2009 Vintage Survey  

23/06/2009

National winegrape crush declines
Australia’s winegrape crush declined by 7% or about 125,400 tonnes in 2009.

The total intake was 1.71 million tonnes, compared with 1.83 million in 2008.

This was below the five-year average of 1.79 million tonnes but still higher than estimated and greater than required to meet current demand.

Conditions provided for a good vintage in many regions, despite difficulties associated with drought, high temperatures and water shortages.

Red winegrapes recorded a slightly larger decline than white, but still accounted for 52% of total intake. The red intake fell 8% to 888,300 tonnes, while white fell 5% to 817,700 tonnes.

Since 2001, the red intake has exceeded white in every year except 2007.

Shiraz regains top spot
Shiraz regained its position as Australia’s most popular variety for the first time since 2006, accounting for 23.6% of total crush, compared with 23.4% for Chardonnay. This was despite the Shiraz intake declining by about 36,400 tonnes (8%) to 403,100 tonnes.

Cabernet Sauvignon fell marginally to 247,500 tonnes, maintaining its position as second most popular red variety (28% of red intake) and third overall (14.5% of total intake).

Merlot also fell only slightly to 126,370 tonnes, accounting for 14% of red intake and 7% of total intake.

The Pinot Noir intake fell by 35% to 28,000 tonnes, reflecting the challenging heat conditions in some premier Pinot Noir regions. While contributing only 1.6% of the total crush it accounted for 12% of the overall decline in intake for the year.

Other red winegrapes to show significant movement, albeit from a small base, were Tarrango (down 79% to 449 tonnes), Barbera (down 76% to 117 tonnes), Malbec (down 34% to 1,479 tonnes) and Ruby Cabernet (down 22% to 13,243 tonnes).

No red varieties showed an increase in intake in 2009 compared with 2008.

White intake more stable
While dropping to second behind Shiraz overall, Chardonnay remained the clearly dominant white variety, accounting for 49%.

Its 2009 intake was 398,600, a decline of 11%.

Of greater note, however, was the growth of Sauvignon Blanc, which increased 3% to 63,300 tonnes (representing 4% of total crush), and the even stronger showing by Pinot Gris & Grigio (up 38% to 40,500 tonnes), which moved ahead of Riesling (down 2% to 36,900.

Viognier also showed growth (up 13% to 13,300).

Semillon remained the second most popular white variety (down 20% to 76,900), followed by Colombard, which fell only 1% to 63,600.

Survey Methodology
This survey is the first quantitative national measure of the 2009 vintage, and is used widely by industry, industry analysts and media.

In April 2009, wineries were sent an email survey to determine the industry’s 2009 winegrape crush. Wineries were asked to provide details of their intakes for both 2008 and 2009 for processing into wine, brandy, spirit or juice.

Responses were received from more than 340 wineries, covering an estimated 89% of the industry’s winegrape intake. The aggregated data for the 2009 vintage was compared to the aggregated data for the 2008 vintage to obtain the relative change in the size of the intake. This was then compared to the ABS 2008 intake to estimate the size of the 2009 intake. It should be noted that the intake estimates for each variety in both 2008 and 2009 are derived from each variety’s respective share of the total crush reported by respondents to the 2009 Vintage survey.

For more information contact Susan Bell or Stephen Strachan at the Winemakers’ Federation of Australian Ph: (08) 8222 9255,

A Wine best served with Laughter  

23/06/2009

Thursday 18 June saw the launch of a fun and vivacious range of new wines called the ‘Laughter Series’ by Canberra winery, Shaw Vineyard Estate. Created for Camp Quality - Australia's leading raiser of funds and laughter for kids with cancer – these wines will help raise money to ensure children with cancer have the chance to smile.

The launch was hosted by local Canberra radio personalities Cam and Lisa from Mix 106.3 and Wallaby great Owen Finegan, and took place at Regatta Point, Canberra.
It was an exclusive event for Camp Quality supporters, sponsors, local VIP guests and media, and in keeping with the laughter theme was a wine launch in the form of a ‘Laughter Class’.

Graeme Shaw explains, "A 'Laughter Class' combines yoga breathing with laughing exercises designed to enhance your natural energies. A combination of clapping, ho-ing and ha-ing, breathing and movement paired with laughter will make you see and feel exactly why laughter is the best medicine.
Did you know that laughing reduces stress, strengthens the immunity, releases antioxidants and oxygen into the body making it a natural pain killer and that 15 mins of laughing is equal to 30mins at the gym!
A laughter class is also based around the fact that fake laughing can also provide you with the same amount of benefits as real laughing. Our motto is “fake it til you make it” because fake laughter in a class will soon erupt into a contagious real laughter and once you do it the first time it will continue to become easier and easier for you."

The ‘Laughter Series’ wines are sure to make everyone happy.  Shaw Vineyard Estate has been a strong supporter of Camp Quality for over 17 years now and wanted to take this a step further, thus the Laughter Series wines were born. From every case of the ‘Laughter Series’ sold, a $50 donation will be made directly to the local branch of Camp Quality. Shaw Vineyard Estate will be aiming to produce 10,000 cases of the new wines, raising an additional $500,000 for families and children affected by cancer.

The philosophy behind the Laughter Series is a good glass of wine goes perfectly with a good laugh, and you’re guaranteed happiness with a glass of wine created by the Shaw Vineyard Estate. The winery is a true raising star of the Canberra wine region and has won a raft of awards year after year – including 25 international awards - for their wines.

The Estate is located in Murrumbateman, with prime positioning in this high-quality wine region. In fact Shaw Vineyard Estate has the largest plantings in the region, and produces wines that are 100% Estate-grown. Like their other wines, the Laugher Series are single vineyard, premium cool climate wines. Wines of this quality would normally retail for over $15 a bottle, so at just $10.75 a bottle (sold in straight and mixed cases for $129 a case) you are getting a great deal as well as helping a great cause!

A launch in Sydney will follow shortly.

The Laughter Series                                                                             
Laughter Series Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2008         
Laughter Series Semillon Riesling 2008
Laughter Series Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Laughter Series Laughter Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2008                

$129 per case
*note this price include a $50 donation to Camp Quality

Distribution
The ‘Laughter Series’ is available for purchase via www.shawvineyards.com.au and www.campquality.org.au/laughterserieswines

Contact
Alex Gilson, Winestream Communications 
E: alexgilson@winestream.com.au      P: (02) 9439 1633

Lake’s Folly 2008 Spring Lunch  

13/12/2008

On Saturday 8th November 2008 FirstPress attended the first of the 2008 series of Spring Lunches hosted by the Lake’s Folly winemaker, Rodney Kempe. The lunch was held at the recently acclaimed Rock Restaurant (Chef’s Hats in the 2008 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide), situated in the Poole’s Rock vineyard at Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley. For more information on Rock visit http://www.rockrestaurant.com.au

As we assembled on the terrace overlooking the Poole’s Rock vines, proceedings began with salted blue eye cod in choux pastry and Sydney rock oysters from Merimbula washed down with the very fine aperitif Pol Roger champagne.

While FirstPress guests would have been happy continuing with the aperitifs all afternoon, the serious business of fine dining and tasting aged wines was about to begin. Rodney Kemp had arranged with chef Andrew Clarke for a six course degustation menu of his dishes that would accompany both aged and more recent examples of Lake’s Folly’s signature Chardonnay and Cabernets wines.

First Course: Seared scallops with apple, hazelnut, curly endive, cider and grapeseed dressing. Accompanying this was a 1989 Chardonnay, deep yellow in colour with a light honeycomb bouquet. The wine showed a lovely complex chardonnay fruit mid-palate, finishing full flavoured, and long. The nuttiness of the wine perfectly complimented the apple and hazelnut dressing on the scallops.

Second Course: Crab and zucchini flower fritters with light bisque, baby globe artichoke stuffed with prawn. To contrast the first course matching, Rod Kemp chose the 2007 Chardonnay, a lemon yellow wine with jasmine and lemon bouquet, that while younger than its predecessor, showed apple and light buttery tones mid-palate. The long dry finish held lots of residual fruit, ideal accompaniment for the fritters.

Third Course: Duck breast with braised lentils, squab rillette and liquorice sauce. Initially I was a little apprehensive that the liquorice sauce might overwhelm the 1988 Cabernets. The brown brick red colour and dusty cedar aroma gave way to an ultra-smooth, medium-bodied, lightly fruited cabernet that coped well with the juicy duck and the earthy sauce. The wine was well balanced, and proved that Lake’s Folly Cabernets have the structure to age well.  

Fourth Course: Grilled Wagyu rump, bone marrow dumpling, zucchini, oyster mushroom and horseradish cream. As the waiters delivered this dish to the table, my fellow diners were in awe of the aroma. This was a course made for the 2007 Cabernets. The wine was purple red in colour with aromatic plum and cherry bouquet. These flavours dominated the mid-palate, and lingered through to the end, reminiscent of pickled dark cherries.

Fifth Course: Wood roasted lamb rack, carrot linguini, pea puree, spiced bread and light caraway jus.  I am a devotee of the combination of lamb and cabernet, and I was not disappointed. The 1998 Cabernets is a fine wine, medium red in colour with notes of cassis on the nose, continuing through the mid-palate where a hint of saddle leather blends with the soft fruit. This is a well balanced and integrated wine of real elegance.

Sixth Course: Hazelnut stuffed prunes with hazelnut brioche and Bailey’s ice cream. Now Lake’s Folly don’t make a desert wine, and that’s something perhaps Rod Kemp could explore with a small planting of Semillon. Nevertheless we were treated to a 2002 Le Tertre dy Lys D’or. The delicious golden yellow dessert wine, had apricot and honey aromas, a luscious mid-palate where melons emerged over the apricots. The wine had great mouthfeel, and a long honeyed finish.

In between Master of Ceremonies, Steve Abbott (aka The Sandman), assisted with tales of an interesting life, interspersed with two wine options flights.

Option 1: A venous blood red wine, with violets and blackberry aroma and a hint of alcoholic hotness, delivered sweet black cherry and blood plum mid-palate, and a dry, vanilla finish. What could it have been? Perplexed, FirstPress suspected a merlot based wine, but was unaware that Lake’s Folly had ever released such a wine. Indeed it was a 2003 Merlot, made in a special (i.e. very small) batch.

Option 2: A dark purple / red wine, with lifted blackberry bouquet. The mid-palate was full of blackberry and other dark berry flavours, and the finish was big. FirstPress’ assessment of the wine as a Cabernet Merlot Shiraz blend was off the mark. The wine was a Millbrook Estate 2005 Shiraz / Viognier from Western Australia. Today’s owners of Lake’s Folly, Peter Fogarty and family, also own Millbrook Estate.

This was a very enjoyable lunch, with tastings of fine examples of varieties for which Lake’s Folly is renowned, but the Hunter Valley less so. As one of the guests of FirstPress remarked, the lunch re-awakened his palate for well-made Chardonnay, and reinforced the quality in the Cabernets.

FirstPress paid for their tickets to this event.

To learn more about the history of Lake’s Folly, and the efforts of current winemaker Rod Kempe, please visit http://www.lakesfolly.com.au

Featured Winery - Windowrie Estate (Cowra)

The O’Dea Family, believing that Cowra’s potential as a grape-growing region could only be reached by processing its own fruit locally, invested in a state of the art winery which was completed in time for the 1999 vintage. The winery was erected on a hillside overlooking the magnificent vista of the Estate’s vineyard and has the capability of processing up to 6000 tonnes of grapes. The vision for the winery was to combine the latest technology with traditional techniques, and most importantly to reduce the critical time between picking and crushing the grapes. Because the Windowrie Estate vineyards surround the winery, winemaking can begin within minutes of harvesting. [... more]

Featured Wine - 2007 Windowrie Family Reserve Cowra Chardonnay

Chardonnay has been synonymous with Cowra since Brian Croser won acclaim with his Cowra Chardonnay during the 1970s. These early wines showed the potential of this variety within the region and paved the way for future winemakers. [... more]

NEW VERSION  - WineBanq® 2008 wine cellar management software. WineBanq is an easy to use but powerful software database solution for managing your entire wine cellar collection. Just some of the many features are:

• At a glance, always see the state of your wine cellar.
• Easily add new wines to your cellar.
• Restock existing wines in your cellar.
• Rate wines from your cellar.
• Colour code wines by drinking year.
• Reporting, charting and export data to popular formats.
• Create shopping lists of wines for purchase.
• Create your own reports and charts,
• Use a powerful data grid that shows you your wines in the way you want to see them.

Download the trial version of WineBanq 2008 wine cellar management software.

View the full list of WineBanq2008 wine cellar management software features.

View Knowledge Base and User Forums.

Purchase WineBanq2008 wine cellar management software and tasting note subscriptions from the WineBanq giftshop.