Six months have passed since the end of the vintage and on the weeeknd we held our annual Growers Tasting and Dinner.  This tasting is not only a chance for us to look through all the batches of wine.........

The continued Blog of Dave's recent travels.....................

It’s late at night. The phone rings with a jolly-yet-ominous ringtone of “Manifesto” by the Cat Empire.

“Hello mate, it’s Dave Powell. I’ve got a meeting in San Francisco on Friday and I don’t fly out of Los Angeles until Monday. Why don’t you come up and meet me for the weekend in Paso Robles?”

James Young, NSW Sales Manager and I (Andrew Guard) got onto a plane from Sydney early Saturday morning with some of the best (and avourite) customers for a voyage to Torbreck as we wanted to show them all the changes that had taken place over the past few years and of course show them some good old fashioned hospitality.

We tend to fear what we do not know, and when “experts” weigh in with their opinions, it’s as easy to follow them down the merry path of shared ignorance as it is to let them lead you onward down the path of knowledge and informed enlightenment.

What the @$#% am I talking about? Why, it seems that a couple of months ago a wine writer in the UK opined that the Australian wine industry was in trouble because of oversupply, low quality, and pricing strategies that would confuse anyone other than a tax agent. Then a NY wine writer chimed in to agree and then that became a mini-tsunami of “me-too” reports, blog posts, tweets and whispered innuendo (innuendi?) over the following weeks.

The result was that consumers (the ones who read this sort of thing) were scared away from drinking Australian wine and this was not good for anyone other than the Malbec producers in Argentina who’ve been living off the fact that Malbec bears a little similarity flavor ...

At this time of the year, many winemakers in the Southern states do their best mutton bird impression and migrate north to the promise of sunshine and the festive atmosphere of another vintage.  At the moment our gun Cellar Hand, Scott McDonald, is throwing himself at another vintage with our good friends at Quivira.  I am not sure what he is more excited about; getting back amongst the biodynamic vineyards or settling into the locally brewed ales at the Dry Creek General Store.  Our Assistant Winemaker, Russell Burns, is also about to embark on a Northern Hemisphere Vintage in sunny Portugal. Personally, I have just returned from Europe where I ‘recalibrated’ my palate while travelling through the Southern Rhone.  I love going back there.  It's a great reminder of how well suited their native varieties are to their terroir and the wines always seem more pure and vibrant when tasted where they are made.  It is also fantastic to catch up with some ...

The much anticipated Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide 2010 has been released and with it the annual ‘Top100’ Restaurant list.

We are delighted to let you know that 77 !! out of the top 100 restaurants stock and support Torbreck and I have highlighted them below.

That high quality establishments stock and support us is an endorsement of their faith in quality and authenticity of our wines; needless to say we are delighted to be working with the outstanding people behind the Restaurants below, some of whom have become great friends.

Here’s to good eating and drinking !

1. Quay, NSW
2. Marque, NSW
3. Tetsuya’s, NSW
4. Vue de Monde, Vic
5. Est., NSW
6. Rockpool, NSW
7. Pier, NSW
8. Guillaume at Bennelong, NSW
9. Bécasse, NSW

To my mind, winter is the best time to visit the Barossa. The brisk mornings and cooler days make perfect weather for tasting the region’s wines – full bodied Barossa shiraz can be hard going when the temperatures are above the old 100 mark as they often are in the height of summer. Sure, the nights can be a little chilly (OK, cold), but what nicer way to spend a romantic evening by the fire with the one you love, a bottle or two and some local cheese -or no cheese as the case may be.  It is a little like après ski without the bother of lift lines, out-of-control snowboarders and a ruggedly handsome ski instructor called Hans trying to chat up your girlfriend.

To me, the valley seems more convivial this time of year, and I am sure that it isn’t just because we need to drink more to keep warm. With fewer visitors in town, there is much more time to spend with each guest. People staying for a few days really get a feel for the place and its people. Stay a little ...

Torbreck gets an invite to an exclusive Spanish party

As nice as it is to know that Torbreck’s wines are enjoyed and respected here in Australia, it is particularly pleasing when fellow wine enthusiasts show us some love in other parts of the world. We were pleasantly surprised and rewarded recently when approached by Bodegas Abadal, a well-known winery in Spain’s Catalan region when the 2006 Descendant Shiraz Viognier was selected for Abadal’s “Marriage of the Senses” dinner event in June. Descendant shared the stage with other world class wines such as Champagne Bollinger, Domaine de Chevalier (Bordeaux) and Ca’Marcanda, Angelo Gaja’s Tuscan property in Bolgheri.

For Torbreck to be selected and enjoyed in such company amongst 210 of Barcelona’s most influential gastronomic enthusiasts was a great honour for Torbreck and Dave Powell. Dave has always ...