briefs

SEASON OF CHANGE

CHANGES are afoot at Elderton Wines in the Barossa Valley with the decision of the company’s co-founder Lorraine Ashmead to step down from the board and the departure of Elderton’s long-time winemaker Richard Langford.

In light of their mother’s decision to step down, co-managing directors, Cameron and Allister Ashmead have taken the opportunity to extend the number of non-executive board members to include well-known New Zealand winemaker and founder of Craggy Range winery, Steve Smith, MW.

The move of Langford to neighbouring Barossa maker Two Hands has opened up a new position of Head of Production for winemaker Julie Ashmead (nee Campbell) who is the daughter of the late Colin Campbell and fifth-generation winemaker at Campbells of Rutherglen.

TURKISH DELIGHT

AFTER years of experimentation and hard work, the Turkish red grape variety, bogazkere, is now in the ground and the first wines are ready for commercial sale.

It’s been a long road for Victorian wine consultant Robert Paul and Dookie-based wine producer Richard Tallis, but their belief in the variety, they say, has been justified. “Some years ago a colleague and I who had both been in Turkey decided that some of the indigenous varieties there might have a place in Australia, especially because of their ability to flourish in hot, dry conditions without irrigation. Futhermore they seemed to be late-ripening which we deemed useful.” The vines had two years in quarantine and then another year or two was spent in culturing and planting. The first vintages were small and never saw the light of day but the 2017 vintage proved to be large enough in volume for commercial release.

“We have modified the style a bit in 2017 to better suit the modern palate and people who taste it often comment on a similarity to grenache,” says Paul. “I would agree, with a dash of durif thrown in.” The 2017 bogazkere, $36, (pronounced bow-aahz-keh-reh) is sold under the Lokum wine brand and is believed to be the first commercial Turkish grape variety sold in Australia. Visit www.lokumwine.com.

FRIEND AND CHAMPION

ONE of the greats of the Victorian and Australian wine industries, Colin Campbell, of Campbells of Rutherglen, succumbed to cancer in May. He was 73.

As the family’s fourth-generation winemaker, he guided not only the fortunes of his Rutherglen winery - together with his brother and viticulturist Malcolm - but was an important instrument for change in his region and state which has had lasting implications for the broader Australian wine industry. He was a long-serving committee and board member of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, now called Australian Grape and Wine.

“Our industry has lost a great friend and a true champion,” said Sandy Clark, chairman of Australian Grape and Wine. He was a strong advocate for fairer taxation and worked hard with the winemakers of Rutherglen on industry issues. He was a sensitive