THE WINE FRONT

The trustees of the international Geoffrey Roberts Award are now seeking applications for their annual travel award worth £3,000 or US$6,000. Who do you know with an inspiring plan to spend that amount on a journey that will make a difference to the worlds of food and/or drink?

Applicants can be any age or nationality and can go anywhere, just so long as their plan impresses the judges. One of last year’s joint winners, for example, was Florida geography teacher Richard Villadoniga who went on a road trip around the United States on a mission to raise awareness of endangered American foodstuffs. His tour and subsequent writings on such delights as Bloody Butcher pre-colonial corn can be followed at www.eat-american.com. He now writes on traditional American foods for no fewer than four publications and adds: “ I have also started a local chapter of Slow Food, the international organization that protects biodiversity in the food supply and promotes food education and traditional methods of food production that are good, clean, and fair. We already have over 80 people on our email list in just a few months and there is great interest on a number of local projects to help protect the agricultural fabric of our community. My project (along with the Geoffrey Roberts Award) will be featured in this year's Florida Society of Geographers conference”.

The other winner Jock Brandis is also American, by coincidence, and his money has been spent in rural communities in Southern Sudan where the Universal Nut Sheller, a simple machine designed by Jock’s Full Belly Project that needs no energy other than manpower, has helped villagers there to add value to their most significant crop.

To apply for the 2008 Award visit www.geoffreyrobertsaward.com, fill in the online application form and send it to geoffreyrobertsa@aol.com by 31 March, 2008 . The winner will be chosen by the usual distinguished panel of judges including Neville Abraham CBE, Sally Clarke of Clarke’s restaurant in London , food writer Jill Dupleix, wine merchant Willie Lebus, food writer Nicholas Lander and wine writer Jancis Robinson. The winners will be informed by the end of May 2008.

The Award is financed by a charitable trust established in 1996 in memory of the UK ’s pioneer importer of non European wines. For more information contact geoffreyrobertsa@aol.com . Media queries to Jancis@jancisrobinson.com

Hunter Valley winery Drayton’s Family Wines is back open following the explosion on 17 January that killed fifth generation winemaker Trevor Drayton.

The temporary cellar door, located at the winery in Pokolbin, was opened at the weekend, and family member, John Drayton, has already been overwhelmed by the response: 'In the past few weeks we have been overcome by the community spirit in the Hunter Valley. Many of our grapes are being picked and processed by other wineries but luckily, under the guidance of our father Max and his 60 years of experience, we are processing many of our reds on-site. We are also seeing our loyal customers, and new ones, wanting to be a part of our re-building process by purchasing our wine.

'It’s been tough, but the Drayton family are Hunter Valley pioneers and we will survive.'

John Drayton also reported that Drayton's assistant winemaker, Will Rikard Bell, who sustained extensive burns in the explosion, continues to improve despite the rigors of extensive skin grafts. 'We are hopeful that he will return to Drayton's and continue the job that he was doing so well.'

Drayton’s Family Wines is at:
Oakey Creek Road, Pokolbin
(02) 4998 7513
The opening hours of the temporary cellar door are: 10-5pm

It's hardly 'news' but I was delighted to enjoy a bottle of 2001 Howard Park Cabernet Merlot last week - sealed under screwcap. This was my favourite red wine of the 2001 West Australian vintage and as a (nearly) seven year old it's in the steady process of fulfilling every inch of its early promise. What delighted me as much as the wine though was its level of development; it was pretty much exactly as you would expect to see from a well-performing cork-sealed wine. Proponents of screwcap seals have long argued that, contrary to some popular opinion, screwcaps are "not a cryogenic chamber", and wines do still develop well, and at an essentially 'normal' rate, under screwcap. This 2001 Howard park Cabernet Merlot, under screwcap, will enter its drinking peak in three or four year's time, and will sit happily in that peak for a decade or more.

Wirra Wirra was last night named International Red Winemaker of the Year at the prestigious 2007 International Wine Challenge Awards Dinner in London.

Wirra Wirra was the only Australian winery to be short-listed for the accolade.

Head winemaker Samantha Connew, who’s currently in Spain working vintage at Compañia de Vinos de Telmo Rodriguez in Rueda, was at the dinner to accept the award: 'I was terrified – as anyone who’s anyone in the wine industry seemed to be in that room – it was like the Oscars of the wine industry,' shesaid.

'I am just really proud to accept the award on behalf of Wirra Wirra. It’s a tremendous endorsement to the hard work and talent of the whole team. We’re extremely passionate about our red wine at Wirra Wirra from our flagship RSW and The Angelus to our popular Scrubby Rise and religiously followed Church Block”.

'While we might have won the award for our red wines, I think we might drink some Champagne over the next few days, maybe weeks!'

More than 800 guests attended the IWC 2007 Awards Dinner held at the Grosvenor Hotel in Park Lane, and did indeed include many of the industry’s key players.

The International Wine Challenge is one of the world’s largest (and most hyped) wine competitions. More than 465 winemakers, merchants and writers from around the world make up the judging panel, including over 40 Masters of Wine (but it's still a good competition).

This year 9,358 wines were judged at London’s Barbican Centre. 260 won gold medals and from these 84 wines were awarded a distinguished IWC Trophy.

The day has finally come. Foster’s Group Limited (Foster’s) announced tonight that it had sold the historic Barossa Valley winery Seppeltsfield (pictured) to the Clare Valley-based winery Kilikanoon. Seppeltsfield is among the grandest and greatest and most important of Australian estates. Can a corporation have a heart? If it can, today Foster's Group Limited sold a piece of it.

Seppeltsfield drips with the kind of authenticity Australian wine - now of all times - craves. Tough times can make tough decisions easy. Kilikanoon now holds a gigantic millstone; or the opportunity of a lifetime. The decision of Foster's to sell may have been easy; the road ahead will not be.

The sale includes the expansive Seppeltsfield site, winery, vineyards and visitor facilities, the rights to the Para, Trafford, Old Trafford, Solero and Mt Rufus fortified wine brands, and the majority of Seppelt fortified wine stock currently on site. Foster’s has granted Kilikanoon an exclusive license for the Seppeltsfield brand.

“The Seppeltsfield site is truly unique in the wine world", said Foster’s Chief Executive Officer, Trevor O’Hoy. “Under Kilikanoon’s stewardship, this site will continue as one of the world’s great names in fortified wine and retain its place as a great South Australian tourism landmark."

Kilikanoon CEO, Nathan Waks was understandably delighted. “Seppeltsfield houses the world’s greatest collection of fortified wines, dating back to 1878 in an unbroken tradition. We are proud to become the next custodians of this priceless national treasure. We will work hard to ensure that Australia’s already fine reputation in this area is enhanced and to rejuvenate the Seppeltsfield Village over time through sympathetic wine-related redevelopment."

Foster’s retains the rights to the Seppelt brand for table and sparkling wine, which will continue to be based at the Seppelt Great Western winery, purchased by Benno Seppelt in 1918.

“We are committed to growing Seppelt and its reputation for Australia’s most awarded sparkling and regional wines," Mr O’Hoy said. “We are confident that under the Seppeltsfield name, a new and successful chapter in Australian fortified wine has begun.”

Bruce Baudinet, Chairman of Kilikanoon and the Seppeltsfield Estate Trust, said that “Foster’s has worked diligently and patiently to find a suitable purchaser, who can both respect the century of traditions and take Seppeltsfield to the next level. We believe that we have the energy, capital and commitment to make Seppeltsfield one of the most exciting fortified wine producers in the world, and a great South Australian tourist destination. We sincerely look forward to the challenges ahead and a close ongoing working relationship with Foster’s Wine Estates.”

Under the sale agreement, Foster’s and Kilikanoon have entered long term lease and supply contracts over around 100 hectares of premium Shiraz and Grenache vines. In addition, Foster's will continue to manage maturation stores and Kilikanoon will process grapes for both fortified and table wines for Foster’s at the site.

The transaction is due to be completed over coming months.

The sale can be argued as a good idea. Fortified wines have been market laggers for years, and they are too heavily weighted in the Foster's empire. Offload some, keep others, liquify assets for a greater assault on the main game.

The sale can he argued as ludicrously short-sighted. The greatness of Australian fortified wine is too significant to be held down forever. The recent rise of Spanish sherries and the more recent influx of Portuguese ports suggests that the fortified market, after a long slumber, may be stirring. In a brave, brand, brash new world of sparkling new wine producers, wine regions, and wine countries - history, authenticity, and greatness counts heavier, and for more. In ten years, this sale could be viewed as the day Foster's stuffed up grandly.

You never sell off greatness. You fight tooth and nail for it. 

To Kilikanoon: the onus now rests with you.