different pinot, but worthy of some respect.
Written by Jo Broom (c)

Bovine Intervention

1.Daisy observes from a distance2.Mini grapes already! 3.JAM Estate Vineyard

It appears that Daisy the pregnant cow (see photo 1) has an interest in viticulture. That's right, she took it upon herself to prepare the soil with a number of steamy dollops of her own special nutrients before the JAM team arrived to plant 60 Chardonnay vines in November. Daisy is also known for her love of licking and chewing all things green and leafy and therefore, before planting the vines, it was necessary to persuade her to stand behind the fence and observe from a distance. Of course, once behind the fence, we encouraged her to be involved, but by then she just wasn’t in the mooooo-d...


After enduring six hours of manual, slightly back-breaking work, what was once a well ploughed (thanks farmer Charles) and fertilised (thanks Daisy) patch of dirt, actually looked like a real vineyard! The JAM team are mighty proud of how splendid the vines look (See photo 2 and 3).


Here’s a list of our fantastic Vine donors, from across the world. Thank you all SO much.
Bring on the first vintage!

Murray Fisher – Aus
Gina Harris – Aus
Phillip Myer-Smith – NZ
Sarah Hetrick – Aus
Bree Ryan – Aus
Emma Holmes – Aus
Caroline Burnett – UK
Helen Jennings & Sue Phillips – Aus
John Colvin – Aus
Mat Peake – Canada
John Smith – NZ
James Frampton – UK
Deb Cocks – Aus
Vicki Liddell – Aus
David Williamson – UK
Todd Forsyth – Aus
Catherine Wetherell – UK
Warren Tharle – Aus
Brenda & Rob Taber – Aus
Mel, Rob & Riley Dyett – Aus
Peter Bryant – NZ
Melissa Campbell – Aus
Shannon Prance – Aus
Rachel Pullar – NZ
Valerie Paton – NZ
Hillary Fright & Mike Kingston - Aus

Written by Jo Broom (c)

Wine and Cows

A weekend visit to Gippsland to prepare the land for the pending delivery of chardonnay vines proved very interesting.

Firstly, I discovered that the few shiraz vines, planted only a couple of months ago, are now at “Bud Break” which means they have leaves and look much more like grape vines and much less like sticks in the ground. (See the photo above). For novices, like the JAM team, this is indeed very encouraging.

Secondly, a considerable amount of time was spent fencing off the area, as apparently there’ll be a cow on the property for the next week. Yes, a cow! The intention is that the cow will chew away some of the overgrown grass, then we can commence soil preparation. Generally one doesn’t mix vines with stock, but as the vineyard is in the middle of Gippsland dairy country, then I guess this makes some sort of sense. (Really we should be making cheese, not wine!) Needless to say, once the chardonnay vines are in the ground, we will be discouraging cattle and all other beasts.

Speaking of Gippsland, The JAM research team have been enjoying another gem from Gippsland’s Clair de Lune vineyard. The 2006 Clair de Lune Triolet is a smooth blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet, with hints of plum and spice. We enjoyed it with lasagne, but also found it incredibly drinkable on its own.
Written by Jo Broom (c)

JAM Estate Vineyard - Brief Update

Recent visits to the JAM Estate Vineyard have proved fruitful and the JAM team is currently researching and gathering quotes for grafted vines from Mildura. Judging by the delightful number of responses to the JAM team's call for donors, (Thank you! You know who you are!) we may be looking to plant 40 or more vines. Will keep you posted...

You may email me at: jbroom@jbexcellence.com with any questions about vine donation or about the JAM Estate Vineyard.

Cheers,

Jo

Written by Jo Broom (c)

The Twelve Apostles

Jesus sat at the table with his twelve apostles, to share one last meal before going to the cross. As they dined together, he told the apostles that one of them would betray him that night.
One by one they questioned, "I'm not the one, am I, Lord?" Jesus explained that even though he knew he would die, as the Scriptures foretold, his betrayer's fate would be equally as terrible.

On that happy note, Jesus took the bread and the wine and asked his Father to bless it. He broke the bread into pieces, giving it to his disciples and said, "This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

And then he took the wine, sharing it with his disciples and said, "This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you, an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you. He told all of them, "This is a bloody good Pinot, and I got it on special, for only $17.99! You should grab a case of it before it jumps back up to $19.99."

Of course Jesus was referring to the 2006 Bay of Apostles Pinot Noir from the Coonawarra (from Koonara Wines). This perfect pinot (in my – and Jesus’ - opinion) is one of the tastiest, best value Pinots you can get your hands on at the moment. Pour yourself a glass (make sure you use a big, open pinot glass) and let it sit for half an hour (Think: Self Discipline /Delayed Gratification) then swirl, sniff, sip, swallow and savour the plum and cherry fruit flavours.

For such a fabulous Pinot, this is very affordable and it would be a betrayal, not to try a drop. I managed to find it at $17.99 at my local Cellarbrations store but I think it may have gone back up to $19.99 this week. However, just like Jesus, I’m not satisfied with just one Apostle. Think I’ll be requiring twelve...and will pray for a discount.

As for Jesus, he said to his Apostles "I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it with you in my Father's Kingdom." Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives...which wasn’t a good choice because olives don’t go with Pinot. They’d have been better off going duck shooting or having a Jamie Oliver chicken pie bake off. You just can’t treat a good pinot like that and, whoever made the suggestion, was obviously the real betrayer of Jesus!

No wonder he got CROSS!
Written by Jo Broom (c)
(Apologies to any Christians who were intending to donate a vine)

Dozens of reasons to visit Clair de Lune

Brian Gaffy answered the phone, ‘Yes, I’m the winemaker’ he said, ‘What time do you think you’ll be here? I’ll make sure I’m at the house and you can do some tasting.’

We arrived at Clair de Lune Vineyard at 4.30 on a Monday afternoon and Brian appeared, rosy cheeked and slightly dishevelled, with an armful of bottles and a tray of glasses. He had obviously been labouring out among the vines all day, as had Evie the dog, who greeted us enthusiastically and, despite our interruption to their working day, the welcome could not have been warmer. We sat at a dusty table on the deck, looking out to the vines. I was in love with this unpretentious place already.

Brian spent the best part of an hour, taking us on a journey that started at his 2004 Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, moved lightly through a surprising 2008 Sauv Blanc, lingered on a 2006 Pinot Noir and ended sweetly in a 2008 Quince Liqueur (there were other stops along the way, too). Brian delighted in our responses to each wine and helped us to identify some of the fruit flavours, colouring the experience with his generous anecdotes.

My wine pick was the 2006 Clair de Lune Pinot Noir which, we discovered, was featured in the June/July 2008 Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine. I loved the balance of dark cherry flavours and toasty French oak in this Pinot. I also ordered a couple of bottles of the 2006 Clair de Lune Triolet, a blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet, with a gorgeous red colour and white pepper, cherry and plum flavours. Another fav’ of the JAM research team was the crown sealed 2006 Clair de Lune Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, a flavoursome sparkly, with good citrus flavours and a creamy palate.

The JAM team ordered a mixed dozen and Brian gave us an extra bottle to our dozen, plus a 2004 Sparkling Pinot Noir to try (stay tuned). He and Evie helped us into the car and invited us to a wine event at Clair de Lune in November. We will certainly be back for that...and most likely on a regular basis for more of those mixed dozens!
(Clair de Lune Vineyard is at Lot 8805 South Gippsland Highway, Kardella South, Victoria 3951)
Written by Jo Broom (c)

Donate a vine to JAM Estate Vineyard

Donate a vine to the JAM Estate Vineyard, have it named after you and receive an invite to the FIRST VINTAGE party.

Log into the winejam blog at http://www.winejam.blogspot.com/ and reply via comment to register your interest in donating a vine and for regular updates on the JAM Estate Vineyard. IMPORTANT! PLEASE ENSURE YOU PROVIDE YOUR FULL NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS WHEN MAKING A COMMENT, SO WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE! (Otherwise, email your comment/request directly to me: jbroom@jbexcellence.com)
Written by Jo Broom (c)

JAM Estate Vineyard – small beginnings

When the JAM Research Team ventured to South Gippsland, the intention was to stake out the territory and find the perfect position for our little vineyard. Little did we know we’d be planting our first 6 vines! (O.K, so 6 vines aren’t exactly going to produce a big yield, but it felt so good to work the land and ready it for our vines). A generous neighbour donated the 6 Shiraz vines, unearthed from his mini-vineyard. And so the JAM team had a celebratory lunch, shared a bottle of 2004 Leo Buring Riesling and replaced the standard ‘cheers’ with a ritual to invoke the God of wine, in the hope that he or she would bless our hands and our vines and the earth surrounding them.

We observed 3 acres of land for a couple of days and, given that we were in a slightly cooler, damper part of South Gippsland, chose a small parcel, sheltered from high winds, which was exposed to the full heat of the sun for the most part of the day.

The JAM team ploughed, turned, hoed and dug the land by hand and were happy with the results although, once complete, our micro-vineyard looked more like a graveyard. (I'm hoping that's not prophetic...)

Written by Jo Broom (c)

Russian Roulette Anyone?

Want to play a game? Go on. It’s O.K. I promise you won’t die, although it’s very possible you could end up in heaven (I certainly did). Here’s how you play my kind of Russian roulette.
Try being a little daring. Instead of returning time and time again to your tried and true favourite wines (My current tried and true’s are 2005 Gary Crittenden Pinocchio Barbera from King Valley, 2001 Heggies Reserve Riesling from Eden Valley and 2006 Rolf Binder Shiraz from the Barossa) and instead of returning to your tried and true wine retailer (The JAM research team fav’s are Prince Wine Store, Rathdowne Cellars and Dan Murphy), I dare you to choose a wine store you’ve never visited before. Choose a retailer with a good selection of wines. (This means they have stock from most Australian and New Zealand wine regions, in addition to some European and other international wines. A substantial number of grape varieties should be available and there should be wines from across the price spectrum). After doing a scan of these well stocked shelves, select a bottle of wine that you’ve never come across; something that looks and feels right to you (You need to get in touch with your “wintuition” for this exercise); something in a similar price range to the wines you usually enjoy. Then, take the wine home, crack the lid or pop the cork, pour a glass and (Here comes the Russian roulette part) feel your heart pound as the adrenalin rushes through you. Feel your hands quivering with fear and anticipation. Give the wine a swirl in the glass, breathe in the bouquet, then bring it to your lips and, along with a little oxygen, take the liquid into your mouth, swirling it over your tongue and across your cheeks. Now pause to think about the sensation in your mouth, in your body, in your soul. Do you feel dead or alive? Is the wine a dud or a winner?
If you chose a dud, waste no time and pour it down the sink, make a note NEVER to select that wine again, then self-flagellate for 15 minutes, asking for forgiveness while pondering one of life’s big questions; what’s wrong with my wintuition? (And why didn’t the guy at the checkout stop me from making such a grave mistake?)
If you chose a winner, as I did when I last played this game (I scored a heavenly 2006 First Drop ‘The Blind’ Nebbiolo Barbera from the Adelaide Hills), you may pat yourself on the back. You may brag a little and savour its gorgeousness, and then you should add it to your Tried and True list and then...why not have another spin?

(Story inspired by my friend Mark who introduced me to Russian Roulette)

Written by Jo Broom (c)

Tassie Vines 2008

These vine shots were taken in Jan/Feb this year (2008), during the JAM research teams' Pinot Tour of Tassie.

2004 Katnook Estate Shiraz

A and M and I made a pact to have an alcohol free August...

On the 7th August I unscrewed a 2004 Katnook Estate Shiraz and slurped my guilty way through half a bottle.

On the 8th of August I decided to email my confession:

"Girls, I have bad news and good news. The bad news is, I've broken our pact. The good news is I've discovered a delightful little number from the Coonawarra."

It really was joy in a bottle; a dark ruby with great viscosity, loads of raspberry and licorice and a chewy mouthfeel. It quite took me by surprise as it had been some time since I'd tasted a Shiraz that excited me. The question is, though, was it really that good or was it that I'd been lax and not supped on a decent glass of any variety of wine for a good couple of weeks? OR was it, in fact, my desperation, derived from the thought of going a WHOLE month (and August is a long one. It has 31 days! Why couldn't we have chosen February?) yes, a whole month without so much as a snifter of sauv, a morsel of merlot, a smattering of semillion, a tad of tempranillo, a petty sum of pinot noir, a driblet of durif, a shot of shiraz, a nuance of nebbiolo, a vial of viognier or a rinse of reisling!!!?

Well, it's now the 19th August and that Katnook Estate has persisted on my palate and on my mind and I wonder if tonight, in the name of research, I should try a couple of other Shiraz's and then the Katnook again?

...I could always aim for an alcohol free February...

Written by Jo Broom (c)