I'm a Survivor!

I survived my first week of night shift at the winery! Working 12-hour shifts from 7pm-7am isn't so bad. It's changing your sleep cycle and trying to sleep during the day that's the difficult part but I'm adjusting. The only other downside...it's cold at night!!! Other than that, it's actually a nice shift to work because I get see the sunset and sunrise and view the winery in a whole new light...and by light I mean those run by electricity :)

The tank farm at night

Tonight I emptied my first potter! Generally, you just have to open the bottom door and it all falls out but, as luck would have it, my potter was being stubborn and I had to rake it out.

Digging out the potter...difficult and awkward, not the best combination

I thought giving the potter a dirty look would make it cooperate...it didn't work :)

My badge of honor...I earned it!

I also met with the winemaker, Stephanie Dutton, and tasted some wines after pressing. This is where they decide what the end wine will potentially be and then decide where second fermentation should take place. For instance, we tasted a wine that had a strong tannin structure, intense fruit flavors and a rich mouth feel. They believe it will be Bin 389, which will be placed in new American oak for second fermentation. Another wine was lighter in style with pleasant floral and fruity aromas. It smelled 'pretty'. They think it will make St. Henri and will be mature in 50-year-old large, oak vats. Mind you, everything we tasted was an unfinished wine so it tastes very different from the final bottled product. It was all very interesting to see their decision process. It's tough to explain because even I don't understand all the intricacies but I'm learning. 

My reward!

P.S.

I got an inside tip from one of the winemakers that 2012 McLaren Vale fruit is looking exceptional! Not sure what the end product will be but I'll keep you posted!

The Most Interesting Man In The World

Nope, not this guy...

This is the guy...meet Lozza!

Well maybe not 'The Most Interesting Man In The World' but at least 'The Most Interesting Man In The Barossa'...so far! I work with this bloke Lozza. He is an Aborigine with a raging Aussie accent and calls everyone Mate, including me! He is a beekeeper from the nearby Adelaide Plains. Lozza is a small, dare I say petite, dark skinned man with a great wealth of knowledge and he taught me a little about how bees make honey. Now, I’ve always liked honey…on toast and in my tea, but I have never really known how honey is actually made until today. I guess I’ve just never thought about it. Have you? 

Fun facts according to Lozza:

-   - Females are workers, men are drones and drones don’t work

-   - Females collect nectar in their cheeks, fly back to the hive, deposit the nectar in the honeycomb then fan the nectar with their wings to evaporate the water thereby making honey

-   - Bees have wax glands to make honeycomb

-   - The queen bee is bigger and fatter because she is tended to and eats more

-   - Only one male mates with queen, his penis literally falls off in process and he dies…not sure if you would consider him lucky or unlucky?...you know what I mean!?

-   - The hive keeps a few male drones around just in case the current queen dies and the new queen needs a mate

-   - Lazzo only moves the hive at night, while the bees are sleeping, to new locations depending on what’s blooming

-   - Chemical sprays on canola seed decrease honey production

-   - Bees die after stinging and do attack butt first!

And the entire time he was explaining this all, I couldn't help by envision this bee :)

The next day, Lozza brought in some of his honey for everyone to enjoy and it was 'sweet as'! Cheers Lazzo!!!

The Crusher!

The first stop for all grapes at a winery is…dun ta dun...The Crusher! It doesn’t matter if it’s Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, first things first! The winery I work at only processes Penfold’s Premium Red Wines and yes that includes Bin 707 and the infamous Grange!

Grapes come to us in two ways, either in a dump truck or bins. The dump truck is the quickest and pretty self-explanatory. The other are in bins, which are placed in different locations around the vineyards to be filled and then stacked on a flatbed truck to transport. At the winery, the bins are removed from the flatbed with a forklift and emptied individually into the crusher. It's a bit more tedious but still relatively easy and it keeps our forklift drivers busy :)

Once the grapes are dumped into the receival bin, a feeder device called a screw way moves the grapes at a controlled pace to the destemmer. The destemmer does exactly what it sounds like, it removes the stems from the grapes, hence the name! The berries drop into a hopper and the stems continue through the back of the machine, up the elevator and are conveyed to a rubbish bin and then used as compost. This whole process gently squeezes the berries and breaks the skins to start to liberate the contents of the berries. The berries and juice from the hopper are then transferred, to one of the three places: the vinimatics, the potters or the static fermenters. So what is the difference between grapes and berries? And a little fun fact I learned, as a whole or bunch they are called grapes and once separated from the stem they are called berries. 

Time to do work!

The Crusher!

MOG - Materials Other than Grapes: 

Includes anything from leaves to canes to trunks to debris. Each load of grapes is graded on a scale from 0-5 based on the amount of MOG it contains. The higher the number, the more MOG it contains and the lesser the quality of the load, which consequently decreases the amount of money the grower receives for each load. Above would be MOG 2

Inside look at the destemmer: 

'Fingers' above the small slots rotate to remove the larger chunks of stems. Grapes are pulled off the stems and fall through the holes. Some small amounts of stem particles do fall through the slots but are usually desired to be kept with the berries for tannin structure.

Bearded Lizard

Sometimes these guys are found in the loads. Each load is monitored closely while being processed for many reasons, this guy being one of them. It was a chilly morning so he was frozen stiff!

But don't worry...we brought him back to life. Feisty lil fella!!!

The Mornington Peninsula...A New Favorite!

The Mornington Peninsula just became my new favorite wine region in Australia! In just an hour drive from Melbourne you find yourself in the sweeping hills and tranquil countryside where some remarkably elegant wines are produced. There are more than 50 small wineries that make high quality wines but in minimal quantities. The region may be small but that doesn’t limit the variation from different producers. Each vineyard offers a different aspect, elevation and soil that contribute to the varied character of the wines. It’s renowned for its maritime influenced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with increasing accolades for its voluptuous, complex Pinot Gris. Of course, like any other wine region, with good wine goes good food and the region is scattered with award winning restaurants.

Ten Minutes By Tractor...

My first stop was Ten Minutes By Tractor. I had actually never heard of this winery until a friend gave me the June 2011 Decanter Magazine, which had an entire article on the Mornington Peninsula and Ten Minutes was one of the highlighted wineries [Thanks Myres!]. The three vineyards that supply the grapes for their outstanding wines are, you guessed it, ten minutes apart by tractor, hence the name! There is a collection of old tractors throughout the property that reinforces the theme. The cellar door has large windows overlooking the lush landscape of the vineyard and the ocean in the distance. The innovative menu is driven by locally sourced produce and changes seasonally. You are sure to find the perfect pairing with an extensive international wine list focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from around the world. The estate is very impressive and quaint. And more importantly, their signature cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are remarkable with surprisingly developed flavors.

Both Chardonnays were aged in 28% new French oak barrels with lees contact. However, the 2009 Estate Chardonnay underwent more malolactic fermentation and therefore tasted more full bodied and buttery. It had less green apple and floral notes than the 2010 10X Chardonnay and more of a caramel nose. Both were enjoyable but I preferred the Estate Chardonnay. It had more complexity and a fuller mouthfeel without being overwhelming. 

The 2010 10X Pinot Noir definitely retained a zesty, mouthwatering acidity of sour red fruits; cranberry and rhubarb.  2011 10X Rose was quite refreshing. It had lighter notes of white and pink flowers but with a textural sensory of beeswax that added some complexity.  

The 2009 McCutcheon Vineyard Pinot Noir, one word...smooth! The nose was more savory and of riper red fruits. It smelled and tasted more developed. All and all, just a more balanced wine with more complexity.

Ocean Eight...

Next stop, Ocean Eight…yet another winery introduced to me by Decanter Magazine. The small production of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris are sourced from the 17 hectare vineyard owned by Aylward family. The vineyard is hidden down a winding dirt road, which leads to a small driveway that displays a small sign: Ocean 8. The winery is so small that they simply don’t have the manpower to open the cellar door regularly. Therefore, the cellar door is only open the first weekend of each month. I was unable to visit when the cellar door was open but fortunately Michael Aylward, the winemaker and owner, made himself available to meet with me. He is a very pleasant man with an evident passion and astounding attention to detail. I was overwhelmed by his excitement and knowledge. Upon my arrival, he took me straight to the cellar for a tasting. He explained the different clones and the different stages and flavors of each wine in his cellar. One thing I will never forget…Mike taught me a wine undergoing malolactic fermentation makes a ticking noise. Seriously, it sounds like a clock! He let me put my ear to the barrel to hear the ticking. His favorite wines are from Chablis and he tries to make his Chardonnay similar in style and he loves when people use raspberry as a descriptor for his Pinot Noir. My visit to Ocean Eight with Mike Aylward is definitely one of the more memorable moments in the Mornington!

Mike's love of French wines!

Clone MV6: from Clos Vougeot, France. Has small bunches and berries with concentrated plummy and meaty character

Ocean Eight Pinot Noir

Eldridge Estate...

The gentleman from the cellar door at Ten Minutes By Tractor recommended I swing by Eldridge Estate so I did! Why not?...I was in the area :) I met with Wendy Lloyd, one of the owners of Eldridge with her husband, David, being the other. Wendy explained they are passionate about wine and enjoy clonal and technical experimentation to ensure a quality focus. The vineyard is now predominantly a mix of Pinot Noir [6 clones] and Chardonnay [5 clones]. It also has a small amount of Gamay and Sauvignon Blanc. Good wine but no stand outs for me personally.

Small tasting room with a great view of the small vineyard

View from the tasting room

Paringa Estate...

Paringa Estate is one of the regions largest and most well known wineries with a wide variety of wines, from Riesling to Viognier to Shiraz. Lindsay McCall, school teacher turned winemaker, purchased the property in 1984, planted its first vines in 1985 and had its first vintage in 1988. The main property is 4 hectares, which sources their Single Vineyard Reserve Series. Paringa also owns an additional 22 hectares that sources their Estate and Peninsula Series. The winery processes over 220 tonnes of fruit and produces over 16,000 cases of wine. Good wine but, like any larger winery, you have some wines that stand out and some that don't. Some of the wines were lacking complexity and flavor development.

2011 Estate Riesling, 2009 Estate Pinot Gris, 2009 Estate Viognier 

2008 Peninsula Chardonnay, 2008 Estate Chardonnay, 2011 Estate Rose

Paringa Cellar

Paringa 'Home Vineyard'

Kooyong...

Kooyong at Port Phillip Estate are actually two separate labels owned by the Gjergja family. Both are well known and respected for regional representation but Kooyong appears to be the shining star and liked by most. Port Phillip Estate vineyard was established in 1987 and is located in Red Hill; the 10 hectare site is planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc, all on northerly and easterly-facing slopes. In contrast, Kooyong is located in Tuerong toward the northern end of the Mornington Peninsula. The majority of the 40 hectare site is planted with Pinot Noir, with a moderate area of Chardonnay and small parcels of Pinot Gris. I had the pleasure of meeting with the winemaker, Tessa Brown, who gave me a tour of their facilities and a lovely tasting of their wines. All the wines are made to reflect the vineyard attributes but varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir amplify small differences in site into significant differences in the wine. I'm very keen of Kooyong wines! You can really taste the difference between each vineyard and the different layers of each wine.

Port Phillip Estate winery, designed by award-winning Wood/Marsh Architecture

Port Phillip Estate tasting room

Kooyong winery

Barrel tasting with assistant winemaker Glen

2009 Farrago Chardonnay: I thought it was a nice touch showing the vineyard layout on the label

Penguin Parade

I went to visit my friend Jay who has been living on Phillip Island for the last couple months and was fortunate enough to attend the Penguin Parade. It's about a 90-minute drive south of Melbourne and well worth the trip! Normally, an adult ticket would cost $22 but thanks to Jay and his friends on the Island, our tickets were free! Thanks again Jay!

Every evening at sunset, the march of the penguins captivates onlookers as thousands of little penguins waddle their way from the shore to the safety of their burrows in the dunes. They were much smaller than I expected but that’s because they are actually little or fairy penguins, the smallest of penguin species. And the baby penguins were even smaller and fluffy and incredibly cute! Photography and video is strictly prohibited but I couldn't resist :) For better quality videos and photos check out Phillip Island Nature Parks.

Waiting for the penguins to make their appearance in 14 degree Celsius...burr! 

A bit blurry because I was sneaking photos but they finally made it to shore!

He's a bit difficult to see but still cute!

Waddling away!