Posts Tagged "Winemaking"


Damsel Cellars: Out In Front

Damsel Cellars: Out In Front


Posted on Mar 6, 2019

Woodinville Washington wine

Winemaker Mari Womack

Damsel Cellars. The name of the winery might conjure up the historical myth of a woman, seemingly helpless, in need of rescuing. In the case of the woman behind the winery based in Woodinville, Washington and the meaning behind the name, nothing could be further from the truth.

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Elderton Wines: Family in Command

Elderton Wines: Family in Command


Posted on Feb 27, 2019

Barossa Valley Wine

Allister Ashmead

Our visit with Allister Ashmead, whose family owns Elderton Wines near Nuriootpa in Australia’s Barossa Valley, was fascinating; a true eye-opener, and a wonderful tasting experience.

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Alpha Box & Dice: Letter Perfect

Alpha Box & Dice: Letter Perfect


Posted on Feb 13, 2019

Mclaren Vale wine Australia

Winemaker Sam Berketa

When we were first introduced to Alpha Box & Dice in Australia’s McLaren Vale wine region, we admit we were skeptical about a winery that is currently working with 29 different varieties from over 40 different plots. Like seeing a thick menu at a restaurant, our first thought was how could they possibly produce so many wines well—and with just one winemaker? Our concerns quickly dissolved when we sat down with Winemaker Sam Berketa and learned that there clearly was a method behind the seemingly apparent madness.

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Powell & Son: It’s Complicated

Powell & Son: It’s Complicated


Posted on Jan 30, 2019

Barossa Valley australia

Michael Sawyer, Chris, and Dave Powell.

We had the pleasure to spend three hours tasting and talking with iconic Australian winemaker Dave Powell, his general manager Michael Sawyer and two close friends of ours at the Powell & Son winery in Barossa, South Australia.It’s complicated because of the patchwork of history that has led up to the creation of Powell and Son and the extraordinary wines they are making. That history is largely yesterday’s news, but it is also context for the story that was about to unfold for us.

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Elderton Wines

Vineyard views at Elderton Wines in the Barossa.

A recent trip took us down to Australia to stay with friends who live in Adelaide and tour the local wine regions. Adelaide is the largest city in the Province of South Australia, a port city on the island’s southern coast and South Australia’s capital. It is within an hour’s drive of three of South Australia’s most important wine regions. This is gorgeous real estate, rolling hills that are dedicated to grazing lands and various crops including vineyards. It is sparsely populated and still has that rural, undiscovered feel to it. And as we found, it is a terrific place to visit and taste. There is a great variety of wines to try: numerous different white and red varieties and a surprising range of microclimates, resulting in wines of many different styles. In addition to tasting some terrific wines, we also discovered an amazing foodie culture when we were there. It is a fabulous wine region to visit and we are already thinking about a return visit.

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