The Palate - Winter 2011

Hi there,

Well, vintage 2011 has finally finished! We can hear the collective sighs of relief from all concerned, with what might be described as one of the most challenging vintages on record.

To kick off the Winter 2011 edition of The Palate, we are delighted to announce the winner of our amazing The Taste of Adventure competition. Congratulations to Charles Di Petta of Victoria who is the lucky winner of the $35,000 main prize. Charles and three friends will enjoy the best wine, food and adventure experience imaginable, travelling across South Australia's most famous regions for 12 action-packed days. A hearty congratulations Charles, from the Hardys team!

In this issue of The Palate, Winemaker Charlie Seppelt fills us in on what's happening at the winery post vintage. We also take a look at fruit-driven, early-drinking, medium-bodied red wines and highlight the Limestone Coast wine region.

We put the spotlight on our award-winning wines, in particular our Eileen Hardy and HRB wines, which have performed particularly well on the international stage recently. Speaking of high performance, the Hardys wine brand continues to go from strength to strength, again being named in the top five wine brands in the world – read more in our From the Winery section.

The Palate is always full of excellent offers and in this issue we release hot Nottage Hill deals, plus a special on a Hardys favourite – our Oomoo McLaren Vale Shiraz 2009.

In our popular From the Kitchen section, we put a delicious twist on an old favourite (compliments of Feast! Fine Foods), while Bill Hardy provides an in-depth look at the Canadian wine market in Hardys at Large.

We encourage you to visit the Hardys Tintara Cellar Door in McLaren Vale before September 4, where you will get to view incredible pieces of art, some of which have never been exhibited before. Look to our From the Winery section to find out more.

And as always, remember to vote in our Have your Say section. This issue we want to know which red wines you enjoy drinking during these chilly winter months.

Now take some time to kick back and relax with your favourite bottle of Hardys and the inside word from the Hardys team.

In this issue:

Wine Style
From the Winery
Hardys at Large
You said it!

And much more ...

Fruit-driven, early-drinking,
medium-bodied reds

'Fruit-driven, early-drinking, medium-bodied reds' is a wine category which covers a vast amount of wines and varieties, essentially denoting wines with soft tannins, rounded and generally made for early drinking rather than slow maturation.

Our winemaking philosophy for Nottage Hill is a carbon copy of this description – a blend of fruit from the warmer climes of the Riverland and Sunraysia and areas such as Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. The wines are made to show a generosity of sweet fruit flavour, fine tannins, and above all, offer stunning value for money.

One of our favourite wines in the Nottage Hill range is the 2010 Cabernet Shiraz. It’s a 60/40 blend, showing lovely blackcurrant fruit and a soft, textural mouthfeel.

One of our newer wines, the Hardys Chronicles Butcher’s Gold Shiraz Sangiovese 2010, shows what judicious blending of these Old World varieties can achieve. This wine has 80% Shiraz and 20% Sangiovese – a juicy, vibrant bouquet with dark chocolate from the Shiraz, and typical sour cherry, rose petal notes from the Sangiovese. The palate is medium-bodied with savoury meaty complexity and the balance of tannins – a truly unique blend with plenty of flavour and interest.

	Wine Region Focus – Limestone Coast The Limestone Coast's underground water, Mediterranean climate and cool sea breezes in summer ensure slow and gentle ripening of winegrapes. But it's the region's terra rossa soil that it is most famous for. The most prized part of the Limestone Coast is a 12km by 2km patch of especially fertile terra rossa – the Coonawarra region. The soil produces superb Cabernet Sauvignon and stunning Coonawarra Shiraz wines. But the Coonawarra region is only part of the Limestone Coast. It has a number of other wine regions. For sparkling white wines, Padthaway is the place to be. Newer Limestone Coast wine regions include Wrattonbully, showing some success with Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz; Mt Benson, with its citrus-tang whites and fragrant reds; and Robe, with a slightly longer growing season than Coonawarra. The main township in the Limestone Coast is also the newest wine region – Mt Gambier. To read more about the Limestone Coast wine region, visit the South Australia Wine Regions website by clicking here
	Hot Nottage Hill deals Purchase any 6 bottles for $36! * Nottage Hill Cabernet Shiraz 2010 * Nottage Hill Shiraz 2010 * Nottage Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 To take advantage of this amazing offer, click here
	From the Kitchen Why not serve up a delicious twist on an old favourite? Jimmy’s Steak Sandwiches Ingredients 4 pieces of Coorong Angus Rump Steak, thinly sliced 600g brown onions 2 tablespoons butter ½ tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 8 thick slices of bread Rocket (or substitute lettuce leaves) Aioli 2 egg yolks 6 cloves garlic, crushed 1½ cups Pendleton’s Virgin Olive Oil Juice ½ lemon Method Slice the onions thinly and cook slowly in butter for 20 minutes. Add the brown sugar and continue cooking for about 10 minutes until a rich brown colour. Turn up the heat and add the balsamic vinegar. Cook for a few minutes until the vinegar has evaporated. Set aside. Season the Coorong Angus Rump Steak with salt and pepper and sear quickly on both sides on a high heat. Spread the aioli generously onto both sides of the bread, reserving some to serve with the sandwich. Then onto one slice place some rocket or lettuce leaves, the steak and lastly the onions. Top with the other bread slice. Aioli Beat the egg yolks with the crushed garlic until the yolks are pale and thick (about 5 minutes). Gradually add the Pendleton’s Olive Oil, beating well after each addition of oil. At the end, add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. For other great recipes like this one, visit the Feast! Fine Foods website by clicking here

Things have certainly become cooler in McLaren Vale. I've noticed wisps of fog cascading down the foothills from Willunga to Blewitt Springs, and the odd pruner out tending to vines in preparation for next year’s growing season.

In the winery we too are tidying things up post vintage and busily chasing the reds through malolactic fermentation in readiness to put them to bed for winter.

Our 2010 premium blends are now being blended, with the standout the matriarch, Eileen Hardy Shiraz. This beautifully layered and elegant wine is one that draws us back to the 2004 Eileen Shiraz, another terrific example of the elegance and refinement of Eileen Shiraz.

It must be said that it’s time to dig out the winter recipes, hit the Central or Willunga markets on a Saturday morning (if you live in SA that is) and spend the day cooking with one or two of your favourite friends (aka bottles of wine). The Tintara Reserve McLaren Vale Grenache 2007 is certainly seeing a lot of bench space on my kitchen table at present, as is the Hardys HRB D637 Shiraz 2007.

– Charlie Seppelt, Hardys Tintara Winemaker

	From the Tasting Bench Thank you to those of you who attended our McLaren Vale Shiraz Master Class at Hardys Tintara's Eileen Hardy Barrel Store on the June long weekend during the Bank SA Sea & Vines Festival. Winemaker Charlie Seppelt and Hardys Brand Ambassador Bill Hardy had a tremendous day showcasing one of Hardys' true assets – McLaren Vale Shiraz. The duo highlighted the quality and diversity of McLaren Vale Shiraz, the influence of vineyard location and aspect, viticultural practices, differing soil profiles, climate variables and the skill of our winemakers. Participants had the opportunity to taste a range of McLaren Vale Shiraz, from the 2009 Oomoo to the 2005 Eileen Hardy, along with the highlight of the tasting – the 2005 Tintara Single Vineyard Shiraz sub-regional range (Blewitt Springs, McLaren Flat, Upper Tintara and Clarendon). Having these four wines up against each other, highlighting the effects of their microclimates and soils, was a terrific way of explaining why we do what we do and how wines like Eileen Hardy Shiraz come about.
	Cellar Door Offer Hardys Oomoo McLaren Vale Shiraz 2009 $12 per bottle To take advantage of this great offer, click here
	Come see amazing works of art at our Cellar Door Come visit the Hardys Tintara Cellar Door at McLaren Vale before Sunday, September 4 to view some of the winning works of The Fleurieu Art Prize since its inception in 1998, along with Hardys’ private collection of rarely seen works, some never exhibited before. Featured in this unique exhibition are works by renowned artist John Olsen, plus others including Robert Hannaford, Jen Chen, Keith Cowlam, Nell Frysteen, Ken Whisson, Gale Kellett, Richard Marouic, Christine McCarthey, Mike Green and G Duncan. The Hardys Tintara exhibition will be open Thursday to Monday, 11am to 4pm. And while you’re at our Cellar Door viewing these amazing works of art, take the opportunity to taste some of our award-winning wines. Our exhibition will be open as part of the 2011 South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival, running until Sunday, August 28. To learn more about SALA, click here.
	Eileen Hardy and HRB shine on international stage Hardys' Eileen Hardy and HRB wines shined on the international stage recently. For the second year running, Hardys multi-award winning Eileen Hardy Chardonnay won gold at the 2011 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). The stunning Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2008 was awarded the gold in May when the results of the 2011 DWWA were revealed at the London International Wine Fair. But it was not Hardys’ only success; its HRB Riesling 2010 also winning gold, and Hardys earning an additional 6 medals. This year’s DWWA gold adds to the 2008 Eileen Hardy Chardonnay’s already impressive tally of accolades, which includes 3 trophies and 5 gold medals. The multi-award winning Eileen Hardy Shiraz won gold at the 2011 International Wine Challenge (IWC), also presented at the London International Wine Fair. The incredible Eileen Hardy Shiraz 2005 was awarded the gold, adding to its already impressive tally of 1 trophy and 4 gold medals. Hardys HRB Chardonnay 2008 also won gold at the IWC, while other Hardys wines earnt an additional 6 medals.
	5-star rating for Hardys Hardys has again won plaudits from leading Australian wine writer James Halliday, in his latest Wine Companion (2012 Edition). Hardys has received the highest winery rating, five red stars. Along with this, 13 Hardys wine labels have been recognised – four of these rated Outstanding (94-100 points) and a further five Highly Recommended (90-93 points). The Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2009 has been awarded an incredible 96 points, while the HRB Riesling 2010 has earned 95 points.
	Brand power Hardys has again been ranked in the top five Most Powerful Wine Brands in The Power 100, the annual survey of the world’s leading drinks brands. Brand valuation and strategy consultancy Intangible Business published the 2011 survey in May. The consultancy, which works extensively in the drinks industry, researched nearly 10,000 spirit and wine brands across the globe to produce The Power 100, now in its sixth year.

Out and about with Bill Hardy

I’ve recently returned from a month overseas with special emphasis on our Canadian market, which continues to be a real success story for us.

The spur for my visit was the decision by the world’s largest purchaser of wine, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), to mount the biggest promotion of Australian wine in seven years. A total of 30 new Australian wines were released in their stores across the province and I am proud to say that our Hardys Chronicles Butcher’s Gold Shiraz Sangiovese 2010 is proving the most popular wine in the first couple of weeks of the promotion.

My visit gave me a chance to catch up with my friends at our agent Vincor in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. I have a special fondness for Quebec, with its French heritage. It also gives me a chance to practise my French language skills.

I presented in French at a couple of high-end consumer dinners in Montreal and Quebec City, but I felt particular pressure when participating in a live radio interview in French, or should I say ‘Quebecois’, on Radio X in Quebec City. A transcript has been forwarded to me for the inevitable critique from my far more French-savvy family!

My Canadian trip finished in Vancouver – one of the most beautiful cities in the world – where I had an awesome day out in the trade with Jaime Burke, the Premium Wine Account Manager at Vincor. This trade trip resulted in a dozen new listings and an impromptu YouTube clip on leading retailer John Clerides’ Marquis Wine Cellars site.

I’ll take as much of Canada as I can!

Have your Say

Here at Hardys we like to find out what you think and what is important to you – it helps keep us on our toes and inspires us!

Each edition we'll ask you to vote on a particular topic and we will post the results the following month.

Last month we asked you what you were doing over the Easter break. Over half of you said you were spending time with family and friends, and we’re assuming you did that with your favourite bottle of Hardys wine!

Meanwhile, 20% of you were out exploring wine regions and 7% of you headed off for a weekend getaway. The remaining 20% of you voted ‘Other’, so we can only speculate how you spent your long weekend, but whatever you did, we hope you had a well-deserved break!

This time around we’d love to know which red wines you enjoy drinking during these chilly winter months. Click here to cast your vote.