Bell Ringers know that it’s rare for me to turn this page over to matters of genuine importance, my preference being to operate at the frothy end of the cappuccino, more so than the black sludgy bits at the bottom.However a topic more compelling than the fortunes of the Australian cricket team, Elvis Costello’s winery tour of Australia, or the potential 2013 release of a 2010 vintage Chook Block Shiraz looms large.

I speak of the “F” word.

Phylloxera.

As nouns go it even looksugly – and sounds littlebetter. Particularly if you are afflicted with a slight lisp.

So what is this scourge of grapegrowers the world over?

Phylloxera is a tiny yellow aphid-like insect that destroys grapevines by killing their roots. Once in there it’s harder to remove than an unwanted relative at Christmas. In fact, the only way to get rid of it is to rip out the vines and start over again, replanting on phylloxera resistant rootstocks. Nasty.

Why am I bothering you with bugs? Well, many Bell Ringers will know that McLaren Vale and South Australian wine regions have been blessedly free of this vile beast since our first vines were laid in the ground.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the rest of the country with parts of NSW and Victoria affected over the years.

The spread of phylloxera throughout France in the 1860s was so dramatic that by the end of the 19th century, 2/3 of European vineyards had been destroyed and with them, most native Vitis Vinifera varieties. After the blight, the French had to replace the natives and recreate their vineyards on resistant rootstocks. But here in Australia – which has the largest acreage of old vines on their own roots in the world – we proudly source fruit from astonishing old vineyards planted

from the original French and Spanish pre-phylloxera cuttings, brought out by the early settlers. Few in France can make such a claim. Those that can defend it with their life – although it can be argued that the French have gone to war over less.

And here’s the rub. The little beggar gets about by latching on to vine planting material, soil, machinery, people, vehicles or grapes that are making the journey from an infested vineyard to a healthy one.

“Then don’t let ’em in!”, I hear you cry. “Keep ’em out!”

And we don’t and we have. In fact South Australia has had an active Phylloxera Control Board (SAPCB) in place for many years to do just that. You may have seen their

“Grape Vine Killer” stickers on the back of winery vehicles. They are to the winery ute what the “My Family” sticker is to the urban family wagon. The difference is, I don’t want to throw rocks at the Phylloxera stickers.

However in a move that has local growers invoking Bacchus’ name in vain, the SAPCB proposes that we drop our perfectly sound South Australian regulations and join the National Protocol, applying less stringent controls that bring us into line with other States.

This masterstroke will allow the freer movement of grapes, machinery and plant material into South Australia from regions we’ve never accepted them from before. Like, you know – the ones that have possibly already had a phylloxera outbreak.

Thing is, we don’t actually have to drop our standards. The National Protocol recognises that each state can determine their own regulations. There is no compulsion for South Australia to join the national express if we don’t wish to. And why would we?

A far wiser man than me, McLaren Vale vigneron Drew Noon MW has been a

The National Express

vocal critic and believes that the SAPCB is promoting “Farm Gate Security” to growers

– which we all need to practice – while our first line of defence should be at the border. The idea being that we’ll look after our farms and they can look after our state. Drew says that, “… advising growers to provide their own defences when the pest arrives at their door. The battle is lost by then.”

At Wirra Wirra we do more than just make wine, hurl watermelons and ride broomsticks around the grounds on Melbourne Cup Day. We grow grapes too. So the idea that we would do anything to put this precious part of our state’s wine history at risk makes no sense to us. In fact, wouldn’t we be finding ways to tighten it up?

I’ve been attacked by the beagle police at the Adelaide Airport while collecting my luggage because I’ve been thinking about eating an apple, yet we’re happy to reduce the border protection against an enemy that would create a scenario from which there is no return. “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone,” sang Joni Mitchell… although she also sang “I could drink a case of you darling and I’d still be on my feet,” so maybe she’s not the best example.

As wine drinkers, you wouldn’t generally give this a second thought. But our phylloxera-free history gives our vineyards something pretty special and as the new kids on the world wine block, a rare advantage.

So if you’ve read this far, when you crack your first bottle of something wonderful on December 25, pause to think from whence it came – unless of course it’s sparkling shiraz, in which case you may just need to lie down – and remember Phylloxera is forever, not just for Christmas. Have a safe and happy one from all of us at the Wirra Wirra Tribe.

Cheers,Andrew Kay Head Caretaker

“National Express” – The Divine Comedy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiBI3A2WcrEConcerned about changing phylloxera laws?Write to minister.gago@sa.gov.au

November 2012

A lot of water has passed under the vines since we gave you a sneak preview of our new look Scrubby Rise labels last time around. Creator, famous Australian surrealist Andrew Baines, has been hard at work and we invite you to not only see his latest endeavours, but be a part of his next installation at Wirra Wirra on December 2.

While Andrew has been busily painting, his creation of the man in a bowler hat rowing across the Scrubby Rise vineyards has been brought to life at Wirra Wirra and in wine retail stores across the country.

We have installed a large effigy of the “man in the boat” in the very vineyard that inspired Andrew’s work. It can be seen from The Jetty at Wirra Wirra, or as you drive pass the winery from McMurtrie Road.Wine retailers have been at it to, dressing up windows and creating floor displays with bunting, posters and large corflute cut-outs of our man. South Australian Negociants sales rep and keen cyclist Neil Corstens, has even taken to dressing up his preferred mode of transport with the latest two-wheeled accessory.

To help Bell Ringers get in on the action, for a limited time we are offering you a mixed dozen of Scrubby Rise wines (4 x red blend; 4 x white blend; 4 x unoaked Chardonnay) for just $150 plus a FREE poster of Andrew Baines’ stunning artwork. Freight is FREE of charge to anywhere in Australia. See Order Form in this newsletter for details, or order online at http://www.wirrawirra.com/BellringersMembers/sales.aspx?=b

An invitation to “float your boat”Sunday, 2nd December 2012

2pm – 4.30pmWirra Wirra Vineyards, McMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale

Be immortalised by taking part in the latest installation by famous South Australian surrealist artist Andrew Baines at 2 - 2.30pm. Please wear a black suit and bring a black umbrella and a bowler hat if you have them. See an exclusive preview of Andrew Baines latest works PLUS a screening of an Andrew Baines documentary.Taste new releases of Scrubby Rise and other wines PLUS regional cheese and produce plattersEnjoy live band ambience with Organic Groove

also~ Go into the Prize Draw for the chance to win 1 dozen mixed Scrubby Rise wines~ 10% Discount on all Scrubby Rise wines for the day PLUS 1 free poster with 6 bottles or more Scrubby Rise purchases~ Silent Auction Item: Limited Edition Print signed by Andrew Baines. Proceeds to SA Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation

Tickets$15 per adult ~ includes one glass Scrubby Rise wine

Children freeAll ticket proceeds to SA Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation Book at: www.trybooking.com/CCPU

This Will Float Your Boat

Magic Roundabout

It’s swings and roundabouts as we welcome a couple of new faces; farewell a couple of “old timers” and celebrate another new inductee to our 10 year club.

We are thrilled to be adjusting the testosterone level around the cellars with the addition of Assistant Winemaker Kelly Wellington who joins us from Mt Langi Winery in the Grampians where she had been Assistant Winemaker since 2010. Kelly’s CV includes vintage stints at Yarra Burn, Yering Station and Coldstream Hills in the Yarra Valley; West Sussex in England (!); Bordeaux and Cote des Blanc in France; Central Otago in NZ and Michelton in the Goulburn Valley.

Although she studied winemaking in Adelaide, Kelly is a Victorian country girl and will be happy to leave the icy Ballarat winters behind for the balmy McLaren Vale sunshine In prep for her arrival, Smithy and Carps were busy clearing out the old footy socks, pizza boxes and empty beer bottles from the winemaking offices in order to make the area presentable.

Kelly replaces James Rouse who has joined the industry peak body – Wine Australia – in a wine inspector’s role.

And while wineries need winemakers, someone has to sell the stuff. Enter Sam Temme in the role of International Sales Manager. Sam is known to many around the Vale, having been GM of Lloyd Brothers Wine & Olive Company and Group Sales and Marketing Manager with Galvanized Wine Group (Penny’s Hill, Mr. Riggs etc). Sam comes in as we farewell our GM of Sales, Julian Forwood after nine very successful years at Wirra Wirra. Jules is heading out to start his own wine label with his wife Bernice. Jules has been the face of Wirra Wirra in the trade around Australia and we wish him every success with his new venture, as we do with James.

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Above: Sam Temme and Kelly Wellington look happy despite an unnerving feeling they are being watched.

Above: Mary Gordon loves nothing better than a good emergency.

With Sam taking on export duties, Matt East has settled into the role of National Sales Manager looking after the domestic side of things.

Finally, we have our latest entrant into the Wirra Wirra Ten Year Club, Mary Gordon. Mary has performed in a number of roles over the years, such is her capacity to turn her hand at pretty much anything with aplomb and enthusiasm. In recent years she has been the Occupational Health and Safety Manager, developing her knowledge and expertise on the subject to the point that she has become a “go to” person for many in and around the wine industry for advice and information.

The art of Seaduction � ��������

A little while back we had a request from Bell Ringer Colin Wheeler asking if we would like to be part of a promotion and dinner his business Document Solutions was holding for VIP customers on the Gold Coast. When it was mentioned that the venue was Seaduction at Sea Temple, the hot new restaurant under Chef Steve Szabo of Versace Palazzo fame, AK insisted it was a job that was best left to him to handle. Colin’s guests enjoyed a wide range of our latest releases, endured AK’s stories and then had the chance to purchase all the wines they had tasted at a fairly keen price. A prize draw on the evening saw one of the guests walk away with a 3.0L bottle of Church Block, which inspired one guest to rush another one up from the winery to be presented at the Gold Coast Race Day that weekend. Do you have a corporate event or promotion that we could assist with? Contact Lisa McNicol at Cellar Door on 08 8323 8414.

Do you have a memory, photo, question that you’d like us to know about? Email to info@wirra.com.au; Tweet to @wirrawirrawines; or post on our Wirra Wirra Bell Ringers Facebook page.

Moggie Moscato makes ���������

It in Mayfair

This year while we have been braving the winter chill, our favourite feline Mrs Wigley, hasn’t been hibernating. In fact our moggie moscato has been turning heads in the old country where she has found a home in the UK’s hottest restaurant, “Dinner with Heston,” the latest venture of the global phenomenon that is Heston Blumenthal. She has also popped up on the shelves of Harrod’s in Knightsbridge and even Partridge’s, the Queen’s other grocer in Sloan Square. One is rather chuffed, I must say.

Borne of Bell Ringers ����������

We love hearing from Bell Ringers who write to us on all matter of subjects. The odd bit of correspondence to Greg Trott aside, we are generally able to oblige with a range of requests. This one came from Jamie Newman who was about to pull the cork on a 1992 RSW Shiraz and asked if we could send him the tasting notes. We did so and he happily responded with his own.

Hello Jodi,I pulled the cork on .... The Wirra Wirra RSW 1992. I decanted but there was very little sediment. The cork was soft and came out in two pieces but it had done its job well. I drank the wine over the next four hours and it really was very good. The tannins had become very light but there was still medium acidity. The colour had softened to a red brick reminiscent of old burgundy. In fact the wine tasted like an old burgundy. On the palate flavours of meaty mushroom. There was still pronounced intensity and forest floor aromas on the nose. I guess that’s what 20 years in bottle can do to an Aussie Shiraz. All very enjoyable. All the best,Jamie.

Then there was the tweet from Andes Wines in Chile as their rider left Santiago to ride as part of their Wine Terroir Adventure wearing one of our Think Global Drink Local t-shirts. Wine Terroir Adventure is a documentary about the best wine terroirs in Latin America and the US. This is a motorcycle trip from Santiago to New York covering 25,000 miles through 18 countries in order to discover unique and world-class wine regions. What they made of a Wirra Wirra t-shirt is anyone’s guess.

Bell Ringers will remember that our key charitable cause is the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation. The WCHF is the official charity of the Women’s & Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, South Australia. Since the Foundation was established in 1989, they have supported the Hospital with in excess of $20 million to improve facilities, purchase state-of-the-art equipment and fund life-saving research. The WCHF is committed to ensuring that children and their families have access to the very best in medical care and support services at a time when they need it most.

So far this year we have undertaken a number of activities in support of the Foundation. In direct fundraising we have raised just shy of $9000. One promotion last summer involved a donation of $1 for every bottle of Mrs. Wigley Moscato or Rosé sold from our Cellar Door from the beginning of December to the end of February. This year we intend to do it all over again, kicking off on 1 December, 2012.

Our aim is to raise $25,000 to supply the hospital with two Physiological monitors – for the Women’s Assessment Service (WAS)

WAS provide a 24 x 7 assessment and treatment service for women with pregnancy and post natal or gynaecological problems, women in labour and for babies in the neo-natal period. Increasing numbers of patients are seen that require monitoring whilst a transfer to theatre, high dependency or other hospitals. Two Philips MP30 monitors will ideally fulfil the need and be compatible with all other monitors within the WCH.

If you wish to make a contribution to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation, visit http://www.wchfoundation.org.au.

Doin’ it for the Kids

@andeswines 2/09/12 Look!! @wirrawirrawines tshirt with our rider Of #wineterroiradventure @WTAdventure leaving Santiago towards NYC in 90 days!!

This year, Richie completed his Advanced Certificate in Biodynamics and Organics in NZ. He was “top of the class”, in what is the only internationally recognised qualification in Biodynamics and Organics.

What does biodynamic mean?Bio means “life” and Dynamic means “energy”. So we talk about biodynamics being life as a moving force.

What are the principles behind biodynamics?Biodynamic farming is an ecological, self- supporting farming system as opposed to an industrial or chemical approach to the production of crops. It has no adverse environmental effects and promotes soil enrichment, conservation and construction. It’s based on the teachings of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner.

How did you become a believer?Through reading, attending workshops and lectures and through the practice of biodynamics at home and in the vineyards. Doing my studies last year really confirmed my beliefs that Biodynamics works.

How does it differ from organics?Firstly, it covers all the practices of organic farming, plus it brings in the biodynamic preparations ie- horn manure (500), horn silica (501) and the biodynamic compost preparations (502-507), these are made from plant extracts such as yarrow, chamomile, oak bark, stinging nettle, dandelion and valerian.

What is certification and when will you be fully certified?It’s an accreditation process by an independent certifier (in our case we are currently certified “Biodynamic in Conversion” with the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia – NASSA). We will be fully certified by NASSA before the 2013 vintage.

Is it easier and cheaper to run a b-d vineyard than conventional?Ask Dan our money man! I think people assume it is cheaper, but that’s not the case in our experience. Although you are removing the costs associated with herbicides and other chemicals, you are replacing those costs with human labour as it’s a very hands-on process.

What are some of the things you do differently to a conventionally run vineyard?We do a lot of hand weeding and brush-cutting around our vines as well as using an under-vine mower; we apply lots of fish and seaweed to our vineyard floors to increase our soil biota as well as our vine canopies to increase our beneficial fungi levels. We apply horn manure (500) and cow pat pit along with horn silica (501) at certain times throughout the growing season based on Brian Keats Astro calendar.

What are some of the more unusual practices you follow in the vineyard?Well depending on who you speak to in the winery most of our practices are considered

quite unusual! Included in this could be stuffing cows horns with raw cow manure and burying them in the ground over winter; filling half wine barrels buried in the ground with cow manure mixed with egg shells and rock dust; stuffing the same cow horns once the manure has converted into beautiful 500 with feldspar and burying over summer for 501. We once made up 3000L of fish emulsion with 2 tonnes of frozen tuna waste from Port Lincoln – that was pretty unusual, not to mention messy.

Do you extend this sustainability message beyond the vineyards ?Yes, we run chooks through the vineyards, take our winery waste during harvest (stalks and marc) and combine it with other products such as seaweed and rock dust to make our own compost which we spread over the vineyards in autumn. We’ve planted over 800 native trees around our boundaries to help increase our biodiversity, encouraging insects and other predators into our vineyards.

What next for b-d practices and WW?Is this my wish list? The most important thing we can be doing is to continue to OBSERVE what is happening in and around our vineyards and building those healthy soils to create healthy vines. Livestock in the vineyards are integral to the success of organic and biodynamic agriculture and that is something I’m keen to see happen.

We recently dragged our Vineyard Manager Richie away from his precious vines for a lazy glass of Church Block and a chat about his and Wirra Wirra’s approach to biodynamic farming.

Despite reports about the impact of the wet season that categorised the harvest of 2011, many wines continue to confound the critics and judges, continually popping up at wine shows and in panel tastings as wonderful examples of their variety, region and style.

One such beast is the 2011 12th Man Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. If it was going to be wet anywhere in South Australia during vintage 2011, the Adelaide Hills would be it. Winemaker Smithy was quite brutal in his fruit selection that year and a lot of berries hit the ground, resulting in a smaller intake than usual.

However, the sacrifices made in the vineyard usually pay off in the bottle – at least that’s the plan. The 2011 12th Man is being heralded as a great example of the

“new wave” of Australian chardonnay, already claiming Gold medals at both the Royal Adelaide and Royal Melbourne Wine Shows. It also earned a berth in UK Wine Critic Matthew Jukes’ Top 100 Australian wines, where the ever-eloquent Mr. Jukes had this to say: “Wirra manages not only to make extraordinary top end cuvées but it also keeps its every day punters happy with high-spec, affordable wines (which is a sign of their integrity and inspirational work rate) and Twelfth Man offers us alla wondrous version of their take on Premier Cru Chablis. The fruit is controlled, the oak is in line, the length is considerable and the finish is delightful. This is a resounding success for a company that is perceived as red wine specialists. And lest you forget, the 12th Man carries the drinks and with this wine on offer he is clearly the most important chap in the team.”The 2011 12th Man Chardonnay is available now from our Cellar Door or online at www.wirrawirra.com for $31.50 per bottle.

Turning it up to ’11

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Richie in the vineyard. “If only I could remember where I buried those cowhorns?”

A glass of Church Block wi th Richard Wellsmore

*REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL PART 3

So the visitors are in town for the festive holidays, Australia has knocked the Springboks over in three days and you’re wondering how you fill in the time between Christmas and

New Year? Here’s just a few reasons to make a trip down to our Wirra Wirra Cellars, a finalist in the 2012 McLaren Vale Cellar Door of the Year Awards.

We have the FULL range on tasting every day – including RSW, The Angelus and The Absconder while stocks last.

Live entertainment every 3rd Sunday of the month. Intimate Affairs tasting packages – get the VIP treatment (bookings required).

Free BBQ and Picnic facilities (bookings required). Cheese and local produce platters available.

Free freight for cyclists and filtered water bottle refills. Children’s activity packs.

A bell to be rung, a 10M tall bottle made from recycled cork, a stunning vista of vines reaching their peak and much more!

Call Lisa on 8323 8414 to make your Cellar Door experience one to remember.

In the last Bell Ringers, we introduced you to a couple of new wines sold exclusively through our McLaren Vale cellars and online at www.wirrawirra.com. They are part of a new range of Iberian-influenced wines, a Tempranillo and a Monastrell made under the Esperanza label. Esperanza makes no reference to Wirra Wirra, so when we sent out samples (anonymously) to our friends in the media, AK decided to amuse himself by penning this fictitious tale around their origin to accompany the wine. (Any resemblance to winemakers living or dead is purely coincidental – Ed.)

In the Spirit of Hope

“Hope is the thing with feathers” wrote Emily Dickson in the opening stanza of her poem “Hope”. Suitably inspired, eternal pessimist

Woody Allen wrote a novel entitled “Without Feathers”.

No such concerns exist in the minds of the ambitious young winemakers “Dos Pablos”, who believe the native grapes of their Iberian

homeland will flourish in the soil that spreads over the ancient rocks of McLaren Vale, nurtured by the sun-kissed Mediterranean

climate of the region. Such is their confidence; they have announced themselves to the world with the “Esperanza” collection, from the

Spanish word meaning “hope”.

Just how they came to be part of McLaren Vale winemaking history is a tale of hope in itself. After their father Pablo the Elder was

gored to death in a mysterious bullfighting accident in Jerez – mysterious due to the absence of the bull – the twin boys fled in their

mother’s arms to McLaren Vale, a far-off land of which they had heard much from their grandfather, Pablo the Eldest.

Against all odds, he had left his homeland when the lure of gold drew him to the barren fields of Victoria in the 1850’s; however it was

to prove a dream unfulfilled. On the ship to Australia he was accosted by a Venezuelan gent whose wife had been the subject of the

Eldest’s advances. While in Pablo’s eyes this attention was not unwanted, the husband had a different view. Returning to his cabin one

evening, he found Pablo serenading his bride with an a capella - yet surprisingly soulful – musical interpretation of the history of the

chorizo. Latin blood boiling with rage, he struck out with the nearest object he could find, a leg of jamon that Pablo had taken along

for stage two of his well-practised seduction ritual. The blow knocked Pablo out cold, leaving him with a permanent affliction of colour-

blindness and a strong aversion to smallgoods.

Despite this setback, Pablo embarked upon the gold rush with typical enthusiasm. Unfortunately his new visual disability made it

difficult to distinguish between gold and the other, leading to many a futile shout of “Eureka!” and the goldfield nickname of “Rocky”.

Chastened but not without hope, he joined a travelling Iberian musical troupe “No Gringos”, who made their way by donkey to South

Australia and finally McLaren Vale, in search of a receptive audience. In a community open of mind and tired of banjos, Pablo the

Eldest and his exotic compadres found themselves warmly embraced by the locals. (To Pablo’s delight, some more warmly than others.)

Here he found peace and serenity, earning extra cash on the side giving charango lessons to Robert Strangways Wigley and his special

brand of paella cooking classes to the local ladies.

Today with the release of the Esperanza collection, his descendants Dos Pablos honour those like Pablo the Eldest who dare to dream

and swim against the tide. With little in the way of finances they funded their first release by working as salsa instructors and dancing

the Macarena at children’s birthday parties.

The fruit for their 2010 Esperanza Monastrell was drawn from David Paxton’s historic mataro block in McLaren Vale. Knowing their

plight, Paxton looked upon the two men with kindness and pity, but still charged them full price anyway.

The damp 2011 vintage was challenging for some, but not our hirsute siblings. Unconcerned by the perils of wet weather, they employed an

ancient Spanish technique to determine picking protocol. Entering the vineyard at dawn on the new moon of the third month of harvest,

they lay down a blanket laden with ham, sausage and cheese, then proceeded to uncork a bottle of the finest fino sherry they could

muster. When the sherry had been drunk, the fruit was ready to be picked. Even if this was not actually the case, it looked pretty good

to them.Be it fate or as they say in Spain, pure culo, the 2011 Esperanza Tempranillo has turned out to be a gift from the vinous

gods, drawing inspiration from Pablo the Eldest’s philosophy of making the best of any situation. With the release of

these two wines, the brothers Dos Pablos invite you to join with them in the spirit of their grandfather, in

the spirit of hope, in the spirit of Esperanza.

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Wirra Wirra Vineyards McMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale SA 5171 PO Box 145, McLaren Vale SA 5171 P: +61.8.8323.8414 F: +61.8.8323.8596 E: info@wirra.com.au www.wirrawirra.com Printed on 100% recycled stock

Join us on facebook: Wirra Wirra Bell Ringers Follow us on twitter:@wirrawirrawines

WHERE YOU’LL FIND US

Feast Festival, Light Square Adelaide Nov 10 – 25… Gorgeous Festival, McLaren Vale Nov 24… Harvest Festival, McLaren

Vale Jan 12…Taste Sydney, Centennial Park March 14-17… Sydney Seafood School,

Sydney Fish Market… Bell Ringer dinners, Adel-Per-Syd-Mel-Bris-Gold Coast, July-

August (Dates tba)

Chupa Chops �����������������

It’s always interesting to get a peek at how the rest of the world may see you. From a winemaking perspective, we get that in reviews and commentary from writers across the globe. Another insight is around food matches and how chefs and foodies from foreign shores pair up our wines with local dishes. (AK can relate a few curious examples from his trips to China – Ed). Here we have a dish from Michael Chiarello Founder of NapaStyle, Chiarello Family Vineyards and Emmy-winning Food Network personality in the USA that we thought was worthy of gracing many an Aussie barbecue table this summer.

Michael is looking at Church Block and says that “While typical matches like well-marbled steaks, chops and roasts will work beautifully, lighter meats like lamb, veal and pork also make excellent choices. For accent flavors, pick up the wine’s herbal elements with mushrooms, onions, chives, peppery greens like arugula or fresh green herbs. You can’t go wrong with my Lamb Lollipops with Mint Salt.”

If I’d known you were coming…

History in the MakingAs we do each September, we invited a bunch of friends from the wine trade, media and our fine distributors from Negociants Australia for a day of tastings, watermelon hurling, Church Block blending, cross-cut sawing and cow dung sniffing – among other things and not necessarily in that order. The day culminated as always with a dinner to remember Greg Trott and posthumously celebrate his birthday. This year as we were also recognising the 40th birthday of Church Block we had the pleasure of the company of Ben Riggs, Wirra Wirra winemaker from 1986 to 2001 and Tim James, winemaking mentor and Managing Director from 2000 to 2006. They shared memories of Trott and Church Block and along with current winemaking team of Paul Smith and Paul Carpenter represented 25 years of Church Block history between them.

As we’ve said elsewhere here, we love it when Bell Ringers take the time to share their stories with us. But when a member of the wine retail trade goes out of their way to show Wirra Wirra some love, that’s another thing altogether. We recently held a tasting at Vintage Cellars in Carindale in sunny Queensland where Kylie from VC, showed off her inner Nigella-Domestic-Goddess to create a cake depicting the winery and grounds at Wirra Wirra! Taking in the Woodhenge fence, the 10M tall Church Block bottle and the Angelus bell tower, the only detail she missed was AK with his feet up on the desk in his office.

The only dilemma was where to make the first cut? Kylie, we take our aprons off to you.

Michael Chiarello’s Lamb lollipops with mint salt ������������������

Prep Time: 10 minutes. Cook Time: 20 minutes. Serves 4

Ingredients1 cup grey salt1 cup fresh mint2 racks of lamb, about 1 1/2 lbs each, frenched by the butcherfreshly ground black pepper1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil1/2 cup dry red wine

DirectionsPut the salt into a mortar and pestle. Adding a few mint leaves at a time, crush them into the salt until all the mint is used up and the salt is green and fragrant.Heat the oven to 375°F.

Season the lamb with freshly ground pepper and rub them with the mint salt. In a deep-sided ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb racks, skin side down, and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the lamb over and put the pan into the oven, uncovered, for about 7 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Remove the lamb to a board, cover with foil, and allow it to rest for 5 minutes while you make the glaze. Remove the excess fat from the skillet and add the red wine. Place the skillet over medium heat and reduce to a syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes. Slice the lamb racks between the ribs into chops and place them onto a warmed platter. Drizzle the glaze over the chops and serve as “lollipops.”

vv v2010 The Angelus Cabernet Sauvignon

“Deep purple crimson; a reaffirmation of the ability of McLaren Vale to produce cabernetsauvignon of great authority and power; black fruits are the order of the day, the tannins skilfully moulded, the oak integrated.”95 Pts. James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2013

“For those who doubt the ability of McLaren Vale to produce great Cabernet Sauvignon, I present the 2010 Wirra Wirra The Angelus…glorious fruit, wonderfully pitched oak, profound structure and a true sense of life… Decant now or better yet, sit on it for at least ten years. 96+ Pts. ExceptionalJeremy Pringle, www.winewilleatitself.com November, 2012

2010 Esperanza Monastrell“Blood plum, some dried herb,

spice and minor levels of nutty oak. Medium bodied with dried herb and umami savouries, gentle tannin and balanced acidity. Finish is good too. Composure and interest here. Winemaker ego down and drinkability up. Very good.”93 Pts. Gary Walsh, WineFront

2010 The Absconder Grenache“Really like this. Pure and exotic

at once. Tobacco, sweet cherries, fistfuls of dry spice and earth. Sweet core of fruit but an insistent line of savouriness. Keen ribs of tannin rippling through the flesh. On the edge ripeness-wise but is steadfastly medium-bodied. Deserves a big glass and a bit of contemplation – and some extra bottle age too.”94 Pts. Campbell Mattinson, WineFront

“Super deluxe packaging for an icon wine made from one of the oldest blocks of grenache in McLaren Vale, planted in the 1920s. This wine was open fermented, hand plunged and pressed in the ancient basket press at Wirra Wirra. The colour is bright, the flavours of the juicy red berries with excellent acidity and tannins, and the benison of 10 months in French oak.” 95 Pts. James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2013

“This grenache makes a big statement. Deep hue; invitingly sweet, super-ripe Grenache aromas which translate to the smooth and supple palate with balance, length and drinkability. Light, persuasive tannins complete the picture.”94 Pts. ***** Gourmet Traveller Wine July 2012

It seems like just 12 months ago that we were putting together a set of outrageously enticing Christmas offers for our Bell Ringers… and here we go again. We know that you like a bit of variety over the festive season, as well as something punchy and to the point. So we oblige with a top shelf collection that has impressed the judges over the past 12 months and a dozen that will cover all emergencies from drop-ins to in-laws these holidays.

What th ey say about us…

Jingle, Jingle Six PackRecent Gold and Silver Medal winning wines.

★ 1 x 2010 The Absconder Grenache GOLD – McLaren Vale Wine Show★ 1 x 2010 The Angelus Cab Sauv GOLD - Melbourne Wine Show★ 1 x 2011 12th Man Chardonnay GOLD – Adelaide Wine Show GOLD – Melbourne Wine Show★ 1 x 2010 Catapult Shiraz SILVER – London International Wine Challenge★ 1 x 2010 Sparrow’s Lodge Cab Sauv SILVER– London International Wine Challenge★ 1 x 2012 Scrubby Rise Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Viognier SILVER – Adelaide Wine Show- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -$190 with FREE FREIGHT.

Santa’s Little Helper DozenA selection of reds, whites and pinks to ensure you have all bases covered this Christmas.

★ 2 x 2011 Scrubby Rise Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot★ 2 x 2012 Scrubby Rise Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Viognier★ 2 x 2012 Mrs Wigley Grenache Rosé★ 2 x 2012 Mrs Wigley Moscato★ 2 x 2011 Church Block Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot★ 2 x 2010 Catapult Shiraz- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -$170 per dozen plus FREE Wine Dogs Calendar. Too much of a good thing?? Order a Six pack (1 of each) for just $95 with FREE FREIGHT.

Blitzen’s Baines BeautyA mixed dozen of the new Scrubby Rise range as per our feature story on page 2.

★ 4 x 2011 Scrubby Rise Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot★ 4 x 2012 Scrubby Rise Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Viognier★ 4 x 2012 Scrubby Rise Unoaked Chardonnay- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Just $150 plus a FREE poster of Andrew Baines’ stunning Scrubby Rise artwork with FREE FREIGHT.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Gift vouchers available Easy to order and simple to use. Call cellar door on (08) 8323 8414 or order online.

Bell Ringer Stocking Stuffer Specials

Order online at www.wirrawirra.com; by phone on (08) 8323 8414 or by fax at (08) 8323 8596.

Available until December 31, 2012 or while stocks last, but to guarantee pre-Christmas delivery by our good friends at Aussie Post, please place your order NO LATER THAN 9TH DECEMBER. All Bell Ringer Specials will be shipped FREIGHT FREE to anywhere in Australia.

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2012 The Lost Watch Riesling“A superfine Hills Riesling with that classic citrus the variety delivers but also a more regional element of crisp Granny Smith apples and a textural juicy acidity that feels like lemon juice, and tastes like it, plus a drop of lavender honey – most delicious and full of life.”4/5 Tony Love, The Herald Sun

2010 RSW Shiraz“Both the bouquet and palate command immediate attention, exhibiting a near perfect paradigm for McLaren Vale shiraz. Medium to full bodied, but without any obvious alcohol warmth, it has an unbroken stream of black fruits, licorice, dark chocolate, cedary oak and fine, ripe tannins; the balance, line and length reflect the very good vintage and equally good winemaking.”96 Pts. James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2013

“Long, bold and seamless shiraz with great, earthy spicy aromas and a full bodied nutty/oaky palate with a lovely, creamy mouthfeel. Has excellent texture and great flavour persistence.”

***** Winestate July/August 2012

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Online ordering: www.wirrawirra.com/BellringerMembers/sales.aspxPlease enclose a cheque/money order or credit card authority to cover the full cost of the wines and Freight + Insurance if applicable. Payable to Wirra Wirra Vineyards. Post, phone, fax or email your order to: Wirra Wirra Vineyards – PO Box 145, McLaren Vale SA 5171 T: (08) 8323 8414 F: (08) 8323 8596 E: cellardoor@wirra.com.au

Order Form November 2012 Free freight for all Specials and all orders of 2 dozen or more from the rest of the range. Orders of 23 bottles or less, other than the Specials, are charged at current Australia Post rates calculated by delivery address post code. Bell Ringers members only – receive a 10% discount per bottle (excludes all Special Offers). All wine available while stocks last.

FREIGHT COST CHARGESNSWSydney/NewcastleWoollongong Gosford

NSWOther*

VICMelbourne

VIC Other*

QLDBrisbane/Gold & Sunshine Cst

QLDOther*

SAAdelaide

SAOther*

WAPerth

WA Other*

ACTCanberra

NT/TAS Alice Springs

6 Bottles $11.00 $14.50 $10.50 $13.50 $13.00 $16.00 $7.00 $10.50 $14.00 $20.00 $12.00 $20.0012 Bottles $14.50 $20.00 $13.50 $18.50 $19.00 $25.00 $7.00 $13.50 $20.50 $30.00 $16.00 $30.00

* “OTHER” AREAS ARE INDICATIVE BUT MAXIMUM RATES

VIN Whites $ TOTAL2012 The Lost Watch Adelaide Hills Riesling $20.00 x Btls = $2008 The Lost Watch Adelaide Hills Riesling $20.00 x Btls = $2012 Scrubby Rise Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Viognier $15.00 x Btls = $2012 Scrubby Rise Unoaked Chardonnay $15.00 x Btls = $2012 Hiding Champion Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc $22.00 x Btls = $2011 The 12th Man Adelaide Hills Chardonnay $31.50 x Btls = $

Reds2012 Mrs Wigley Grenache Rosé $18.00 x Btls = $2011 Scrubby Rise Shiraz Cabernet Petit Verdot $15.00 x Btls = $2011 Church Block Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot $20.00 x Btls = $2010 Catapult Shiraz $24.00 x Btls = $2011 Woodhenge Shiraz $30.00 x Btls = $2010 Sparrow’s Lodge Cabernet Sauvignon (Cellar Door Exclusive) $30.00 x Btls = $2010 RSW Shiraz $70.00 x Btls = $2010 The Angelus Cabernet Sauvignon $70.00 x Btls = $2010 The Absconder Grenache (max. 3 bottle purchase) $70.00 x Btls = $2010 Patritti Single Vineyard Shiraz (max. 2 bottle purchase) $132.00 x Btls = $2010 ESPERANZA Monastrell $35.00 x Btls = $2010 ESPERANZA Tempranillo $35.00 x Btls = $

Fizz & Fortified2012 Mrs Wigley Moscato 500mL $18.00 x Btls = $2010 The Empire Series Botrytis Semillon 500mL (Cellar Door Exclusive) $30.00 x Btls = $NV The Empire Series Muscat 500mL (Cellar Door Exclusive) $30.00 x Btls = $2007 Sparrow’s Lodge Vintage Port 375mL (Cellar Door Exclusive) glass stopper $28.00 x Btls = $NV The Anthem Sparkling Shiraz $27.50 x Btls = $

Specialised Format2011 375mL Church Block Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot $12.00 x Btls = $2009 1.5 Litre Church Block Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot $70.00 x Btls = $2009 3 Litre Church Block Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot $130.00 x Btls = $2010 1.5 Litre Catapult Shiraz $80.00 x Btls = $2010 3 Litre Catapult Shiraz $145.00 x Btls = $2010 1.5 Litre Woodhenge Shiraz $90.00 x Btls = $2010 3 Litre Woodhenge Shiraz $165.00 x Btls = $2009 1.5 Litre The Angelus Cabernet Sauvignon $155.00 x Btls = $2009 1.5 Litre RSW Shiraz $155.00 x Btls = $

Special Offers – Excludes Bell Ringer discountDoz W2 South Australian 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (Full dozens only) $72.00 x Doz = $6pk Jingle Jingle $190.00 x 6pk = $6 pk Santa’s Little Helper $95.00 x 6pk = $Doz Santa’s Little Helper $170.00 x Doz = $Doz Blitzen’s Baines Beauty $150.00 x Doz = $

SUB TOTAL $MEMBER DISCOUNT (-10%) $

FREIGHT $TOTAL $

Name: Member Number:Street/Number: City/Town/Suburb: Post Code:State: Telephone: ( ) Email Address:Special Delivery Instructions:Payment Method: □ Cheque □ m/order □ AMEX □ Bankcard □ Diners □ MasterCard □ VISACard #: Expiry Date: / CRV# (3 digits on back of c/card):Signature: (I am over 18 years of age)

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DATE REC PCKD BY CON NOTE DATE SENT # OF CTNS

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