briefs
MINIMUM INTERVENTION FOR MAXIMUM RETURN
ALISTER Purbrick, who owns venerable Victorian winery Tahbilk, has teamed with his son and daughter-in-law, Matt and Lentil Purbrick, to launch a new natural wine label, Minimum.
Minimum is designed to focus on minimum intervention wines, natural growing principles and sustainability from vineyard to the bottle. Its initial offering features three wines-a 2018 sangiovese syrah, a 2018 chardonnay and a 2019 sangiovese rosato.
In preparation for launching Minimum, the Purbricks spent the past two years converting a 50ha vineyard on the Goulburn River to organic, with full certification expected in 2020.
“Minimum is about enjoying the good life, but not at the expense of the environment,” says Matt Purbrick, who uses organic grapes, wild and cultivated biodynamic yeasts, and minimal sulphur. Visit minimumwines.com.
CHINA DEMAND FUELS EXPANSION
SEPPELTSFIELD Wines, one of Australia’s leading wine exporters to China, has boosted its fruit intake by purchasing the 320ha Tanunda Hill vineyard in the Barossa.
The purchase brings Seppeltsfield Wines’ vineyard holdings in the region to what it says makes it the largest owner of premium vineyards in the region’s history.
Seppeltsfield is part of the Randall Wine Group, which also owns almost 1600ha of vineyards in South Australian wine regions McLaren Vale and Clare Valley.
Located in the heart of the Barossa, Seppeltsfield dates back to the 1850s. Seppeltsfield also opened a wine chateau in China in 2017 in a joint venture with Minquan Jiuding Wine Company Ltd. It is the first Chinese chateau to have a part ownership stake by an Australian winemaker.
Seppeltsfield Wines executive chairman Warren Randall said the recent acquisition of the Tanunda Hill vineyards from a private investment group made two clear statements of intent. “Our belief in the importance of the Barossa as Australia’s premier winemaking region, and our strong desire and commitment to supply the burgeoning demand for luxury Australian red wine in China,” Randall said.
FOCUS ON THE LOCALS
AN innovative new South Australian start-up has taken the concept of shopping at a farmers market to a new level by building and launching Toast The Locals, an online marketplace where lovers of quality artisan food and drink can now source and shop directly with the producers.
Since launching in February, Toast The Locals has already attracted 30 artisan food and beverage businesses which have registered to set up their free online shop. Over 150 quality products are already available on Toast The Locals, including alcohol.
Think artisan cheese from Barossa Valley Cheese Company, award-winning sauces, vinaigrettes, condiments, dukkahs, infused olive oils and more from artisan brands, including Matchetts and Big Sissy Foods, Spice Girlz Gourmet, Port Willunga Fine Foods, Grounds Gourmet, Rel ish The Barossa and the Gourmet Entertainer. Each artisan is encouraged to tell their unique story and share photos and videos-all part of helping customers to learn about the passionate people behind the products and the brands they can find.
“The business model is simple, in that we want to provide a place where artisan growers, makers and producers from all over Australia, can be easily found by the people looking to source and cook with high quality and locally made Australian products,” says Angela Leske, founder of Toast The Locals.
The Star of Greece at Port Willunga in South Australia was the recent host for a Producers Plate long table dinner for 50, which celebrated the artisan foods, wines and craft beers of the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Mark Slade, director of Purple Hands Wines in the Barossa Valley, said: “Purple Hands is a boutique artisan wine label from the southern Barossa. It is great to be part of Toast The Locals because it helps raise our brand awareness to those who love the artisan food and wine concept, and Angela’s enthusiasm and support for the artisan producers is something to admire.” Visit toastthelocals.com.au.
BRANCHING OUT
FOR the past 13 years Liz Heidenreich has been the winemaker at Sevenhill Cellars, the Jesuit-owned winery in the Clare Valley. Before that she did four vintages as winemaker for British pop star Sir Cliff Richard’s Vida Nova brand.
Now Heidenreich, whose family has grown wine grapes since 1936, has struck out on her own with three releases under her own label, a bold Barossa shiraz, a Barossa grenache and a Clare Valley riesling.
“My philosophy is to source small parcels of fruit from the regions in which they excel and handcraft individual batches that capture the fruit’s formidable character,” she said.
“I’m really pleased that this new venture recognises my family’s long association with the Barossa Valley and their involvement in grape-growing and winemaking.”
Heidenreich is also moonlighting as consultant winemaker for Peter Teakle Wines at Port Lincoln.
LOCAL WITH A NATIONAL REPUTATION
KIM Currie’s The Zin House, a Mudgee favourite with a national reputation, reopened its doors on July 1 after being closed for six months.
During the restaurant’s temporary closure Currie and husband David Lowe were involved in a dispute with a business partner that jeopardised the future of Lowe Wines and the historic Tinja property where Zin House resides.
“From the beginning I said Zin House was about simple food, cooked from scratch with what we and our neighbours grow,” chef and owner Currie explains. “That hasn’t changed in five years. What has changed is that we are taking that ethos even further. Our chefs and waiters will be working as one team to bring guests a food and wine experience that is quintessentially Mudgee-focused on what we’re
