“Second-Christmas-Day” Party

December 27, 2009

The 26 December is called the “2nd Christmas day” in my native Germany. Since my father’s birthday fell on the 25 and was not celebrated because of Christmas, the 2nd Christmas day was usually the day his friends came to visit and congratulate him for his birthday.

Well, in this quasi tradition, we invited friends and acquaintances to our humble home for a Christmas barbecue, merging German and Australian customs of our family. I was very busy grilling pork and chicken, therefore no photos of the results of my labour at my “Weber grill”. Moreover, I grilled some veggies for the vegetarians among us (I was commended for the quality and the good taste). Margit had made various potato and bean salads; we had greens and white bread.

There are also no photos of the wines we consumed. Just two of the desserts. But a heck of a party it was. The 9 adults and the 9 children had a good time, as the two photos below show.

The “long” table

From 4 to 58 years old, 18 people around the table

The desserts:

Le Notre, the best dessert maker in town

The home made Pawlowa, Australian delight

Matthias and Beatrice had provided most of the wine (and the Le Notre dessert). We drank some beautiful drops. Here are the highlights:

– ‘2005 Rocky Passes Syrah’ (our last bottle) was perfect for the event: a Christmas party Australian style. It’s a beautiful example of cool climate Shiraz from our Upper Goulburn Wine Region. Vitto Oles makes great wines. James Halliday gave the 2005 Syrah 94 points.

– ‘2007 Altenkirch dry Riesling’, Lorch, Rheingau/Germany. Friedrich Altenkirch is a very well known vintner. Some of his wines were just rewarded silver and bronze medals at the International Wine Challenge and the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards. The 2007 Riesling is young and fizzy, a solid German wine. The wine-maker, Tomoko Kuriyama, comes from Japan not a common trait of German wineries.

– ‘2005 Château La Raze Beauvallet, Cru Bourgeois’ from Medoc, Bordeaux, France. The château (45 ha) is owned by the Sourice family and has retained the original ‘cru Bourgeois’ classification from the 1930s because of the wine quality. The wine style is fruity and soft, easy to drink.

Needless to say, we had some bubbly as well, mostly from Taltarni, Australia. We will do this again.

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Merry Christmas 2009

December 25, 2009

Hi folks, it’s Christmas again and I wish all of you the best of all festive seasons. Cheers

Christmas time is “sparkling time” it seems. We bought a whole collection, some in prices reduced. At the moment we drink a lot of Taltarni, Australia and Prosecco by Cascine, Italy, both wonderful for any occasion, and moderately prced even by Thai standards. We are drinking lashings of it. Enjoy

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Dreams of Two Hills Vineyard

November 28, 2009

Brownies Landing at Two Hills Vineyard in Glenburn

While the north American continent celebrates Thanksgiving and the Muslim world Eid ul Adha, I am homesick for Australia and our small farm-cum-vineyard in Glenburn, Victoria.

There, we had lots of rain, the vines are doing well, the grass is lush and green and our two dams are full of sweet water.

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Climate change and grape varieties

November 2, 2009

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Riesling grapes in Schoden, Saar, shortly before vintage 2009

Uff, I am reading in todays “Your Daily Wine News” newsletter that some of Australia’s top wine experts think that over the next 20 years climate change will be responsible for the decline of Shiraz and Chardonnay and the rise of varieties such as Vermentino, Arneis, Nebbiolo, Pinot Grigio and Viognier (some call them “alternative varieties”).

This is bad news for me and my own small vineyard. At Two Hills Vineyard we have concentrated on some of the traditional French varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Chardonnay (first vintage in 2011 or 2012). Our fruit ripens usually well (if we do not suffer severe frosts) and shows a superior quality. But will that persist under the conditions of climate change?

I still remember vividly how I pulled out the 2 1/2 acres of Cabernet. it was hard work, wrapping a chain around every single vine and lifting the hydraulic of the tractor. I should have left them in, I guess. If temperatures rise in Glenburn, the drought persits, and/or we’ll have less percipitation in the future, Cabernet could have been the ideal variety for our spot. I ripped the vines out because the grapes would not fully ripen. At the moment we have sufficient water, our two dams are overflowing after years of drought but that might change quickly again.

Another issue is age, my age. At 55 I might still have a chance to enjoy some of the coming Chardonnay vintages but replanting would “cost” me many years of waiting. I could contemplate to plant on our second hill where we still have another 5-6 acres of space. Well, let us see what is going to come.

At least there is no politician who tells me what to do and chances are small that an elector such as Clemens Wenzeslaus of Saxonia, who changed the Mosel by instructing vintners to ripp out their red varieties and replant with Riesling, would appear on the Australian scene. However, danger is looming from the anti-alcohol lobby in Canberra which is working day and night to convince law-makers that the purchase of alcoholic beaverages needs to be made more costly for the consumer and profitable for the taxmen.

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Restaurant review: Libertine, Melbourne

August 30, 2009

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The town

When on vacation on the farm (Two Hills Vineyard), we hardly visit the big town, i.e. Melbourne, just about an hour and a half south of Glenburn. This time the girls needed new passports and therefore also new visa, and Margit also needed to get one. Therefore we had to collect the items but planned to combine it with meeting old friends over a pleasurable lunch in town. The Thai consulate people are the friendliest on earth and were very helpful. We were in a joyous mood. The girls took zillions of pictures from the car: when country folks visit town!

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After our business was completed we made our way to North Melbourne. Libertine, the French restaurant, where I had indulged in wonderful French cuisine earlier this year, was our object of desire. It is easy to find. Just drive along Victoria Street until you reach the house number 500. If you get to Errol Street you have just passed it. Find a parking and walk.

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The diners (Helen, Tony, Lucy, Charlotte, me, Margit and Joe)

We arrived ahead of time and took a stroll through the neighbourhood with its many restaurants and small local shops. Margit insisted on buying some cigars for me. Good ones are hard to find in the country side.

Our friends – Tony, Helen and Joe – had already assembled when we finally made it to Libertine. What a great reunion over an excellent meal and some good wine awaited us here.

I like the Libertine menu since it allows you to combine your preferences. It was a bit hard for the girls, though. We usually have Italian and Asian food at home, and therefore most of the dishes on offer were rather very unusual; “raffine” as the French might say, more elaborate might describe it as well.

Libertine had joined the recent campaign for the promotion of Victorian agricultural product: “Put Victoria on your table”. All the ingredients for the various dishes cam from the state of Victoria. As a person believing in free trade and global markets, this type of promotion is not my favourite one.

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I find that Libertine’s two- and three course-meals are moderately priced. If you dine out in the Yarra Valley, for instance, you have to fork out much more for a comparable meal than here in the middle of town.

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The great surprise was that there was no French wine coming with the meal (all ingredients Victorian of course so how could there be French wine?). Instead, the wines came from the Yarra Valley. We were delighted to see two Yering Farm Wines, the ‘2008 Run Rabbit Run Sauvignon Blanc’ and the ‘2004 Foxtrot Cabernet’ made by Alan Johns, who coincidentally also makes our Two Hills wines. Both wines were a good choice for this kind of cuisine. The SB was fruity and crisp, the Cabernet round and well balanced.

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Some of us had the Port Arlington mussels…

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…followed by the “Marmite Dieppoise” with Port Phillip Bay scallops.

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Others choose the beef which came from Gippsland (apologies for the bad photo above).

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Joe went a la carte and ordered the hare. Libertine is famous for the quality of its game.

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The girls ordered a la carte as well and went for assorted fish.

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For the ones of us who did not have to drive, the Yering Farm Wines, were like a dessert. But we had some sweets afterwards just that I did not take any photos. The time was running faster than usual (that’s how it is with good friends and good food). We enjoyed the atmosphere, the warm hospitality and the friendly staff at Libertine as long as we could but finally had to part company and say good bye to our friends.

Until we meet again, maybe at Libertine (very likely indeed). In a rather joyous mood we returned to the vineyard in Glenburn.

The casual visitor to Melbourne, however, should not waste time searching for a good place to eat excellent food. Just go to Libertine, and you’ll be right mate.

Address:
Libertine‎
500 Victoria St, North Melbourne VIC 3051, Australia‎ – (03) 9329 5228‎
Rated 4.1 out of 5.0 16 reviews

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A new tractor for Two Hills Vineyard

August 26, 2009

During our family vacation, we were also looking for a new tractor. Our old FIAT tractor had broken down some time ago. We were searching the internet for a while for a used tractor but we were either too late or the right machine did not come up.

Therefore, we looked for new equipment. First we had our eyes on a Kubota from Japan but then fellow vintners suggested to have a look at a Korean brand: Daedong. I had never heard of Daedong before. At Rees Miller Estate we had the opportunity to inspect a one-year old 55 hp Daedong cabin tractor with a frontloader.

We asked for a couple of quotation, and to cut a long story short, decided to go with the Korean Daedong. The photos below show the vineyard tractor with 55 hp plus frontloader.

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Daedong1

Until it is beeing delivered, we have to sort out the finances but I am confident that we will get our Daedong tractor so that I can work with it during our next visit.

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Wine shopping in Healesville, Yarra Valley

August 16, 2009

Barrique

For a long time I wanted to write about my wine shopping experience in Healesville, a charming tourist town in the Yarra Valley, about an hour’s drive from Melbourne. One can find a jewel of a wine store in this rural retreat, called Barrique. I took the photo above Christmas last year.

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This is the old shop front

When visiting Healesville again in July 2009, I was shocked to not see the above signpost in the old place. I was afraid that the global financial crises and the bush fires might have let to the closure of this little wine shop. Alas, it had only moved a block further along the main street into the city centre. I was so happy when I found it again.

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The “new” Barrique, a block further up the main street

I could not resist the temptation. Previously, I had bought German wines from this shop. I dashed in to see what was on offer. The wines are beautifully displayed. There was so much out there. I could not stop browsing through the shelves.

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The inside of Barrique

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So many bottles

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Wines from all over the world

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The “German box” with selected Riesling wines from various German wine regions

The box above announces some of the best German Riesling producers from Mosel, and Nahe. I just love Riesling wines. In the end I picked up four bottles, one from the Pfalz, three from the Mosel. I will not tell you what they were today. More about the tastings of these wines later. Stay tuned to the Man from Mosel River.
Cheers

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The troubles of blogging from rural Australia

August 14, 2009

To say it from the outset, blogging from rural Australia was no fun. We had bought only a small package with limited capacity (which we forgot, our own fault). That turned out to be a desaster. The package was not cheap and the penalty rates immorally exorbitant!

Because the four of us used the internet as we are used to in Bangkok, Thailand where we have excellent facilities, enjoy fast access to a reasonable price, we went far above the contracted amount and were heavily punished. Telstra imposed a huge penalty on us which swallowed a big part of our holiday budget.

After that I had lost all interest in blogging. It was our own fault, yes I know. I can only blame myself. However, the Man from Mosel River went silent for almost two weeks. Instead I kept myself busy working on the vineyard. I was in the fresh winter air at Two Hills Vineyard and enjoyed myself.

After my return to Bangkok I was busy with catching up with my work. Now I have recovered somehow from the shock. But do not worry I will start blogging again, I promise. I have collected so many stories, tasted so many good wines, talked to so many interesting artisan winemakers and vignerons that I cannot keep quiet. Thats the good news.

Australia has to do a lot more to get the rural hinterland connected at affordable rates. What is certainly also needed is some more competition among service providers to increase choice and reduce the costs of being linked to cyberspace and to the outside world.

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The good life – country living in Glenburn

July 25, 2009

We are having such a wonderful time in Glenburn, on our small vineyard cum farm. One of the highlights are the meals with friends and family. Ken Mountain, our neighbour and friend (we bought our land from him 15 years ago) invited us and Michael and Helen for a country dinner in his Adjinbilly home in Glenburn, just a stone through from Two Hills Vineyard.

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vltr.: Lucy, Charlotte, Margit, Michael, Helen and Ken

We had a wonderful time and great food. Winter is ideal for any kind of roasts. In this case it was lamb and the “usual” vegetables: potatoes, parsnips, broccoli, carrots and onions. The fireplace provided warmth and heat, and the cosy atmosphere of a country home.

CountryMeals3

Ken does not drink red wines, only whites. So he had Giessen Sauvignon Blanc. For us, he choose a Shiraz. Ken selected a ‘2006 Mount Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Shiraz’. This is a beautiful wine, with fine tannins, lots of fruit (mainly blackberry) and a spicy character.

The Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz was a great choice and it went very well with the hearty country food, Ken had cooked for us.

CountryMeals2

The next day we had Brett, Eve and Shea for lunch up the vineyard. Michael and Helen were also there. Family complete, so to say. Margit had cooked ‘Ossobucco’. The recipe came from Francine Segan’s book “Opera Lover’s Cookbook”, which is a magnificent book.

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The dinner table is set and various “anitpasti” are ready for consumption

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Shea, Eve, Brett, Margit and Michael

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The ‘ossobucco’

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Also dessert was provided: chocolate mousse, strawberries and cream

The entrées were consumed with a ‘2007 Windy Peak Cabernet Rosé’ by De Bortoli, a ‘2005 Murrindindi Family Reserve Chardonnay’, and a ‘2007 Allira Sauvignon Blanc’ by Elgo Estate Winery (they are not yet members of our Upper Goulburn Winegrowers Association).

This time we drank with the main course various vintages of Two Hills Vineyard Merlot wines and a bottle of Brett’s home made Cabernet Sauvignon. The lunch lasted until about 10 p.m. (nobody wanted to go home) and I did not count the bottles consumed, but for sure we all loved the company, the atmosphere and of course the Two Hills wines.

Recipe
The recipe for the “Ossobucco” can be found on page 105 of Francine Segan’s “Opera Lover’s Cookbook”. You need the following ingredients:

– 4 to 6 (or more) bone-in veal shanks (about 3-4 cm thick)
– salt and freshly milled black pepper, two bay leaves
– all purpose flour
– 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
– 2 small carrots, one stalk of celery and one large onion, all finely minced
– garlic (as much as you like but a minimum of 5, also finely minced)
– marjoram, either dried or fresh
– 1/4 cup of white wine
– 3/4 cup best-quality beef stock
– 8-9 tomatoes, peeled and halved
– lemon juice
– one or two anchovy fillets, finely mashed
– fresh rosemary leaves

The oven should be pre-heated to 180 degrees Celsius. The shanks should dreadged in flour and seasoned with salt and pepper. Sear the shanks in a casserole with medium heat filled with olive oil until browned. Remove them after 2 to 3 minutes and let them rest. Then prepare the sauce.

Add the minced vegetables to the above casserole and cook them in medium heat for about 6 minutes until tender. Add the garlic, and the other herbs for about one minute. Then add the wine and simmer for a couple of minutes. Now you add the stock and bring it to a boil, then remove it from the fire.

Put the shanks in a large casserole in one layer, top with the sauce and the tomatoes, cover and bake. After about 2 hours you add some more tomatoes and cook for another 30 minutes. Turn the shanks during the cooking regularly after about 30 minutes. You can serve rice or potatoes with the beef shanks as well as green vegetables. It’s a great traditional Milanese dish. What a wonderful hearty-rustic dish this is. Enjoy

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Night sky over the vineyard

July 21, 2009

Nightfall

Some of the last evenings at Two Hills Vineyard were just stunning.

Today we had the warmest July day in 15 years.

The earth is very dry. I look forward to lots of rain.

Needless to say, we are having a great time.

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