The di Lusso Estate Wine and Food Channel

Will that be delivery or pick up?

2012-01-15T15:11:00.000-08:00

“You know your pizzas are good when…………people fly in by helicopter for takeaway because the car park is full!

For the well heeled visitor, Mudgee Helicopters offers a rather different “pub crawl”..namely a four stop flight from their airport base to say Robert Stein and Robert Oatleys for morning tastings, di Lusso Estate for a pizza lunch and Windeyer pub for a sundowner.

These guests had just enjoyed fritto misto entrée and pollo alla cacciatore for lunch, and were looking forward to the prospect of a casual supper at home of Anchovy with Capers and a touch of cheese, Pizza Emilia – a prosciutto, garlic and parmesan topping, pizza antipasto – various Italian meats, sundried tomatoes, olives and mozzarella and a good old Italian Country Garden vegetarian pizza…washed down with a bottle of Vino Rosato, Vermentino and Sangiovese.

Cucina di Lusso offers Winetasting Lunches every weekend and public holiday…..and you get a free pizza with every half case of wine purchased at the cellar door!

Suggestions & improvements welcomed....Rob

A picture of di Lusso Estate’s smartest living thing!

2012-01-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

Not me, unfortunately! Our five varieties of figs are gearing up for the start of their season – they advise me Wednesday the 15th February is the date. I love figs, not only for their marvelous taste as fresh fruit and amazing versatility in the kitchen, but for their smartness – there’s no other word for it! Not only do they keep producing new figs during a three month long season (cf wine grapes; one crop, with a season of less than a week!) but on our farm they’re the lowest maintenance thing of all – a couple of ‘shots’ of dynamic lifter, one spray of eco-oil (basically pyrethrum in canola oil), a good prune annually (halving the height) AND each tree carries its own insect controller, in the form of a ‘personal’ spider. A spider (don’t know it’s scientific name)that starts the season almost invisible, but grows to a round ‘blob’ the size of a 50 cent piece (excluding legs!) by the time the first frosts of May herald the end of the season. They’re not dangerous – just a little tingle as you bump into them on your daily picking sortie, making sure you keep your mouth shut tight!! Later on, I’ll show you a picture of one at season end!

PS It looks like being a very big harvest…just got to get it ripe

Rob

There’s Grappa, then there’s Poli Grappa!

2012-01-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

In Northern Veneto is one of Italy’s most beautiful villages – Bossano del Grappa. It’s also the ancestral home of Grappa, and home to the world’s finest Grappa producer, Poli. In the town is an amazing Grappa museum, filled with massive copper stills, a two hundred year old production line, and whole range of Grappa styles for tasting and buying. Oh, and Poli Grappa tastes a smooth as silk - nothing like the gut-rot stuff so often offered at restaurants here. (if you refer to this post – and are over eighteen! – I’ll give you a sip from my Poli favourite!)

Chef Ali tells us the latest...

2012-01-04T17:41:00.000-08:00

Summer is definitely here so our menu is reflecting this with delicious dishes to suit the warmer weather! Salads are popular such as our Italian coleslaw which includes fennel, radishes and red cabbage. In the pasta dishes I’m using a fresh smoked salmon instead of cooking it, for a summery taste. In the desserts, the Cassata - an Italian layered icecream cake is proving a hit, as is the refreshing Pannacotta with berries. I’m looking forward to the fig season coming up... and creating different fig salad and dessert dishes!

Latest news from our Winemaker Julia

2012-01-02T16:02:00.001-08:00

Mostly we are doing work in the vineyard at the moment, with the weather being an interesting challenge! The berries are expanding and up to pea size – hard and green. The team are doing some canopy management; trimming and bunch thinning to create the necessary air flow.

In the winery we are looking after the reds, doing labs and keeping barrels topped. The exciting news is we are looking into some new equipment – a new tank and refrigeration system - to make our process even more streamlined and efficient!

How to construct an instant Grand Cru vineyard in Burgundy

2011-12-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

Seeing a cloud of dust towards the top of the Cote d’or near Gevry Chambertin in Burgundy, we found that it was a vineyard being ‘built’…just lift the existing topsoil to one side, then bring in a massive machine to break up the underlying rock, replace the topsoil..and there you have it – soil to grow Pinot Noir to make Grand Cru Burgundy to sell at a few hundred dollars a bottle. “Brand leverage”, I think it’s called!

Ancient olive trees in a parking lot in Northern Italy

2011-12-22T15:27:00.000-08:00

There’s something very sad about a whole row of 500 year old “second hand” olive trees sitting in a parking lot near Ventimiglia in Liguria, waiting for a buyer. They’re probably Taggiasca, arguably Italy’s finest oil producing tree. How long they’d been there, I don’t know.

Cellaring Your Wine

2011-09-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

“How long should I cellar this wine for?” is a frequent question asked of cellar door staff.   

Although most often we glibly respond to the enquiry after a discrete look at the back label or tasting notes, the answer should be prefaced with a whole range of consideration around the cellaring conditions, personal cellar management and so on.   

The following is a summary of the factors worthy of consideration on this fascinating topic.   

Why should I start a cellar?   

By building up a stock of wines you are able to buy wine in bulk at a good price, to hold wine that will benefit from aging and to compare wines from different vintages and wineries.   

Your cellar also allows you to select a wine at any time without having to visit the wine shop.   

Your cellar will give you many years of enhanced wine pleasure as both your collection and knowledge of wine grows.   

How do I start collecting wines to form a cellar?

Make four resolutions.   

Set the number of bottles you would like to hold.
Buy extra bottles when you are buying a wine you like.
Use a system to record the extra bottles and store them somewhere cool and dark.
Before drawing a wine from your cellar remember resolution 1 and consider resolution 2.

How do I know what wine to cellar?   

Wines benefit from “cellaring” – many for a few days or weeks only before drinking, others for many months or years. Your cellar becomes a store from which you can draw a wine to suit most occasions. Start by cellaring the wines you are currently enjoying and extend to wines that will expand your range of vintages and varieties; you should avoid carrying too many of one variety or vintage. Be guided by others tasting notes and choose wines you are confident you will enjoy in the future. Use a system – either computerized or mechanical - to record your tasting notes and reorder your favourites.   

How long do I keep wines for?   

Ask the sales person when you buy the wine or contact the winery for good advice; many wineries now publish cellaring information on their websites.   

Any information given will assume that your cellar maintains optimum conditions. If this is not the case, you will need to adjust the storage time - remember that it is always better to open a bottle too soon than too late. By using your chosen cellar door system diligently you will ensure your wines are opened at their optimum.

  What are the optimum storage conditions for wine?   

Wine should lie undisturbed in a quiet, dark and slightly humid place, within a temperature range of around 15 degrees. Wine stored in temperatures above the optimum will age faster. A light and dry atmosphere does not suit good wine storage. Choose a space that will remain constantly cool and dark.   

What do I put my bottles in?   

There are many alternatives on the market, or you can create your own racks or bins. Bins can be created from wooden boxes set in a diamond profile and racks can be built up using timber planks resting on bricks.   

Using some proprietary systems, bottles do not need to be held in individual cells. Each bottle can have a numbered neck tag placed on it and your choice, selected from a cellar list, is located by finding the numbers.   

How many bottles should I store?   

Store as many bottles as space and funds will allow, but be aware of the drink-by dates. If you find yourself holding wines for too long, it may be that you are cellaring too many bottles, or not sharing enough with your friends! On the other hand, you should store at least enough bottles to allow the selection of a wine to suit most occasions. Your wine appreciation will grow with cellaring, so your original goal may change with your growing enthusiasm.   

What is the cost of cellaring wine?

  Cellaring wine will lead to greater wine appreciation and this can lead to more expensive wines being purchased. However many people find that the satisfaction gained from drinking higher quality wines actually reduces the quantity consumed. In addition the ability to buy wine when a good deal is found can result in major savings, while having the correct wine on hand for any occasion will give you greater value for money. Cellaring with Vinoté can save you money.

  How do I manage my cellar?   

Each case or bottle can have a numbered neck tag placed on it, before being put to rest in the cellar. Data on that wine, including any tasting notes of yours or others, is recorded in your Cellar Book (manual or electronic). Your selection is made from the cellar list, and you locate your choice by finding the numbered neck tag. Your tasting notes and the removal of the wine can be recorded after the event.   

How do I get the most from my cellared wines?   

Store them correctly.

  Know when to open them, using a good wine cellar program.

  Know which wines have been opened, using individual bottle tags.

  [Post Script. A south Gippsland winery, Gurdies, has written a terrific electronic booklet on cellaring wines. It’s available on their website www.thegurdieswinery.com.au. It’s well worth a look!]

How is Wine Judged?

2011-08-31T23:09:00.000-07:00

Exhibits in all Australian Wine Shows are judged on a comparative basis - all the entries are judged at the same time, on a point score with a maximum of 20 points. On the judging sheet this is divided into

3 points for colour
7 points for nose
10 points for palate

Medals are awarded on the following basis:

18.5-20 points - Gold Medal
17.0-18.4 points - Silver Medal
15.5-16.9 points - Bronze Medal

Trophies are awarded to the highest scoring wines in each trophy category eg "Best Red Wine on Show". If scores are equal at that point, the initial set of judges re-tastes the wine and scores it again.

The 100 Point System

An alternative numerical rating system currently in use is that of American Wine Critic, Robert Parker. His "100-point" system was first devised in 1978. Wine Spectator adopted Parker's model in 1985 and other reviewers have since followed suit. These scales usually rank wines from 50 to 100 points (not 1-100), on colour and appearance, aroma and bouquet, flavour and finish, and overall quality level or potential.

In Australia, James Halliday is the leading proponent of this system, although on a 75-100 point scale.

A typical breakdown of a 100 point scale system could be as follows;

95-100 = Classic: a great wine
90-94 = Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style
85-89 = Very good: a wine with special qualities
80-84 = Good: a solid, well-made wine
75-79 = Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws

How is wine made?

2011-08-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

There are many variations on the basic wine making technique although essentially the production of wine can be broken down into a few main stages. (For information on how Champagne is made see other related articles).  

Terroir and Harvesting Terroir is the French word for soil, but when applied to wine it has a broader definition – it refers to the range of conditions that apply to the growth and ripening of grapes in a specific region - soil, elevation, slope, aspect, climate and seasonal weather patterns, etc. In other words…”all factors connected to the wine”.  

Without doubt, the potential for consistently good wines is established in the vineyard; the harder and smarter the work here, the better placed the winemaker is to optimize the potential of his or her winemaking goals.

  Choosing the right time to harvest a grape is the next important decision. The vineyard and winemaking team agree on a host of factors, including the flavor profile, colour, acid and tannin levels they are aiming for in their ‘end result’.

  Crushing and de-stemming   Generally using machinery, grapes are removed from their stems (except in ‘bunch-fermented styles), and the skins gently crushed to release grape juices (called ‘must’).  Pressing and fermentation of white grapes.

  White wine grapes are then generally pumped gently through a heat-exchanger (to around 15 degrees centigrade) before being pressed – again, mostly mechanically in an air-bag or basket press, and within 24 hours of crushing.

  Fermentation (the conversion of sugar to alcohol) generally takes place in a tank (stainless steel or plastic); a natural process that is generally aided by the addition of yeasts carefully selected to suit best the required wine outcome. ‘Wild yeasts’ are sometimes used, these being yeasts existing in the winery atmosphere.

 Fermentation and pressing of red grapes   For red grape wine making, fermentation generally precedes pressing, as the amount of contact a wine has with grape skins will affect its flavor, colour, aroma, acidity and tannin levels. In reds, this can occur in concrete, plastic or steel tanks. Maceration of red must (the process of ‘soaking’ to extract these desirable attributes) is generally more than ten days, sometimes much longer.

Malolactic fermentation In wine-speak, “malo” is a fermentation option used almost universally in reds and sometimes in whites – generally shortly after the primary fermentation to add complexity and mouthfeel softness to a wine (by ‘de-souring’ or de-acidifying it)

  Clarification, stabilization, maturation and fining With fermentation complete, the yeast will die, leaving a wine still containing the yeast and other residue.

  Racking is the term used where the wine is passed from one vessel to another – sometimes twice a month for many months – with the residue left at the bottom being discarded.  

One of winemaking’s biggest decisions concerns the selection of a maturing vessel (particularly in reds), as between oak (and what type and how old, how big etc!), stainless steel, special plastics, a combination of some or all, etc, etc

  Before bottling, the wine undergoes fining- a process of removing finer particles that may interfere with the look of the final product- generally using egg white in reds and milk powder in whites filtered.

  Further mechanical filtering takes place prior to final bottling.  

Bottling The decision of when to bottle (which includes an assessment of whether the chosen ‘end’ style is more suited by maturing as described above, or in bottle), what closures to use (natural or composite cork, screw cap, glass etc, etc) and when to release the wine is the final major winemaker/owner point of discussion.

In most cases, these decisions are circumscribed by winery space and equipment availability, economics, the timing of vacations (!) and so on.

  In summary The glass of fine wine in your hand is the end result of a long process involving disciplines ranging from biology, chemistry, physics and economics to logistics. Method and discipline are essential, but then so too is a temperament of experimentation and a willingness to take calculated risks. Truly a blend of science, art and economics!

Cinema di Lusso

2011-01-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

January 26th to 29th - 6.30pm to 10.00pm

Four of Italy's best movies of recent years with food and wine from DI LUSSO ESTATE

Wednesday 26th - I'm Not Scared! (2003)

A Child awakens to the frightening world of adults

Thursday 27th January - My Brother is an Only Child

Winner of four David Donatello awards

Friday 28th January - Quiet Chaos (2008)

Great acting by Nanni Moretti as a grieving husband

Saturday 29th January - Life is Beautiful (1998)

1998 Academy Award winner, starring Roberto Benigni

$50 Includes three courses of regional Italian food and di Lusso wine

Prepaid bookins 02 6373 3125

Di Lusso Estate Winery Euruderee Lane, Mudgee

Our Wedding & Function Facility

2010-10-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

Over the winter and early spring we've been very busy in the cellar door and gardens building a wedding ceremony/event section overlooking "Lago di Lusso", constructing a large hothouse and surrounds to propagate and ripen all our own herbs and vegetables (courtesy of a great range of heirloom Italian and French seeds we've sourced) and improving substantially the winery space to cater for up to 120 people. If you're thinking of celebrating an anniversary or even getting married, please remember that di Lusso Estate members can use reward points for a function, and benefit from the membership 10% discount!

A Seasonal Report, Upcoming Events & October Specials

2010-10-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since my last post but now I can fill you in on all thats new at the di Lusso Estate.

Mudgee has experienced its best winter rainfall for at least a decade, and there is plenty of evidence everywhere one looks at di Lusso and throughout Mudgee!

With exception of one frost "event" in late September, our vineyard is looking good – with budburst well and truly over. Olives adore good winter rainfall, and are looking their best for some time. With flowers beginning to form everywhere, we just hope that we don't experience the hot November winds that were so damaging last season. Our figs – being smarter than either grapes or olives (just), are greening steadily now.

This weekend, di Lusso Estate will be at the Mudgee Food and Wine Fair. Don't miss out Sunday 17th October at the International College of Management in Manly ("Saint Pats" to the locals).

Commencing at 10am, visitors can meet wine makers and staff of most of Mudgee's leading wine producers at that beautiful location. The food part of our business – Cucina di Lusso – will also be there, having been chosen to provide a "Mudgee Regional Tasting Plate" comprising produce from our region. We'll offer tasting plates of either Mudgee lamb from Botobolar or incredible organic beef sausages from Tinja Organics, each served with regional vegetables, Mudgee baked sourdough bread, di Lusso fig pastes and vinaigrette, and High Valley cow's feta.

Bring a rug and some water, a sun hat and Sunday newspaper, and head on down (or up!) to Manly for the day. We'll help to make it worth your while with a few SPECIAL OFFERS to both current Comune Members and those joining on the day!

Further down the track, we'll once again be staging our Australia Day Season of Italian Cinema – from Wednesday 26th January to Saturday 29th. Further details will be provided closer to the date.

Specials in October are:

Mudgee Wine and Food Fair at Manly - Membership attracts a 50% discount on our Regional Tasting Plate, a 15% discount on wine (normally 10%).

Visitors to Mudgee in December and January - Qualify for a free course (pizza or a la carte) with every case purchased, plus 15% (normally 10%) discount on our products.

Visit our website: www.dilusso.com.au

The Essence of Italian Food and Wine

2010-02-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

I'm quite sometimes asked define the difference between Italian varietal wine and other wines. Sometime ago I wrote the following piece; it at least provides AN answer (that makes some sense to a non-Italian like myself!)

To a large extent, the uniqueness of Italian varietal wine stems from two unique features..
Firstly, until 150 years ago, what we today call Italy was a multitude of separate kingdoms, dukedoms, regions, sub-regions, cities and villages. (And even now, the country is quite fiercely tribal!). Trade between these was sporadic; interrupted by ‘turf’, and made difficult by geography and by dialect. Communities guarded jealously their own produce – including wine styles and food styles– from their neighbours. And they are never tired of extolling the virtues of their own above all others!
And secondly, Italians, more than almost any country on earth, enjoy lots of wine with their food. At the same time, they prefer food to wine by some distance. As many Italian’s would put it, “the chief purpose of wine is to make our favourite dishes taste even better!”
So Italian varietal white wine styles tend (there are always exceptions, but not too many) to be simple, unoaked, and acid-crisp from using early-picked fruit. Red wines styles are made so as not to overwhelm food - they are mostly medium or even light bodied, savoury (rather than fruit-driven, to match the Italian’s love for savoury meat and vegetable dishes) and made with good acid firmness. And almost all wines are light in alcohol, so as not to distract the consumer from the main game – food!
So in Piedmont for example – where many regional dishes have a Francophone richness (the Savoy connection), favourite red wines like Barbera and Dolcetto are a combination of uncommon fruitiness and relatively high acidity– perfect to match ‘sweeter’ cooking tastes and to cut through those béarnaise sauces and quite fatty bollito misto (mixed meat) dishes.
A good example of the coming together of ‘local knowledge’ and allowing wine to support food, not compete with it.
There’s a saying in Italy…”Don’t try and outsmart the village sommelier!” Why bother?

Believe it or not....Valentine's Day is Italian?

2010-02-11T17:40:00.000-08:00

Way back in history, when Rome was in its infancy, there was a society of pagan priests called the Lupercalia. Each year, on February 14, the Luperci priests gathered on the Palantine at the cave of Lupercal (where Romulus and Remus were nurtured by wolves).

Fast forward to 270AD, to the reign of Claudius the Cruel. Claudius, when having some difficulty finding enough willing soldiers to fight his wars, ordered that no marriages should be celebrated and that all engagements should be broken off immediately.

Valentine, a very popular local Roman priest, refused to obey the edict; instead, he carried out ceremonies in secret.

For his disobedience, Valentine was cast into gaol by Claudius, where he died. His huge band of supporters were devastated, vowing never to forget his courage.

Many centuries later, and while the memory of St Valentine was still fresh, the authorities simply slotted in Valentine’s Day into the spot – 14th February – where the Luperci (now extinct) used to celebrate their movement.

Sounds true...?

A Tango First for Mudgee!

2010-02-01T21:48:00.000-08:00

There's something about the Argentines that Australia admires. They're passionate sportsmen and women - and give us a real run for our money in tennis and rugby, and increasingly in wine!
But in Mudgee from Saturday 27th March to Monday 29th, all competitive instincts will be put aside as Tangofestcomes to town!
Tangofest is a yearly annual Tango Festival that continues to gain momentum from its origins five years ago in Buenos Aires. To open the event on Saturday night, Prince Hill Winery will resound to Tango in the Vines with a dinner and Tango exhibition. Then on Sunday and Monday there will be a series of milongas, workshops and practicas to enable us to enhance our latin skills (or start from scratch, perhaps?).
Di Lusso is very proud to be a sponsor of the event. A beautiful dance and a beautiful (latin!) country deserves our support ....and your attendance!!
For details, have a look at the Tangofest website.. and take it from there!

www.tangofest.com.au/News/2010News1.html

The di Lusso Wine and Food Channel

2010-01-30T18:55:00.001-08:00