Off the Press - Winter 2021 Edition 88

Off the

Press Team Talk | Upcoming Member’s Events | New Experiences Learn About Our New Labels | Home-Made Recipes and more...

WINTER EDITION

#88

A thank you from Grace On behalf of the team and I, we would like to thank you for your overwhelming support over these last twelve extremely unprecedented months.

What a year!

We look forward to continuing to greet you at your front door neatly packed in a box, or more hopefully at one of our upcoming Member soirées.

Don’t forget to check out the calendar of events on the back cover to see what we have planned for you!

All the best.

- Grace Eglit | Vintage Wine Club & Event Co-Ordinator

Behind the vi

Vintage wrap up by Alex G’day!

The final batches of red wine are heading into oak over the next week, giving us a good opportunity to taste through and reflect on the 2021 vintages from our vineyards..

The Hunter Valley harvest was the scariest of the three.

Early summer rains had us practicing meticulous vineyard management, which further paid off with that brief period of warm and dry days in mid-January. The whites are highly aromatic with lots of concentration and energy whilst the reds are super fine and elegant.

Orange had a moderately cool season which meant longer hang

times for the grape bunches on the vine. This has resulted in the wines achieving wonderful flavour concentration and complexity at low pH and alcohols. What I’m really enjoying about these wines is the pure fruit flavours and refreshing finishes.

Down in Wrattonbully on the other hand has given us what is possibly our best red vintage since 2016.

Dense and highly concentrated with fruit tannin in abundance. This year I have experimented with extended time on skins for our Big Bully Cabernet Sauvignon which gives the wine a looser, finer tannin texture. I’m extremely excited about the quality of this vintage.

I hope to see you at our Annual Blending Sessions in August for some competitive fun!

Stay safe, healthy and tuck into some wintery reds and textural whites.

- Alex Beckett | Winemaker

Cellar Door Open 7 days, 10am - 5pm Book in for your Complimentary Members Tasting & Cheese!

ines with Belinda

Winter in the Hunter Valley brings cold nights and frosty mornings with the grape vines now having turned various shades of yellow and orange before dropping their leaves, as they move into dormancy.

During these Winter months the vineyard team are kept very busy pruning the vines. Pruning is the most important component of grape growing (viticulture) as it is determines the crop levels or yields for the upcoming vintage.

My team and I like to keep our cropping levels relatively low, at around 2-3 tonnes per acre to ensure that we maintain great premium quality grapes.

Stay warm!

- Belinda Kelly | Vineyard Manager

BEST OF ORANGE: VARIETAL RANGE FUME SAUVIGNON BLANC VARIETAL RANGE TEMPRANILLO SHIRAZ VARIETAL RANGE ROSE

Adelaide

Wrattonbully Melbourne

BEST OF WRATTONBULLY: LIMITED RELEASE VIOGNIER LIMITED RELEASE LIMITED RELEASE FIANO LIMITED RELEASE ‘BIG BULLY’ CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Hunter Valley Orange Sydney BEST OF THE HUNTER: DAIRY HILL SINGLE VINEYARD SHIRAZ

Canberra

STOCKHAUSEN CHARDONNAY LIMITED RELEASE NV MUSCAT

BEYOND THE BOTTLE Whilst the Hunter Valley will always be our first love, we are fortunate to have vineyards in other regions with diverse terroirs required for the alternative varietals that we know you are after.

Palates are diverse, and so too are the lands we source our grapes, which is why Briar Ridge Vineyard also owns and procures fruit from Orange (NSW) and Wrattonbully (SA).

Accessing grapes from further afield means that we are able to produce and offer a broader range of wines to satisfy yearnings for delicious cool-climate, and slightly heartierwines that some of you may seek.

As our owner, Jaclyn Davis, has immediate family with an extensive background in geology, you can guarantee that our vineyard locations are the result of hunting for the desirable terra rossa soils.

Where does your favourite Briar Ridge Vineyard wine come from?

Terra rossa (Italian): Typically red coloured clay soils influenced by high iron and mineral contents.

These soils provide the ideal environment for a complex vineyard biome. Terra rossa is typical of Mediterranean regions or areas with volcanic remnants.

Experience different perspective

Briar Ridge Vineyard VIP Helicopter Tasting Experience

$380pp*

We are thrilled to announce our most r bring you our mo

Enjoy a scenic flight over the Hunter Valley and Mount View by one of our very dedicated Briar Ridge Vineyard team

*For full details and inclusions please head to w

from a e...

recent partnership with Hunter Valley Helicopters and ost exhilarating experience yet!

w region, before landing on our grounds fora private ‘in-vineyard’ tasting and picnic hosted m members. Perfect for an extraordinary day out or to celebrate a special occasion.

www.huntervalleyhelicopters.com.au/wine-tasting www.huntervalleyhelicopters.com.au /wine-tasting or call us (02) 4990 3670.

Canines and feline

es

A home-made recipe from our Vintage Wine Club Member, Graeme McKimmie.

Apple Crumble Base 8 x Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced Fresh lemon juice 30ml Dried Sultanas 100g Briar Ridge Semillon 100ml Gently poach on low heat until evenly softened.

Cool Transfer without too much juice into a deep baking dish (25 cm x 10 cm x 7 cm)

Topping Woodstock Organic Spelt Flour 140g Light brown sugar 50g Raw rolled oats 50g Crushed Walnuts 50g Softened Butter 100g (chopped into 1cm pieces) Rub together by hand until uniformly crumbly.

Transfer onto fruit evenly without pressing into dish.

Cook Pre-heat oven to 180’C fan forced.

Bake for 20 - 30 min until golden brown.

Serve Allow to cool.

Serve slightly warm with excessive cream, ice-cream or custard.

Pair With: Briar Ridge NV Limited Release Muscat $48 Members Price ($60 RRP)

Learn about 2021 ‘Early Harvest’ Semillon Delicate and zesty the grape is picked early in the season to best capture the subtle nuances of this classic Hunter varietal.

Crisp and dry, our ‘Early Harvest Semillon’ is bright and refreshing with lime-like lemongrass aromatics typical to Semillon.

PAIR WIT H: Rich seafood or light salads to balance the acidity.

MEMBER PRICE

$20 per bottle

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Cock-a-doodle-do!

The early bird not only gets the worm, but also the prized grape

t our labels Our Verdelho vineyard is situated right beside our famed natural Hunter Valley dam

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2021 ‘The Dam’ Verdelho

MEMBER PRICE

$20 per bottle

Fresh, tropical, lively and infinitely drinkable.

‘The Dam’ Verdelho is a friendly ‘all rounder’ white with notes of red apple, guava and passionfruit.

This 2021 vintage is a perfectly balanced and refined take on the now popular Portuguese varietal. With its naturally high acidity you can expect a thirst-quenching finish.

PAIR WIT H: Spicy Asian dishes.

Member Events July

August 2021

ANNUAL BLENDING SESSION LUNCHEON Briar Ridge Vineyard Cellar Door,

Saturday 7th August and Saturday 14th August [SOLD OUT] Work alongside our award-winning Winemaker, Alex Beckett, as he takes you and your team through the art and finesse of wine blending, before embarking on the adventure to blend your best red. The selected winning concoction will be bottled as the next release (2020 Vintage) of the Limited Release Members Blend.

September

October 2021 BUDBURST SPRING RELEASE DINNER Atrium, The Grounds of Alexandria Saturday 9 October

TICKETS ON SALE NOW Attend the only Member’s Dinner held this year.

Surrounded by the lush greenery in the Atrium at The Grounds of Alexandria, it will be the picture perfect venue to celebrate Budburst and welcome in our new spring release wines.

Hosted by our illustrious Winemaker, Alex Beckett, and his team, you will be taken through a palatable journey, artfully paired with a chef-selected three-course menu.

November 2021

SYDNEY HARBOUR CRUISE Sydney Date TBC

Join our early access list now!

“Sail away, sail away, sail away...”

Did someone say sailing, sparkling and saxaphone?

The ultimate Member event is back and this time, in style. Relax and mingle with a side of flowing Briar Ridge Vineyard wine, continuous canapes and 360 degree views of Sydney Harbour, no less.

Make sure to get your name onto our waitlist now to avoid disappointment.

December