uote: Only in a society wherein people of culture and refinement inquire after their cooks' health, instead of talking about the weather, can the art of cuisine be developed. - Lin Yutang

Wine, woman, and $ong. We live, as certain posturing heads of state keep telling us, in troubled and uncertain times. Tourism is down, so therefore is air travel, and even aeroplane manufacturing. We will all, it seems, have to tighten our belts, work longer hours, earn less.

A gloomy outlook to be sure. But not all is gloom and doom. There is still a bubble or in the bottom of the glass of flat champagne. I was heartened to read in The Advertiser that our own National Wine Centre is doing its bit to inject a spritzig of effervescence into drab lives. The Advertiser reports that centre management "...Spent more than $388,000 on events associated with its official launch - including an $84,826 VIP dinner at which Kate Ceberano sang four songs for $25,000." The report also mentions that the NWC is to seek more taxpayer funding from the State Government - to "stem losses."

Recent Tastings

Tahbilk 1996 Old Vines Shiraz. This is a rare wine indeed - there cannot be many wines in the world still being made from vines 161 years old. I've had a close up look at the vines; they have ancient thick-boled gnarly trunks, some with apparently rotting wood that you can see daylight through. Looking at them you have to wonder how they grow leaves let alone berries. It is a mystery that they survived devastation in a phylloxera-prone area. To the eye: dark crimson, to the nose: loads of spicy berries and American oak. Superb on the palate with generous blackberries and chewy tannins, finishing with great strength. Rating: KKKKK. Cellar to 2010. Price: $AU85-$90.00. Invention of the Daiquiri According to Charles H. Baker Jr the Daiquiri was invented by Harry Stout and Jennings Cox in the summer of 1898, at Daiquiri '...a village near Santiago and the Bacardi plant, Cuba.' The original recipe, according to Baker, is as follows: shake or blend together 1 oz white Bacardi, 2 teaspoons sugar, juice of 1 green limes (never lemons) and finely cracked ice. Baker prefers it with only 1 teaspoon of sugar. A similar story is told - with variations - at the Bacardi site. For an interesting variation also blend in a black (i.e. overripe) banana or half a well-ripened mango - using only 1 teaspoon of sugar. From, The Gentleman's Companion, Volume II, Exotic Drink Book, Crown Publishers, New York, MCMXLVI.

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Take the Twelve questions quiz at AA to determine if you have a problem with alcohol. Jancis Robinson's 10 best wines of the 20th century At: Oxford Companion to wine Chapoutier lunch Rhne Valley winemaker Michel Chapoutier was in Melbourne for lunch a couple of weeks back at Treasury Restaurant. Michel expounded upon his philosophy of bio-dynamics and old world/new world winemaking. "I'm not obsessed by fruit." Opined Michel - having a faint dig, I thought, at Australian winemakers. "What we look for is flavour and texture." A trio of favourites: Les Granits Blanc, Saint-Joseph, 1998. Marsanne from 90 year-old vines. A nose of lime, flowers and marmalade. Rich and satisfying in the mouth, hints of honey and a faint almond finish. Croix De Bois, Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, 1998. Grenache. Dark cherry hues, slight garnet edge. Aromatic plummy bouquet. A wine just bursting with flavour - of berries and maraschino cherries - long finish. La Mordore, Cte Rotie, 1998. Shiraz - vines over 60 years old. Warm, open vat fermentation. Purple wine, ripe sweet perfumed nose. Dry-textured, showing noticeable oak and blackberries and raspberries aplenty - but with a savoury edge. Long-term cellaring prospect. More on the Chapoutier Mount Benson operation in a later E-vine.

Tasting Notes

Fleur de Lys Pinot Noir Chardonnay 'methode champenoise' 1995. Rating: KKK. Cellar: drink now to 2004. This label used to be promoted among Seppelt's premium brands - now I can't even find it on their website. This week Dan Murphy has vintage FdL on special at $10.75 the bottle - if you buy it by the 6-pack. One can only wonder what rationalisation is behind its sale at bargain basement prices. Is there a catch? Not that I can see. We tried a bottle and I went back to buy more. Pale gold, smallish and persistent bead. Fresh floral fragrance, faintest hint of yeast. Creamy and forthright in the mouth with flavours of apples and dried pears. Medium dry and zesty at the finish. Moreish and ideal for holiday drinking. Region: no details. Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz 1999. Rating: KKK. Cellar: Now to 2006. Price: around $17. Yep they're still fiddling with the classic label design - beats me. Talk about marketing and moving on, from memory the last Penfolds bin releases ('98 vintage) were in April this year, these in October. At this rate they could get the 2000 lot out before Christmas. Region: South Australia. Nearly opaque ruby in colour. Nose shows mature grapes with significant American oak - vanilla, chocolate and coconut. Softer than previous vintage uplifted by some chewy tannins. Less oak, more pleasant fruitiness on the palate - finishes firm but not for the long-term cellar. Feedback G'day Martin, Just a quick query (well actually two). Roughly how many bottles would be produced from a tonne of Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon grapes? About how many acres do you need to produce a tonne? Regards, Sam Armstrong. Sam, Production per tonne is related to the varietal, the season, time of harvest (i.e. range between plump grapes and shrivelled grapes) etc. But, as a general rule you might get between 650 and 750 litres per tonne, that is, between 870 and 1000 750 ml bottles. A typical barrique holds 225 litres (300 bottles) so you'll need around 4 barriques for every tonne of grapes used.Production per acre is extremely varied. Depends on the varietal, climate, the vintage year, the region, irrigation, fertilisation, number of vines acre, pruning techniques, etc. etc. With no irrigation you might get 1 to 1.5 tonnes per acre; with irrigation 5 to 10 tonnes and more. Of course with excessive irrigation and consequent high production the grapes are likely to be high on juice and short on flavours, sugars and acids. ____________________________________________________________________ 
An occasional commentary on the world of trivia, wine and alcohol, distributed free to wine enthusiasts, wine media and the food and drinks industry. Letters and input welcome - no payment entered into. Freelancer Martin Field has written about wine since 1978 and is a wine educator. See past Articles in the Alsop Review. Permission to quote is freely given as long as acknowledgment is made. No responsibility is taken for the content of linked sites. Copyright Martin Field 2001. Melbourne, Australia. ____________________________________________________________________

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