The Northern Rivers Times
August 4, 2022
62 WINE
Grape Expectations by Max Crus
It’s not easy being green Everyone wants to do their bit to save the planet, except coalition voters of course, but people who admit to that now are as rare as the many species of mammals we’ve put on the endangered list. But it’s not easy being green, as a little, green, muppet made universally known, and no, we’re not talking about Barnaby Joyce or David Little-tobe-proud of. Take coffee making for instance. Every morning I make a coffee in a 30-year-old Bialetti stove top espresso maker (yeah way ahead of the current coffee pack I know, thanks) on the same electric ceramic cooktop we’ve had for years. Yesterday, for the first time, I noticed that the inner element of the ‘dual element’ was actually
smaller than the two ‘small’ elements. I’d always thought this was an optical illusion, but the realisation was an epiphany. The inner circle element is 20 per cent smaller than the ‘small’ ones and perfect for the coffee-maker, with almost exactly the same diameter at the base as the element and therefore less wasted heat escaping into the environment. Yoohoo, how green can you get? Well, I could have noticed it three years ago I suppose. However at the first attempt, the coffee seemed to take a little bit longer to brew. Subsequent scientific testing with state-of-theart equipment (a mobile phone) revealed the worst; it took 20 percent longer to brew, therefore
20 percent longer drawing on the electricity network, melting glaciers and killing endangered species. Dang. Sure, the other element was bigger and drew more power, but how much more? That’s going to require some serious scientific testing and I’m not sure my phone is up to the task. See how hard it is? Another stove top quandary, which is more efficient when boiling your water for pasta: Cold water straight from the tap, already heated water from the hot tap, or boiling the kettle to get an even better start? And everyone knows a watched pot never boils so what else can you do while waiting? Have a glass of wine of course…but should we buy stuff that is produced
locally to save on green miles, or simply buy ‘lighter’ bottles trucked from further afield? Is a bottle weighing 400grams trucked 50km greener than a 200g bottle trucked 100km? See it’s not easy is it? Well, actually it is, because in the end we just do what almost everyone does, whichever is more the more expedient. Maybe I should just vote coalition and get it all over with as soon as possible. Max Crus is a Clarence Valley-based wine writer and Grape Expectations is now in its 26th year of publication. Find out more about Max or sign up for his weekly reviews and musings by visiting maxcrus.com.au
Deep Woods Margaret River Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, $90. Like saving the environment, it Deep Woods is hard to appear Margaret impartial sometimes. River Reserve Knowing this Calabria Family Chardonnay 2021, Calabria Family Yeringberg Yarra wine has been Wines Barossa $65. Wines Riverina & Valley Marsanne Valley ‘Three This is quite a green judged World’s Barossa Durif 2019, Bridges’ Shiraz 2019, wine, and even Roussanne 2020, Best Cabernet $? $90. $25. more so if you don’t makes it tough, but There’s more going A celebration of 75 appearances are Classic Barossa put it in the fridge, years of winemaking shiraz at a classic on here than there important, so one which will dull its for the Calabrias, are letters in the price. Very delightful characters does one’s best, until grape names. Bit too this durif is one of no-one is watching. egalitarian so have somewhat anyway. those deliciously much for a casual Beautifully fragrant, it at a left-leaning Of course for lunch wine, so chill fragrant wines that coconutty and election party maximum greenmake you wonder it a bit and have it characterful, one or a save-theness you also need why there isn’t more environment party. with Four Corners. to turn off the fridge. can easily ignore the 9.3/10. of it. 9.5/10. wine miles. 9.7/10. 9.4/10. 9.5/10.
Yeringberg Yarra Valley Viognier 2020, $50. There are many fans of viognier out there, and this wine is why. It’s as full as any chardonnay but with a completely different swatch of flavours and characters and without that overwhelming chardonnay-ness that can wear you down. 9.5/10.
