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Member eNewsletter

August 2010 Edition

Welcome to your latest eNewsletter from Wine Selectors. In this month’s edition we focus on the Hunter region, if you’ve never been, perhaps you should book a visit to try their world famous Semillon and Shiraz.

Our winery feature is on the relatively new Dandelion Vineyards in South Australia, a small operator making a big noise in many of this year’s national wine shows.

How well do you know your regions? That’s the question we’ll be asking in this month’s interactive Member survey. You’ll have the chance to tell us where famed producers hail from and get the chance to win a 6-pack worth $250.

Finally, we take a look at food and wine matching and tell you what to pair with your favourite takeaway. From pizza to Indian we’ve got it covered.

Have a great month’s drinking

Greg Walls

Greg Walls, Managing Director

 In this issue
HOT TOPIC - Supermarket Wines: From Brand to Bland

The supermarkets’ stranglehold on the wine market is about to go one step further in reducing the choice you currently receive. On top of this limited choice, an attempt to peddle their own labels (masquerading as real wines from real wineries) has ignited enough passion for Wine Selectors to speak out.

(Read more)

Many of the wines on the shelves of your local bottle shop are often made by the same big wine companies. Real producers that are representative of Australia’s winemaking diversity have a hard time getting shelf space with national retailers. This battle is about to get even harder – and the choice even narrower – if the supermarkets have their way.

It’s bad enough that the behemoth chains choose to put producers in a strangle hold and undermine brands due to competitive price wars. But now it seems they are willing to confuse the consumer even more by putting their own brand labels on wines so you’ll have no idea of who is behind it. It’s a sad day for wine when it just becomes another grocery product with a shiny label that is nothing more than alcoholic grape juice.

At Wine Selectors we pride ourselves on supporting the producer, we always have done, extending our friendship to over 400 wineries both big and boutique. Many of these wineries would never get the opportunity to be placed on supermarket shelves and so it’s our job to get them from the cellar door to you door.

That means you, as a valued Member, get nothing less than a varied choice of the best wines from premium regions all over Australia.

We offer this support in order to promote the healthy and sustained growth of the entire Australian wine industry, and will continue to source for you wines of real substance and character.
Head to the Hunter for regional excellence

The Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s oldest and most visited wine regions. Being just two hours from Sydney makes it the perfect excuse for a day visit or better still, a weekend away. With vines planted in 1828, the region is home to 120 wineries, a thriving restaurant scene, boutique food producers, artists and live concerts.

(Read more)

The Hunter is the state’s most visited region, responsible for turning out world famous Semillon, Shiraz and Cabernet as well as Verdelho.

Conditions are far from perfect to grow grapes in the Hunter, but winemakers have tenaciously battled the elements for over 150 years to produce wines of world class standard.

But it’s not just about wine, there are enviable golf courses, amazing antique shops, the Hunter Valley Gardens or for the best view of the Valley, jump in a hot-air balloon, a helicopter or even a Tiger Moth.

There are annual festivals too, such as Day On The Green, Jazz in the Vines and for the more cultured, there’s Opera in the Vineyards. Add in artisan produce like cheese makers, olive growers and even snail farmers and you’ve got a bountiful range of local delicacies to choose from.

Of course, one of the best ways to discover the wines of the region is to become a Member of the Hunter Valley Wine Society. Five times a year you’ll receive wonderful selections of the region’s benchmark styles from producers such as Tyrrell’s, Drayton’s and Tulloch.

If you happen to be in the region, you can find the Hunter Valley Wine Society at the Wine Information Centre on Wine Country Drive. Come in and see us for maps and advice on places to visit.

So if you’ve not been before, perhaps you should plan a getaway and discover what makes the Hunter truly special. In the meantime, we have got two Member Privileges to get you started and for you to see what awaits you in the region. Choose from 25% off a hot air balloon ticket or 20% Hungerford Hill wine.

Check out our Member Privileges for more options
Delicious Dandelion

Dandelion Vineyards is a unique fusion of vineyards and vignerons, who have made a huge impact with their wines in a small space of time.

Dandelion Vineyards make wines from proven plantings that have stood the test of time. As their mantra goes: “Our wish is to nurture the unique character of these vineyards and express their terroir in our wines.”

(Read more)

In other words, their aim is to make fabulous tasting wines. Thanks to winemaker Elena Brooks and her wine savvy husband and marketing whiz Zar Brooks, the first two vintages of Dandelion have been an unmitigated success.

For instance, their inaugural Riesling in 2009 took out the Trophy at the Brisbane Wine Show while their 2010 release is already causing quite a buzz in wine industry circles.

These are fine examples of handmade wines made in an artisan manner using varieties from regions best suited; including Barossa Shiraz, Adelaide Hills Chardonnay and Eden Valley Riesling.

Dandelion Wines are featured from time to time in our Regional Series selections
Food and wine matching to takeaway

It’s one thing to take a bottle to your local BYO or to order off a wine list in a restaurant, but faced with the challenge of eating takeaway at home, do you know what goes with what?

Whether it’s Italian or Thai, Indian or Chinese, the Wine Selectors’ Tasting Panel have suggestions to match the weight and flavour of all your favourite foods.

(Read more)

Italian: For pizza and pasta in the traditional mode ie: with a tomato sauce base, then there are quite a few options such as lighter bodied reds like Merlot, Pinot Noir or Med styles such as Tempranillo and Barbera.

Thai: Spicy Thai dishes do best when they are matched with complementary flavours. Wines with a citrus profile like Riesling work well, as do some Classic Dry Whites and Semillon Sauvignon blends. Aromatic wines like Gewürztraminer and Moscato can also play down the heat and lend refreshment. For milder style meat curries, lighter bodied reds can work well.

Indian: Although the accepted beverage is beer, wine has its place with Indian food and one of the best matches is Rosé with its lifted berry profile, sweet palate and dry finish. Of course, Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Gris and Semillon can work too. For meaty dishes, cool climate Shiraz with its core of spice works well.

Chinese: One of the best matches for barbecued duck is Pinot Noir, but wines such as Chardonnay go well with Chow Mein and even Sparkling wine has been found to be a good match, as well as hearty Shiraz from the Barossa and McLaren Vale with some of the more savoury dishes such as shredded beef and barbecued pork.

Of course, all your food and wine matching needs can be found online in the about wine section of our website.
Test your regional awareness

This month’s Member survey is an interactive guide to the regions where you have to match your skill at recognising a wine label and drag it into the region you believe it came from.

Then you’ll go into the draw to win a bespoke Chairman’s Series 6-pack worth $250! Complete our Member survey now for your chance to win.

Complete this month's survey >>
August and September events

In August, our events team are hitting the road and heading to Queensland where they are hosting three fabulous events.

Check your diaries and make sure you’re able to make it to a food and wine master class hosted by seasoned professional and celebrity chef Peter Howard or a wine tasting with one of our wine educators.

(Read more)

Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Brisbane Food + Wine Master Class with Peter Howard
Quay West Brisbane QLD 6.00pm - 8.00pm

Thursday, 19 August 2010
Rockhampton Wine Tasting
Travelodge QLD 6.00pm - 8.00pm

Friday, 20 August 2010
Cairns Wine Tasting
Cairns Harbour Lights QLD 6.00pm - 8.00pm

Selector in Spring

 

Indulge your senses in the spring edition of Selector magazine. The theme is sustainability from the vineyard to the paddock, with some amazing guest chefs, travel writers and wine commentators.

(Read more)

In the latest issue of Selector you’ll find a focus on sustainability and no chef is keener on this topic than Kylie Kwong who is a keen advocate for organics and sourcing produce as naturally as possible. There’s quite a focus on Asian cuisine with Martin Boetz of Longrain cooking some wonderful dishes in the Impress section.

We put the country’s finest Rosés under the microscope and sort out which ones to drink this spring. There’s a dream vertical tasting with Primo Estate as well as a piece on carbon neutral winemaking from wine writer Max Allen.

In travel we head to McLaren Vale, Kangaroo Island, and even feature a winery in Thailand.

Your spring reading agenda is definitely on the up, take a closer look…