Karra Yerta Wines - Barossa Ranges Ramblings & Reviews

Wine Blog Research Survey

2011-12-07T07:48:00.003+10:30

A little off topic from the usual blog posts on here, but I have just completed a survey created by three professors at the Carleton University in Canada who are collating information on wine blogs - from bloggers and readers. If you are interested in contributing, please go to this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SZ76K86

It will take about fifteen minutes to do the survey and you can check the results at http://wineblogresearch.blogspot.com

Cheers for now,
Marie

Hot in the City? Time for a riesling, then....

2011-11-02T23:19:00.011+10:30

"It's hot here at night, lonely, black and quiet, On a hot summer night, Don't be afraid of the world we made, On a hot summer night..."

Don't be afraid, indeed! There's another Summer of Riesling coming up and that can only be good. Less than a month to go until the sometimes brutal South Australian summer hits us. The green rolling hills of the Barossa Ranges will turn brown, the snakes will be out and about, and the vines will start bearing the harvest of 2012. Me? I plan to spend at least a few days at a beach with some of my favourite friends. It's one of my favourite places to sit and sip on a chilled glass of riesling.

It will soon be Hot in the City, too. I just had to throw an eighties' song into this blog post, as it's about another riesling review from our friend in the Wild, Wild West; Jesse Lewis of Good Drop (and Jesse knows how much I love the music from that era!)

If you are looking to stock up on the perfect refreshment for summer, then this wine is one of our Clearance Specials - more than thirty percent off until November 20th (conditions apply). It's drinking nicely as you will see in Jesse's review below:

Karra Yerta Wines 2006 Eden Valley Riesling

I was sent two samples from Karra Yerta back in July. The 2010 was very enjoyable, and I’m impressed by the poise of this one with four years’ extra bottle age.

Classic Riesling purity with aromas of lime, orange blossom and slate. There’s a touch of toasty wafer from bottle age. An occasional note of kerosene crops up. The palate is spicier than I expected it to be; a trait which works well again the brazen lime and stone character. Noticeable palate weight and grip too (considering the variety). A suggestion of apple pie finishes off what is an enjoyable semi-aged Riesling. A top match for roast pork with crackling, I’d be willing to bet.

Very Good – Excellent.

Closure: Screwcap

The Battle of Evermore, and of Small Business.

2011-11-01T23:16:00.012+10:30

"Queen of Light took her bow, And then she turned to go,

The Prince of Peace embraced the gloom, And walked the night alone.

Oh, dance in the dark of night, Sing to the morning light.

The dark Lord rides in force tonight, And time will tell us all."

This blog post has been brewing in my head for at least the past eight weeks. The only thing that has changed during this time, is the placement of the goal posts that I thought I was kicking toward, in September. Life's like that. Even the best laid plans go astray. Tonight, and through to the wee hours of the morning, while listening to Led Zeppelin's Battle of Evermore, I pondered many things, especially the word 'battle'.

In October, I drove, or was driven, over three thousand kilometres in distance. Toward the end of the month, it became a battle. Being surrounded by death or the dying of some of those I love and admire most, became a battle. Working so much still, knowing how tough it is to sell even a good competitive wine, let alone have all the energy necessary to run a family and two businesses, became a battle. There were days when I felt like I could sleep forever, and many more nights where I couldn't sleep at all. Existence became a battle. I'm picking up, if only because the pressure from most fronts has dropped, for now anyway.

The tough part was not being in a battle, it was not knowing how long those current battles would last. It's hard to keep going when you are worn out on every level. And unfortunately, a lot of small business owners are. Thus, I pose to you, just how important really is it for small businesses to remain viable in your neighbourhood, state and country?

As I drove to Melbourne, in the early days of October, I set myself some goals - for Karra Yerta Wines, Collective Barossa, my family and myself. They seemed to be the correct ones to aim for at the time. Five days later, on my return home, they were still the best options. I had been grieving heavily (that story will come in due course), and my heart and soul were drained. As I stopped at small country towns, and not so small ones, I took note of whether McDonalds, Woolworths, Coles and the like, were there. Watched for wind farms. Paid attention to well, things.... Lots of things. Life. I paid attention to my life, society, my place in it, my future and the future of all of us. I pondered deeply, about much.

I also gently spoke with other small business owners of many different kinds of retail outlets. They all said it had been a tough winter season. Lots of them were battling to pay the bills, as I was. Overheads in the wine industry, let alone the retail industry, are high. Even though I know what profit is, I am yet to see any, and that is fine as long as you have some idea how long the battle will last, for it is only then that you know the correct time to implement your Exit Strategy. One of my dearest friends, who is so gravely ill at the moment, and for whom I am already grieving, taught me the importance of an exit strategy and I am forever grateful to him.

I am also grateful to the many people who have helped me promote or sell our wines in the past month. Our 'Special Clearance Sale' ends on November 20. I need to sell lots of wine ("lots" to me is less than a few hundred cases) to have cash flow and reduce my overheads to remain viable with Karra Yerta and Collective Barossa.

Another thing I am grateful for is the never ending support from James, Steven (Kurtz Family Vineyards) and Mark (Gumpara Wines). Steven and Mark's commitment to selling their wines through (and serving behind the counter of) Collective Barossa, has been remarkable. Almost two years on, we have become an even tighter machine and work together so well. The respect we have for each other is incredible. It's another reason for me to keep going when I am so tired, when I can no longer speak a fluent sentence from sheer exhaustion of too many phone calls and too much talking. I love my quiet time at home, more than most people, I am sure. But for all the hard work, I still love my job. I love the people I work with, and I love meeting the amazing people that walk through the doors. These are the things that keep one going through the battle. These are also the things that change the positions of my goal posts. Life's like that. Even the best laid plans go astray........

So, in finishing off this rather heartfelt rant, I ask you all to consider supporting as many small businesses as you can. Once they close the doors, the chance of them reopening is probably non-existent. Drive past the big boys and just sometimes, drop into a small family business instead. A winery, a bottle-shop, a book shop, a gift shop, a restaurant, a cafe'. These are the people who through their own passion or stupidity (sometimes I wonder which of these two categories I fall under - maybe both!) decide they want to work long days, for perhaps no monetary payment, to follow their dreams.

I like small business, I like living in the country, and I love living in Australia. Let's all try to help Aussie small businesses survive in the future. The choice is ours! It really is that simple.

Cheers for now,
Marie

So many drafts, not enough time.....

2011-10-27T00:40:00.003+10:30

Just a short, sharp and sweet note to say, yes, I have lots of drafts of blog posts in the making - some from May this year, even. Watch this space over the coming weeks - the eagle has landed and the keyboard's about to get a pounding..........

Shortly, this actual post will be about something interesting:) Lots of changes to come, time permitting! Watch this space!

Our first review from the wild, wild west.....

2011-08-01T23:54:00.007+09:30

For some odd reason, I have never had contact with anyone in the West in regards to our wine - with tastings or with reviews, so it is with great pleasure that I present the very first review of any of our wines from the Wild, Wild West, courtesy of the very dapper Jesse Lewis:) Thanks, Jesse! To check out more of his fine work, please visit his website: http://gooddrop.wordpress.com/

As a start, I sent Jesse a bottle each of our 2010 Eden Valley Riesling and our 2006 Eden Valley Riesling, just to show him our wares, as he had not tasted any of our wines before. He surprised us with this wonderful review of the 2010 rizza:

Karra Yerta Eden Valley Riesling 2010

July 25, 2011

I haven't been drinking a lot of Riesling of late. This one has reminded me that I should be, regardless of the wet and cold weather.

It's fabulous to smell - lime, mineral, pear, apple, even a bit of mixed lolly estery action. You can pick out each aroma like they're wearing name tags, fluoro vest, or very loud shirts. This is a wine that you can sniff at for minutes, before realising that you haven't even tasted it yet. I know this because it's the second time I have done so.

What strikes me about the palate is that it shows a typical Eden Valley delicacy - limes across mineral - but a ripple of flavours pass through on the finish, without the wine losing its cool. Acidity is integrated - part of the wine rather than a separate entity; so much so that I almost forget to consider it. Every spot of flavour clings tight in the mouth, and the wine makes a lasting impression both on your tastebuds and memory. A remarkably good dry Riesling.

Rated: 94 points

Closure: Screwcap

Source: Sample

2012 Wine Companion results

2011-08-01T23:39:00.005+09:30

Karra Yerta Wines was rated a five star winery (for the first time, ever) in the James Halliday 2012 Wine Companion. Our wines submitted for this edition were scored as below:

Karra Yerta Wines 2010 Shiraz Grenache
Rating 93 Drink 2012 $20 Date Tasted Jan 11

Karra Yerta 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Rating 94 Drink 2017 $25 Date Tasted Jan 11

Karra Yerta 2010 Eden Valley Riesling
Rating 95 Drink 2020 $25 Date Tasted Jan 11

To see the full reviews, you will need to become a member ($39.95 per year) at www.winecompanion.com.au or purchase a hard-copy 2012 edition of the Wine Companion. Copyright prevents me from publishing the entire reviews.

Finally, I'm back on the chain gang: 2009 Eden Valley Cabernet reviews

2011-05-16T22:41:00.011+09:30

Whoa! I can't believe it has been so long since my last blog post. Indeed, it's been a crazy, busy year but I'm Back On The Chain Gang and writing again. Yes, we may have lost our entire crop from the Karra Yerta Barossa Ranges vineyard, for perhaps the first time in fifteen or more years, but we did manage to source tiny amounts of Barossa Cabernet and Barossa Shiraz to make a 2011 Shiraz Cabernet. It was a very difficult vintage, and such a wet summer proved too much for the incredible old vines to cope with, despite the best efforts by James. They fare much better in temperatures nearing the mid-forties.

Thus, I have been clearing our other Karra Yerta stock and working hard at Collective Barossa with not only our wines, but those of Gumpara Wines and Kurtz Family Vineyards. Most rewarding. If I thought I was in for a lazy few months until next vintage, I was mistaken. All good though; the great reviews keep coming and finally, I feel like we are making progress with our (Karra Yerta) brand recognition. There's nothing better than a midnight surprise of finding an email order in one of my inboxes:)

Our website is desperately in need of updating, and this will be tended to once our fabulous webmaster returns from a two month long holiday in the UK. In the interim, I'll be posting the past three months' reviews on here and also putting up some other posts that I have written in the previous months. The draft on the post about my trip to Brisbane in May is almost complete but I'm finding it hard to not write a novel! Yes, what an experience!

In the meantime, here are the swag of reviews that we have received since my last post in April. As always, thanks to the guys who continually give us such positive feedback regarding our wines. It really does inspire us, especially after (non)vintages like 2011!

Posted by Jeremy Pringle on Tuesday 3rd May 2011 on his website Wine Will Eat Itself:

Karra Yerta 2009 Eden Valley Cabernet
Eden Valley 14.0% Screwcap $25

Flavours and aromas first; Blackberry, boysenberry, cigar leaf, mocha and spice with just a touch of mint on the finish. It's very bright and the fruit gets lighter in colour as it moves through its line, reaching raspberry coulis by the end of the road...but the intensity never wavers.

Love the structure here. The acidity and tannin are spot on ensuring that it not only drinks well now but will hold together as it improves over the mid-term (at least). Truth be told, I'm not generally a fan of Eden Valley Cabernet but I am a fan of this. Not unusually for Karra Yerta, it over delivers for the price.

Only 32 cases were made so you might want to move fast on this one. Drink it young or drink it with some age. Either way, you can't lose.

Winery website-www.karrayertawines.com.au/

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Next, is Andrew Graham's review of July 4th, 2011 from his website Australian Wine review. (http://www.ozwinereview.com/2011/07/karra-yerta-eden-valley-cabernet.htm)

Karra Yerta Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (Eden Valley, SA)
14%, Screwcap, $25 Source: Sample www.karrayertawines.com.au

This comes from High Eden (which is the only official Barossan subregion by the way, the rest are unofficial. That's David Wynn's doing) and, with only 32 cases produced, it's a rare beast indeed. I don't think it's as dark, concentrated and sinewy as the 'estate' Shiraz, though no doubting the appeal.

The core of that appeal is just how bright it is. Bright and juicy, looking ripe if somewhat simple in style. There's a nose of blackberry, etched in sweet and easy French oak, and then more light sweet blackberries. Palate too is all easy openness and light, with bouncy blackberry fruit and even, soft tannins.

I actually thought this might be a little too simple real enjoyment, but considering that it still looked vibrant (and surprisingly serious) the next day, I'm erring in it's favour. 17.1/90

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Finally, here's the review from Gary Walsh of The Wine Front (http://www.winefront.com.au/karra-yerta-cabernet-sauvignon-2009/) which was posted on his website on July 1st, 2011:

Karra Yerta Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
It’s labelled on the front as Barossa Ranges, but comes from High Eden, which sounds like a really nice sort of place – somewhere you might eat apples in the nude, play with snakes and smoke spliffs – guilt free preferably. This is a total production of 32 dozen and yet the winery is professional enough to have a bottle image available.

A brown sauce like spice along with some mint and lavender perfume lends it immediate interest. There’s dark fruit flavours along with something fresher, like wild strawberries, and a dried herb savouriness. Medium weight, yet fleshy, with firm silty tannins and excellent pitch and carry. Not over-made and charismatic too. Think it’s going to age very well and most likely improve (more importantly). Sort of want to rate it higher, but I’ll hang the plus sign on the front door for this one instead.

Rated : 93+ Points
Tasted : Jun 11
Alcohol : 14%
Price : $25
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2012 - 2019+

And the Riesling Rocks On.....

2011-04-12T15:12:00.002+09:30

It's near the end of Vintage 2011 for Karra Yerta Wines, and that is a story in itself. This post though, is about yet another glowing review for our 2010 Eden Valley Riesling. I look forward to my trip next month, to Brisbane, to showcase many more of our wines to a small group, and plan a Collective Barossa roadtrip after pruning.

This review, by The Wine Wankers, was posted on Monday May 28, 2011. You can read it on their site here: http://www.thewinewankers.com/2011/03/karra-yerta-eden-valley-riesling-2010.html

Karra Yerta Wines 2010 Eden Valley Riesling

If it was the reviews of this wine from Messrs Graham and Pringle that brought Karra Yerta to my attention and thus purchase the wine, it was an even more recent review from Chris Plummer that prompted me to pull it out from storage and crack it open.....

From the get-go the aromas on this wine were escaping out of the bottle - before I'd even managed to get any into my glass the floral notes, accentuated by some varietal lime were luring me in. Supported by a typical minerally edge - think pebbles smoothed by the flow of a river - and some chalkiness adding further interest and edginess to the wine.

In the mouth, more lime, a touch of talc and all checked in balance by some decent acid that has your cheeks puckering up for more. The wine feels like it will go on forever. In two senses, for leading reviewer Philip White has given this wine something in the region of a 30 year life-span, but on the more immediate horizon it keeps coming at you...wave after wave.

I had the wine open for two days and it barely shifted. The only reason it survived this long is I wanted to see how it held up. Do yourself a favour, acquaint yourself with this wine whilst you can.

Source: Retail
Price: $25
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.karrayertawines.com.au/

A new release, and some new reviews!

2011-03-26T16:56:00.003+10:30

We officially released our 2009 Eden Valley Cabernet last week and sent out samples for the first time in what seemed like forever. I've been too busy to get to that rather important task since having the Collective Barossa shop open, but in my moments of waiting for customers and indeed, for vintage to start, I did send out a half dozen bottles to some of our regular wine writing friends, and even one to a 'new' taster:)

First review received on the Cabernet was from Philip White, and it was in the InDaily on March 23, 2011:

Karra Yerta Wines Special Release Barossa Ranges Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

$25; 14% alcohol; screw cap; 93+++ points ($3.01 a drink)

“HEY Ma, the lightning just smote the blackberries!” So without turning to gooey, mucky jam, the whole dang crop’s just hanging there smouldering in a cloud of dust and blue ozone, with teasing whiffs of blueberry, mint, violets and eucalypt, naughty on the acrid summer breeze. There’s pleasing crème de cassis, too. It’s the prettiest, most adorable bouquet, as cute, humorous and totally fried as, say, Keith Richards at 30. The palate is lithe yet intense: like a small block Chevvy in very tight tune. James Linke made only 32 cases of this incredible, bone-honest high-country Cabernet from old vines and no water. It should cost you $100, or $150, if all the realities of such farming regimes are honestly acknowledged. $3.01 per standard drink? Nuts! Now for gratuitous wickedness; 10 years and pink lamb for hard-core cabernet perves.

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Next is another review on our Cabernet - this one from Julian Coldrey from his site 'Fullpour' which you can read here: http://fullpour.com/2011/03/karra-yerta-cabernet-sauvignon.html

Karra Yerta Wines Special Release Barossa Ranges Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

One of the benefits of writing a not-for-profit wine blog is that I can skew my tasting towards wines and producers in which I have a particular interest. So, when this wine arrived today, it shot straight to the top of the sample pile and indeed was quickly opened when I sat down to taste. I've enjoyed all the Karra Yerta wines I've tasted, to varying degrees of course, and I believe this is the first straight Cabernet I've tried from this producer. Grapes are sourced from High Eden, thirty two cases produced.

I was half expecting the down-home, earthy style I've enjoyed so much in Karra Yerta's Shiraz and Shiraz Cabernet wines, but this is a different beast, stylistically. The nose is positively squeaky with bright fruit and high toned aromas. I don't look to Barossa Cabernet for (what I consider) varietal character, and I'm not getting a lot of the cooler climate leaf and cassis typical of, say, Coonawarra Cabernet. In its place, a simpler and more accessible aroma profile, with edges of well-judged nougat oak.

The palate was initially both disjointed and confected, and for a moment I thought this might be the first Karra Yerta wine that disagreed with me. But just a few minutes of air has seen this really come together with dramatically increased complexity and a satisfying, acid-driven structure. It's a fundamentally bright, crowd-pleasing wine in style, though, and may not be everyone's idea of Cabernet. No matter - entry shows a gentle attack that builds quickly to a red fruited middle palate, all riding nicely textural acidity. Oak is a discernible yet subtle influence throughout, contributing vanilla and nougat in turn. The after palate gently darkens in profile before a soft, lightly tannic finish rounds things off.

Karra Yerta Wines
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Posted by Julian on Monday, March 21, 2011

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Finally, our 2010 Eden Valley Riesling was reviewed by Chris Plummer of Australian Wine Journal. His glowing review is here: http://australianwinejournal.blogspot.com/2011/03/karra-yerta-riesling-2010.html

Karra Yerta Wines 2010 Eden Valley Riesling

- Eden Valley, SA

- $25

- Screwcap

- 12.5%alc

If there's such a thing as a blogger's favourite, then Karra Yerta Riesling may well be it. Messrs Coldrey, Graham and Pringle have had more good things to say about this wine than Eddie McGuire at a Nathan Buckley testimonial.

Quite simply, Karra Yerta's Riesling reflects a special vineyard that's clearly planted to the right variety. Made from 80 year old vines, it's elegantly scented with a classically austere fragrance of pebbles, mineral and chalk, given a perfumed lift by limey florals as well as a pinch of pear for good measure. On the palate however, it speaks volumes, by pumping an incredibly sumptuous depth of pure and youthful Eden Valley riesling flavour, honouring the amount of time its vineyard source has spent tapping into Mother Earth. It's utterly pristine and borderline transparent in the clarity of its saturated mineral and white pear flavour, but like a lot of the region's top 2010s, it thrusts into gear on a very long, wickedly limey finish, peppering the mouth with nuances of chalk and glistening acids which penetrate with searing precision. The whole package is remarkably well defined.

ü+ Distributors, sommeliers and independent retailers should take note; Karra Yerta's is as fine an impression of 2010 Eden Valley riesling as I've had. Drink to 2025.

95 points

www.karrayertawines.com.au

New car, caviar, four star daydream. Think I'll buy me a football team.

2011-03-26T15:13:00.013+10:30

Theoretically, this post should only be about reviews and vintage updates. Whilst we have had a few new reviews published in the past week (I will post them, in a separate post, after this blog entry), vintage 2011 for us, aside from the transporting of barrels of our 2009 and 2010 reds to our local bottling facility, has not yet started.

After months of summer-pruning, mowing (more than usual, due to the constant rains and higher growth rate), spraying (again, due to the unseasonal wet conditions), the laborious task of getting bird-netting on to protect the moreso than usual, valuable fruit, our vintage has looked a bit grim and as of today, though we have done a few baume' tests, not a single grape has been harvested from our special little hill-top vineyard.

Our eighty-year old riesling grapes are always the first to come off, and they are sitting, waiting, perhaps even sleeping in this cool weather, thinking that perhaps, this year they will amount to nothing. The flavours of the fruit are amazing. I tasted some juice only last week, and to think there may not be enough of a crop off the tiny block to warrant the high costs of processing (there is a minimum tonnage limit, so if we pick only one tonne, we still pay the fees for three tonne/five, or whatever it is - can't be bothered finding the contract, sorry), is a damn shame. We usually pick between two to two and a half tonne but it's most doubtful that we will get near that in 2011.

Economic viability is important, no matter how passionate one is. It simply will not be in our best interest to spend so much money on making a fabulous wine, that to make it worthwhile, we would have to charge $35 or $40 a bottle for. Maybe more, even. I think you get the idea. Our reds will be the same, but the costs are more drawn out, so that decision will be made at the time that it needs to be made.

Our grapes all taste amazing, and an article in last week's local paper quoted the very talented Louisa Rose, as saying that the flavours will be magnificent, despite the difficult conditions. Crops are down, state-wide more than likely. Too much rain, and the lack of the usual South Australian hot dry summer has been a little too much for the vines to bear. I guess we can't have a cracker year, every year. Ask the cereal farmers.

From my perspective, the Barossa and Eden Valleys, and the people, seem somewhat in limbo. I'm sure we are not the only region. Normally, the roads are full of hustle and bustle. During a normal vintage, as I drive to work each day, the vineyards are lined with cars, pickers' heads popping up and down throughout random vineyards, harvesters or tractors holding me up as I travel down Mengler's Hill. Quite simply, it appears to be happening in dribs and drabs, as opposed to its usual ferocity. Some people's faces are showing the stress of their hard work of the previous year amounting to little product or payment.

As stated in my recent Fear and Loathing post, it's already a savage industry. It's about to get worse. Some families/wineries may not make it; if the sale of the grapes fall through ie no crops, or not good enough quality. Botryitis is rife, in many South Australian vineyards. We have all battled mildew. It's hard work running a vineyard and at times like this, I am grateful that our incomes from the grapes and wine are not responsible for feeding our family, or paying the household bills. I am also thankful that Karra Yerta has enough stock from previous vintages to tide us over at the Collective Barossa shop, if at worst, we produce hardly any wine under our label, this year.

My heart goes out to those who are struggling, and my admiration to those who are in their vineyards, probably right now, cutting the diseased bunches out slowly, and thoroughly, by hand so that their crops will be as good as possible. No doubt, as Louisa Rose said, there is the potential to have some absolutely stunning wines produced from this incredibly difficult season.

It's going to be a struggle, and the good thing about the Barossa is that our german heritage stands us in good stead to put our heads down, work hard, and find a way through. I'm not sure how some will manage, but they will. The money factor will be hard and no doubt there will be many struggles to find funds to pay the bills, but Mother Nature has made it clear, that from all levels, perhaps only the strong will survive.

Sometimes, as much as we rely on it, "Money" is not the thing that gives us the resilience we need - sometimes it's the passion. On that note, I am off to buy myself a football team...... Or, perhaps just watch one, whilst indulging in a fine glass of Barossa red, and pondering as to when, or if, I will have to wash out the grape-buckets.

PS. The photo below, of vines on Basedow Road, Tanunda, was taken on November 24, 2010. This photo pretty well sums up what most of our summer weather has been like. Not what it should be, at all.

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There ..........

2011-02-23T12:48:00.012+10:30

After the very strange weather of the past months, this week has been a delight in the Barossa, Adelaide Hills and many other parts of South Australia. Perfect weather for a bit of exploration of all things magical, before the Karra Yerta Wines 2011 Vintage starts (only a few weeks away, now).

I had a morning trip to Adelaide yesterday, and as is my usual manner, drove to the city via the Adelaide Hills. This truly is the most beautiful way to get to Adelaide from the Barossa, and there are no shortage of photo opportunities on the way. Once my business appointments were finished, I had a spare hour or so until my meeting on the way home to peruse a fabulously charming old building, so utilised the opportunity to have a quick peek and take some photos of the setting of The Garden Of Unearthly Delights (part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival) which is held in February in the parklands on the eastern side of the CBD.

Though there were no acts playing during my visit, it was still a lovely place to walk through and get a feel of just how magical it must be when the stages are full, and the entertainers are in full bloom under the beautiful lighting that is most noticeable, even in the day time. The Garden of Unearthly Delights is in action at Rundle Park from February 10 until March 13, so there's still time for you, and me, to catch some of the national and international acts that are appearing.

Now, if that wasn't enough enchantment for one day, my next stop literally took my breath away. It was in the lovely little hills village of Gumeracha (approximately forty kilometres east of Adelaide, and about twenty kilometres south of the Barossa), which like most of the towns in the Adelaide Hills and Barossa, is steeped in history. Like Tanunda, which now has historical marker posts scattered throughout the village, Gumeracha has its own historical walk.

One of the many places of interest on the Gumeracha historical walk is the incredibly beautiful Randell's Mill, which was built in 1849 under the managment of pioneer William B. Randell (1799 - 1876), who at the time was employed by the South Australian Company. William Randell had a strong interest in milling, and archived letters indicate his strong desire to form a partnership with George Fife Angas (whom Angaston in the Barossa is named after) to establish flour mills in South Australia. The partnership never eventuated, to his dismay, but Randell forged ahead and sited a location near the banks of Kenton Creek, and the incredible building still stands to this day, in what we know as the township of Gumeracha.

With two-foot thick solid bluestone walls, and at its completion, excess of thirty foot ceilings, the mill began its checkered history. Milling ceased in 1874, after the death of William Randell, and the property became a butter and cheese factory for a short time, under a co-operative of local investors but it was not successful and came under private management. On the 19th February, 1912, the mill was partially destroyed by fire, and with severe structural damage, and most of the machinery being lost, it was left in a state of disrepair for a period of time, during which local children used it as a playground.

In 1923 it was sold to the then AMSCOL Company as a depot for milk collection until daily city deliveries made the property redundant. The first two storeys of the building were re-roofed at the second storey (the fire of 1912 had destroyed the third storey) and some form of cold store was put in place, but despite this, the building was left deserted again until 1947 when it was purchased and used as a slaughter house until 1977. Changes in the meat processing industry and the introduction of hygiene standards also made this endeavour redundant.

In 1978, a fellow named Peter Brokenshire came across the mill and commissioned architects to reconstruct and restore the building. This was a massive undertaking as the questionable structure of the building, and the lingering mess and smell of the slaughterhouse did not make things easy. However, Mr. Brokenshire persisted and in 1979 restoration of the mill was successfully completed and the result of that can be seen today. The Brokenshire family used the building as an art gallery and at the end of 1979, Randell's Mill was formally opened by the then Lieutenant Governor Sir Walter Crocker.

So now you know the history of this magnificent and very precious building. What you are not aware of yet, is what it has become today. This is where the magic steps in.

In 2006 the mill was opened as a bed and breakfast. Part of the mill was restored using red gum, recycled timber, wrought iron and cathedral glass to enhance and compliment the old stone walls. This has resulted in an incredibly beautiful historic, yet modern, stunningly decorated self-contained bed and breakfast. Only a section of the original mill is used for the bed and breakfast, while the remainder continues to be the private residence of the owners.

Bronnie and David Nash purchased the mill in late 2008 and with their love of local history and their surroundings, have tastefully continued restorations of the mill, and I have to say, on arriving at the mill to have a look at not only the mill but the bed and breakfast facility (so that I can recommend it to my visitors to the Collective Barossa cellar door outlet), I was almost speechless from the 'wow factor'. I have seen and stayed in a lot of accommodation, and in my previous years, cleaned a lot of them, also (one of my favourite places to work as a cleaner of such was at the magnificent Collingrove Homestead in Angaston).

I felt like I had fallen down the rabbit-hole, like Alice, and ended up somewhere in countryside France or Tuscany, and that was before I had ventured inside the actual accommodation facility. The building, the garden, the courtyard; the incredibly special feeling of being in this totally peaceful and visually enticing environment, is hard to put into words. Scattered throughout the gardens (the guest one and the owner's) are magical objects that create such an ambience that it is hard to do anything but walk around in awe. It gives you the feeling of never wanting to leave, and some of the comments in Bronnie's guest book are testament to that. It really is such a special place, and once you know the history of the actual mill, it only makes it moreso. This building could so easily have been demolished after the fire of 1912. Thank goodness it wasn't.

The inside of the B & B accommodation is simply amazing. Upstairs there is a loft bedroom, so tastefully decorated that it beckons you to lay on the comfortable bed and not wake up for a day or so. Downstairs is a tidy, spacious living area with all the modern amenities, including a stunning kitchen with all provisions provided (this includes fresh eggs from the chickens on the property - see the photo below of Bronnie with the resident pet pig, Mr. Windsor, the chickens and one of her friendly dogs) and a gorgeous bathroom, including a spa.

Bronnie's decorating skills leave nothing to be desired and she is known for her extra special touches to make guests feel very spoilt. Many of the Randell's Mill customers make return trips and it's so easy to see why. I can write another hundred words, or take another fifty photos but in the end, much like a perfect sunset on a Kangaroo Island beach, there is nothing - no way at all - that I can bring to you, what it is that I felt or saw, as I visited the mill yesterday afternoon. You simply have to experience it yourself. You too, will start looking for the White Rabbit, as soon as you pull into the driveway.

For more information on Randell's Mill go to their website for email and phone contact details: http://www.randellsmill.com.au/ or check out their Facebook page or Twitter account and become a fan/follower. It is an indulgent self-contained, more than reasonably priced accommodation option which caters for couples - perfect for wedding nights and of course, short breaks. One night stays are possible, but a small surcharge applies. Two night stays are recommended to really soak in the relaxing atmosphere. Give Bronnie a call or email to check out prices and promotions.

Somewhere over the rainbow......... there's hope.

2011-02-20T22:16:00.007+10:30

I find it ironic that I am following on from my previous post with this one; timing is everything in life. Sometimes when you become cynical, something lands in front of you which brings back your feeling of hope. Always remember, that you have to get the rain Before You Get The Rainbow.

I have received some fabulous emails in regards to my last post, and I thank the writers for all of them, the comments received, twitter messages and retweets. Your feedback and honesty was much appreciated:)

So, a few days after airing my frustration and disappointment at certain happenings within the wine industry (and not by any means, tied totally to the Barossa, if that was misinterpreted), I had the fabulous experience of what it is that I was trying to make you understand - the importance of working together in tough times.

Yesterday, on my day off from the Collective Barossa cellar door, I decided to go to the shop anyway, and take care of our guests who were coming for lunch, so that Mark from Gumpara Wines could focus on serving behind the counter. I enjoy working with Mark, and Steven of Kurtz Family Vineyards as we all share the same philosophies and always have lots of laughs, in between discussions on ideas for the future of our own wineries, and Collective Barossa.

Now, getting customers in for lunch and a wine-tasting may not sound like much of great interest but it was the steps that happened for them to get there that was relevant.

The customers were from Sydney, they were brought to us by a tour operator from the McLaren Vale region, the operator of which had collaborated with a bed and breakfast operator at Gumeracha, to bring the customers to visit not only our cellar door in Tanunda, but two other local wineries, a new beer shop and one of the local pubs on the other side of the Barossa (plus a few other retail stops in between). To top it off, said customers also had the pleasure of meeting a local tour operator who runs a horse and carriage business.

All in all, the most incredible example of people from many different regions, working together to provide visitors to our state with a personal and most memorable experience. By all accounts, the customers have already stated that they had an absolute ball during the entire trip, from start to finish. They personally told me that having Mark (from Gumpara) sit and chat to them (whilst I was preparing their lunch) was a highlight of their day, and they truly enjoyed his company. Everyone was happy; the customers felt that they had been spoilt, and numerous businesses had sales on the one day from these happy customers.

So how hard is it, really? That's right - it's not. I rest my case. I'm still cynical but know that there are many more opportunities like this, so will welcome any future ventures, and do my best to work with these like-minded business owners to enjoy what ultimately is about us all working to live, not living to work, and showing each other respect. Selah.

Fear & Loathing: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the Wine Industry.

2011-02-16T12:18:00.014+10:30

I've been in the wine industry for just over five years, now, and have met some of the most incredible people that one could ever wish to meet. Life-long friends, with whom I will continue to share many fine moments, over incredible views, foods and wines. Lots of deep belly laughs, and moments that make life special. But for every good part of life, there are always disturbing ones. Moments that make you step back, and wonder.

When Karra Yerta entered the wine-world, it was a tough time. Very tough, actually. I mistakenly saw it through rose-coloured glasses and can remember telling my husband of my plans to create a brand (he had been making wine for our own personal use for many years, but we had never sold any, nor applied for liquor licensing to do so to the public) and the words that came back to haunt me were "How hard can it be to sell three hundred cases of wine, a year?" That phrase bit me faster than a pile of bull-ants, my bare feet standing directly on top of their nest. I knew we had very, very good wines from an incredibly special old-vine vineyard but that was of no help. None.

I also had the support and advice from the very lovely James Lindner, of Langmeil Wines, and being a Barossa girl, whose parents had worked at Penfolds for almost thirty years each, an insight into the industry and many friends who were already involved either with the viticulture side, or the wine side. I had worked at Yalumba and Penfolds, myself, even. None of this helped much. Simply, despite the fact that I had not lived a sheltered life in any way (think hitch-hiking across the country at sixteen and partying like there was no tomorrow) I was in no way prepared for the savageness of the wine industry.

What I have realised in the past months, is that if I thought it was savage then, what has it become now? Savage doesn't even begin to describe it. Ask the vignerons who are still waiting for payment for their grapes from two years ago. Or the businesses that label or bottle wines, who are still chasing up payments from the wineries from last year, or ask the wineries who are owed tens of thousands of dollars from their distributors (the ones who refuse to answer phone calls or emails.) Or the wineries who make stupid and unprofessional errors in the process leaving people with wines who, maybe years after the wine-making, have a product that they have to recall. Or the wineries that process other honest people's grapes, make wine from it, charge top price and then when it is corked/exploding/damaged in some other way, take no responsibility whatsoever. Savage, I tell you. SAVAGE. And it's hurting families who are struggling to survive in this often, depraved and decadent industry.

If there's one thing that knocks one's confidence, it's being continually deceived and misled. Liars believe their own lies, and justify telling them by their own belief in their lies. Eventually, it makes you question your own integrity, and possibly, your sanity. The fact that grape-growers were handed Beyond Blue pamphlets (Beyond Blue is an Australian depression initiative) last year shows me that it's not only our farmers who are becoming suicidal, but now, we can add vignerons and dairy farmers to that equation. People who have worked their land for decades, being caught up in the abyss of deception.

But back to 2006. I recall the very embryonic stage of trying to sell our wines. The pressure was on - we had lots of stock, another vintage upon us, and my husband was wondering why I was not having any luck with getting our wines stocked anywhere. And I mean, anywhere. Thus, I set up a few appointments, one of which was the turning point of my entire life. The rudeness and arrogance of the people with whom I had said appointment devastated me.

The good thing about that experience was that it led me to a fellow called Philip White. In my wine-ignorant state, I had no idea who he was, as during his times of writing for 'The Advertiser', I was busy raising my children and doing volunteer work on School Councils and the like. Wine was not part of my life, in a business sense, until I hit the road trying to sell it. Via James Lindner, I managed to get hold of a list of people in the media who he suggested I contact in view to get our wines reviewed, in the hope of getting something in writing to back up their quality. The list intimidated me to no end, even though I only recognised a few names (James Halliday was one, I forget who the others were). I chose Philip White randomly. I sent him an email. When it bounced back, I turned into a nervous wreck as I simply couldn't handle HEARING any more rejection - I preferred to READ it.

To cut an already very long story short, I ended up having to call Philip (no way did I want to tell my husband when he got home from work that I had still not made any progress!) and before I knew it, I was in the car, wine in hand, and heading to Philip's residence to take him samples of our first ever Karra Yerta riesling and shiraz.

I was so anxious that I was almost beside myself, but I kept driving and hoping that by some act of God, all would go well. It did. Philip was most hospitable and invited me into his home so that he could taste the wines, there and then. As he did so, I told him of my last experience with the rude and arrogant people in Adelaide, and he quite rightly compared the entire experience to me being in a Reservoir Dogs situation. He was spot on. They were vicious -but in a silent, smiling, assassin kinda way - and almost made me give up. Philip actually wrote an article in the January 27-February 2, 2007 edition of 'The Independent Weekly' on our meeting and in it, mentioned the Reservoir Dogs. I wonder if they ever knew it was them that he was referring to. I have that same article laminated and hanging in my office. For many years, it was my inspiration to keep trying to get our wines 'out there'. It worked. In 2011, Karra Yerta is still in the game.

So, now we have the crux of this blog post. It was my own 'doggie situation' that has inspired this post, and this is why: I recently met a lovely young woman who lobbed quite unexpectedly on my own doorstep. She was flustered and dejected for she too, has been chewed up and spat out by retailers, distributors and no doubt, others on the winery side of the industry. I saw so much of myself (of five years ago) in her that I was still thinking about her last night when I went to bed, and again on waking this morning. On top of all the other things I have heard, witnessed or experienced recently, it was the final cherry on the top of the ugly - the Fear and Loathing - side of being in the wine industry.

Of course, I tried to help her, if only to explain that it was nothing that she was doing wrong, that it was just a savage market. I told her of my own experiences and gave her the addresses of certain wine-writers that I found to be most supportive of smaller wineries, and particularly of ones who really are passionate about their products (madly so, in fact, as the hope of profit surely gives us sleepless nights - what is profit? I am yet to find out!).

I think she was most surprised that I was sympathetic to her and her quest, but how could I not be? I could already see what she was facing before she told me. The stress showed on her face. Her pretty face and kind heart would only make it easier for those who enjoyed boosting their own egos at her expense. I have tried, and will continue to, try to help her. It's the least I can do.

I believe that the wine industry needs to have a good hard look at itself. I have worked hard for the past year, particularly, to not only promote the Barossa Valley as a region, but also to promote South Australian wines (I am not ashamed to admit that my favourite red wines are mostly from McLaren Vale, and why should I be? I also adore Clare and Eden Valley rieslings, if you really need to know). South Australia has so much to offer wine buffs - magnificent wines from the Coonawarra, McLaren Vale, Barossa, Eden Valley, Adelaide Hills, Langhorne Creek, Flinders Ranges, Clare, even Kangaroo Island - is it not better for us to work together than against each other? I do not understand how many people put up brick walls and just make life harder for themselves, and my 'good' wine friends, and me, in the long run. I don't drive a fancy car. I don't live in a fancy house. I like to think that I do not have a huge ego, and that I am helpful to people, not detrimental and deceptive. What I do have is a great circle of wine friends - other winery people, wine writers, customers etc and I feel truly blessed to have them in my life. It's a bloody hard industry to be in, and the sooner that people show some foresight and humility, the better. Then, many of us will be able to stop Running Through The Jungle.

Knock, knock, knocking on Heaven’s Door – Part 2

2011-02-12T23:11:00.005+10:30

This blog post was originally written for, and published on "Barossa Dirt - True tales and twisted vines" in February 2011.

From left: James Linke, Andrew Graham, Bob McLean, Colin Sheppard, Chris Ringland.

During the past few months, we have had the pleasure of the company of some wonderful visitors to our home. It’s so much fun to sit at the kitchen table in our old cottage, sharing fine wines and food, and getting to know each other face to face as opposed to electronic or phone conversations.

Each of these people has their own special reason for arriving on our doorstep, or indeed, in our neighbourhood, and it’s their own diverse reasons that will create my next few Barossa Dirt posts. The four subjects are all very interesting people – two are in the wine business in the USA, the other two are from Sydney – one involved with the wine business and the other with journalism.

My second interview is with Andrew Graham, who is a Sydney-based wine-writer (www.ozwinereview.com) and an enthusiastic and passionate wine-lover.

ML – What was the initial reason for your first ever trip, or contact, with the Barossa, and what year was it?

AG – Interestingly enough my first ever ‘serious’ wine was a Barossa Shiraz – it was the year 2000, and up until then I’d really just been a beer and spirit drinker. Wine had always been around my house, and cask wine had been a friend on more than one occasion, but I’d never really taken wine seriously. This wine was different though. It had the most luscious silky texture that I really loved. That wine was a 1998 St Hallett Faith Shiraz, and looking back I can understand exactly why I would have liked it – lots of flavour, lots of simple Barossan goodness.

ML – Which Barossan personalities have made a lasting impression on you?

AG – Charlie Melton is one person who first made an impression on me, with his sometimes laconic but always honest personality – and excellent moustache – epitomising of what I imagined great Australian winemakers to be. I like his wines, too. Bob McLean is another ‘larger than life’ character whom I very much respect due to his almost unrivalled knowledge of the area.

ML – What are some other interesting places you have been to in your travels, and/or which interesting people have you met elsewhere in the world?

AG – That’s an interesting question! Perhaps the best way to answer this would be to talk about the more interesting winemakers I have met, such as some Indian vignerons whom are working on one of the larger Indian vineyards. Their enthusiasm was unbridled, happily admitting that whilst their wines were still not quite there yet, that India would eventually become renown for it’s wines.

ML – Compared to some of these places, what makes the Barossa an appealing place to visit?

AG – One of the appealing things about the Barossa is simply how unlike most other Australian wine regions it seems to be. I’m sure it’s a cultural thing, driven by the old German heritage, but grape-growing and winemaking seems to carry even more significance in the Barossa, more respect even.

ML – What are your favourite Barossan places to visit and why?

AG – That’s an easy one. Flaxmans Valley is the most attractive part of the Barossa. It’s the extra lushness and greenery, that comes courtesy of Kaiser Stuhl Conservation Park in part, that makes it feel that much more natural and peaceful. It’s colder though, which I’m no fan of as I’m a warm blooded Sydney man who doesn’t deal well with cold!

ML – Do you have any favourite Barossa foods or wines?

AG – Did someone say Linke’s bacon? Barossan smallgoods are the picks in the food department. Eden Valley Riesling is not the ideal smoked meats match, but it does refresh…

It was a pleasure having Andrew visit, and we look forward to his next trip to the Barossa. My next post will feature a very interesting couple from the United States. Stay tuned.

Cheers for now,

Marie Linke

Tiny URL for this post: http://tinyurl.com/4nex2ys

Knock, knock, knocking on Heaven’s Door – Part 1

2010-12-27T01:58:00.009+10:30

This blog post was originally written for, and published on "Barossa Dirt - True tales and twisted vines" in November 2010.

From left: Don Ross (Secretary of the Barossa Valley Archives & Historical Trust), Carl Holm

During the past few months, we have had the pleasure of the company of some wonderful visitors to our home in this magnificent part of the Barossa Ranges, which my husband refers to as ‘God’s Country’. It’s so much fun to sit at the kitchen table in our old cottage, sharing fine wines and food, and getting to know each other ‘face to face’ as opposed to electronic or phone conversations.

Each of these visitors has their own special reason for arriving on our doorstep, or indeed, in our neighbourhood, and it’s their own diverse reasons that will create a segment of my Barossa Dirt posts. The four subjects are all very interesting people – two are in the wine business in the USA, the other two are from Sydney – one involved with the wine business and the other with journalism.

My first interview is with Carl Holm, who is a Sydney-based freelance journalist. He has a passionate interest in German history and has visited the Barossa twice in 2010.The photo above is of Carl (at right) with Don Ross, who is the Secretary of the Barossa Archives and Historical Trust. The photo was taken inside of the Barossa Museum.

ML – What was the initial reason for your first ever trip, or contact, with the Barossa, and what year was it?

CH - I was collecting audio material for a radio documentary for Radio Deutschewelle, Germany’s international broadcaster, in February 2010.

ML – Which Barossan personalities have made a lasting impression on you?

CH – Peter and Margaret Lehmann, because they are very funny and pull no punches. They also fire off of each other when you speak to them together.

ML – What are some other interesting places you have been to in your travels, and/or which interesting people have you met elsewhere in the world?

CH – I worked in Germany for three and a half years, and in the process fell in love with France. I also love the Czechs for their ‘gallows’ humour.

ML – Compared to some of these places, what makes the Barossa an appealing place to visit?

CH – The time that I spent in Germany gave me an interest to investigate the waves of German immigration and the Barossa Valley is part of that.

ML – What are your favourite Barossan places to visit and why?

CH – The smaller wineries that have exclusive products that are not readily available outside of the Barossa. I like visiting old churches and cemeteries. One day I would like to come back with a tent and a motorcycle and see it from a different perspective, again.

ML – Do you have any favourite Barossa foods or wines?

CH – Wines: Henschke Pinot Gris, Kies Family 2000 Dedication Shiraz. Food: The kangaroo fillet from the Tanunda Clubhouse.

ML – What is the appeal of Flaxmans Valley to you?

CH – The only banjos you hear of a night-time are the banjo frogs.

ML – Thank you, Carl for answering these questions, and for being a fan and advocate of the Barossa.

Cheers for now,

Marie Linke

Tiny URL for this post: http://tinyurl.com/2apmy43

The importance of being earnest.

2010-12-27T01:45:00.004+10:30

This blog post was originally written for, and published on "Barossa Dirt - True tales and twisted vines" in September 2010.

ear·nest² (ûrnst) n. 2. A token of something to come; a promise or an assurance.

The name ‘Barossa’ is quite well-known, and its adjacent GI, Eden Valley, despite having some rare, very old vineyards, could be considered one of the new kids on the block as far as global public recognition goes. But somewhere in between these amazingly beautiful, yet different GI’s is a secret sub-region. Despite a variable grape production since the 1860’s (starting with currants being grown), it is only in the very recent past that Flaxman’s Valley has begun to emerge publicly as the quiet, mysterious, yet stunning and very special wine-producing place that I have been fortunate enough to live in since 1985.

A special ridge exists in the northern part of Flaxman’s Valley. It stretches from Bob and Wilma McLean’s property on the northern tip (the McLean’s property was one of my ancestors original homesteads), to the southern tip where the famous Heggies and Pewsey Vale vineyards lie. This ridge is bordered by the Kaiser Stuhl Conservation Park, with the Tanunda Creek weaving a well-worn path through properties and park alike as it heads to the west, down Menglers Hill to meet the Para River. In between these two tips are the miniscule settlements of Randall-Town and Argent-Town, aptly named after the families that settled there in the early 1900’s.

The Randall families planted vines and fruit trees on settlement. They worked the vineyards passionately for numerous decades. A kilometre to the south, the Argent families did the same thing. The old vines tended by the Randall families by hand, are now the grapes behind the Ringland Vintners, Hobbs Vintners and Karra Yerta Wines brands. Further to the south, the remaining Argent vineyard provides the bulk of the Flaxman Wines portfolio. Vineyards planted by my own ancestors existed on the (now) McLean’s property until the vine-pull scheme of the eighties (the previous owners pulled out the precious old vines). Bob and Wilma McLean have since replanted, thankfully.

The wines that are produced from this ridge are incredibly special, and as there is not a mains water supply at all in the area, even for housing, most of the vineyards are dry-grown aside from the very rare watering in major heat-waves by irrigation from small dams or bores. Irrigation is not a major part of the care-taking of these vineyards as the region itself has a very high rainfall average (around twenty-eight inches). Most of the vines are so old and deep-rooted that they seem to fare very well in the extremes of the South Australian summers. Not to forget that while the Barossa Valley floor sizzles, it is usually at least a few degrees cooler in the Barossa Ranges. On forty-five degrees celcius days, that can make a huge difference to survival of canopies, and subsequent grape protection from the elements.

But there are always exceptions to the rule of a hot, dry, Barossan summer. In January 2007 we had almost two inches of gentle rain which made for an exceptional vintage. Our 2007 Karra Yerta Riesling remains one of our best produced yet.

The wines from this ridge will continue to impress for many decades to come. I can assure you of that. Some of the special visitors that we get to the region also confirm it, but more about that in one of my next posts.

Cheers for now,

Marie Linke

Tiny URL for this post: http://tinyurl.com/28yc5gd

One of the best rizzas in the world, no schist!

2010-11-07T14:47:00.006+10:30

Welcome to my one hundredth blog post! Firstly, thank goodness that it's November - October was a mad month for us; I had two trips to Melbourne; one driving, one flying; we released our vertical riesling six pack (2005 to 2010 vintages, all in the one pack), and we won our first ever Gold Medal.

Then, of course, there were the numerous samples to send to wine writers across the country and once they were received, and subsequently written up, things became even more hectic. I'm slowly catching up with things and so today, during breaks between customers at the Collective Barossa shop, I'm utilising the spare time to post the latest reviews on our 2010 Eden Valley Riesling.

There are three reviews. One each from Philip White, Jeremy Pringle and Julian Coldrey - all riesling lovers, and all terrific advocates of the special little vineyard that produces our riesling, year after year. Many thanks to them for their honesty, and their support of our tiny business.

The first review is from Jeremy which can be found here: http://winewilleatitself.blogspot.com/2010/10/2010-karra-yerta-riesling.html

Karra Yerta Wines 2010 Eden Valley Riesling

Eden Valley 12.5% Screwcap $25 Source: Sample

I've tasted/consumed six straight vintages of Karra Yerta Riesling now and I think I'm starting to get a feel for a very special vineyard and a style of winemaking for which I have the greatest respect.

This may be better than the superb 2009. It has the same purity and a similar flavour profile; maybe a little more forward, but it's longer and the acidity/minerality is simply stunning. Limes with a suggestion of green pear and watermelon. There's talc on the nose but it's more about river pebbles on the back palate. A little spice for good measure too.

Clarity and intensity are faultless and that tart, minerally dryness goes on to meet the horizon. Quite approachable and very enjoyable now, especially as the acidity is on the softer side for the region, but it will age gracefully too. Supremely good Riesling. It reminded me that I still appreciate the classic Australian style a great deal, especially when the quality is this high.

Winery website- http://www.karrayertawines.com.au/

Thursday October 21, 2010

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The second review is from Julian Coldrey - which you can read in full here: http://fullpour.com/2010/10/karra-yerta-riesling-2010.html

This is a wine I look forward to each year.

Youthful spritz in the glass and swirling, estery fragrances on the nose. This is many things at once: the Karra Yerta vineyard with the vivid, neon-pastel tones characteristic of this site, an Eden wine full of bath salts and minerals, and a product of its vintage, showing a richness I've not seen from this label before. Realistically, this needs a few more months to blow off some residual sulfur and show its pristine self, but already there's much complexity and detail, which is impressive in any wine, let alone a wine made so simply and available at such a reasonable price. No wonder Australian Riesling is so revered.

The palate is powerful and full, again showing a relatively rich, fleshy fruit flavour profile. In addition to the expected lime rind and lemon juice, there's a hint of papaya alongside crystalline minerals and rather breathtaking acid. Good intensity. The texture here is wonderful; chalky, dry, etched. It's a refreshing foil to the fruit flavours and ensures this wine leaves the palate clean and refreshed and, most importantly, eager for another sip.

Another cracker from this vineyard.

Karra Yerta Wines Price: $A25 Closure: Stelvin Source: Sample

Posted by Julian on Saturday, October 23, 2010

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Finally, our third review - this one from Philip White who was the first wine writer to give us the confidence to continue with our dream of making special wines from the remarkable hilltop vineyard:) Philip's review was published in The Independent Weekly in mid-October 2010.

Karra Yerta 2010 Eden Valley Riesling, $25, 12.5% alc, screwcap, 94+++ points.

This is as tight, austere, flinty and reserved as Riesling gets. Grown by the Linke family in the ancient schists and sandstones of the Flaxman's Ridge in the High Barossa, it's an unirrigated old vine marvel that's set for a good 30 years of cellar. While some will simply find it far too tense and humourless, it never fails to draw wows and bows from the hard-core Rizza set, and still has my head shaking in awe. It deservedly won Gold in the recent International Riesling Competition in Canberra, and it's selling quickly, so jump.

More reviews and medal news!

2010-10-20T00:54:00.008+10:30

I had a completely different blog topic for this post but then realised that I have neglected to write about some very good news for Karra Yerta!

Our big news for the week is that our 2010 Karra Yerta Wines Eden Valley Riesling won a Gold Medal last week at the 2010 Canberra International Riesling Challenge. This is Karra Yerta's first Gold Medal and needless to say, we are incredibly happy.

It just so happened that we received this news a day before flying to Melbourne so while we were away, we celebrated the win, along with the birthdays of two special friends, by drinking french champagne and of course, some Karra Yerta Riesling:)

We have also had two other reviews written recently - one on the 2010 Riesling, and one on our 2007 Shiraz Cabernet. Both reviews are written by our Sydney friend, Andrew Graham, who we have been sending wine to for years now. As you will read in Andrew's reviews, he prides himself on his honest appraisals. He's a true wine lover, and integrity must be his middle name. Please read his thoughts below, and then go to the links to his page to see further comments, from Andrew and myself.

Please note that our website is still to be updated with this wine (and in fact our recently released 2010 Shiraz Grenache), however both wines are already on the website order form. It is an understatement to say that I have a huge to-do list!

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Sunday October 17, 2010

Karra Yerta Riesling 2010 (Eden Valley, SA)
12.5%, Screwcap, $25
Source: Sample
www.karrayertawines.com.au

This picked up a gold medal over the weekend, which prompted me to pop some in the fridge. Second time I've had this actually and it looks even better now with an extra month in the bottle. Definitely an opulent wine this year, but in a very correct fashion. Again excellent stuff. Maybe a little fuller than the 09?

It's green in the glass this. Water green and neutral looking. But the smell! What wafts out is Eden Riesling perfection. Lots of lime juice, wet pavement and more lime juice in a big, nose-filling dose of Eden awesomeness. Palate is dry and pithy, showing some banana ferment characters, grapefruit and soft (though powerful) acidity. Long. Very long. Interesting to note that 'soft' acidity, for I tend to think that Eden and Clare Riesling acidity can sometimes be a little hard and clunky (which I often wonder whether that's due to injudicious additions). Not this wine.

All in it's a lovely, powerful, concentrated Riesling in classical form. For mine this is what Eden Valley Riesling is all about, and it's a style of wine that I absolutely dig.

The glass in front of me appears to be leaking.... 18.7/95

***********************************************************

Friday, October 8, 2010

Karra Yerta Shiraz Cabernet 2007 (Eden and Barossa Valley, SA)
Screwcap, 14.5%, $25
Source: Sample
http://www.karrayertawines.com.au/

Dear Flaxmans Valley,

I love you.

Or at least I love the wines that are produced from the grapes grown upon your rolling rocky hills. What's more, my love is stoked by just how consistent these wines are. Year in, year out, I am surprised by just how good your wines can be, like a warm and generous embrace that never loses it's intensity.

But this wine is not wholly sourced from within the confines of your vineyards. Oh no, this includes some warmer Barossa Valley fruit, contributing some different flavours to your elegant intensity.

Thankfully though, this cross blended red does your reputation good justice. It smells of ripe, briary red raspberry fruit, beetroot and sleek chocolate oak. It's a warmer nose than shown by some of the previous vintages of this wine, with a warmer palate to match, but it still feels... vital. Full of life. Soft and languid, polished and generous. It's still a little harder, a little more meaty, stewed and chewy in the context of the typical Karra Yerta style, but it never crosses over into desiccation.

In short, it is another good wine from a superb vineyard. It's not the greatest wine of the lineage, but it's - again - an enjoyable drink. 17.2/90

Keep your eyes on the road, and your hands upon the wheel.... and the laptop.

2010-10-05T10:45:00.019+10:30

I started writing this post on my way home from Melbourne, one of my favourite places to visit, so rather than start from scratch, I am going to try to continue the flow as I sip on a glass of red, and reminisce about my wonderful five day break that I waited three hundred and sixty five days for. I didn't have the Roadhouse Blues at all:) Oh, how I love The Doors! But back to my post which I started four days ago:

It's a magnificent spring day and as I have a few hours spare, while my co-driver takes the wheel, I plan to utilise the time to catch up on my blogs and other social media.

On the long weekend of October, every year, I travel to Melbourne to meet up with a group of Melbournian ladies to attend the Hawthorn Football Club Best and Fairest Dinner (officially known as the Peter Crimmins Medal Dinner). It's always great fun and I also make the odd wine appointments here and there. This time round however, I seemed to have spent more time talking about wine privately, than at business appointments, and as I could actually share a glass or two whilst doing so, it made a nice change from standing behind the counter of the Collective Barossa shop.

I think that I made much progress on convincing people that riesling is worth revisiting. I am still amazed at the general misconception that in a city of (what I find) predominantly Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay drinkers, most people think riesling is a sweet wine. If I had a dollar for every time that I heard people speak of the rieslings of the late seventies/early eighties with much disregard and certainly not fond memories, I'd be fairly wealthy at the moment. It's very rewarding talking to people and being able to hand them a glass of our riesling, and see their reactions. I really do think that riesling will become more popular sooner than later, especially now with the International Riesling Scale which tells consumers, in a simple diagram on the back label, just how dry or sweet the contents are. I simply didn't have time to get the scale put on our 2010 riesling but certainly will for our 2011 vintage.

The Hawthorn Dinner was wonderful, the wine meetings and new friendships made were incredible, and the journey itself through Victoria was magnificent. Due to the recent rains/floods, the drive through Victoria was astonishingly green and lush. In past years, I have seen dust and fields of yellow and brown; smelt the drought in the air, felt it in my skin. Scary stuff when it's usually the last days of September or first days of October (not even summer yet) when I have witnessed the dire need for good rains throughout the state.

Through such pretty towns as Great Western, Ballarat, Inglewood, Horsham, Bendigo, Loxton, and through the heart of mallee country; Pinnaroo, Bordertown, Ouyen, I saw Australia's raw, natural beauty. I saw through the eyes of the international travellers that lob into the Collective Barossa shop, travelling to or from, Adelaide to Melbourne. I felt their sense of wonder. It took my friend and I approximately fifteen hours to drive back (it usually takes about nine or ten hours). We stopped at some towns for petrol, coffee, food, and a spot of other shopping, but most of the delay was caused by me wanting to stop and take photos! I had a very patient and understanding friend with me. I think in the end, he loved it, even though it meant arriving home many hours late, at midnight:) Sorry about that, Sue:) I feel that I captured some of the heart and soul of rural Australia in my photos this year, which is a total contrast to those taken at the same time/same events from 2009. Amazing.

To all of the friends and business acquaintances - old and new - who made our trip and stay so very hospitable and full of incredible memories, sincere thanks. I look forward to visiting again in the near future! And, if you are reading this and have not travelled through the towns that I have mentioned, mark it down on your to-do list as it truly is worth it:)

My recommendations for this trip are the Country Bakehouse at Loxton (country style food which is always sensational) and the Melbourne Tramcar Restaurant (an amazing experience and the staff and food are A+).

Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows with a Lazy Ballerina.

2010-09-13T22:09:00.010+09:30

There's nothing like spending a cool night in a warm place. I can't think of a much warmer place, in many ways, than the Lazy Ballerina cellar door at Kuitpo, just a ten minute drive from McLaren Vale and an hour and a half from the Barossa. I've mentioned the Lazy Ballerina and James Hook many times, and frankly, if you still haven't got the message that this is a must-do for any wine fan, then you must have a good reason for it.

It truly is a remarkable place, and the wines are divine. The Hook family (James, his Mum and Dad) are incredibly hospitable and know how to put on a good show, and a good show it was on the evening of Saturday September 11th, 2010, when for a bargain price of $20 per person, you could taste the Lazy Ballerina new releases (2007 Lot 13 Grenache and 2006 Fortified Vintage Grenache) and enjoy the never-ending and most delightful Italian-inspired goodies made by the hands of Mrs. Hook. What an incredible experience.

I took some of my best friends with me on the night, and the husband of course. All three of them had never been to the Lazy Ballerina before, nor met any of the Hook family. All three were completely impressed, with everything - the wines, the people, the food, the setting, the cellar door, everything! How could you not be? The gardens, even at night, are stunning and I can recall the very first time that I met James Hook; he was busily loading wheelbarrows of mulch to spread over the enormous and beautiful garden. A busy man who always has a smile and such lovely manners, even when totally worn out from gardening after a hard days work at his other job(s).

Our small group was also joined by Robyn Smith of Robyn's Southern Spirit Tours. Robyn kindly provided accommodation and arranged transport for the night and was just as impressed by the wines on offer. My accompanying song for this blog post sprang to my mind when I thought of the bus trip home that night - what a great memory to have forever; full bellies, the taste of those delightful wines still fresh in our mouths (and a few cases next to me on the bus:), lots of laughs and a perfect end to a wonderful evening. Ironically, this song is filmed on a bus, but that's not why I chose it - that was due to the fact it was such a happy, bright, feel-good song. And that is exactly how I felt on the night and still feel when I think of it. Here it is: Lesley Gore's 'Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows' - a classic from the 1965 film 'Ski Party'.

I also met Bec Hardy and Richard Dolan who are very lovely, and I managed to finally bring some of the K1 wines home with me. K1 is definitely on my list of cellar doors to visit on my next trip south. An extra surprise was personally meeting one of my Karra Yerta Wines Facebook fans, Judy. We had an absolute ball getting to know each other and plan to meet up again soon.

I truly love going to McLaren Vale - the hospitality down south is second to none. I always have a great time. The bonus is of course that I also love the regions wines. Tough life being in the wine industry. Seriously, it's not all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, you know!

Look, look, look, lookin' out my back door.

2010-09-13T22:04:00.015+09:30

I'm quite enjoying picking out my favourite songs to listen to while I write my blog posts and do other computer work. Tonight while I was thinking of this particular blog entry, I had a Creedence moment, so the song for this one is 'Who'll stop the rain?'

I'm listening to the song, and the rain, right now. Last weekend, Spring really was here with the glorious sunny Spring days that the Barossa does best but Winter has given us a reminder tonight that perhaps she is not quite ready to move on. The Barossa has had an amazing amount of rain over the past few weeks and our dam filled up, almost overnight. Our old, deep-rooted vines are loving it, and it will certainly hold them in good stead for a hot, dry summer, which will be here soon enough.

When the rain falls so steadily, and for so long, I am even more appreciative of the fact that I live in the Barossa Ranges, where flooding is not quite the issue as much as it is to those who live on the Valley floor. I witnessed the aftermath of the Barossa floods in the early eighties and will never forget the devastation that it caused. I can still remember the interior of the house I helped to clean. I was completely stunned at how almost nothing was able to be salvaged. It took months for people to recover from that.

The photos below were taken in the first week of September - the first is of our dam, which rarely fills to capacity, and the second is of the Bethany Creek. It was quite amazing driving through the Barossa and seeing so much water about in the first week of September!

On a completely different note but still Barossa orientated, last Thursday night I was privileged to be part of a core group asked to attend a meeting at the Tanunda Club to discuss my involvement in an innovative idea of the Barossa Wine and Grape Association to promote the Barossa. I won't elaborate at the moment other than to say that I feel very honoured, and am really looking forward to being a participant and spending more time doing what I love to do - writing. If you want to see a whole different perspective of the Barossa from some of the personalities in it, then keep an eye on this page, which should be officially launched sometime in October, if not before: Barossa Dirt. It's going to be a lot of fun and I'm already making notes to use over the coming weeks.

Speaking of notes, there was much note-taking on the weekend during a visit to the Barossa by Sydney wine-blogger, Andrew Graham. Whilst I took some notes regarding Andrew, he took lots of notes about the vineyards in our area and had a chance to speak with some of the fascinating personalities of our special ridge. We hosted the afternoon for our guests in our old red gum stable and though a small get-together, it was simply sensational to sit and listen as Bob McLean and Chris Ringland discussed soils, techniques and their opinions of pretty much anything and everything to do with vines and wines. James and I, and Colin Sheppard, sat entranced by the stories told by Bob in particular, and the table of wines was one to be proud of - 2000 Chris Ringland Shiraz, 2000 McLean's Farmgate Barr-Eden, 2010 Karra Yerta Eden Valley Riesling, 2010 Flaxman Wines Eden Valley Riesling just to name some. Wow, what an afternoon.

Later in the evening, James, Andrew and I met up with the other Collective Barossa guys, Steve Kurtz and Mark Mader (and Mark's lovely wife, Amanda), for a classic Barossa pub feast at the Angas Park Hotel in Nuriootpa. We had a fabulous night with much laughter, and yet more good wine and food.

An exhausting but exhilarating day, and a real insight for Andrew into some of the people of the Barossa. I will be writing more about Andrew's visit in another blog entry in the very near future, but first I have to write about the other happenings of last weekend. That involved a trip South to one of my all-time favourite places and will follow soon:)

History never repeats.

2010-09-06T22:43:00.009+09:30

I'm having a bit of a Split Enz moment tonight - if you aren't familiar with the song 'History never repeats' then you should listen to it here. Split Enz were one of my favourite bands in the eighties and I find them (and the Finn brothers' offshoot, Crowded House) rather inspiring to listen to, when I am writing.

Speaking of inspiring, opening the Collective Barossa shop in the magnificent historical landmark c.1866 building which houses the Barossa Museum in Tanunda, was serendipity as far as the continuing journey to write my first (published) book. I have dreamt of writing this particular book for at least five years, and whilst I had the basic concept of it in my head, I had been unable to find a starting point in many ways; the format, the publishing and a sense of confusion as to how I was going to expand on the very early history of the region with little experience of digging so deeply through archives, and not having the time to do so. So by having a shop in the Museum (also the Barossa Valley's first Post Office and Telegraph Station) and walking regularly past the amazing array of historical items whenever I venture to the toilets or glass washing area, I have found the encouragement to begin working on what will no doubt be a very rewarding project.

As my ancestors were the third largest landholders in the Flaxman's Valley area until the very early 1900's, I have long been curious as to how the land was divided up, and how much of it is still in the hands of generations descended from these first families. Some of the (previously) well-known families of this region (which I have lived in since 1985) such as Argent and Randall, married into my ancestors families, and small sections of the region were even named after them i.e Argent-Town and Randall-Town. The past fifteen years or so have seen most of these families leave the region, and with many newcomers to the area, our history was slowly being lost, and this is what gave me the original idea of recording what I could, whilst some of these family members were still alive and able to contribute to what will possibly be the first book dedicated to this region.

My landlords of the Collective Barossa shop are the small and amazing group of people who dedicate their time, on a voluntary basis, under the banner of the Barossa Valley Archives and Historical Trust. Since 1963, when the Trust was formed (due to concerns that the Barossa was fast succumbing to development and the subsequent loss of our valuable historical buildings and items) the members of the Trust have preserved an incredible array of anything and everything that relates to the Barossa and its German heritage. Many of them have recorded some of the informaton in a collection of historical books and their passion and skills are second to none.

I have enlisted the help of one of the members, Mr. Reg Munchenberg, to help me in researching information to write an accurate account of what the Flaxman's Valley area was like from settlement in the late 1840's to the early 1900's. Reg is a wealth of information and his experience in historical research is truly amazing. I thank him sincerely for his assistance, and have no doubt that without it, I would never have been able to get this project started so soon. It is really important to me that some of the older generation - my former neighbours in the area in the 1980's - get to see this book finished as they have already shown such excitement at the prospect, and gratitude to me, even in this very embryonic stage. Earlier in the year I sent out questionnaires to former residents to see if they were interested in participating, and I was thrilled to check my mail and see the completed questionnaires, copies of photos and heartfelt notes enclosed. I feel privileged to have lived out here early enough to have seen the lifestyle that was so simple and different to what it has become over the past fifteen years.

The photo below is of Reg with some of the information he has already collated for me. Now, in my spare time, I get to the fun part of reading it all, cross-referencing and formatting it into a very interesting beginning to my book. I look forward to the day when I can proudly announce that "Tales from Bullfrog Flat" is published and ready to read:)

A few of my own Barossa Secrets.

2010-08-15T15:26:00.019+09:30

I seem to have written a lot of blog entries recently on the McLaren Vale region, which I obviously love, so thought it was time to give my own region a bit of coverage. The Barossa is home to an astounding amount of wineries - some long established, others much newer. There are so many to choose from but of course, I do have my favourites; favourites to take my visitors to, for not only wine, but perhaps for the gardens or historical buildings (Rockford, Yalumba, Henschke), and my own favourite wines (Soul Growers, McLean's Farm, Loan, Hart of the Barossa, Kurtz, Michael Hall, Tim Smith, Gumpara, Wroxton). I often struggle to decide which bottle to open at night, when I am home and it's no wonder why. There is so much to love about the Barossa, wine-wise, but we also have an amazing array of gourmet goodies, and some much lesser known than the Maggie Beer range, or the meats from Schulz Butchers in Angaston, so I would like to share some of my favourite food places with you in this post.

Firstly, whilst many visitors to our area know of the Angas Park range of dried fruits, not many have discovered my ultimate favourite place to get special fruit goodies. A few kilometres out of Angaston on the northern side (the road to Moculta) there is a turn off onto a quaint country road called Gawler Park Road. Almost two kilometres along this road, on the left hand side, is a divine family business called Gully Gardens. The orchard has been tended for many, many years by the Steicke family (whom our family have known for a very long time) and they now have a gorgeous little shop (next to the same shed that I have sat in and cut freshly picked apricots for them) where you can buy their beautiful tasty produce, either dried or fresh.

Gully Gardens is owned and operated by Rick and Rosemarie Steicke with the help of their family. Some of their dried fruit specialties are apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears, prunes, minced products, confectionery, chocolate dipped fruit, goodie baskets and gift lines. Their fresh fruit in season includes apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears and plums. They are open on Thursdays and Fridays from 9.30am to 3.00pm, Saturdays 9.00am to 12.00pm or by appointment. I highly recommend a visit there and as you will see from the photos with this blog entry, it is more than worth it.

Next on the list is Victoria and Frances McClurg's sensational Barossa Valley Cheese Company. Every time that I walk into this shop, it is a feast for the senses. Victoria, Frances and their small band of helpers make the cheese on-site and it really is an asset to the region, with the cheeses winning many awards already. The inspiration for this business was Victoria's travels through France, and she also did three vintages over there. She was incredibly impressed with France's love of cheeses so on her return to Australia she set about starting up her own gourmet cheese business, and this is the result of that, and her business partner and Mother, Frances, passion and hard work.

Their range of hand-made artisan cheeses include Vache Curd, Peri Feta, Babybert, Barossa Camembert, Barossa Brie, St. Kitts, Washington Washrind, Wanera, Petit Prince, and Petite Princess. The Barossa Valley Cheese Company is open Monday to Friday 10.00am to 5.00pm, Saturday 10.00am to 4.00pm, Sunday 11.00am to 3.00pm. You can visit their website here: www.barossacheese.com.au They are located at 67b Murray Street, Angaston.

Finally, my favourite place in Tanunda for a light lunch or coffee: Keil's Coffee & Fine Foods is a little cafe' at 63 Murray Street, Tanunda, and a visit to them is one of my daily habits (their fabulous coffee often helps me get through the day after only five or six hours sleep, when I am working at the Collective Barossa shop:)

They have the most divine range of home-made cookies, slices, cakes, wraps, quiches and other light and lovely lunches. Shortly, they will be also offering freshly made fruit and vegetable juices. Their coffee is sensational and they also sell bulk packets of it, and a small range of other goodies, such as olive oil and olives. I send a lot of my Collective Barossa customers there as it is only a few minutes walk, and some of them have even popped back into the shop to say thanks for the recommendation (a sure sign that I am on the right track when I say that Keil's is a great place for a cuppa and a bite to eat:). The staff are always friendly and though it's small, it's comfortable and cosy. Keil's Coffee and Fine Foods is open Monday to Friday 7.30am to 5.00pm, Saturday 8.30am to 5.00pm, Sunday 9.00am to 4.00pm. Closed on Christmas Day.

So there you have it, three of my favourite non-wine Barossa Secrets. Make sure you put them on your list when next visiting the region. You will love them all!

Recent Ratings and Awards - July/August 2010

2010-08-10T00:48:00.007+09:30

The end of July always signifies the release of the James Halliday Wine Companion. We submitted four wines for the 2011 edition and again, received some very encouraging and rewarding scores, which I will place at the end of this blog entry.

We also quietly released our Karra Yerta 2007 Shiraz Cabernet, which was featured in The Big Red Wine Book recenty. This particular wine was also reviewed by Philip White in "The Independent Weekly" 22nd July, 2010, the review of which is published below.

2007 Karra Yerta Wines Shiraz Cabernet

$25; 14.5% alcohol; screw cap; 93++ points

Made by hand by James Linke, with fruit from the Barossa floor and the Karra Yerta Vineyard on the wind-whipped Flaxman’s Ridge, this lissom red comes from a different era.

It is nothing like the industrial mono muck that the modern industry churns out.

It has intensity but modesty, extreme confidence, but elegance. It has no jammy, gluggy aspects, but rather a slender, refined, supple form, with a bouquet that simply oozes good health and living berries.

Amongst all that fresh ripe fig and prune, mulberry and blueberry, there’s a tantalising hint of Brazil nut. It’s like fruit cake mix before it hits the oven.

*******************************************************************

2011 Wine Companion results

Karra Yerta Wines was rated a four star winery which is a terrific rating for someone as small as us, with not a great deal of history and a very small range. Our wines submitted for this edition were scored as below:

Karra Yerta Wines 2007 Shiraz Cabernet
Rating 92 Drink 2017 $25 Date Tasted Feb 10

Karra Yerta Shiraz Cabernet 2006

Rating 91 Drink 2016 $25 Date Tasted Feb 10

Karra Yerta Eden Valley Riesling 2009

Rating 91 Drink 2017 $25 Date Tasted Feb 10

Karra Yerta Sparkling Shiraz NV
Rating 89 Drink 2015 $35 Date Tasted Feb 10

Heading south to Cadenzia Country.

2010-07-16T00:05:00.010+09:30

"Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favourite things...", so sang the Lennon Sisters.

In desperate need of a short break (also known as 'market research') and a breath of fresh sea air, I took it upon myself to indulge in a few of my own favourite things last weekend. I took a road-trip to see my Southerner friends on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Despite having some of the world's best wines at my fingertips here in the Barossa and Eden Valleys, every now and then I get an urge for something a little different. In winter I crave the divine red wines from the McLaren Vale region, and in summer, some of the equally extraordinary rieslings from the Clare Valley. I see no reason why I must have one favourite of anything when there are so many delicious wines available to me, most within a few hours drive. And so, off to the Vale I went.

Getting away early was impossible, as I was late to leave the shop due to tying up loose ends, and it was quite a treacherous drive from Tanunda to Clayton Bay on the winding, branch-scattered roads in the pitch black night. But I arrived safely, armed with some of my own regions finest wines - a Kurtz Family Vineyard GSM and a Tim Smith Shiraz, plus one of Karra Yerta's own museum stock 2005 Eden Valley Rieslings. My lovely hostess for the night, Annabelle, had waited patiently for my arrival, and had the glasses ready. The storms hit sometime around 4am but by then we were sleeping peacefully, ready to hit the road to McLaren Vale early the next day.

The early start failed dismally, so knowing that we had already missed the wonderful Willunga Market, we took a scenic route through the winding hills past the quaint tiny villages of Finnis and Ashbourne, before detouring through a special little area called Kuitpo Colony. What an amazing and beautiful part of the world! You can read more about Kuitpo Colony here: http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080571b.htm

A quick drive past the Lazy Ballerina cellar door, one of my favourites in the region, to McLaren Vale saw us land at the lovely pair of stores, Fall from Grace, and Blessed Cheese. Gill Gordon-Smith is the owner of Fall from Grace and stocks an incredible array of international wines. I left with a most interesting bottle of French Shiraz. The photo here is of Blessed Cheese, a delightful licensed cafe which has the most amazing array of goodies, as you can see.

After that, we headed further north to find another friend who was to accompany us to a lovely lady's thirtieth birthday at Port Noarlunga. A fine night of fun and music was had by all. I must say that the Southerners really do turn on the hospitality and despite the chilly night, it was perhaps the most enjoyable, and warmest, in every way, party that I have ever attended. Thank you, Laura, and to Robyn and Mick also:)

The next morning after the mandatory recovery breakfast of cheese rolls with ham, tomato, lots of cracked pepper and a wee glass of pear cider (to cleanse the soul), we headed to Yangarra Estate Vineyard where we were given a tour of the recently opened cellar door ,and a tasting of the delectable Yangarra wines by the very charming Manager and Winemaker, Peter Fraser. All of the Yangarra wines are delicious but my personal favourite was the 2008 Cadenzia, which I haven't stopped raving about since my return. For more information on the McLaren Vale Cadenzias please go here: http://www.mclarenvale.info/go/special-features/varietal /cadenzia/cadenzia

Dragging ourselves away from the cosy Yangarra Cellar Door, with its luscious leather seats and wood fire, was extremely difficult, but one has to do what one has to do. So to the chorus of clinking bottles, Annabelle and I headed back to the Bay via the Meadows market, another little country town event where you can buy all sorts of plants, jewellery, fruit, vegetables and many other goodies. The sun was shining, taking just enough chill off the air so that it wasn't unbearably cold, and it was a magnificent afternoon for a drive, back to the Barossa via the Bay.

I arrived home just after dark, with some fine McLaren Vale wines in my back seat, a warm heart from the kindness shown by the Southerners to their Barossa guest, and a mind full of wonderful ideas to utilise in the Collective Barossa shop over the coming months. It really was a great little short break and has given me much faith in the future of the South Australian wine industry, and the potential for all areas, if we are willing to work together. I have the world at my fingertips, or should I say the glass? Either way, it's time to pour another glass of that magnificent Yangarra Cadenzia. Try it, I promise you won't be disappointed.

The W Files: Winter, Wine, Wine Front & Walsh

2010-06-20T00:26:00.006+09:30

Winter has hit the Barossa Ranges. It's magnificent. Rainy days, freezing nights, and the daily evening drive up to the Ranges, via Mengler's Hill, is always challenging in the thick pea-soup fog. I simply love it! This area never ceases to amaze me with its natural beauty no matter what season it is but in the winter it really puts on a show. If you are out and about early enough in the mornings, as you drive into Angaston, the gullies fill with mist and it really does look like there are oceans between the hill-top ridges. It is also the season for home-cooked farm-style meals and lots of red wines. Divine.

So it's no surprise that June is the release date for a very special book written by two passionate wine appreciators, Campbell Mattinson and Gary Walsh. Their job must be rather intense working their way through numerous tasting samples submitted to them throughout the year, but somehow they seem to survive, and come up with a terrific guide for the punters. We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Karra Yerta has an inclusion in the 2010/2011 edition. The Big Red Wine Book is available from any good book store for around $24.95 and you can also follow the guys on their Twitter site or become a member of their website, The Wine Front.

We suggest that you grab a copy of this book as soon as possible as there are some sensational recommendations in it (more than one thousand!), but in the meantime, here is the review that Gary wrote on our newly released 2007 Shiraz Cabernet. For your information, 93 points falls into the 91-94 point category which is described as 'Excellent. Better than excellent. Hunt out a good price and buy up'. We also featured in the Best Red Blends over $20.

Karra Yerta 2007 Shiraz Cabernet
Price: $25
Region: Barossa Valley, Eden Valley
Alcohol: 14.5%
Seal: Screwcap
Value: 4/5
Auction: N/A
Score: 93/100

Only 170 dozen of this wine produced.
2007 Release.
It's not a big wine but it's full of flavour and charm. It's beautifully made too. It tastes of chocolate, florals, menthol, blackberries and pepper spice. There's a nice clip of cedary oak too. Chewy tannins add texture and it has a long, chocolatey finish. Lovely quality and lovely to drink. Walsh describes it as 'a real elbow tilter'. DRINK 2010 - 2017.

Old wines, new reviews and other news!

2010-06-05T20:50:00.007+09:30

Now, while I am on a roll, on the writing front, I will add an entry on two fabulous recent reviews we received, plus another snippet that is wine-related. One review is from Julian Coldrey, the other from Jeremy Pringle (both Brisbane-ites) and the final person to rate a mention, is Sydney-sider, Andrew Graham. All three of these fellows have been mentioned by me before, and again, I thank them for not only being great advocates for the wine industry, but also for their support and encouragement of small wineries. Sometimes when you are so small, as we are, it is hard to get people in the media world to try your wines, let alone get a response out of them. These three guys are totally awesome and on behalf of the entire Australian wine industry, I thank them all for their passion and integrity.

The first review was published on Julian's website, Full Pour, and featured our 2005 Karra Yerta Wines Bullfrog Flat Shiraz: http://fullpour.com/2010/05/karra-yerta-bullfrog-flat-eden.html

Karra Yerta Wines 2005 Bullfrog Flat Shiraz

There's a reason why I've not posted recently, and it's not entirely related to a lack of time. I have indeed tasted several wines this week. And they were all crap. Which does wear one down after a while. The point of my drinking, or so I have convinced myself, is to enjoy moments of abstract sensual pleasure. I drink wine for the same reason I listen to music; to hear, feel, disagree, discover. In other words, I drink to experience beauty. So a series of ugly wines gives me absolutely nothing to write other than tiresomely self-reflective introductions like this.

Anyway, it's Saturday night and I'm worth a good wine. So out popped this sample from my tasting pile, a wine that has been waiting a few months to be experienced. I tasted the companion Barossa Shiraz a few weeks ago and found it intensely pleasurable. So it was with pleasure that my first smells and tastes of this wine revealed a similarly characterful, regionally-driven wine. Which you prefer may simply come down to your passion for one region's flavour profile over another.

Fabulous aromas of dirt roads and crushed stone, along with warm blackberries and well-judged, nutty oak. This is one to smell through the course of an entire evening, and to watch duck and weave through its full range of expressions, including the merest hint of aged leather. To be sure, there's a lot in here, yet it's not a self-consciously difficult wine. It just is, with a sense of easy, natural vibrancy that speaks both of its origins and its intent.

Entry brings dense, liqueur-like fruit into focus at the temporary expense of some minerality, but the latter is flung back into the picture on the mid-palate, which is the wine's high point of complexity. The structure is notable at this point, with firm underlying acidity and plush tannins keeping things in shape without ever seeming like the main event. A bit of vanillan oak pokes out its head through the after palate, but this wine is and remains all about spectacular fruit character; squashed blackberries and stones and dusty summers.

What a treat. This is easily a $40 wine.

Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

The second review was published on Jeremy's website, Wine Will Eat Itself, and featured our (Museum stock left only) 2005 Karra Yerta Wines Barossa Shiraz: http://winewilleatitself.blogspot.com/2010/05/2005-karra-yerta-barossa-shiraz.htm l

Karra Yerta Wines 2005 Barossa Shiraz

Barossa 14.6% Screwcap $25 Source: Sample

I've been known to swoon over Karra Yerta, so I'll warn you now; I'm going to do it again. This is precisely the sort of wine that reminds me exactly why I do what I do. A wine that created a palpable sense of excitement as I drank it.

The amount of evolution that it underwent over the course of 5 hours in a flat bottomed decanter was stunning. I enjoy the fact that wine is a living thing. It's the subtle movement of a bottle's attributes which create so much of the interest and joy I derive from this strange and entrancing liquid.

Sweet blackberry & red cherry berry fruit along with earthy notes and bottle age leather & truffle. Soft and plush yet detailed, with a velvet entry quickly being pulled into a formation of real conviction. There's a fair bit of coffeed tannin ready to see the fruit through a few years yet. More plum and red cherry than raspberry with savoury dark chocolate adding another distinct layer of rich flavour. Some rusticity with a slightly ferrous edge. The finish seems to linger for an eternity. This is simply, seriously gorgeous stuff. The acidity is integrated but still fresh and I loved the tannin presence and chewiness. As it breathed, the wine loosened up, adding a sexy hint of liqueur cherry that offset the earthy depth perfectly, and all the complex components came together into one cohesive and beguiling identity.

It was a privilege to drink, especially given that very little museum stock of the original 64 cases remains. Look out for the next release. I can hardly wait.

Winery Website- http://www.karrayertawines.com.au/

Posted by Jeremy Pringle on May 28, 2010

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Finally, not a review, but still a terrific snippet of news is that my new business, Collective Barossa, featured in an article written by Andrew Graham, in the current edition (June/July 2010) of Gourmet Wine Traveller. It's a wonderful article and describes just what the Collective Barossa shop is all about. Grab a copy tomorrow, turn to page 15 and see what Andrew so kindly wrote about us. In the same edition, there is also a fabulous article on Riesling which is one thing I always like to see:)

Cheers for now, it's time for my final effort at writing for the day - our first ever newsletter for Collective Barossa:)

Karra Yerta Wines 2010 Vintage Report

2010-06-05T18:30:00.008+09:30

It's a lovely winter evening in the Barossa Ranges; the wood fire is going, dinner is cooking, the rain has been gently falling most of the day and I have finally managed to pin down the man of the house to get a 2010 Vintage Report. He's had a long day at the local football so is a little weary but we'll give it a shot anyway:

The first crop to come off this year, as always, was the Barossa Shiraz, which we source from a fabulous fellow in the Moppa region of the Barossa floor, and have done now for the past six years. The grapes from this vineyard are always (what I find, anyway) true Barossa shiraz flavours; black cherry and chocolate. It was picked a little earlier this year, in an attempt to avoid high alcohol levels, therefore the style may be a little leaner than in other years, but it is still looking very good. This wine is now safely tucked away in a French Oak barrel, to do its wonderful thing; evolve.

The next pick was the Eden Valley Riesling on March 7th, from the Karra Yerta vineyard in the high Barossa Ranges. This was also picked earlier and it again shows strong terroir; river pebbles, minerality and a perfect balance of acid. We hand-picked around three tonne which will produce about 150 cases, maybe a little more. This wine will be bottled soon and released near the end of the year.

This year, when we picked our eighty-year old semillon, we decided to keep some of it for ourselves. It was picked at 22 baume, and had great acid and a wonderful, natural PH, which maintained its freshness. It had been cordon cut about three weeks prior to picking, and this is what raised the baume. This wine is also in barrel, awaiting its next stage. It may even be bottled as early as September, giving us a sweet sauterne style wine to add to our portfolio. The photo with this blog entry is of James tasting the results of this little venture, about a month ago:)

The Eden Valley Shiraz from the Karra Yerta vineyard was picked on April 5th (a panic pick before the rain, which did indeed come only a matter of hours after we had the grapes safely out of the weather) at around 14.2 baume. The crop was about average in yield, and shows great Eden Valley varietal characters of blueberries, blackberries and stone, and has a perfect natural acid balance. This is also evolving in a French Oak barrel, and will be doing so for the next 18 months at least.

Finally, we managed to again source 3/4 tonne of fine Eden Valley Cabernet. This will be used in our Shiraz Cabernet blend, which going on the past release of the 2006, and shortly, 2007, is very popular indeed.

All in all, our 2010 Vintage has turned out really well and we look forward to being able to share these wines with you in the future. Whilst these are going to be many months wait, the release of the 2008 reds is getting closer, and that is something to very much look forward to!

A chilly night with warm hospitality! Collective Barossa is officially opened.

2010-04-28T00:24:00.008+09:30

Our vintage is over. Whether it actually was long, or whether it just felt long, well, I am not sure but it sure has been a busy time. James already has a full-time job (outside of the wines and vines). I now manage and work in a shop (Collective Barossa), as you probably already know. In between, we have harvested, made our products for 2010 and maintained some form of sanity in our house. I am not sure how, but the important thing is that we made it. And by all accounts, the long, hard slog has been worth it on many fronts.

I will write an update on the actual Karra Yerta vintage soon but tonight's entry is on the recent Official Opening of Collective Barossa.

Planning an event during vintage, ie trying to co-ordinate four different wineries, and communicating with guests who are also in the industry (with everyone working endless stints of six or seven days a week, and long hours during those days) can be a huge challenge. When I chose April 10 to be our night to officially celebrate the opening of the Collective Barossa shop, it felt like it was so far away but the weeks went fast, the vintage continued and it was there before any of us realised. Despite the inevitable hiccups that come with such things, we did manage to host a small but pleasant evening which all of our guests will remember.

Approximately 55 people attended on that rainy, misty Barossa autumn night to taste the delicious wines from the four wineries - Karra Yerta, Gumpara, Kurtz Family Vineyards and Smallfry Wines. Wayne from Smallfry and myself took care of the food and made sure that everyone had a delicious feed to compliment the wines. All of the winemakers attended and spent the night mingling with our guests who appreciated the opportunity to meet the Collective group and learn about our wines.

Wine journalist Philip White gave a short but poignant speech on the Collective, the wine industry in general, and also expressed his appreciation of the actual Barossa Museum and its rare and special contents. Three members of the Barossa Valley Archives and Historical Trust attended and gave guests the opportunity to have guided tours or just discuss items in the Museum which gave a nice, personal touch.

Our two teenage sons provided live music in the adjoining courtyard and no-one let the weather dampen their spirits. At the end of the night, all of the Collective group had a hard earned Cooper's Pale Ale after cleaning up, and that is the group photo taken below. The top photo is of our eldest son, Daniel, entertaining us; the second of Mark from Gumpara Wines with his Mum, Bev and step-father, Bruce, and the third, James with local legend, BobMcLean. It really was a great night and a success on all fronts. We look forward to having more Collective Barossa events in the future.

Every picture tells a story....

2010-04-20T17:22:00.003+09:30

This blog entry is purely to showcase two fantastic photographs taken by the very talented photographer, Milton Wordley. They were taken late last year in our old red gum stable and in the Karra Yerta Wines vineyard. Thanks, Milton for allowing me to post on my pages:)

For more of Milton's fabulous work please visit this link: http://www.wordley.com.au/

Everything old is new again!

2010-04-20T00:36:00.004+09:30

My writing, of all of my blogs, has been tardy of late and so I am planning on catching up a bit over the coming weeks with blog entries of recent happenings and of course, our 2010 vintage, so stay tuned.

For now however, I have one rather important thing to post and as it is already the middle of the night, will make it a brief entry. But albeit brief, it is nonetheless a wonderful entry and one that I post with much gratitude.

Please find below a review from April 2nd, 2010 of our now sold-out 2005 Karra Yerta Wines Barossa Shiraz which also happened to win a Silver Medal at the 2008 San Francisco International Wine Show. The review below was written by Julian Coldrey on his website, Full Pour. Thanks Julian:) I look forward to sending you a sample of our 2008 Barossa Shiraz in a few months time!

Karra Yerta Wines 2005 Barossa Shiraz

My acquaintance with Marie Linke of Karra Yerta Wines has been rewarding in all sorts of ways; it has provided me insights into the world of the boutique micro-producer, into the trials associated with just getting your wine out there in the public eye, into the challenges of juggling family and work life. And, not least, it has provided me with the opportunity to taste wonderful wines, borne of passion and commitment to regional tradition. My view is producers such as Karra Yerta are the backbone of the industry, providing a philosophical base around which trends and companies may come and go.

Case in point: this wine. It's identifiably Barossan in character, with that luscious, irresistibly drink now fruit character starting to come up against some more adult, bottle-aged aromas. So, it's very much in transition. I sometimes read that as a mark of disinterest, but that's kind of like saying teenagers aren't interesting because they're neither children nor adults. Surely there's a particular fascination in the confluence and clash of nascent maturity? That's what I'm seeing in this wine's aroma.

The palate is full of flavour in a characterful way. An interesting counterpoint to this wine was a 2006 Penfolds Bin 407 I tasted just the other day. I didn't write it up because it was pristine, perfect, clean, and faceless. This is precisely the opposite; it's tangibly textured, imprinted with imperfection in the most positive manner; from entry through finish, a dense wave of regional fruit, roughed up by an edge of earthy, spiced humanity that puts corporate swill to shame. This isn't trying to win medals, it's simply a reflection of its place and maker, and is utterly worthwhile for precisely this reason.

Perhaps not much of a tasting note, then, but, one hell of a worthwhile experience to taste. Highly recommended.

Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Posted by Julian on Friday, April 2, 2010 at 2:35 AM

A Sydneysider's take on the NV Sparking Shiraz

2010-03-15T12:21:00.007+10:30

Since having the Collective Barossa shop open, our stocks of the NV Sparkling Shiraz have been getting less by the week, which is of course, a good thing. In the next few months we will have another release but in the meantime, if you want to try it, pop in the shop, or if you want to buy some of our current release, please contact us.

It is a remarkable and delicious example of this great Aussie wine. Here is the latest review from Andrew Graham, our friend and independent wine writer from Sydney, who we had the great pleasure of meeting a month ago.

Karra Yerta Wines NV Sparkling Shiraz
Karra Yerta Sparkling Shiraz NV - 2009 disgorgement (Eden Valley, SA)
$35, Crown Seal, 14.5%
Source: Sample
www.karrayertawines.com.au

'It's a real pity this class has detiorated to this level'

They were the judges comments at this years Sydney Wine Show for the premium 'Sparkling Red Wine, bottle fermented' class (that this wine would theoretically sit in). I'm not sure whether that is an indication of the waning quality of Australian sparkling reds, a reluctance for wineries to show sparkling reds, or just a dud bracket of wines, but it does make for interesting reading for anyone with a love of the style (which I am).

Anyway, like all the other Karra Yerta wines, this is a smashing drink, and I say that with glee, as Marie & James Linke are great people too, which just puts smiles on everyones dials. Actually, it can be very hard to review wines for genuinely good people, as good people don't always produce good wines, and often the best wines are produced by maniacal control freaks and egotistical wankers.

But back to the wine. Lovely purple colour, with a massive frothy purple mousse that you just want to stain the table cloth with (just for effect). Interestingly, the nose is actually pretty subdued, with some sweet berried dosage the only thing escaping from the deeply black coloured juice. Palate is medium bodied and starts quite lightly with the same berries from the nose, the palate sweet initially, but fans out rather dry and long, with some proper fruit tannins rounding out the tail.

What I like most about this wine is its mediumness. It's unquestionably Barossan and juicy, but also quite constrained, dry and mellow, almost as if the base material has an extra year or two on it, even if the colour and freshness suggest otherwise.

Nice wine. 18/93

Buy the ticket, take the ride.....

2010-03-07T22:25:00.008+10:30

Saturday March 7th, 2010 will be marked in my diary for two poignant reasons; one, it was the day that our almost eighty year-old Eden Valley Riesling vines were hand-picked, and secondly, that it was on that same night (albeit that 2am was really Sunday March 8th), that my new business, Collective Barossa was vandalised for the second time in seven short weeks.

The first episode of vandalism, just three weeks ago, was far less damaging than last night's effort but nonetheless, still, a disrespectful and stupid act. This morning's effort resulted in the opening of the shop being delayed significantly and more than a few hours of intense cleaning of shattered glass. A sad state of our community. I do hope that the perpetrators realise eventually that to intentionally damage any building, let alone one built in 1866 which has stood strong and proud for so many decades, is a terrible thing to do and it should weigh heavily on their conscience.

Also, they should think about the fact that this building, home to a magnificent collection of priceless items, lovingly and consistently tended by the dedicated committee members, all volunteers, and many of them in an older age bracket, theoretically belongs to them also, and will one day in the future belong to their own children i.e. in the community sense. I do hope that the people responsible can be caught and learn a valuable lesson, about others in our small community and also perhaps about themselves. I sincerely thank Don and Irene Ross of the Museum Committee, James of Karra Yerta and Steve of Kurtz Family Vineyards (who both were busy doing pump-overs of their 2010 red wines at the time of my call for assistance) for their help in tidying up the unnecessary mess.

On a brighter note, due to my time being tied up with my business, I didn't have the opportunity to help with the hand-picking of the riesling this year, and must admit, I missed it and don't feel as if I know much about it. However, in saying that, I have been regularly given reports from James who informs me that this year's riesling vintage is a very good one.

The grapes were picked a touch earlier than usual and the crop was above average in tonnage. Only a matter of hours later, a steady light rain (which has returned spasmodically throughout today) started, giving the ranges a much needed, gentle drink. It should help to freshen up the shiraz and semillon vines but I am glad that the riesling was picked before it as that was the variety most at risk of damage being so ripe and ready. The 2010 juice is now under the watchful eye of our riesling winemaker, Peter Gajewski.

Our Barossa Shiraz grapes that we source from the Kalimna/Moppa area were also picked last week, and James has been doing pump-overs on that, morning and night, religiously over the past days. Again, he is making our red wines at Biscay Road Vintners. He is incredibly lucky to be working along side Peter Schell and Jason Schwarz, two exceptionally talented and creative winemakers and general all-round nice guys.

So life is busy, still, but we are working our way through vintage as best we can, with a few curve-balls thrown at us along the journey. We just keep plodding away, hoping that in some way, things will work out. That's all you can do. As my favourite author Hunter S Thomspon used to famously say "Buy the ticket, take the ride". We certainly did, and we certainly are...

A little less conversation, a little more action...

2010-02-19T22:38:00.018+10:30

The title of this blog entry is one of my favourite motivational songs, and I need some motivation. It's been a huge five weeks; long days (still), short nights, summer, vintage, and in between yet more surprises, some bad but mostly good.

I am exceptionally happy at the way the range of Karra Yerta wines have been received at the Collective Barossa shop, and lots of new friends have been made which is really wonderful and incredibly encouraging. There has been so much bad press regarding the Barossa and the entire Australian wine industry in recent weeks that it is totally refreshing to be in the thick of many levels of the local wine industry at the grass roots level, and feel such positivity.

My customers at the shop are sincere in their appreciation of our "hands-on" approach, as tired as we all are (the four winemakers and myself), and they really do leave the Collective Barossa shop with another perspective of the Barossa (and Australian) wine industry. It is wonderful to be able to share our stories with our customers and also fill them in on our own family histories after they have visited the Museum.

In regards to the media, one positive event was a visit from one of our favourite wine writers, Andrew Graham, from Sydney. Andrew has reviewed a lot of Karra Yerta's wines over the past few years and always enjoys them which is a terrific feather in our cap seeing as how we were completely unknown when he first discovered us. It is the support of writers like Andrew that keep the little guys plugging away at their dreams when sometimes it all seems too hard. It is easy to give up, and I am sure that this year, many vignerons and winemakers will. It is an incomprehensibly tough market. I'm not sure when things will settle down, on a global scale let alone locally, but with the encouragement that Andrew provides, and many other writers who continually and willingly taste small batch wines, and not only appreciate and like them, but publish these positive reviews, it will get better for those of us that persist. The first photo below is of Steve (Kurtz Family Vineyards) with Andrew and his lovely lady, Caryn.

On the same day of Andrew's visit, I had to attend a photo shoot at Eden Valley for a feature in an upcoming Wine Business Magazine. When you get to stand along side the other producers from our very special, and still relatively unknown region (Eden Valley), you can't help but be impressed with the quality of wines being produced. Hutton Vale, McLean's Farm, Radford, Irvine, Mountadam, Henschke, Fernfield.... so many fine wines, such an incredible array. The bottom photo shows how the ladies got over the barbed wire fence to get to the actual location (you had to be there but trust me, it was rather funny) and the other one is of Wayne Ahrens and another great Eden Valley identity, Chris Rogers.

Despite the negativity, and stressed look on many faces, I feel a ray of hope for the future of the Australian wine industry and especially for the families that really do put in the hard yards themselves. It's hard work, and can take many years to be rewarded financially, but I have said it once, and I will say it again; the lifestyle is hard but worthwhile. Sometimes one does feel like giving up but after a weekend like this, you are again filled with inspiration to continue with the passion of producing great products from exceptional vineyards in an incredibly special area.

Cheers to the future of Australian wine!

It's Vintage 2010! There's no time to be Lazy.

2010-02-06T19:39:00.010+10:30

February has suddenly arrived; our grapes are under netting, the wine tankers are on the road in every direction, the winemakers have a look of anxiety in their eyes and lack of sleep becomes the norm for most people in the area. Long days, hard work, harsh weather. Welcome to Vintage 2010!

I have been working an average of 14 hour days, 7 days a week, between the newly opened Collective Barossa shop, and at home (running the administration, sales and marketing sectors of Karra Yerta Wines, and trying desperately to still maintain in every way, a house with a husband, two teenage sons, a dog and a large garden currently full of the most delicious organic vegetables and herbs). Life is busy indeed. I never realised until last week just how much I enjoy my own cooking:) It must be my German heritage - the importance of a home-cooked meal after a hard days work is paramount.

As exhausted as I am, I have to say every single bead of sweat and every single hour less of sleep has been worth it, and still, the support and encouragement of people has been simply sensational. I have some of the best friends that anyone could ever want as the help and advice given, consistently, has been priceless. Be it with signage, curtains, artwork, marketing, design, paperwork, woodwork, painting, plastering, plumbing, electrical, in fact, anything and everything, it has been totally overwhelming. Sincere thanks to all who have played a part in Collective Barossa being alive, and indeed, kicking.

Thanks also to the committee members of the Barossa Valley Archives and Historical Trust who have been incredibly grateful since watching their lovely old Museum room be given a total revamp and indeed, a new lease of life. It took us a while but we got there, and the feedback from wine buyers and visitors to the Museum has been terrific. It is certainly becoming a special attraction in the Barossa in its own right and I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of it. Being based in such a lovely and historical old building is probably the third best work environment I have ever had in my life (after my home in the beautiful Ranges, and Collingrove Homestead) and it certainly does help me to get through the long days.

Our wines, along with those of the other Collective wineries have been exceptionally well received and the feedback from both our own customers and the visitors to the Museum has been incredibly inspiring. Visitors are enjoying being able to meet the winemakers (a little difficult at the moment as we are in the midst of vintage) and knowing the different stories of the families behind the brands, most of which they had never heard of before.

The shop itself is looking fabulous and was enhanced even further yesterday with a special visit from my good friend, James Hook (who runs the Lazy Ballerina winery at McLaren Vale). James delivered three of his stunning photos to display in the Collective Barossa shop. James and I are hoping to work together in the future to promote both the Barossa and the McLaren Vale areas as after all, variety is the spice of life!

The coming weeks will be incredibly busy but no doubt rewarding as more people stumble upon us. It's really exciting and that, along with the high probability of a good crop for 2010, is yet another reason to knuckle down, work hard and in the process, enjoy what we are doing. I've said it many times but being in the wine industry can be really tough, savage in fact, but the lifestyle and people you meet, new friends you make, make it well worthwhile. I look forward to writing the upcoming blog entries about our harvests. No doubt that time will be here sooner than later:)

Finally, here are the latest photos of the shop.

Challenges, trials and tribulations: Welcome to 2010!

2010-01-17T23:26:00.008+10:30

After a non-event Christmas and New Year period, this has been the first opportunity I have had to even consider updating my blogs.

With my license application hiccups, my hopes of opening the Collective Barossa shop were delayed. A pre-Christmas opening date was impossible and a New Year one more-so as once we started the renovations on the lovely old room, it was apparent that it was going to take much more hard work and cash input than originally planned. However, it is worth it on looking at what a month of solid work achieved but more about that later.

A spate of funerals prior to Christmas did not add any cheer to our Season and ironically, the trend continued with the notification of the passing of a close family member on my actual opening day at the shop so the long awaited day was indeed bittersweet.

But back to the renovations for a moment. This entailed a great deal of work by an amazing team of dedicated and encouraging friends. One good fellow even travelled from interstate to help me in the final stages of painting last week (which sometimes ended at any time between 1 and 2 am!) I bet he will sleep well for the next week at least after his efforts now that he has returned home. Myself, well I feel like I could sleep for a week too but there's no chance of that as I still have a fair amount of finishing off and organising to do in any spare moments.

January 1st was to be remembered for all the wrong reasons - a computer crash on our office computer - in the thick of trying to set up my second business. I am still trying to retrieve certain information and more importantly, get into the habit of backing information up but again, time is the key to that. And time is indeed, right now, my most precious resource.

Heatwaves (and trying to paint and plaster in the midst), school holidays (busy at any time let alone when trying to set up a new business), vintage appearing to start (oh dear... already??) and a few health issues of my own have already made 2010 challenging. One can only hope that things will settle down in the coming weeks so that there is time to catch a breath and enjoy some of the good things that are around us, but patience will be needed I think. Despite the reward of finally opening the shop, there are still some tribulations that need to be addressed.

So, onto the positive news, and that is indeed that Collective Barossa is now officially open. Thanks to so many incredible people, too numerous to mention on here, our first day of trading in the shop was yesterday, Saturday January 16th, 2010. As it was also the Tanunda Hot Rod Show day we had a diverse range of customers and well-wishers and our first day was very successful. Steve Kurtz (Kurtz Family Vineyards) and Mark Mader (Gumpara Wines) were available all day to show and speak about their fine wines and the customers thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was an incredible day and had we not received the news of the family death only an hour after opening our doors, we would probably still be smiling (and celebrating), if only from the relief that we actually made it - that after five solid months of hard labour, I could finally stand behind the counter and physically see that my dream had become reality.

Collective Barossa is situated in the front room of the grand old Barossa Museum (47 Murray Street, Tanunda) and will be open seven days a week from 11am to 5pm. For more information on the shop you can go to the Facebook Page that I have set up here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tanunda-Australia/Collective-Barossa/170955857806 or to the Collective blog: http://collectivebarossa.blogspot.com/ which I will update as soon as possible, hopefully in the next day or so. In the meantime, just to whet your appetite, here are some photos from yesterdays opening and of the shop since it has been lovingly tended (it's still missing the curtains and more shelving behind the counter will be added shortly but all in all, it's quite impressive considering only a few weeks ago it was a pastel pink and spearmint green expanse with holes in the walls and plaster falling off).

Bring out the Bubbles - more Sparkling Shiraz reviews

2009-12-26T13:21:00.010+10:30

It is becoming an Australian tradition to have Sparkling Shiraz at Christmas (and New Year). It's a wine which males love for its red wine flavours and the ladies, for the bubbles. So all in all a perfect choice that sits well with most guests at your dinner table, and it complements many different foods.

Much like Julian (see review below) I am a fan of having it with duck. But as Philip White suggested, it would be just as lovely with roast pork. It really is a versatile wine!

Thus, this wine was chosen by two of our favourite Queenslanders to indulge in during the holiday season. Please see their reviews below.

NV Karra Yerta Sparkling Shiraz

It's Christmas day and I'm taking time out between preparing lunch and relaxing to note my reaction to this wine, just opened and to be consumed with the main meal (in my case, confit of duck).

A joyous gush of mousse, quite electric in its vibrancy and pleasingly voluminous. I can't help smiling at the lurid purple of many sparkling Shiraz wines; this one had me grinning like the Cheshire Cat. This isn't a tits-out style, though. The nose is subtle, showing spice, tart blackberries, a hint of fortified wine, some aged characters and a general impression of complexity combined with fresh berry juice.

The palate is equally measured, showing real elegance despite the fizz. Mercifully, it's not a sweet wine; in fact, the savouriness of the flavour profile combined with chalky, abundant tannins creates quite the opposite impression. It's all quite intense; more blackberries, spice and various oak-derived flavours mix on the middle palate. Riding above it all is a clean juiciness that smoothes over the wine's sophisticated framework, ensuring you could just as easily linger over each sip as slam it down fast, per your mood or the occasion.

Very glad to have the opportunity to taste this wine on a special day of the year; I believe only twenty cases exist. Make haste. And Merry Christmas to you all.

Price: $A35
Closure: Crown seal
Source: Sample

Posted by Julian on Friday, December 25, 2009 at 7:53 PM

http://fullpour.com/2009/12/karra-yerta-sparkling-shiraz-n.html

******************************************************************************
NV Karra Yerta Sparkling Shiraz

Barossa 14.5% Crown Seal $35 Source - Sample

This wine now has a beautiful new label which I will endeavour to place alongside the note in the near future. And may I say it deserves it too.

Cherried and nutty it had me thinking of David Lynch's Twin Peaks for some reason. The oak is is there but completely in balance aiding a structured and refined wine that is as much savoury as it is sweet. And that's what I love about it the most. It's there in the texture too with a bit of mid palate creaminess but also a focused dry and lithe quality which is particularly apparent on the persistent finish. There are some darker fruits and maybe even a touch of liquorice. But the cohesion and execution are what sets it above the pack, not a list of flavours.

An absolute ripper that is as beautiful to drink as it is to look at and a style of Sparkling Shiraz that I personally would like to see more of. Along with the Flaxman NV, I can't recommend this highly enough.

Posted by Jeremy Pringle at http://winewilleatitself.blogspot.com/2009/12/karra-yerta-sparkling-shiraz-nv.html

A Miracle on Murray Street & a new review for our Sparkling Shiraz!

2009-12-20T12:25:00.007+10:30

As a follow-up to my previous post, regarding my attempt to open a new shop showcasing the wines of the Collective group, I am pleased and relieved to announce that sensibility did shine through, and despite the initial objections not being dropped, the two objectors lawyer and myself were able to come to a mutual agreement and thus, the Collective Barossa shop will be opening very soon!

My time-frame was delayed whilst trying to work out exactly what was happening, so my original plans of painting and moving the furniture in were moved back but now that all the legalities are sorted and my new licence has been granted, I can move forward and so this week will be a team effort to get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Of course, having so many willing helpers is a bonus, despite it being the week before Christmas! I am incredibly lucky that many members of the community stood behind me in this venture and provided incredible support, in every way, during the rather stressful past fortnight. I have been inundated with emails and phone calls from around the world and that definitely has given me the extra boost needed to find the motivation to find time to take this huge task on at this rather mad time of year. For more information on the Collective Barossa shop please visit this page: http://collectivebarossa.blogspot.com

From our entire family, including our much loved labrador, we would also like to wish you all a very Merry and Safe Christmas and New Year! And speaking of Christmas and New Year, here is our very first review on the perfect wine to put on your table over the holiday season - our NV Sparkling Shiraz.

Our Sparkling Shiraz has been dedicated to two wonderful gentlemen who were dear friends of our family and are unfortunately no longer with us; Mr. Geoff Cotton, who along with his friend Sandy, discovered the fatal tree disease Mundulla Yellows in 1979 and Dr. Frank Podger who discovered Jarrah Die-Back in 1964. We hope that through this dedication they, and their hard work, are not forgotten. They are both mentioned on the back label of this wine. The photograph on the left below is of Dr. Podger and my husband, sons and dog in 2000 or 2001 on one of Frank's trips to the Barossa when I helped him map the progress of Mundulla Yellows in the area.

This review was published in this weekend's The Independent Weekly and was written by Philip White. Tasting notes will be put on our website www.karrayertawines.com.au in the next few days.

Karra Yerta Wines NV Sparkling Shiraz
$35, 14.5% alc/vol, crown seal, 94 points.

A joint effort of the indomitable Linke family with Nathan Schulz and Colin Sheppard, this black beauty comes from ancient vines on the top of the Barossa Range. It's never mushy or sweet like too many dark sparklers, instead offering a blitz of black bitters and mystery, as if somebody'd managed to distil an entire valley of blackberry vines, thorns, ripe berries, and all. It has a dark vegetal tone, like tomato or blackberry leaf. It's been liqueuered with vintage port, but still finishes with adults-only tannins and staunch natural acidity, leaving the mouth puckered and wanting. Forget the turkey: this would do best with a traditional Barossa ovenful of juicy roast porkfat, crackling and beets. Dribble.

The Importance of the Generations

2009-12-14T14:31:00.004+10:30

The past few weeks have provided some interesting and challenging moments for us at Karra Yerta. Some have been good, most frustrating, but in the end, all of them with a common denominator - the importance of keeping and promoting the heritage of our beautiful area.

Last Thursday I was fortunate to attend the Barossa Generations Lunch at Chateau Tanunda where the admirable Jane Ferrari of Yalumba Wines was MC hosting a panel of impressive local identities including Prue Henschke, Stefan Ahrens, Bob McLean and John Duvall who were available to discuss and answer questions relating to the importance of families encouraging their younger generations to take a hands-on role in their family businesses to not only ensure that the family businesses survive into the future but also that new and fresh ideas are implemented where possible so that we can all work together to increase the regions appeal to tourists and locals alike.

Ironic then that a wonderful new business venture that I have been working on for the past four months has been stalled indefinitely by concerns (and subsequent objections in regards to my application for an appropriate liquor licence) from two large companies that already have a large presence and holding in the area.

It was my intention to open a shop in Tanunda before Christmas this year which would enable four small family wineries to have a combined cellar door outlet which would tie in with the beautiful location it was in - the Barossa Museum. My vision was to provide tourists with a total heritage experience i.e. being able to taste and buy bottled wines from 5th and 6th generation descendants of the original settlers of the Barossa which would have been a wonderful thing for the families and the museum. At this stage it appears that a pre-Christmas opening is not possible and at the worst case scenario, it could even take months before we can open our doors. That is a shame for all the wineries concerned, the Museum and also for my two sons who I had planned to have help me over the Christmas holiday period. The experience for them alone would have been priceless and is indeed an important part of the whole Generations concept as ultimately it is my dream for the new business to have them involved in it, both now and in the future.

So that leaves the question as to where is the Barossa really heading as far as the Generations go? I do hope that common sense prevails in this instance and that a mutual agreement can be reached between myself and the parties opposing my application. In the meantime I am hoping that our loyal customers can continue to support us by purchasing our wines directly from us. I will keep you all updated via this blog and my regular newsletters as to the progress on what could and should be a wonderful thing for the entire region, and ultimately make our lovely area even more of an enticing place to visit.

A Lazy trip to lovely McLaren Vale and beyond.

2009-11-27T00:30:00.011+10:30

Life is completely crazy here at the moment - I have a new business about to start (along with still running many aspects of the winery, and indeed, the family, house and garden) and took a few days off for some important business and even more important leisure before I land head first into a whirlwind next six months. I amaze myself at how much I can squeeze into a mere forty-eight hours sometimes!

I left the Barossa at 4pm on Tuesday with a car load of sparkling shiraz to deliver to Glasscraft Print. The wonderful manager, Bronte, helped me to unload the car and then gave me a very brief look at the terrific facilities at his business at Mount Barker before I headed further south to Kuitpo for a very important meeting with someone I had been wanting to meet for a very long time.

When I arrived at the Lazy Ballerina cellar door in the middle of the magnificent Kuitpo Forest, there was absolutely nothing lazy about the man behind the label, James Hook. Despite having worked a full day at his other job as a viticulturist, there he was, while waiting for me to arrive, busily loading the wheelbarrow with mulch and tending to his family's incredibly beautiful garden.

James graciously took me on a tour of the Lazy Ballerina cellar door and gardens while I happily clicked away on my over-worked digital camera trying to encapsulate even a little of the beauty around me. I was truly stunned by not only him, but also by all the hard work he and his parents had done to create such an incredible place which after bushfires many years ago, had left little to work with. Totally inspirational! And that was before trying his wines. I had always refused to try the Lazy Ballerina wines until I had met the man himself so needless to say, when we left to continue our journey to a mutual friend's house for a wonderful dinner, I didn't walk out empty handed. I highly recommend James' wines to everyone!

The next morning, after a peaceful and relaxing slumber, belly still full of fine food and wines from the previous night, I arose, and headed further south to McLaren Vale. My stop here was to another equally incredible place called Fall From Grace which is run by an effervescent lady named Gill Gordon-Smith. She sells the most divine range of international wines and also runs wine education classes - it's a must-do stop on your list if you are visiting McLaren Vale. She also happens to be the Spieglau distributor for trade so I now had the glasses to accompany my Lazy Ballerina wines. Could it get any better? Yes it could.

By early afternoon I had left McLaren Vale, headed further north again, past Yangarra where I'd previously had a look at the amazing new winery being built with James Hook, tour-guided by Philip White, and headed east toward the historic town of Strathalbyn before taking a sharp south turn to end up at Clayton where I spent the late afternoon and evening with my lovely new friend Annabelle. One of South Australia's most talented artists, Annabelle is as vibrant and gorgeous as the art she produces and I couldn't have thought of a better way to end my very short break than to spend it with her.

In less than forty-eight hours I had met two incredible new people, spent time with two good friends, and throughout, enjoyed the best of what South Australia has to offer - fine food, fine wines and great hospitality. Now, back home and back to the grind, I feel much more refreshed and ready to face the next month which is surely going to be quite mad... but more about that in my coming posts.

Another riesling review and a road trip!

2009-11-24T01:58:00.006+10:30

I don't think any winery owner ever gets tired of reading great reviews of their wines and each of the writers have their favourites. From my point of view it is really interesting to see what their tastes are, and also, over time, how their reviews stand when the wines age.

The recent spate of riesling reviews we have had from Queensland writers Jeremy Pringle and Julian Coldrey keep me ploughing through the work load even when I am struggling as I have been for the past five weeks with ear/nose and throat afflictions. There truly is nothing like positive words to get one back up on their feet, literally. So I am proud to post yet another glorious review - this one again from Jeremy, but this time for our 2007 Eden Valley Riesling.

2007 Karra Yerta Wines Eden Valley Riesling

Eden Valley 12.0% Screwcap $25

Was on a bit of an Eden Valley Riesling kick last night. Sort of have been for at least a month now actually...

These Karra Yerta's have all been excellent. I've probably enjoyed the 2006 & the 2009 the most, for very different reasons. I think that this one, like the 2009 will become something pretty special in the cellar. Not that it's difficult to drink now.

Surprisingly geared more towards lemons and granny smiths on the nose and palate. There is still some Eden Valley lime, bathsalts and river pebbles but it's all currently very restrained and tightly wound. There is no mistaking the "quiet" intensity there on the palate though, suggesting a bright future.

It's all very linear and narrow for the moment, with some enjoyable spice and a touch of unripe peach and peach stone towards the mid palate. A little bit of toast is starting to appear, but I'd put this one away for now. The length is really good and all the elements are in place. It just needs time. Patience my friends, patience...

Winery Website- http://www.karrayertawines.com.au/index.html

On that note, I am pleased to announce that I am taking a few short days break away on business (and pleasure) to the magnificent McLaren Vale area. I rarely get time for such luxuries but have managed to tie in a few business appointments with a visit to a lovely lady friend where no doubt we will enjoy an evening of beautiful food and wine, from the Barossa and the Vale areas. One of the highlights no doubt will be dinner tomorrow night (after a visit to the cellar door) with James Hook (Lazy Ballerina).

I have been wanting to meet James for some time as he is quite remarkable in what he does, writing wise, and also wine wise. Needless to say, I can't wait! More info about him and his wines, and indeed his lovely area, on my return later on in the week. But for now, I am off to pack one final wine order and then try to get some sleep before an early start to drop off our Sparkling Shiraz for labelling on the way to the Vale and a few other important errands. The beach is calling!

A great media article and another review!

2009-11-18T16:21:00.004+10:30

It's terribly hot in the ranges at the moment and it's a good time to catch up on work inside so I have been doing just that; emailing, updating our mailing list and other things, and in between finding yet more wonderful reviews and articles so here they are (many thanks to Julian and Jeremy for being so supportive of our small family business:):

http://blogs.news.com.au/couriermail/food/index.php/couriermail/comments/best_xmas_wines_under_20/

and Jeremy's review of our 2006 Eden Valley Riesling:

http://winewilleatitself.blogspot.com/2009/11/2006-karra-yerta-riesling.html

2006 Karra Yerta Wines Eden Valley Riesling

Eden Valley 13% Screwcap $25

Some colour development going on here with yellows and a trace of gold. But it still possesses youthful hues. Aromatics are assertive, with lime cordial, florals, toast and some chalk & wet slate. There is a touch of kero, but only a touch.

On the palate the wine is clearly in its groove. It opens up with rich lime cordial, lemon and toast then some attractive spice hits on the mid palate along with a drop of orange oil and smidgen of white and yellow peach. The finish is VERY long with spiced granny smith apple, a teaspoon of honey and that glorious toast continuing to add the charm that I seek in aged Riesling. There are still some chalky, slatey notes and the acid provides more than ample balance to the richer and fuller aspects of the palate.

For me, this is just about bang on where I want my Riesling to be if I'm not drinking it young. Sure it could go some more years, especially if kero/petrol notes are not off-putting to you (and as I said, I don't think they are that prominent), but the current balance between softness, toast, citrus, slate and richness is extremely seductive.

A summer night at the Argentinian Bar and Grill

2009-11-07T16:42:00.007+10:30

Last night we attended a wine-tasting dinner with our Collective counterparts at the Argentinian Bar and Grill in Adelaide. What a superb way to end a summers day. Our wine-tasting went for a few hours in the late afternoon/early evening and then we all stayed for dinner accompanied by some other guests. Many people who passed through had not heard of any of our wines before, and thoroughly enjoyed our range of Barossa and Eden Valley Wines. It still is very important for small wineries to hit the road and promote ourselves as our advertising and marketing budgets are miniscule in comparison to most of the other wineries. As a bonus, who doesn't like to get together with friends and enjoy a fine night of wining and dining?

The food and atmosphere of the Argentinian Bar and Grill is divine. Steak sandwiches like nothing you have ever seen before, steaks that hardly fit on a plate and many other delightful dishes. James and I both had a lovely duck pasta dish with beetroot sauce and sweet potato crisps.

A finer table of tappas and wines you would not see anywhere and we settled in for quite a long dinner. The service was sensational and the prices more than reasonable.

We all highly recommend it and are considering holding a Collective wine dinner there (for the public) in the future. If you haven't been there yet, it's well worth a visit not only for the sensational food but also for what is surely becoming one of the most spectacular wine lists in Adelaide.

The Southerners head north for a day of Barossa hospitality

2009-11-04T00:48:00.011+10:30

The beautiful spring weather disappeared last week when a brief burst of summer (and unfortunately the emergence of brown snakes in the area) hit us all unexpectedly. Suddenly, the red wines were discarded, and the rieslings brought out. One of my most pleasurable pastimes is to sit under my pergola, with the scent of petunias, jasmine and carnations delicately wafting toward me as I slowly sip a glass of cool, not cold, Eden Valley Riesling.

So in light of the fact that Saturday was in the mid-thirties, it was rather appropriate to indulge in that lovely drop whilst entertaining a delightful group of guests from the southern vales of our very fine wine producing state. The day started very early for our visitors and I'm almost certain that by the time they reached the high range of Randall Town, where the Karra Yerta vineyard is located, they were more than ready and willing to go for a trek down the hill for a quick tour of the vineyard before heading back down the hill to Argent Town for an informal tasting in our old red gum stable.

The host for the day, Philip White, had gathered together a tribe of his friends and fellow wine lovers to show them some of the secret gems of the area and Karra Yerta was most fortunate to be considered one of them. A more pleasant group of people would be hard to meet and it was really interesting to see their opinions on our regions style of wines, particularly the rieslings. We had a wonderful few hours with them, with our sons and one of their friends providing live music before the bus headed a little further north along the range. James and I were kindly invited to join the group for lunch and so we gathered yet more wine and headed off ourselves. Already a perfect day but it was about to get even better.

By the time we arrived, the rest of the group had already been greeted by the very hospitable Bob and Wilma McLean and were comfortably settling in to yet more tastings in the lovely McLean shed whilst the matter of one of Bob's famous Long Lunches was arranged. A six foot long mettwurst was definitely the highlight of the dinner table but the beautiful array of other local produce and salads did not fade too far away out of the limelight. A delightful lunch, including a birthday cake for Wilma (made by one of the guests and ever so carefully transported from the vales), was had by all and the wines served with it were sensational and made me exceptionally proud of our unique and beautiful area. To top it off, Colin Forbes (pictured at right), all round nice guy and rieslingmeister extraordinaire, hosted a vertical tasting of the McLeans Farm rieslings. Now that was something to behold!

Soon the bus headed off to the next stop, Greenock Creek, and the locals amongst us stayed to help the McLeans tidy up after what was surely one of the most enjoyable grass-roots wine experiences that could be had. Many thanks to Philip and his friends for being such wonderful guests for the day. I'm sure that it will be remembered fondly by all who attended, including us and the McLeans.

A Bronze Medal and another superb review!

2009-10-20T23:44:00.005+10:30

It's often said that good reviews and/or medals aren't enough to sell your wine, that it still depends on legwork. Well, our legwork for October has been James working tirelessly in the vineyard, and it is looking very tidy for it, and mine has been again, processing orders. I am simply amazed at the interest in our wines since the reviews of the past few months and again, I have more wonderful news to announce.

Firstly, on the weekend, we found out that we won a Bronze Medal for our 2009 Eden Valley Riesling at the 2009 Canberra International Riesling Challenge. It was our first ever entry into this well-respected wine show so it was an incredible surprise.

Secondly, last night I found yet another sensational review for the same wine. This one is from Philip White, a renown wine-journalist from South Australia. Philip has spent much of his time recently focusing on terroir, as you will note in his review from his website Drankster below.

Karra Yerta Wines 2009 Eden Valley Riesling

$??; 13% alcohol; screw cap; drunk 17-20 OCT 09; 94+++ points

Marie and James Linke tend this tiny patch of 80 year old vines on their windswept ridge above Gooseburg in the wild High Barossa. And tend IS the word. You wouldn't put a machine near this priceless vitcultural jewel of a garden. It seems almost oblivious to drought or the Devil, or whatever evils nature can throw at it: year-in, year-out, it oozes incredibly fine, tense, taught riesling. No irrigation. Hardly any grapes. Berries like lentils. And this is even more along those lines than usual.

It smells of the sandstone and schist of that hairy ridge, with the gentlest citrus blossom, the pith of limes and lemons, faint banana, dried apple, freshly bitten nashi pear, the tiniest slice of jackfruit ... I dunno. It confounds me. Then tip some of it into you, and all that promise seems suddenly compacted and refined, drawn out and tensioned, like a steel marine cable. Or maybe a really good German tape-wound jazz guitar string. There is no compromise. You might expect it to suddenly twang. But it doesn't. It just seems to wind tighter and tighter, and stretch longer, until eventually the furry tannins move up, kinda wrapping all that tension with velvet.

It's a beautiful austere cold Nico of a wine which shouldn't be served too chilly: this princess brings her own chill. And she'll keep bringing it for many many years. Like 25. Deutschland Uber Alles! Stunning.

The road-trip's over and the reviews continue.

2009-10-07T02:51:00.006+10:30

I have just returned from my annual four day holiday to Melbourne for the Hawthorn Best and Fairest Dinner which is held at the Crown Casino on the weekend after the AFL Grand Final. I must admit it was extremely difficult to get there this year, more than usual, due to large sales volumes in the past weeks (more invoicing, posting, etc for me to process before I left) and the passing of a friend also put a dark cloud over the week and for a few days, time seemed to stand still.

Due to my hectic work schedule, and the additional need to have some time out (my own space and some time to reflect) I decided to drive to Victoria this time and along the way spent a few nights with some good friends in country Victoria. I also met some wonderful new friends; a lovely man by the name of Barry who was until recently, a farmer in Bendigo, and a beautiful lady who guided me out of Bendigo, literally. Many thanks to Wendy and her daughter who spent the best part of half an hour of their own time driving and chatting to me before I started heading toward Wycheproof. Wendy is currently doing a hospitality course in Bendigo so if there are any readers on here that are looking for a bubbly enthusiastic lady to employ please contact me to get her details.

The actual Melbourne part of my trip was a whirlwind and most exhausting but I did manage to catch up with some fellow Hawthorn friends and also squeeze a wine appointment in. Most promising indeed as it looks like our wine stocks in Melbourne will be increasing in the next few months which is great as most of our wines have ended up in New South Wales and Queensland lately.

The photo with this entry is of a sidewalk artist in Melbourne - the art aspect being one of the many reasons I love that city. It is such a wonderful time of year to visit Melbourne... For now though, it's back to the office to work through my mountain of bookwork. Just before I sign off for the day however, I would like to share with you yet another superb review of our riesling by Jeremy Pringle: http://winewilleatitself.blogspot.com/2009/10/2009-karra-yerta-riesling.html#comments

Karra Yerta Wines 2009 Eden Valley Riesling
Eden Valley 13.0% Screwcap CD $25

I'm beginning to think that writing up a note on a wine is more difficult if you've already read some good descriptions of it already. In this case, I've read three. It helps if the wine is awesome though. So here is my take-

The remarkable (lack of) colour is something to behold in person, even if you've been told to expect it. And I thought the 2008 was pristine...

Very tightly coiled, yet it's a complete joy to smell. Wild finger limes, chalk, Granny Smith apples and some spice are all beguiling. But it has a real X factor in its oil like characters, somehow present on both the nose and palate. It's a non-oily oil, if you will. Like those sunscreen lotions that finish dry. It lends a certain soft counter-point to the racy acidity of the wine.

The texture is quite sublime, with the liquid caressing the tongue gently on one hand but invigorating the whole mouth on the other. In fact the intense flavours and acidity presented themselves at the back and top of my mouth. It's hard to describe it really. Suffice to say I'd not experienced it before, but I wish to experience it many more times in the future. The crescendo on the back palate is tremendously enjoyable and somewhat breathtaking. I was left mouthing an inaudible "wow" as the finish lingered. And linger it did. Persistence personified. I'm not going into technical details or mentioning anything other than the wine here, because it was the stuff in the bottle that gave me such excitement. After a pretty ordinary week to be honest. This was, in its own way, every bit as good as any white wine I've tasted this year. And I've had some blinders. 130 cases only. Go. Buy.

Winery Website- http://www.karrayertawines.com.au/

The riesling revolution continues!

2009-09-29T12:19:00.003+09:30

It seems that all of my recent posts on here are ratings and reviews which is rather exciting! I am off to Melbourne this weekend for a well earned break, and a bit of wine business on the side, but not too much. So in between sending off orders for the week, and starting to pack, I am taking a short break to post yet another review which was received last weekend.

This one is from Andrew Graham, a lovely fellow from Sydney who is a self-confessed riesling lover:
http://www.ozwinereview.com/2009/09/karra-yerta-riesling-2009.html

Karra Yerta Wines 2009 Eden Valley Riesling
$25, Screwcap, 13%

I'm getting to this a bit late, with two renowned tasters, Gary Walsh & Julian Coldrey, having already announced the quality of this wine during the week. Suffice to say, I am going to merely add to the chorus and say that this is a very impressive dry Riesling, and perhaps the best yet under the Karra Yerta label.

What's most impressive here is the acidity, with the whole wine driven to greatness by its startling acid backbone (witness the pH and TA levels - 2.82! and 7.85g/ltr). In the case of this Karra Yerta Riesling, the blinding citrussy acid structure makes for a wine of serious impact, which, when coupled with grapefruit, lemon and apple Martini regional Riesling fruit characters, makes for a pure and simply beautiful Riesling in the intensely dry Eden Valley style.

Winning wine for drinking over the medium term +. 18.8

Rain, hail and more reviews

2009-09-25T15:31:00.004+09:30

I have spent the day inside, working at the computer, listening to the rain and hail pounding on the roof. The hail is a concern as the young buds and delicate growth on the vines can easily be damaged so I hope, as many other vignerons do, that it calms down a bit soon. It doesn't sound promising though as the forecast is for rough weather for most of the weekend.

The good news for the day though, besides yet more orders coming in due to the influx of incredible reviews of the past week, is that we have received yet another review, and while posting that one I will also post a very recent review on our 2006 Shiraz Cabernet. Please read Jeremy's reviews below and have a look at his website as it is full of many interesting reviews:)

Karra Yerta Wines 2008 Eden Valley Riesling

http://winewilleatitself.blogspot.com/2009/09/2008-karra-yerta-riesling.html

Eden Valley 13% Screwcap $25

The grapes are from 80 year old vines. Cool. I hear the 2009 of this could be even better. But this is a tasting note on the 2008, so enough about that.

This Riesling is so pure and pristine, its chastity makes me wonder if I should enjoy it as much as I do. Oh well, I'm not one for guilt so I did.

The extremely pale colour is indicative of the restraint inherent in the wine. Everything is suggested, nothing is stentorian :) Quite the opposite of me in some ways. It's penetrating without being sharp and it carries its lime, spice and bathsalts with aplomb. There is some pear but it doesn't broaden nor sweeten the palate, it just whispers its name as you drink. The spiced granny smith apple appears more as the wine opens up. And yes, there are river pebble like traits.

Amongst wine tragics, sorry enthusiasts, I sense that it is very hip to like this sort of wine. Austerity has cultural capital amongst the wine media at the moment. Well, this wine gives the austere a good name. It is a happy time when fashion and quality collide. Karra Yerta are deserving of all the praise they are receiving and I feel lucky to be able to drink their wines.

Winery Website- http://www.karrayertawines.com.au/

2006 Karra Yerta Wines Shiraz Caberne t

Barossa & Eden Valley SA 14.5% Screwcap CD $25- Tasted 2/9/09

http://winewilleatitself.blogspot.com/2009/09/2006-karra-yerta-wines-shiraz-cabernet.html

I'm a bit late on the Karra Yerta bandwagon really. You'll find better tasting notes of this wine over at The Wine Front-http://www.winefront.com.au/ (subscription needed, and it's more than worth it) and Full Pour- http://www.fullpour.com/

I tasted this after a raft of amazing Barrosan reds that were presented at Tyson Stelzer's and Grant Dodd's "Barossa Wine Traveller" and the couple of glasses I had last night were wonderfully satisfying as a night cap. You'd never pick the ABV, it's all in balance. 87% Barossan and Eden Valley Shiraz, 13% Eden Valley Cabernet.

Blackberries, dried flowers, cooked meat, violets, plums, a touch of Cabernet leaf and some chocolate. All complex and in harmony. Sweet/savoury interplay is very good and the structure seems equal parts acid and tannin. Very impressive for a wine at this price point. Very impressive for a wine full stop. Lovely long finish via those tannins, which started to kick in around the mid palate. I liked that after the juicy entry. Order some, or buy some at Bar Barossa in Queen Street, Brisbane. I don't believe there is a lot of it made (170 cases is all), which is a shame in some ways.

Winery Website- http://www.karrayertawines.com.au/wines.html

Two new reviews for the 2009 Eden Valley Riesling.

2009-09-22T21:55:00.004+09:30

There's nothing quite like logging on to your computer after a hectic day and finding an email full of praise for your product. It lifts the spirits like nothing else, especially when it is still so difficult to be in the wine industry. Times are tough and as many of you know, James and I are certainly not driven by profit, and when you consider that our wines are retailed at the $25 mark (with the exception of our NV Sparkling Shiraz, which on release will be $35 - only 15 cases produced!) it is pretty obvious that we are pursuing our dream of making great wine purely out of passion (or perhaps pure insanity).

Here are the two latest reviews; one from Gary Walsh (Winefront):
http://www.winefront.com.au/karra-yerta-riesling-2009/#comment-23221
and one from Julian Coldrey: (www.fullpour.com)
http://fullpour.com/2009/09/karra-yerta-eden-valley-riesling-2009.html

Karra Yerta Wines 2009 Eden Valley Riesling

Tuesday, Sep 22 2009 · Posted in Eden Valley, riesling
By Gary Walsh

A whopping 128 cases produced from these venerable (80+ years) old vines in 2009. I’m thinking this is the best KY Riesling vintage yet? Well there’s certainly no trouble getting well lubricated off a wine of this quality anyway.

It opens with a slightly smelly case of asafoetida-like reduction, which is perhaps why they recommend decanting it on the back of the bottle? Regardless, with a little time in glass it comes well and truly good. It’s almost water clear in colour (is that an oxymoron?) with crystalline and classic Eden Valley Riesling flavours of lemon and lime coupled with a baby oil fragrance, kaffir lime leaf and a flicker of aniseed. It’s a crisp mountain stream over river pebbles sort of wine - pure, long and ultra-refreshing - racy, yet flavoursome. I recommend you get into and onto this. And promptly.

Other vintages.

Rated : 95 Points
Tasted : Sep09
Alcohol : 13%
Price : $25
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2009 - 2019+

Karra Yerta Wines 2009 Eden Valley Riesling

Posted by Julian Coldrey (www.fullpour.com) 22nd September 2009

The Karra Yerta vineyard has a flavour that is partly Eden Valley but otherwise all its own. This is the third vintage I've tasted and there's a striking family resemblance between the wines. The 2008 was full and soft, communicating a luxuriant plushness while remaining in the mainstream of Eden style. The 2005 was austere and acidic, clearly built for the long haul, and what one might consider a more typical wine of the region. This most recent edition is different again, yet its core of pastel, shimmering fruit is all Karra Yerta, clearly showing the terroir of this special vineyard.

A most interesting range of aromas -- watermelon, apples, lychee, cut grass, spice, lemon -- seem to glisten and evolve from the glass like shiny scented pillows. There's excellent complexity and cohesiveness for such a young Riesling; this is absolutely ready to drink now as a striking aromatic white, although I'm quite sure it could take a good deal of bottle age if one likes that sort of thing.

A wallop of acidity announces the palate in no uncertain terms; this is definitely a young Riesling, but it's not undrinkably tart as some can be. Instead, its fine texture and delicious sourness present alongside quite rich, full fruit flavours of a similar character to the nose, but for more prominent apple and lemon flavours. The middle palate is strikingly intense, yet what I like most is the shape and flow. Generous flavour is contained within a couture-like silhouette that cuts a dashing figure through the mouth. Everything's in line, flowing as it should, with perfect control. An intriguing note, savoury and spicy in equal measure, kicks through the after palate before a sour, delicious finish of very impressive length rounds it all off. Indeed, this seems to go on and on for ages.

I don't pretend to be an objective taster by any means, so although this is a quality wine made by a passionate producer in tiny quantities, it all comes to nought, because drinking this is like falling in love. Nothing else matters.

Karra Yerta Wines
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin

A new review and a new medal!

2009-09-20T01:32:00.005+09:30

So, in following up to my previous entry, I am exceptionally proud to announce that we have won a Silver Medal at the 2009 Barossa Wine Show for our Karra Yerta Wines 2006 Shiraz Cabernet! At 52.5 points, it was equal second in its class. As this was our first time entering the Barossa Wine Show we were totally flabbergasted. Here is a link to the online Barossa Wine Show results book: http://www.barossa.com/lib/pdf/mf289.pdf

Our other entry, the 2009 Karra Yerta Wines Eden Valley Riesling scored 44 points and stood on equal footing with many other fine rieslings including some from Henschke and Yalumba so despite not getting a medal, we were still really happy with the result. To top it off, on the same day that we discovered our BWS results we also received the following fabulous review from Andrew Graham (http://www.ozwinereview.com/2009/09/karra-yerta-shiraz-cabernet-2006.html) Thanks Andrew for your glowing report!

Karra Yerta Shiraz Cabernet 2006 (Barossa & Eden Valley, SA)
$25, Screwcap, 14.5%

There are, according to the Australian & New Zealand Wine Industry Directory, 2320 wineries in Australia (as of this year). Karra Yerta, with an annual production of only several hundred cartons, is one of the smallest amongst them (the website tagline is 'one of Australia's smallest wineries').

What Karra Yerta shares with Australia's finest wineries, however, is character. Character derived from old (up to 80 year old) vineyards, in an exceptional grape growing area (Chris Ringland's 'Three Rivers vineyard' is several hundred metres away, with the original Pewsey vineyards also close by) and produced with passion (converse with the energetic Marie Linke, caretaker of the vineyard with her partner James, and you will get a sense of this).

The ultimate results are fine quality, handmade, unpretentious wines, made in tiny quantities and happily representative of the patch of dirt they were produced of.

A formula that sits very easily with me.

This Shiraz Cabernet then is produced from 87% estate Shiraz, blended with some Barossa floor Shiraz and topped up with 13% Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Surprisingly this spent 24 months in oak, a heroic level for what is a $25 bottle of wine, but it doesn't do this any disservice.

Judging by the colour alone, this looks like quite a beast: It pours deep blood red and is rimmed with youthful purple. The nose matches the sentiment, with rich blackberry jam, vanillan oak and a twist of formic. It smells deep and warm and cosseting and, well, Barossan.

Nice.

Matching the nose, the palate is rich and sweetly red berried, the oak driving the palate weight forward and edging it with vanillan sweetness. Initially I thought this was just a tad too obvious and full, but the hints of Eden Valley milk chocolate through the middle had me hooked.

Just to reinforce the quality, the tail end has a great flow of flavour and thrust, coupled with a complete absence of heat (good to see in a 14.5% ABV red).

Nice again.

It is hard then to argue with any element of this red. The oak is a bit prominent and sweet, but I'm not worried about it integrating, so there is little case for any discordance. Really all I can do is join the chorus and rave about how good this is.

So what you get is a genuine Barossan red, that will cellar well, with plenty of the aforementioned character and appeal, for just $25 a bottle. Bargain. 18.2/93

Spring is here... and the tastings have begun.

2009-09-19T21:12:00.008+09:30

Since my last entry, James and I have progressed with the pruning and tying on and the vineyard is looking fairly tidy; just a day or two's mowing to be done yet.

In between that workload, we entered some of our wines into a few local events; the first being the "Taste of Spring Eden Valley Riesling Tasting" which was a trade event for winery representatives and media, and the second being the 2009 Barossa Wine Show.

The Barossa, of course, was at it's beautiful best. Springtime here is really lovely and the visitors to these events were not disappointed. With the events located at the Eden Valley Institute, Chateau Tanunda and Yalumba Wines, the historical beauty of the venues only complemented the many superb wines being offered. The photo above is of one of the tables at the 2009 Barossa Wine Show Exhibitor's Tasting at Yalumba last Friday and the one below is of setting up the tables ready for a divine lunch prepared by Gill Radford (of Radford Wines) after a morning tasting seventy-five different Eden Valley rieslings from thirty-five different producers. The riesling tasting was held on Thursday.

I may be slightly biased but the long tables set up with the assortment of rieslings, including rare museum stocks, was something to be in awe of and I must admit that I was amazed that there were so many. Although I was incredibly busy for most of the day helping Gill and her staff with the setting up, serving and clearing, I did manage to taste quite a few of the wines (not as many as I would have liked but that may have been near impossible for me anyway!) and must admit that I was completely entranced by this often overlooked variety which is so incredibly special. There is not much that compares to an aged riesling in respect to softness and I think a lot of the media present agreed.

A new Barossa wine book with a difference!

2009-08-30T01:59:00.007+09:30

On Friday afternoon, the Barossa was at its best for the launch of Tyson Stelzer and Grant Dodd's new wine book "Barossa Wine Traveller". A balmy afternoon, unusual in winter, with the first drops of rain coming at the very end of the event, provided a great atmosphere for guests and the hosts of course, to enjoy a few glasses of wine over discussion of what a fine job Tyson and Grant had done in writing a personal wine book which promotes our beautiful area.

I had waited a few years to meet Grant as we had sent samples of our wines to him during that time and he was always extremely positive and encouraging so it was great to be able to personally thank him for his support (a great prop up in the early days when times were really tough). Both he and Tyson are exceptionally nice fellows and seemed as thrilled to have had the opportunity to create this fine book as all of the people from the Barossa wine industry were that Tyson and Grant had chosen our region to promote. The photography by Tyson and Dragan Radocaj is simply stunning and shows just how pretty our area is! It truly is a fabulous book and for a RRP of only $19.95 is a terrific gift for Father's Day or even Christmas so don't leave it until the last minute to order as they will sell out fast.

Please check out the link above to visit the official site. The photo above is of Tyson, Grant and Wayne Ahrens from Smallfry Wines. Sincere thanks to Tyson and Grant for giving us the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful and unique wine guide.

Karra Yerta Wine Events Diary - September/October 2009

2009-08-26T12:45:00.011+09:30

Our life seems to be so full every day that I find a diary a necessity in being even somewhat on top of things. Please find the additions to my own wine diary below and again, if you are near any of the areas that are holding events mark it on your own calendar. I will add things to this page as they come to hand so check back regularly to see new entries. Please email me for any extra information regarding any event mentioned.

Friday August 28th 2009
Launch of the new wine book by Tyson Stelzer and Grant Dodd "Barossa Wine Traveller" in Tanunda. There is also a separate launch at Bar Barossa in Brisbane on Wednesday September 2nd 2009.

Thursday September 17th 2009
"Taste of Spring with Eden Valley Riesling" @ Eden Valley Institute - Trade and Media tasting only. Over 75 rieslings from 35 producers, complemented with lunch prepared by Gill Radford.

Saturday 19th September 2009
Barossa Wine Show Public Tasting - 10am to 1pm @ Yalumba Winery. $25 admission includes an etched tasting glass.

Saturday October 17 2009
2009 Canberra International Riesling Challenge Public Tasting @ Albert Hall, Canberra 11am - 3pm. Public admission $20 per person which includes a tasting glass.

New reviews for our 2006 Shiraz Cabernet

2009-08-26T01:58:00.006+09:30

In between vineyard work and bookwork I have finally had the chance to send off samples to some of the wine-writers who have tasted our previous vintages. Please find the two glowing reviews below; one from Julian Coldrey (www.fullpour.com) and Gary Walsh (www.winefront.com).

Karra Yerta 2006 Shiraz Cabernet

This wine (and winery) defines boutique in many respects. A limited run production of 170 cases, made by James Linke from Eden Valley and Barossa fruit, then blended by Pete Schell to create this quite outstanding little number. When I asked the engaging Marie Linke the intent behind this wine, her answer was "a good home brew, for ourselves, but plans change." And how.

I tasted this over two days, and recommend a good decant at the very least if drinking now. The nose is almost provocatively complex, with notes of gunpowder, barbecued meats, five-spice, lavender, mulberries and cocoa powder. It sounds cacophonous but it's more like a plaid wool blankie: textured and comforting. The aroma profile softened overnight, not becoming less complex but simply settling into its groove, less puffed out, more sophisticated. If there's a hint of volatility, it works well to lift into and penetrate the nostrils.

The palate has shown an even greater transformation with time. At first, unexpectedly bright red fruit shoots down the mouth, accompanied by the same savouriness as in the aroma, falling away a bit on the after palate. A couple of hours later, it fills out significantly, gaining weight and elegance at the same time, and losing the slightly disjointed construction I saw at first. The next day, now, it has melted into a thing of beauty, a limpid pool of dark richness that seems to dissolve onto the tongue with an impossible sense of control. The fruit flavour has gone to dark cherries, with a range of other flavours (including sappy oak) that resist being teased apart from one another. The slinky mouthfeel is a highlight here; tannins are almost excessively fine and ripe.

This is a "fall in love" sort of wine; distinctive, beautiful. I'm not going to resist.

Karra Yerta Wines
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin

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Karra Yerta 2006 Shiraz Cabernet

Tuesday, Aug 25 2009 · Posted in Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, shiraz et al

By Gary Walsh

Good old Shiraz Cabernet - the classic Australian blend that goes against the current prevailing train of thought that mono-varietal makes for superior wine. I’ve no idea why this should be the case, and I’m always surprised, and non wine bore people even more so, when I tell them that blends are ‘really good and it’s OK to drink them…really!’ There’s 170 dozen of this particular blend made.

Lots going on here - plump blueberry/dark cherry fruit, wool wash, nutty nougat oak - floral and meaty too. It’s medium to full bodied with plenty of juicy cherry jam flavour (not sweet though) mingling with a coal-like savouriness and regional eucalypt. Perfectly pitched tannin - ripe but firm - the flow through the palate and length all excellent. Bargain. Should cellar well.

Rated : 93 Points
Tasted : Aug09
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $25
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2010 - 2016+

The hills are alive, with the sound of snips (and a swooping magpie)

2009-08-21T01:01:00.009+09:30

The past month has been really hectic, again. We have had lots of wine orders and in between labelling, invoicing and packing, the vineyard has kept us very busy; especially because the weather has been wonderful. I find that when I am working in the vineyard on such lovely days my head gets filled with all sorts of ideas and plans. Some of these come to fruition and others not, but there is definitely something very inspiring about working in such a beautiful environment with only the birds, sheep and dog around you. (Photo at right is of our dog having a rest after having a bit of a run up the steep hill!)

The pruning is coming along nicely and so far, I have kept up to James' pruning with my own tie-ing on of the vines. There is still a lot of mowing to be done unless we let the sheep in for a bit to get the grass down a little but we are going to have to be quick as the stems are starting to drip with sap so that means bud-burst is not far away (the Barossa floor has already had bud-burst on some of their vines). If you look at the photo of the vine you can just see a little drop at the end of the stem. Once this starts, and the weather is warm (and our August has, I think, been the warmest on record!) it doesn't take long for the canes to get brittle and much harder to wrap (and tie on) around the wires.

Perhaps the only thing that ruins my afternoons on the hill with my loyal offsider (the black one) is the swooping magpies who are most unimpressed at this time of year. This week I have been harassed constantly by a large magpie and thus have been unable to use my mp3 player (it pays be to be able to hear the "whoosh" and accordingly "duck" as opposed to just feeling it attacking your head, from behind of course:) Never a dull moment no matter what part of the job you are doing. But still, it really is one of my favourite times of year. Everything is so pretty out here in the Barossa Ranges right now that you cannot help but feel that despite the hard work, it really is worth it.

Tasting Notes: 2009 Eden Valley Riesling

2009-08-13T10:28:00.005+09:30

KARRA YERTA WINES 2009 EDEN VALLEY RIESLING

PRODUCT: Karra Yerta Wines 2009 Eden Valley Riesling
VINTAGE: 2009
APPELLATION: Eden Valley
VARIETY: Riesling
HARVESTED: March 22nd, 2009
BOTTLED: July 15, 2009
ALCOHOL: 13%
TA: 7.85 g/l
PH: 2.82
PRODUCTION: 128 cases/dozen
CELLARING: drink now to 2016
RRP AU$25

COMMENTS:
This riesling is produced from 80 year-old dry-grown, hand-picked vines. Our fourth release of riesling, the style remains in the vein of the classic riesling that the Eden Valley region is famous for. Screwcap. Samples have been sent of this wine and this page will be updated once the results are known.

Eden Valley - the jewel in the Barossa's crown

2009-08-06T11:01:00.009+09:30

Last night a meeting was held at Bucks Bistro in Springton to discuss the concept of starting up a new sub-group of the BWGA specifically for Eden Valley wine producers to help market and promote our beautiful regions fine wines. A more passionate group of people would rarely be seen and it was decided that there was definitely enough interest to proceed. Eden Valley has long been the hidden jewel in the Barossa's crown and is not really well known on the international front.

A separate GI to the Barossa, rieslings from the area have long dominated global competitions - the best example of this being Peter Lehmann's range of Eden rieslings which consistently rate amongst the best rieslings in the world.

It was wonderful to hear Louisa Rose speak of her opinions on the wines produced from our region and also see other prominent winemakers present. There is definitely a feeling that we do have something very special in our hands, and not just in regards to the rieslings produced. The Eden Valley Shirazes are also of an exceptionally high standard and some of the oldest and rarest shiraz vines in the country are from the region.

In the coming months there will be events showcasing the wines of Eden Valley and I will post information about these as they come to hand. Over the next week I will be placing a post in a wine diary format of these events, and others of significance to place on your calendar in case you are planning a trip to the Barossa.

For more information regarding Eden Valley and to see some of the wineries that are located there please go to this link: Wine Australia Eden Valley

Recipe #2: Smoked Salmon Quiche

2009-08-01T03:03:00.004+09:30

Last night we had a bottle of riesling with dinner and this easy recipe was the perfect match. With it's delightful subtle lemon flavour it was a very refreshing meal.

I used ready-rolled pastry but it would be even more delicious with home-made pastry. Also, the recipe below is for mini-quiches; I made just one large quiche and cooked it at 170 degrees celcius (fan-forced oven) for 35 minutes. I recommend our 2007 Eden Valley Riesling with this dish.

Smoked Salmon Mini-Quiches

Ingredients:
2 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
125gram smoked salmon, chopped
1 cup thickened cream
2 tablespoons sour cream
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons chopped dill
freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon chopped chives

Makes about 24 mini-quiches or one large quiche.

Method:
Cut circles from pastry using a 6cm cutter, press into shallow patty pans or muffin trays.

Divide smoked salmon between pastry cases. Combine creams, eggs, lemon rind, nutmeg, dill, chives, lemon pepper and black pepper, spoon over salmon (pastry cases should only be 2/3 full).

Bake in a moderately hot oven (190 degrees celcius or 170 degrees celcius fan-forced) for 10 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

The Barossa goes to Brisbane, and so does Karra Yerta

2009-07-29T14:00:00.006+09:30

Last weekend representatives from twenty-five different Barossa and Eden Valley wineries attended three events in Brisbane organised by Purple Palate to celebrate the opening of their new wine store, Bar Barossa.

We sent our resident red wine maker (oh, and my husband:), James. He travelled up with Steven Kurtz of Kurtz Family Vineyards and from the sounds of things they had a great weekend. A few Coopers Ales may have made our tribe feel at home I think. They also met up with the third Collective counterpart, Wayne Ahrens of Smallfry.

The events were incredibly successful and the wineries ended up showcasing their wines to almost one thousand people over the two tastings and dinner which is a remarkable feat. Many thanks to Darren Davis for his magnificent organisational skills and to the entire Purple Palate gang for making our winery people feel welcome.

Feedback from James was that our rieslings were received fantastically and everyone loved the style of it. No doubt that the Queensland lifestyle plays a part in that, and what better to have with a lovely seafood meal?

We look forward to working with Purple Palate in the future and increasing our sales to that part of the country. With the Queensland sector now covered, our wines are available all along the East Coast of Australia including Tasmania so we are absolutely over the moon with the opportunites that have come up over the past few years. Sincere thanks to all who have supported us in the current economic climate.

Special thanks to Darren for allowing me to use the accompanying photograph on this blog entry.

Tasting Notes: 2006 Shiraz Cabernet

2009-07-24T13:16:00.006+09:30

KARRA YERTA WINES 2006 SHIRAZ CABERNET

PRODUCT: Karra Yerta Wines 2006 Shiraz Cabernet
VINTAGE: 2006
APPELLATION: Eden Valley & Barossa
VARIETY: Shiraz Cabernet
BOTTLED: October 4th, 2008
ALCOHOL: 14.5%
TA: 7.69g/l
PH: 3.44
PRODUCTION: 170 cases/dozen
CELLARING: drink now to 2015
RRP AU$25

COMMENTS:
This Shiraz Cabernet is a blend of Barossa and Eden Valley Shiraz and 13% Eden Valley Cabernet. Made by James Linke of Karra Yerta Wines at Biscay Road Vintners. Aged 24 months in French Oak. With flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant, lavender and violets this wine is ready to drink now but will also benefit from cellaring. Screwcap.

REVIEWS & RATINGS:
94+++/100 points Philip White - "Drinkster", Adelaide
The stony, barren ridge at the top of Flaxman's, where the ancient rocks poke through high above the Barossa, is the home of some of the world's most expensive and elusive shiraz wines. (Think Ringland, next door. McLean's Farm at the northern end; Mountadam at the southern.) This vineyard is windswept and wild, freezing in the winter, and even cool at night in the midst of the most vicious heatwaves. So this rare tincture has quite a lot to live up to. It has the most intense and complex bouquet, riddled with twists of beauty that seem so blacksmithed into compression they unwind in a dreadfully gradual and teasing manner. Musk, lavendar, violets, licorice, mint, cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, blackcurrant, blackberry, beetroot, morel, porcini, ancient soy, salt, schist, podsol, guano, gunpowder, swarf, burlap ... I dunno. I could go on, and I've only had my hooter in the glass for thirty minutes. I know now that this wine is gonna be a king hell striptease viper with a voice like Barry White and Grace Jones for a Mum. The palate's disarming and confronting from the first sip: just mildly viscous, especially compared to the intensity of its flavours, with, yep, the lithe form of the black whipsnake slithering around your mouth like some professional girls apparently dance on poles. It's strangely compact and intense, as I've said too many times, but still seems ethereal in its saucy habit of letting little shots of its myriad components just go: they're there for a flash as they evaporate, and suddenly they're replaced by something else. And on and on it goes. The dance of the hundred and summit veils. Sometime a long way off all these bits and pieces will assimilate and homogenise and the damned thing will be mature and formal and very, very famous, and those astonishing components will let go at the same time in equal proportions and really, really gradually, but shit, that'll kill people, and by Bacchus I love it now. I doubt that I can stay alive long enough to drink it at its peak, and if I did, it'd kill me anyway. Karra Yerta has never hit the top ten in the glambam gobstopper any price you like stakes, but it will, and it will outshine most of those wannabeez and cooderbeenz. This is a stunning, secret wine. Gimme! JAN 09

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Please find the two glowing reviews from August 2009 below; one from Julian Coldrey (www.fullpour.com) and Gary Walsh (www.winefront.com).

This is a "fall in love" sort of wine; distinctive, beautiful. I'm not going to resist.

Karra Yerta Wines
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin

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Karra Yerta 2006 Shiraz Cabernet

Tuesday, Aug 25 2009 · Posted in Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, shiraz et al

By Gary Walsh

Rated : 93 Points
Tasted : Aug09
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $25
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2010 - 2016+