Want to try something new, and not already a member? Come on your own, grab a friend, workmate or partner and join us for our next tasting. Take a look and see who's presenting.
Recent research from the University of Reading has found champagne has the same health benefits as found in red wine.
Champagne contains polyphenol antioxidants, which are believed to reduce the effects of cell damaging free radicals in the body. In particular, these antioxidants slow down the removal of nitric oxide from the blood, lowering blood pressure and therefore reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Lead researcher Dr Jeremy Spencer says, “Our research has shown that drinking around two glasses of champagne can have beneficial effects on the way blood vessels function, in a similar way to that observed with red wine. We always encourage a responsible approach to alcohol consumption, but the fact that drinking Champagne has the potential to reduce the risks of suffering from cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and strokes, is very exciting news.”
(Shall we assume that that is two glasses a day, not just two glasses ever. Despite this research I will continue to take my medicine in the form of red wine. – Ed)
Comment on Wynns from James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
Wynns Coonawarra Estate
The original winery that is now known as Wynns Coonawarra Estate was founded by Scottish pioneer John Riddoch. He planted vineyards in 1891 and completed the estate’s three-gabled winery.
In 1951 Melbourne wine merchants Samuel and David Wynn purchased Riddoch’s original vineyards and winery and renamed the property Wynns Coonawarra Estate.
The Wynns family recognised the intrinsic qualities of Coonawarra wines – their richness and intensity of fruit character – and set out to build an independent identity in the region.
They created the famous label that has made John Riddoch’s winery one of Australia’s best known buildings.
Today Wynns Coonawarra Estate is the region’s best known wine producer and largest single vineyard holder, with the best and longest established vineyard sites in Coonawarra. Its wines are regarded as benchmarks for the district, lauded for their consistent quality and depth of flavour.
Coonawarra is a relatively tiny, cigar shaped strip about 15 kilometres long and just two kilometres at its widest point. Its most famous feature is the terra rossa soil, a rich red topsoil which lies over soft porous limestone. As the vines have to struggle and stress in extending the roots through the thin layer of terra rossa and limestone, the vine is limited to producing low yielding, intensely flavoured grapes.
Coonawarra’s cool climate ensures a long ripening period that slowly builds up the intensity of flavours in the grape. The resulting wines are among Australia’s greatest wines for their intensity, depth of flavour and excellent longevity.
Weltec caught us on the hop a little over timing of the dinner. Seems they have to clear the campus by 9.30 pm so we are in for an early dinner with a 6.00pm start. Everyone seems happy with this.
We do have two places available as the result of a late withdrawal. If anyone was contemplating going but didn’t get their request to Wayne in time, please let me know if you want to come, it will be on a first in basis.
In the news
This month’s “In the News” is a backgrounder on Wynns Coonawarra estate from James Halliday. James is a wine critic in Australia associated with the “Australian Wine Companion”. Lots of good info on the Australian industry on his website. He gives Wynns a five star rating.
Mission Estate
And don’t fret that we will miss out on the Mission tasting. They are more than happy to pick up a slot early next year, probably February.
Website
Stevee is doing some great work on the Clubs website. We encourage you to have a look, indeed we welcome feedback from members.
Neudorf Vineyards have appointed Todd Stevens from Felton Road as their new winemaker.
Announcing the appointment, Neudorf’s co–owner Tim Finn said he was delighted to welcome a winemaker of Todd’s calibre to the Neudorf team.
“Both Neudorf and Felton Road are members of the Family of 12 and we share a culture of integrity and excellence. Todd is very familiar with our wines and looks forward to growing the reputation of Neudorf internationally.”
Todd will move to Nelson at the start of August.
“Both Todd and Neudorf Viticulturist Richard Flatman are refugees from Central Otago and share a kindred interest in organic viticulture. We see the collaboration between vineyard and winery as essential in the production of fine wine.”
The Neudorf winemaker position attracted international interest and Tim says the quality of applicants was stunning. “ We had many fine winemakers to choose from but in the end Todd’s varietal experience coupled with an intelligent and sympathetic attitude to wine making won the day.”
Neudorf’s vintage is coming to a close and Tim says the crop is in wonderful condition with excellent flavours and he just wishes there was more of it.
“Cold weather in early December effected flowering across all varieties, and 2012 looks like being a much reduced vintage for most regions.”
A long time member of the Cellar Club, Dennis Mann, on the right, was the subject of an item in the City Life Independent Herald on 14 March.
It seems that a chance meeting ten years ago between the Manns and the Wholeys led to the discovery of an extraordinary set of coincidences that they have celebrated every year since. They met at the Probus Club and while chatting realised that both couples were married in Wellington on the same day at the same time. The coincidences did not stop there, they also used the same photographer, the same florist, and the same catering company.
So on the March 5 each year for the past ten years, they have met up to celebrate that special day with one of the four keeping the day’s events a mystery. This year it was Dennis’ turn and at 11.00am the cork popped on a bottle of French Champagne at a table set up at the rose garden in Grasslea Reserve, Tawa.
Dennis and Junette were married at St Mary’s Anglican Church in Karori on 5 March 1960. This year was their 52nd anniversary. Congratulations Dennis.
Source – City Life Independent Herald – Mark Taylor
As we are hosting Brown Brothers in April the attached item on their website might be of interest. The item is from January 2012.
‘Brown Brothers Public Relations Manager, Katherine Brown, has been chosen as one of 15 participants for the fifth intake of the Australian Wine Industry’s successful development program Future Leaders – Succession for the Australian Wine Sector. Participants represent a broad cross-section of the industry, from winemakers and viticulturists to professionals involved with marketing, sales, public relations and industry development.
More than 50 applications were received for the program, which will be delivered for the third time by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF). Five sessions will be held in different venues over six months, beginning in Canberra in May. “The quality and diversity of the applicants remains very high and that has been a key part of the program’s success,” said Stephen Strachan, Chief Executive of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA).
“These are young or mid-career leaders who we are hoping will get involved with important issues for the sector at a national, state and regional level.
“We want them not just to learn, but also to engage, contribute and debate, and to develop the range of skills that underpin strong leadership.”
It is with regret that one of our founding members, John Revell passed away on Friday 16 December 2011, aged 86. John was still a club member where his last attendance was the dinner in which Graeme Fountain received his Life Membership award. John’s family have asked for a “closed” funeral.
The Cellar Club pass on our condolences to John’s family.
New Zealand – represented by Nelson wines, has held international competition at arm’s length to win the supreme award and First XV trophy at the 2011 Nelson Wineart First XV Wine Competition.
The winners were chosen after a blind tasting of all 45 wines – Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. The judges then selected their favourite 15 wines (the first XV) from all the wines and the country with the most wines in this selection was awarded the overall trophy.
New Zealand took the award after having 7 of the 15 wines in the judges’ favourite first XV line-up, Italy had 6 and the USA 2. The best Riesling was judged Blackenbrook Vineyard Nelson 2009, the best Pinot Gris was Etude Carneros 2010 from the USA and the best Gewürztraminer was Cantina Tramin Alto Adige Nussbaumer 2009 from Italy.
Matching what was happening on the rugby field, Italy, USA and New Zealand had each provided a ‘team’ of 15 consisting of five wines from each of three aromatic wine varieties – Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling. The New Zealand selection was represented by Nelson wines, renowned for their aromatics.
From left Ralph Kyte-Powell, Riccardo Castaldi, Leslie Sbrocco and Sam Kim.
The independent judging team included renowned international wine judges Sam Kim from New Zealand, Leslie Sbrocco from USA, Riccardo Castaldi from Italy and Ralph Kyte-Powell from Australia was the chair.
Ralph Kyte-Powell says it was a fantastic international event and he says the results from the blind tasting couldn’t have been more perfect.
“We achieved results that were really quite remarkable. If it had been organised, it couldn’t have turned out any better because we had one winner from each of the three countries participating and we also had an overall winner which was the host. It was all completely anonymous and I didn’t even know the results until I opened the envelope to read them out at the degustation dinner, so it added a real spice and some good natured ribbing to the event.”
Ralph Kyte-Powell says the First XV competition has been a huge success.
“Nelson is one of those regions of New Zealand that slips under the radar internationally sometimes. They just do what they do really well. I think this competition focussed on nelson in a way that rarely happens, which has got to be good.”
He says he could see this becoming a regular event.
“Wine is a tool for hospitality and friendship and this Nelson Wine art competition was the perfect mix of fun and serious wine competition,” says Ralph Kyte-Powell.
Daniel Schwarzenbach from Blackenbrook Vineyard, who won the best Riesling, says it was a fantastic international event that has put Nelson on the map.
“It was a real honour for us to win Best Riesling against such great competition and it’s an honour too for Nelson and New Zealand.
“Riesling is like the white pinot noir for winemakers, it’s quite a challenging wine and to win against stiff competition is fantastic. With 4 out of 5 of the Riesling winners coming from Nelson that’s all really good for our region.”
“It was a fabulous event, I’d like to thank Nelson wineart – it was so well organised and professional.”
A total of 360 bottles were flown into Nelson recently – 180 from Italy and 180 from America for the judging, the Degustation Dinner held straight after the judging, and the Tutored Tasting today.
Nelson Winegrowers Association Chairman Mike Brown says the competition has been a huge success.
“As well as promoting the quality of Nelson wines on a global level, this competition has shown that while we’re serious about making great wine, we also like to have a bit of fun. Linking wine with rugby shows just how far New Zealand has come over the past decades from a rugby and beer only mentality. I know a lot of fans who want to enjoy the rugby with a great glass of local wine.”
For those who want to sample some more great Nelson wine, the Nelson New Release Wine Tasting will be held at the Boathouse on Wednesday 28 September from 5 – 7.30pm, where guests can taste over 100 local wines and chat to the people who made them.To find out more go to: www.nelsonwineart.co.nz
For More Information Please Contact:
Nelson Wine Art – Gisela Purcell on 021 1010 366
Tasting notes are also available – please email Nelson Wineart for copies.
The 2011 Nelson Wineart First Fifteen Trophy wines are in italics
The top 5 Riesling are:
Blackenbrook Vineyard Nelson 2009 Nelson
Greenhough Vineyard Apple Valley 2010 Nelson
Woollaston Estates Nelson 2009 Nelson
Neudorf Vineyards Moutere 2010 Nelson
Cantina Produttori Valle Isarco Aristos 2010 Italy
The top 5 Pinot Gris are:
Etude Carneros 2010 USA
Te Mania Nelson 2010 Nelson
Plozner Friuli Grave 2010 Italy
Neudorf Vineyards Moutere 2010 Nelson
Chehalem Reserve Willamette Valley 2008 USA
The top 5 Gewürztraminer are:
Cantina Tramin Alto Adige Nussbaumer 2009 Italy
J. Hofstätter Kolbenhof Alto Adige 2010 Italy
St Michael-Eppan Alto-Adige Sanct Valentin 2010 Italy
Drinking Wine Could Prevent Sunburn & Even Skin Cancer
Written by Rob Soto on Aug 02, 2011, www.etidbits.com
Looking to go out in the sun? Drinking wine may protect your skin, according to a new study. The study was recently published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and the research team was led by a biochemisty major at the University of Barcelona.
The study states that a certain compound found in grapes or grape derivatives may protect your skin from ultraviolet radiation.
It was found that the grape derivatives, called flavonoids (found in red wine), can stop the chemical reaction when the sun hits your skin that causes cells to die and cause skin damage. This, in turn, can help protect the skin from sunburn that many experience while out in the sun at this time of the year. It has been even linked to possibly even prevent skin cancer.
With the new study in place, Marta Cascante, the biochemist that led the study, is encouraging those that develop skin cream products to incorporate the grape derivatives with the newly-found results. “This study supports the idea of using these products to protect the skin from cell damage and death caused by solar radiation, as well as increasing our understanding of the mechanism by which they act”, Cascante said.
For those that aren’t a big fan of drinking wine, or simply can’t, Cascante says that simply eating grapes can be just as effective. Previously, drinking wine in moderation has also been linked to preventing cavities, fighting Alzheimer’s, and preventing prostate cancer.
Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it.
