VITICULTURIST GOES BACK TO BACK
One woman’s look at the lighter side of kids, life and growing up! It’s a sad day when a gang of three “I still play with dolls” Miss Seven Year Olds can bring out your insecurities – especially when you’re a worldly 32! This morning I was the victim of a vicious unprovoked verbal attack. Here I was minding my own business, casually strolling down the school pathway. Mr Five Year Old had left me for dead, and sprinted off to the classroom. I walked past “thea gang” and heard one of them pronounce a loud “Oh My God” (in a sort of slow American style drawl). It took a couple of seconds to sink in and a few more seconds to wonder if they were talking about me. I stopped and turned around and sure enough, here they were pointing and leaning out to get a better look. In retaliation, I gave them my best grown up scowl and then scuttled away to the classroom all the while wondering whether it was my boots, skirt or hair that had caused the cutting remark. The whole event has left me quite shaken - I think I may be mentally scarred.
A classic Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon that has been produced by one of South Australia’s oldest wineries since the 1980s was the big winner at last week’s 2019 Limestone Coast Wine Show. The 2016 St Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon won the Bill Redman Trophy for Best Wine of Show at tonight’s trophy presentation feast held at Penola’s Rymill Hall, after earlier winning the HR (Ron) Haselgrove Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon and the David Wynn Trophy for Best Red Wine of Show. The result saw St Hugo viticulturist Tim McCarthy (pictured right in the vineyards and (inset) accepting his award) awarded the Arthur Hoffmann Trophy for Viticulturist of the Year for the second year in a row, after last year taking top honours with the 2016 George Wyndham ‘I Am George’ Shiraz Cabernet. Chief of Judges Samantha Connew,described the 2016 St Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon as “a beautiful example of a wine from a terrific variety which highlights exactly what Cabernet from this region should be about.” The St Hugo trophy haul continued when the 2015 St Hugo Vetus Purum Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon claimed the Trophy for Best Individual Vineyard Wine for the second year in a row, taking the tally to five for the evening. This year’s awards saw the official unveiling of the new Pam Dunsford Trophy for Best Chardonnay. The 2018 Brand’s Laira Blockers Chardonnay
was named the inaugural winner of this trophy honouring the esteemed winemaker’s contribution to the Limestone Coast’s winemaking heritage. Meanwhile, it was a triple trophy treat for seasoned performer Leconfield Wines across a range of grape varieties. The 2019 Leconfield Coonawarra ‘La Sevillana’ Rosé won the Trophy for Best Rosé, the 2018 Leconfield Coonawarra Merlot claimed the Peter Wehl Trophy for Best Merlot, while the 2018 Leconfield Coonawarra ‘Old Vine’ Riesling won the International Judges’ Award. “This wine was definitely one of the wines that stood out this week,” said guest International Judge Michelle Bouffard, from Montreal, Canada. “Bone dry with great tension and energy. Love the structure. Simply thirst quenching.” Riesling from Coonawarra really shone at this year’s event claiming a total of five trophies. “It just demonstrates that Coonawarra has got multiple strings to its bow and the story is not just about red varietals; riesling from this region also really shines,” said Samantha Connew. The 2019 The Ridge Terra Rossa Coonawarra Riesling won the Colin Kidd Trophy for Best White Wine of Show and the Karl Seppelt Trophy for Best White (excluding Chardonnay). The 2014 Patrick of Coonawarra Aged Riesling won the Ewen Fergusson McBain Trophy for Best Museum Wine, and the Blok Coonawarra Riesling 2018, 2010, 2006 won the White Wine of Provenance Trophy. The Red Wine of Provenance Trophy
My question from this traumatic event is do you ever really get over your insecurities? Here I am, I’ve travelled the world, battled the business gurus, bought a house and given birth to two children, yet I can still be brought to my knees by some snipey remarks from pre-pubescent activists. I think I’m going to have to go into counselling. And if we’re going to get down to it, then might I just say to that little girl in the middle, your pink headband did not match your red jumper! I wonder what I should wear to school tomorrow?
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went to Wynns Coonawarra Estate for the second year in a row, for its Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon (2016, 2010, 2006). The Chief of Judges Wine to Watch went to two wines in 2019 – the 2018 Vandenberg Ari Shiraz and the 2019 Penley Estate Francis Cabernet Franc: “They were certainly two wines that stood out for me in terms of style and varietal – the Shiraz demonstrating the Australian tradition of inter-regional blending to make a seamless wine, and then the Cabernet Franc gave that modern interpretation of crunchy and vibrant red wine that consumers are increasingly looking for,” said Samantha Connew. The 2017 Majella The Musician won the Trophy for Best Blended Red, with Majella also winning the Trophy for Most Successful Exhibitor. Rounding out the trophy winners, the 2018 Two Truths Shiraz won the Eric Brand Trophy for Best Shiraz, and the 2016 Ortons
Road Shiraz won the Small Batch and Experimental Wines Award. The 2018 Wangolina Tempranillo was declared the Best Alternative Red Variety, the 2018 Hollick The Nectar won the Trophy for Best Sweet Wine while the NV GreySmith Wines Blanc de Blanc Coonawarra won the Trophy for Best Sparkling wine, with the judging panel’s Liz Heidenreich declaring it “a cracking wine that dances in the glass”. “It was seamless; it had really lovely complexity and was a really complete wine; really enjoyable and a delight to drink,” she said. A total of 43 Gold medals were awarded at the 19th annual show, matching last year’s tally.