Spotlight

“DOWN UNDER” - September 17th 5:30-7:30pm

Please join us at the store for our September Tasting featuring Dane Dineen from New Zealand, wine maker for Maude Wines and Peter Bentley from Pikes Winery in Clare Valley Australia.
Here is some additional information about each winery and the wines we will be tasting:
Maude
Since leaving their last roles as wine-makers / general managers at the prestigious Tower Estate and Tempus Two wineries in the Hunter Valley, wine-makers Sarah-Kate (SK) and Dan Dineen have quietly built a winery, a new home, developed the Maude wine label and started a family amidst the stunning back drop of Lake Wanaka in Central Otago, New Zealand. It is no surprise to wine industry insiders that their wine, Maude, has become an instant success. But like any supposed ‘instant’ success there lies an enormous amount of energy, experience and professionalism behind a project, which epitomises this winemaking couple.

Part of the motivation to move to Central Otago was the eternal search for the holy grail of winemaking, Pinot Noir perfection, and to join forces with Sarah-Kate’s vineyard owning parents, Dawn and Dr Terry Wilson. The family were excited by the opportunity to combine Sarah-Kate and Dan’s strongly held belief in sourcing grape varieties from the regions that they best perform in, complimenting the exquisite small quantities of single vineyard fruit that Dawn and Terry produce at their Mount Maude vineyard.
2008 Maude Pinot Gris
2008 Maude Pinot Noir

Pikes
Englishman Henry Pike immigrated to South Australia in 1878 aboard the HMS Oakland. He settled in the small town of Oakbank in the Adelaide Hills and in 1886 established the family brewing business called H. Pike & Co. This name became well known throughout South Australia for its quality beer, soft drink and tonic ale, and the company used the English Pike fish on the label, which remains to this day - a symbol of Pikes’ long heritage.
The sale of H. Pike & Co. in 1972 did not end the family tradition. Henry Pike’s great grandson Edgar was well established in the wine industry as a private vigneron and as a vineyard manager for a large proprietary wine company. His sons, Andrew and Neil, have both followed in their father’s footsteps. Since graduating from Roseworthy Agricultural College both have become proficient in their separate fields within the wine industry - Andrew in viticulture and management, and Neil in winemaking and marketing. Together they established Pikes in 1984 in the beautiful Clare Valley and have prided themselves on making premium table wines that reflect variety, vintage and regional characteristics.
Varieties grown include Riesling - the flagship for which Pikes have become best known for. Others include Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sangiovese, Merlot and Tempranillo. Approximately 35,000 cases are produced and exported to about twelve countries around the globe.
The Winery and vineyards are situated in the historic and picturesque Polish Hill River sub region on the eastern side of the Clare Valley . The climate in this area is considerably cooler and the soils are also quite unique to the rest of the region. These attributes impart distinctive flavours and aromas to the wines from the Polish Hill River area.
2009 Pikes Dry Riesling
2007 Pikes “The White Mullet”
2007 Pikes “The Red Mullet”
2006 Pikes Shiraz “East side”

September 15, 2009 3:48