Winter News and Two new releases

The lizards of Canowindra

There’s a great old Australian saying, “flat out like a lizard drinking,” that doesn’t even begin to describe the last couple of months. We’ve had a Balloon Festival Week, we’ve had a Hundred Mile Dinner, we’ve had lunches with the winemaker, red blending workshops and in between it all we’ve managed to complete this year’s vintage.
Our Norwegian students, Elizabeth and Espen, think we’re mad and there are moments when we agree with them but when you see seventeen balloons in the sky on a clear frosty morning, or feed forty satisfied guests at lunch, or taste the new vintage and know that this year was something special, then that’s almost reward enough.

So we have been busy and that’s one excuse for the newsletter coming out late. The other is that we bottled the first of our 2010 vintage wines  and we thought we’d hold back the newsletter until they were in the bottle and available for sale. And they are.

A rose by any other grape

We have always believed that true rose is made best with Grenache grapes and we have written this several times in the past. So what’s a winemaker to do when the only Grenache in the district is completely wiped out by frost? He turns to another variety.
Our first experimental rose made in 2008 was made with Shiraz grapes. We, and you, liked it, but at the time we were convinced that Shiraz was not a “natural.” It was not so much that it couldn’t make great rose but that it was “difficult” and required a degree of chemical intervention that we were uncomfortable with. Many of our winemaking colleagues told us not to worry – chemistry is a part of wine they say – but we prefer to be as natural as possible and Grenache gave us that chance.
But this year, with no Grenache we were forced to look again at Shiraz, but given our preference for a natural approach, we returned to Shiraz with a difference. What we did was, as in the past, stop the fermentation when there was still sugar in the wine but this time to add the “grip”, that lovely citrus acid bite, rather than call for the chemistry book we did something unusual. We happened to have some very dry Chardonnay that we had made as sparkling wine base and we added 5% of that.
The result was remarkable and blessedly free of chemical additions, just wine. So, for description:
2010 Shiraz Rose: A shining pink, perhaps just a fraction darker than 2009 but you’d only notice if you looked at them side by side. The aroma is intense, rose petals and strawberries and the wine starts sweet like 2009 and finishes citrus dry but unlike 2009 with a touch of green apple and, we think a slightly more intense and lingering after-taste.
But we’d still prefer to use Grenache if we could get it. Making it this way is damn hard!

Order this wine at a discounted price on line by logging in at www.tomswaterhole.com.au/shopcustadminlogin.asp

The new “balloon white.”

Most of our visitors don’t ask for our Semillon Chardonnay blend, they ask for the “Balloon white” because of the balloon on the label. For some months we have had to disappoint them, but now, at last we have a new release.
The original idea behind our Semillon Chardonnay blend was that we wanted an aromatic but astringent wine along the lines of the Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blancs and this was our take on the flavour style given that we don’t grow Sauvignon Blanc in the region. Just in passing, some local cellar doors are offering a “local” Sem/Sav but the Sav all comes from either Orange or Young. There are a lot of Semillon Chardonnay blends going around, especially from the irrigation areas.
For us, the blend is something we are aiming for from the moment we receive the grapes in the winery so the parcels of grapes we use often (in fact, nearly always) have a slightly different treatment to the grapes we use for our premium Semillons and Chardonnays. Just how we differentiate them is a bit of a trade secret, sufficient to say that we do. Our blend is not an after-thought.
Waterhole Blend Semillon Chardonnay: This new release is, coincidentally an almost exact blend of 50% Semillon and 50% Chardonnay and this is the highest proportion of Chardonnay that we have ever used. It is a green/gold colour, showing an intense aromatic floral citrus aroma and a mouth filling flavour of peaches, apples and limes. It’s a wonderful alternative to those increasingly boring New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.

Order this wine at a discounted price on line by logging in at www.tomswaterhole.com.au/shopcustadminlogin.asp

Canowindra terroir

Our reds have now all finished fermenting and have been racked to our selected barrels and tanks.  Overall we are absolutely delighted with the results. It’s far too early to rank the vintage for quality but our initial impression is that it is certainly up there with 2002 and 2005. But there’s one interesting thing we thought we’d share with you.
Canowindra sits in a bowl in the hills, a bit like Mudgee. The predominant soil type is sandy loam that varies in colour from red through yellow to light brown depending on the underlying sub-soil that can be limestone, shale or basalt. But at various points the basalt breaks through to the topsoil and there are quite a few vineyards in the region that have small areas of this basalt outcropping that is generally cursed by the vineyard workers because it’s rough on the machinery.
We have noticed over the years that the grapes, especially the Shiraz, that come from this basalt soil seem to be far more intense, deeper in both colour and flavour, but we have never been able to get a large enough parcel to prove our point until this year.
This year a vineyard that was previously contracted to one of the major wine companies was turned loose and we were able to acquire some of their grapes. This vineyard is planted almost entirely on basalt and the resulting wine is nothing short of astonishing. Some of it we have hand plunged, some of it we have pumped over,  We are aging part of it in new American oak barrels and the rest we are using French.
This is going to be a grand experiment to prove once and for all the concept of terroir and to establish once and for all the best way of making top quality Shiraz.
There’s just one thing. We have never made a bigger wine. We think it will be five years before it’s ready.

A sad sight and a welcome return

Throughout the Cowra region vineyards are being pulled. Most of Swinging Bridge has been pulled, Cowra Crossing has gone, Mt Lewis is on care and maintenance and others are seriously at risk. Partly it’s a lack of water; partly it’s the poor prices and over supply. Often it’s the raw economics of the fact that an acre of land with vines on it is worth $1,000 and an acre without is $2,000. But whatever the reason there is no more melancholy sight to a winemaker than to see hectares of once lush vines pulled and stacked and waiting for burning.
But then, in the midst of this doom and gloom you get good news and one of the best pieces of news for ages is the return of Jamie and Julia Andrews to Hamilton’s Bluff.
Any of you who have visited us will have driven past the Hamilton’s Bluff vineyard on the way to our winery. The vineyard also has a very classy cellar door facility but several years ago Jamie and Julia decided to move into town and the cellar door was closed. This was a great pity because Hamilton’s Bluff and Toms Waterhole were always able to attract more people together than either of us alone.
And our wines did not compete. Jamie specialises in Sangiovese and a Chardonnay style quite different to our own. Wine tourists bought more from both of us that from either one or the other.
So welcome back Jamie and Julia and if you’re coming to visit us call in on them on the way and taste Jamie’s Sangiovese.

What’s in a name?

Well this recent Newsletter article evoked so much comment that we thought it appropriate to duplicate it here.
Apostrophe man has been to visit us. This is the mad pedant who insists on correct punctuation and who is now insisting that we should put an apostrophe in “toms.” We won’t and we can’t for two very good reaWhat’s in a name?
Apostrophe man has been to visit us. This is the mad pedant who insists on correct punctuation and who is now insisting that we should put an apostrophe in “toms.” We won’t and we can’t for two very good rWhat’s in a name?
Apostrophe man has been to visit us. This is the mad pedant who insists on correct punctuation and who is now insisting that we should put an apostrophe in “toms.” We won’t and we can’t for two very good reasons.
The first reason is that according to the Commonwealth Government Style Manual apostrophes are not to be used in capital letters and as you will have observed all our labels, letterheads and other material are in capitals. And who are we to argue with the Commonwealth Government.
But the second reason is the real one and the one that is our own dirty little secret. The sign on the bridge with the apostrophe in it is wrong! The correct geographical name for the waterhole is Toms without the apostrophe because the waterhole is named not after someone called Tom, but after a local family called Toms.
The Toms family were selectors in the district in the nineteenth century and the waterhole was named after them. When we set up the winery, almost fifteen years ago now, we named it after the waterhole, the nearest geographical feature. It’s a happy coincidence that GK’s grandfather was also called Tom.
So now you know. And why a waterhole and not a creek? Because although the creek runs for kilometres it runs mostly underground, breaking to the surface as waterholes here and there, most obviously where Longs Corner Road crosses it but also at several other places up and down stream. It’s actually very pretty, but it’s really Toms, not Tom’s.
easons.
The first reason is that according to the Commonwealth Government Style Manual apostrophes are not to be used in capital letters and as you will have observed all our labels, letterheads and other material are in capitals. And who are we to argue with the Commonwealth Government.
But the second reason is the real one and the one that is our own dirty little secret. The sign on the bridge with the apostrophe in it is wrong! The correct geographical name for the waterhole is Toms without the apostrophe because the waterhole is named not after someone called Tom, but after a local family called Toms.
The Toms family were selectors in the district in the nineteenth century and the waterhole was named after them. When we set up the winery, almost fifteen years ago now, we named it after the waterhole, the nearest geographical feature. It’s a happy coincidence that GK’s grandfather was also called Tom.
So now you know. And why a waterhole and not a creek? Because although the creek runs for kilometres it runs mostly underground, breaking to the surface as waterholes here and there, most obviously where Longs Corner Road crosses it but also at several other places up and down stream. It’s actually very pretty, but it’s really Toms, not Tom’s.
sons.
The first reason is that according to the Commonwealth Government Style Manual apostrophes are not to be used in capital letters and as you will have observed all our labels, letterheads and other material are in capitals. And who are we to argue with the Commonwealth Government.
But the second reason is the real one and the one that is our own dirty little secret. The sign on the bridge with the apostrophe in it is wrong! The correct geographical name for the waterhole is Toms without the apostrophe because the waterhole is named not after someone called Tom, but after a local family called Toms.
The Toms family were selectors in the district in the nineteenth century and the waterhole was named after them. When we set up the winery, almost fifteen years ago now, we named it after the waterhole, the nearest geographical feature. It’s a happy coincidence that GK’s grandfather was also called Tom.
So now you know. And why a waterhole and not a creek? Because although the creek runs for kilometres it runs mostly underground, breaking to the surface as waterholes here and there, most obviously where Longs Corner Road crosses it but also at several other places up and down stream. It’s actually very pretty, but it’s really Toms, not Tom’s.
Apostrophe man has been to visit us. This is the mad pedant who insists on correct punctuation and who is now insisting that we should put an apostrophe in “toms.” We won’t and we can’t for two very good reasons.
The first reason is that according to the Commonwealth Government Style Manual apostrophes are not to be used in capital letters and as you will have observed all our labels, letterheads and other material are in capitals. And who are we to argue with the Commonwealth Government.
But the second reason is the real one and the one that is our own dirty little secret. The sign on the bridge with the apostrophe in it is wrong! The correct geographical name for the waterhole is Toms without the apostrophe because the waterhole is named not after someone called Tom, but after a local family called Toms.
The Toms family were selectors in the district in the nineteenth century and the waterhole was named after them. When we set up the winery, almost fifteen years ago now, we named it after the waterhole, the nearest geographical feature. It’s a happy coincidence that GK’s grandfather was also called Tom.
So now you know. And why a waterhole and not a creek? Because although the creek runs for kilometres it runs mostly underground, breaking to the surface as waterholes here and there, most obviously where Longs Corner Road crosses it but also at several other places up and down stream. It’s actually very pretty, but it’s really Toms, not Tom’s.

Cleanskin Wine

Why do people buy cleanskin wines?  Well  I got to wondering about this…… if there is no label then there is no brand and thus no history so it’s really like a lucky dip as I see it

You see supermarket “no frills” and  “black and gold” started out with the  cleanskin concept for groceries,  except they had to put certain mandatory packaging information on the packet and all of a sudden people started to recognise the packaging and woops you have a brand.

So back to the question….do you buy them because they are cheap, you like a lucky dip or you want to put your own label on it.  Maybe you are having a function or a party and don’t care what you serve your friends!

OK what about from the winery’s point of view? Why do winery’s sell cleanskins.?

Now this might start to throw some light on what you the buyer can expect when buying cleanskins.

Excess stock…we made too much of that wine….It’s not selling as well as we had hoped……well the wine really isn’t up to our standards to put our name on it…..the grapes weren’t much good but this is the best we could do…… no-one drinks that style of wine anymore……….there’s a wine glut lets just dump it for the best price we can get……etc..etc..etc

Sometimes wineries that are exporting to several different countries will bottle a wine or a portion of  it as cleanskins because they don’t know which label it will be sold under or how the importing country will want it labelled.

Wine labels can cost as much as $1.00 each so untill you have a sure sale why invest another $1.00 a bottle to store it in the warehouse?

So what do you think? Give us your opinion.

Would you buy cleanskins?  If so have a look at Toms Waterhole Cleanskins and order on line.

Satisfied Customers

Morning Graham & Jan.

Just a short note to thank you for putting on a GREAT tasting/information and lunch for us yesterday. It really was the highlight of the trip with everyone congratulating me for the choice of lunch venue & menu. This praise of course, goes to you. It is always a concern when organizing these trips that things will turn out Ok when you haven’t actually eaten at places, but the vibes from our earlier visit and discussions with Jan – just felt right! And obviously, from the sales, the wine is also great. I think you may have some return visits. Apologies for driving off without paying!!!!!! Thanks again and continued good health and success.

Regards Norm Kitto

Springwood Rotary Trip Convenor.