Nickleback's Chad Kroeger to release a shredding range of new premium wines (RedtoBrown News EXCLUSIVE)

Chad hopes his new range of wines
shred as much as his soft rock mega-hits.

 The wine world is utterly abuzz at the news Chad Kroeger from Canadian rock band Nickleback will be joining the ranks of Rock n Roll wine makers by releasing his own range of premium wines under the Chateau Kroeger label. The announcement puts Chad in the same company as Maynard James Keenan of rock band Tool, and was confirmed during a press conference in the Nickleback tour bus as the band moved east to New York as part of their worldwide tour. In the conference, Kroger outed himself as a born-again wine fan. “My wife, Avril is part-French, so she was weaned on Beaujolais nouveau and loves moscato, tequila and grapefruit shooters. I also love the stuff, having drunk lots of Kristal and Grey Goose in my time. Her passion has been infectious on so many levels, and wine is one of them”.

The first wine in the Chateau Kroeger range will be the “How You Remind Me Cuvee”, an ambitious non-vintage blend of Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Moscato, matured in new American oak and infused with maple syrup essence and vanilla musk. It comes in a black glass bottle shaped as a fender Stratocaster. The second in the range is the “Photograph Sparkling NV” a blend of white zinfandel, Thompson seedless, and brandy, topped up with 1982 vintage Kristal. Each bottle of the Sparkling NV will have a 50ml vial of a Chad and Avril perfume to really add to the romance of this premium wine.



The Photograph Sparkling NV is in many ways
 a tribute to Chad's love of wife Avril (inset).



"These wines rock, but have a softer, more stylish side, just like me and my buddies” Kroeger gushed. “We drink the test batches in the dressing rooms all the time. It gets us pumped before we shred on the power ballads”.

Kroeger described his wine making philosophy and the genesis of his wine label during an interactive portion of the announcement.  “I aim to make honest wine, with minimal intervention from the winemaker, sincere and true wine, just like my tunes”. Kroeger revealed his wine making techniques to the enthusiastic crowd, including playing acoustic versions of Nickleback’s greatest hits to the truckloads of grapes shipped-in from Nevada.

“I reserve the love songs I have written for Avril when playing to the grapes that go into the “Photograph Sparkling NV”. I think they taste sweeter and more sincere as a result. It is hard for the winery staff to go about their day jobs when I go to that special musical place. Tears flow, I have to admit”.

 Chad has been know to connect with
 the grapes prior to them
going into his premium wines.

When asked about the inspiration behind Chateau Kroeger, Chad recounted the moment he spoke to Maynard from Tool about his Caduceus wine label – a discussion that convinced him to pursue his wine making dream. “I told Maynard that his wines rocked even harder than his Lateralus record. He called me a lightweight and told me to fuck off, but his enthusiasm and energy was infectious. My wine dream was born that day”.

Maynard James Keenan (inset) 
refused to be quoted for this article.

The Chateau Kroeger How You Remind Me Cuvee and Photograph Sparkling NV go on sale next week for $US 450 and $US 790 respectively. They can be purchased from any Wallmart or 7-11 Stores across the USA and Canada.

RedtoBrown #Orangegate EXCLUSIVE: Port Adelaide Power to consider lobbying government to rename the beverage ‘wine’*

Adelaide Friday 23 May: Having succeeded in convincing the Australian government to change the name of the fortified wine Port (with Wine Australia renaming it ‘Tawny’ in 2006), AFL football club, Port Adelaide Power are pressing ahead with moves to change the name of the alcoholic beverage ‘wine’ to something else in order to avoid confusion with star player Ollie Wines.

The move by Port Adelaide comes at the same time the New South Wales wine growing region of Orange is attempting to regulate skin contact wine being referred-to as ‘orange’ to avoid similar confusion
among consumers and retailers. - Link: Here

Port Adelaide President David Koch hit the media circuit yesterday calling for wine to be renamed, and has even met with members of parliament to argue his case. “Ollie Wines is one of our best players, and market research is showing that the beverage wine is hurting his cut-through in the market – neutral fans we are trying to attract keep getting wine confused with Ollie Wines. Given his already massive profile, it seems an obvious move to either rename the drink or put strict caveats on the use of the term ‘wine’ when selling it at shops." 

The controversy over the Ollie Wines/Wine confusion has prompted Wine Australia to issue a clarification on the use of the term ‘wine’ when referring to wine. Henry Wilson, General Manager, Regulatory Services noted the following on the Wine Australia website:

“The word “wine” can signify many things; an alcoholic beverage, a star Australian Rules Football Player, something an interest group or region may think is important to their bottom line and want protected/denied to other people using the term legitimately. But when used to describe the alcoholic beverage known as wine, it could be an offence under both the Wine Australia Corporation Act and the Sports Trademark Act to refer to it as wine without providing a clear indication the product is not in fact Ollie Wines, the AFL football player, or a product derived from that player.”

Wine commentators and wine producers have been busily digesting the new clarification on the use of the word ‘wine’, and were considering alternatives to avoid further confusion with the Port Adelaide Football Club. Shortlisted alternatives were “Tomayne, Apalleraya, and Jungle juice”.

Confusion: Is this wine or Ollie Wines? 

Wine makers and producers are on notice to consider changing their labels to fully differentiate between the various uses of the term ‘wine’, and Wine Australia has encouraged the Australian Wine industry to be proactive and suggest alternative words to describe their product in anticipation of the Port Adelaide proposals succeeding in Australian and the European Union parliaments.

Hands off Ollie! - PAFC President David Koch adamant
that 3000 years of wine making history will not dilute Ollie Wines' brand image

*Satire, views expressed are personal satirical opinions, etc.  PAFC have nothing to do with any wine related issues, other than encouraging Ollie Wines to help win the AFL Premiership in 2014 and beyond.

The Press Release Files - Volume 1

Editor's note: from time to time, RedtoBrown receives press releases from a wide and wacky range of wine people. Below is the first of a series of responses ......

Interview? Valentine’​s Day Beyond Wine: A Chocolate Guide by Wine Spectator

Hi RedtoBrown -- If you’re looking for that perfect Valentine’s Day chocolate fix to top off your wine glass—or champagne bottle—consider a chat with Wine Spectator Features Editor Owen Dugan. Both a wine and chocolate extraordinaire, Owen recently rounded up the best chocolate bars in the U.S. and beyond—his picks can be found in Wine Spectator’s February 2014 issue, available on newsstands now. Are you interested in setting up an interview or seeing a PDF of the full feature? Owen can recommend V Day bars and boxes that will impress your sweetheart on this special day. From best value, flavor, snack, novelty and more – take a peek at some of Owen’s favorites: ·         Xocolatl de David’s 68% Bolivian Cacao Sour-Dough & Olive Oil Bar—$9/2.2oz I Portland, OR I http://www.xocolatldedavid.com/ ·         Mast Brothers’ Crown Maple Dark Chocolate Bar—$9.45/2.5oz I Brooklyn, NY I  www.atthemeadow.com ·         Blanxart’s Chocolate Negro Con Almendras—$10.45/7oz I from Barcelona I www.atthemeadow.com Owen is also available to discuss candy and wine pairings that will make for the most scrumptious dessert this Valentine’s Day. Please let me know if you would like a PDF of Owen’s Best Chocolate Bars article and/or a copy of Wine Spectator’s February issue; the issue also includes the editors’ picks for Wines to Discover in 2014. I look forward to your interest. Best regards, Jacob

Dear Jacob,

I would literally give my right arm, or sell secrets to the Chinese government to interview Owen. Aside from Nelson Mandela and Gandhi, Owen is a hero of mine.

To think I could be asking him about the best champagne match to go with 70% cocoa dark chocolate is almost too much for me to bear.

You have made my dreams come true. Thank you, thank you

RedtoBrown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thousand Minarets - RedtoBrown's gift to the wine world . . .

 

Growing up as kids there was a hill in Sydney we used to slide down on pieces of cardboard. That hill had a little patch with some Thompson seedless grapes growing wild. We’d have a nibble on these every now and then, and it was oft remarked how sweet and succulent these grapes were. These innocent beginnings were to lead to the greatness that has become Thousand Minarets.

25 years on from those cardboard rides, the hill was rediscovered, albeit in a run-down state. How would a vineyard go here? That was the question we posed to ourselves. The Thompson seedless still certainly tasted good and it was cheaper than buying a site that actually had pedigree. This was enough to see us purchase the hill and plant it to Cabernet and other Bordeaux varieties. Meanwhile that little patch of the Thompson seedless was to be retained and nurtured to add a certain je ne sais quoi to the vineyard.

We set about thinking of what wine we could make from this unique site and came up with Thousand Minarets. Brown explains, “There’s just so much inspiration out there at the moment. Whether it’s a Thousand Candles charging a premium price for a red wine with some non-descript white wine added, Parawa Estate charging $1100 for a wine produced from 5 year old vines, or Dave Powell flogging a $900 wine to fund $90,000 strip club benders, we’ve just had so much to draw from. At the end of the day, we settled on Thousand Minarets, which looks to bring the best elements of all those other wines into one”.

This lofty goal can only be underpinned by a special terroir. The hill itself is marked out by a unique buckshot gravel and a quaint little stream running through the middle of it. The stream can sometimes become a torrent when the stormwater drain at the top of the hill, an integral part of the Sydney sewer system, overflows. We think this only adds to the unique complexity of flavour the fruit displays. Some may call it funk.

The vineyard is hand tended. Hand pruned. And before being hand-picked, each bunch of grapes receives a gentle cupping. This cupping and picking only occurs on a crescent moon, after which the grapes are hand sorted by elves in the winery.

There is minimal winemaking. From vineyard straight to barrel. Frogs included. For oak treatment we bought the world’s most expensive Dominique Laurent oak, which leaks worse than an ALP cabinet meeting, but certainly helps justify the wine's price tag.

When assessing the overall cost of this labour of love, which was boldly looking to combine the best of Thousand Candles, Parawa Estate, and the Laird, we thought the best way to price our wine was simply to add the prices together. A clean $2,100 per bottle. We may not know our PHs from our P Diddys, but we know how to price a fine wine.

And where is my sample you may ask? Well this is the response Red gave, ”We refuse to have these wines regarded at a level below the finest red wines in the world. In blind tastings involving Masters of Wine, they have held their own or surpassed some of the iconic names, recognised by wine aficionados.” Or put another way, the wine is just going to Asian markets so no need to be giving you guys freebies, especially when we have an $2060 margin on each wine.


Thousand Minarets – taste the artifice

*Article embargoed in Australia until the first case is sold sight unseen on the Hong Kong market.

Downfall of a Cult Californian Winery . . . Bob Returns

A couple of years since our favourite Californian winery ripped up its Cabernet vines in order to prepare for life after Robert Parker, the team is taking the winery owner through the vineyard changes . . .





For the original Downfall of a Cult Californian Winery video, please see below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lIvGuCPZOc

The Second Annual Broken Hill International Wine Show – Continuing the Revolution

Following the hugely successful inaugural 2012 Broken Hill International Wine show, a new energetic organising committee are set to take the International wine show to a whole new level.

Last night, the Broken Hill Chamber of Wine and Food Commerce, in conjunction once again with the Far West Alternative Wine Growers Collective launched the 2013 Broken Hill International Wine Show.
 
The launch was hosted by new Chairman of the Chamber organising committee, Xin Xin Lee and held in the hall of the recently renovated and renamed Yellowtail-Constellation Chambers of Food and Wine.
Mr Lee replaced the original Chairman of the event, Johan Trambly-Churchill last March when reports came to light suggesting Trambly-Churchill had on-sold thousands of bottles of excess wines submitted to the wine show.  Funds from the on-selling had allegedly paid for a renovation to Trambly-Churchill’s ensuite and underground wine cellar, though these rumours were never substantiated.

Seeking to distance himself from the controversy of 2012, Mr Lee made a series of exciting announcements regarding the upcoming wine show. Highlights included:

-        The number of wines submitted for judging had trebled (to 3545 entries), as had the number of wine classes (100 up from 35).

-        A small team of 5 unknown, but exciting wine judges, wine writers and bloggers would be tasting and judging the entries over a three day ‘wine lockdown’ period.  Mr Lee defended the unknown tasting panel and shortened period for judging the wines (three days down from 5), noting that the team of judges were the emerging ‘crème de la crème’ of the twitterverse and all functioning alcoholics, so would be more than able to handle the intense wine tasting load.

-        A slightly tweaked Galena Tasting Panel Method™’ would be used to make the final call on split decisions and to decide the 135 trophies that will be handed out during the show, though details were not forthcoming on the night.

As the centrepiece of the launch, Mr Lee announced that the Broken Hill wine show will be the first in the world to showcase a virtual tasting of ancient wines that have long since been unavailable to consumers and wine critics alike. The revolutionary wine tasting concept, labelled the ‘Magical Wine Mystery Tour’ was the brainchild of Santa Monica native Dr Trey Garcia.
Dr Garcia, who has a triple degree in viticulture, mysticism and marketing from UCLA has spent almost 10 years studying ancient wines as well as séance and extra-sensory perception strengthening methods.

Given the shock and amazement felt in the press gallery following the announcement, RedtoBrown Wine News was lucky enough to speak to Dr Garcia after the presentation and asked him how he came to develop virtual wine tastings using mystical methods.
"Early on in my journey through mysticism I was able to connect easily with relatives and pets I had as a kid. With this natural power of mysticism and crossing over, I turned my attention to my other love – wine.”
The Ancient Wine séance will include virtual tastings of Athenian wine consumed after the Battle of Marathon, infamous Roman Falernian from the 121BC vintage, a bottle of the first vintage of Champagne made by Dom Perignon in 1670, several pre-phylloxera Burgundy and Bordeaux’s from the 19^th Century as well as a bottle of the first commercially available red wine produced in Australia (an 1819 vintage sourced from grapes grown adjacent to Sydney Cove).

Trey Garcia explained the process of the ‘Magical Wine Tasting Mystery Tour’ to RedtoBrown: ‘It starts with the tasters ‘crossing over’ together to the period in history the wine comes from. Using my powers of extra sensory perception, I will be pouring the wine into the glasses of the tasters and we will join together in a séance, savouring several historic wines from several parallel realities. I am qualified globally in the responsible serving of alcohol so unfortunately the tasting sizes will only be 50ml”.


An artist's impression of the 121Bc Falernian
 to be tasted virtually at the Broken Hill International Wine Show

RedtoBrown News was unable to verify that the virtual tasting was legitimate, despite our repeated attempts to be given a test run. Dr Garcia did note that well-respected Decanter wine writer, Andrew Jefford had experienced two test runs of the ‘Magical Wine Mystery Tour’ last week, and could verify its authenticity.
When RedtoBrown News contacted Mr Jefford via email, he provided glowing praise for Dr Garcia’s work.

“Words do not do that tasting justice” Jefford noted in his email response. “Twice I was transported to taste the finest, most authentic (and largely cork-sealed) wine from ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, medieval and pre-industrial revolution Europe. I even tasted low PH, (but no added acid) –era Australian wine. As predicted well before the tasting, the Australian wine was like rot-gut, but it was authentic, sincere, cork-sealed: an authentic total wine experience.  The Magical Wine Mystery Tour was other worldly and only poetry can truly capture its brilliance. Allow me” (Mr Jefford proceeded to craft a poem for RedtoBrown):

"Earth in my fingers/the love stork chirping/
like silk on my skin/wine from heaven/
In heaven eternally”.

The Broken Hill International Wine Show follows the successful Sydney Wine Show and Rootstock Natural Wine Show, though has intentionally been brought forward to trump the Karratha Asia Pacific Wine Show and the newly announced Ipswich International Burgundy Challenge.
RedtoBrown News will notify readers of the 100 trophy winners in upcoming posts.

Manitoba's version of Natalie MacLean - RedtoBrown News Interview Canada's Top Wine Writer

In the amateur blogging coup of the decade, RedtoBrown Wine News managed to secure an exclusive interview with Manitoba’s famous wine writer Doris MacDay following a chance meeting* at last month's Las Vegas Blog/Website Monetisation Maximisation Conference.

After years of hard work, Doris MacDay has become one of the pre-eminent North American wine writers, on a par with Ontario’s Natalie MacLean and Maryland’s Robert Parker jr. Doris was kind enough to speak to a representative of R2B at the conference afterparty.


A rare image from 1997 of Ms MacDay, taken from her original Netscape-hosted website 

R2B: “Doris, thanks for your time, it is a pleasure to finally meet you, given all of the unattributed R2B wine reviews we have seen posted on the www.DorisMacDay.com.bs website.”
Doris: “My pleasure!, I scan your blog and hundreds of other amateur and professional wine websites with interest, and am happy to have a chat!”

R2B: "You are one of the most revered and recognised wine writers in the southern suburbs of Winnipeg, and your website – www.DorisMacDay.com.bs is one of the fastest growing subscription wine websites in Manitoba. How do you find the time to come to events like this on top of writing those numerous one sentence reviews padded by unattributed secondary reviews?”

Doris: "That’s a great question, and how kind of you to mention my global reach. In short, I am very good at managing my time. On top of managing my website, I bake, I cook, I garden, I taste numerous bottles of wine from producers who are loyal ‘Plankton Premium’ subscribers to my site: there is ‘just’ enough time in the day to do all the things I need to. I also have dedicated staff that help and support me. They assist me in the sometimes arduous task of finding an even mix of reviews to copy and link, as well as all the other miscellaneous administrative tasks required to run my website."

R2B: "Out of interest, what do these miscellaneous admin tasks consist of?"
Doris: "Oh, plenty of random things! Receiving and registering wine samples, checking them off with the ‘Plankton Premium’ membership lists, disposing of wines from wineries who have refused to subscribe to my site, ensuring my research staff are meeting their review search quotas. Lots of things."

One of the many  www.DorisMacDay.com.bs internet research centres spread accross North America:
Another industry-leading method that makes the site pre-eminent in Southern Winnipeg.

R2B:" On your website you proclaim to be the ‘Greatest Wine Writer in the Universe’. Who bestowed you with this amazing honour?"
Doris: "I will always cherish that award - it is giving me chills just thinking about it. It was the North Carolina Chenin-Blanc Appreciation Academy who awarded me the honour 13 years ago, and only 11 years ago awarded me the same honour for a second time. It remains one of my proudest achievements, especially given how much respect I have for that Academy. Wow."

R2B: "What advice would you give to budding wine writers interested in adopting your one sentence wine review methods?"

Doris: "The first thing I would say is research, research, research methods of padding out your review. When you are writing so many reviews you cannot be creating new, descriptive and vivid content every time. It can be a surprisingly exhaustive process to pen a 15 word review. Secondly, keep it general. Finally, ensure your researchers can link to some really good reviews from other wine writers that add credibility to your one sentence review – unattributed of course."

R2B: "Why the insistence of the linked reviews being unattributed? Isn’t it beholden of you to attribute the work of others....?"

Doris: "Hang on – you’re not one of those pesky Palette Wine Presser investigative journalists that have recently been hassling and harassing Canadian wine writers are you? I am sick of your snooping and tomfoolery!!! ……I am assuming your promise to sign up to my Plankton Premium subscription was a lie as well...... This interview is over! (Doris stormed off towards the drinks table and the interview was ended)."

Recent video footage of Doris MacDay
 debriefing the Manitoba Wine Appreciation Society
after her trip to the Chicago Wine awards- LINK

*RedtoBrown Wine Review did not pay Ms MacDay for the interview and are not paid members of www.DorisMacDay.com.bs
** Any ambitious wineries seeking global/Universal exposure can send free wine samples to RedtoBrown Wine Review. Please contact the RedtoBrown Revenue Maximisation Section(redtobrownwine@gmail.com) . Links to previoulsy published reviews of the wine would be appreciated. 

Our Interview with Andrew Jefford

Andrew Jefford, the renowned British wine writer, recently wrote an interesting and somewhat controversial piece on screwcaps as a closure for wine. Below is a link to that article

http://www.decanter.com/news/blogs/expert/530537/jefford-on-monday-the-total-experience

Interested and intrigued by Jefford’s views on screwcaps, as well as being keen to talk more broadly about wine with the man, the RedtoBrown team flew over to France to interview him at his abode in Languedoc.

Upon arrival we were warmly greeted by Jefford, and the conversation soon flowed over a glass of local wine and across many a wine subject, including his views on the evolution of terroir driven wines in Australia. Having talked for half an hour, we came to one of our key questions -

R2B: And Andrew now to question that everyone wants to know, what was the main point you wanted to make comparing screwcaps and corks and framing it in terms of the “total wine experience”?

Jefford: Well, first and foremost I wanted to argue against the view of many, particularly in your country Australia, that screwcaps are the superior closure and that is the end of the story. I think it’s more complicated than that, and indeed I think that cork, both in terms of what it says about a winemaker, as well as the variation that corks brings to the way a wine tastes, provides a greater and more engaged wine experience

R2B: But . . .

Jefford: Take this bottle of white burgundy here . . . a Corton Charlemagne from Bonneau du Matray. Look at that distinct yellow closure . . . so much more appealing than the uniformity of bottles under screwcap. And then! The excitement now as we open this grand cru burgundy . . . would you like a glass?

R2B: Very kind of you (thinking to ourselves hell yeah!)

                            (Look at me. I'm so much sexier than a screwcap)

Jefford: What’s this wine going to taste like? Every wine is always different, and with each day a wine evolves, but with cork the possibilities and variation are even more endless.

(Jefford then pops the cork)

And that beautiful sound of pulling the cork . . . aghhh . . . I’ve got a semi already

R2B: What?

Jefford: Nothing, nothing. Here you go. What do you think?

We collectively stick our noses into our glasses of Corton Charlemagne and our hearts sink . . . it appears to be corked. The palate only confirms the nose. Looking beyond this, the quality of the wine is undoubted, but ultimately it’s not something that can be enjoyed with that level of taint.

We politely broach the possibility with Jefford that the wine is corked . . .

Jefford: yes, sadly it is. But that’s ok. This wine has had a unique life, and we must celebrate what it has become. Like all god’s children.

R2B: But what’s to celebrate when a $150 wine is not drinkable?

Jefford: The total wine experience

R2B: The total wine experience?

Jefford: Why yes! From beginning to end. There’s the excitement when I received the sample. The mulling over when I should drink it, and whether I should taste it in amongst the other Corton Charlemagne samples I had received, or perhaps in a line up of Grand Cru samples I had received across all appellations. And then just now, the surprise and excitement I gave both myself and you when I decided to spontaneously open it!

R2B: Ok . . . and is that it? Does the total wine experience end when you pour your corked grand cru burgundy down the sink?

Jefford: No no no! There’s so much more!

R2B: Really? How so?

At this point Jefford jumped out of his seat and started doing a vinous interpretive dance . . . think bud burst as interpreted by Peter Garrett. This confusing performance continued for a little while before we were taken aback when he suddenly took off his shirt and started pouring the Corton Charlemagne over himself

Jefford: Come join me boys! The total wine experience. Oh yeah!

We started backing out of the room. We weren’t sure where this total wine experience was going, and the crazed look in Jefford’s eyes didn’t encourage us to stay around to find out

Jefford: Don’t you see! Don’t you see! Watch where the cork goes . . .

R2B: Let’s bail

Jefford: You Australian screwcap zealots! You’ll never know the total wine expeeeeeeeeriennnnce!!!!!!

Our last sight of Jefford as we hightailed it out of there was of him on his knees before a map of the vineyards of burgundy pouring the last of the Bonneau du Matray over himself . . .

COMMENTARY - Binge Drinking, Alcohol-Fuelled Violence and Small Wine Bars – an Alternate, Absurdist Reality?

The following interview took place at Kings Cross Police Station, 4:30AM one Sunday morning in an alternate reality.........

“I should have known when to stop drinking” James whispered to the police officers in the Kings Cross interview room, as he sat bent-over, head in his hands. “We were only out for a good time, but went to one wine bar too many”.

James and two of this three mates had been arrested an hour earlier for affray in Darlinghurst Road after spending the evening in Kings Cross. James was 15 minutes into his police interview, when he was quizzed on how much alcohol he and his friends had consumed on the night. James rattled off a list of bottles and glasses of wine from all wine regions and wine styles. The police officer interviewing looked over to the minute-taker in a knowing way – this was the third wine-related violent incident she had seen this weekend alone. The arrival of 4 new small wine bars in the Kings Cross area had led to considerably more instances of binge drinking and violent attacks in the last 18 months.

James groaned when he was asked what alcohol he had consumed on the night. “We started at a multi-level beer hall, but hated the ambient atmosphere and 2 for 1 shooters, so went to the first of many small wine bars” James recalled, before noting a $100 bottle of Champagne, a bottle of 10 year aged Semillon and a $180 bottle of Barolo had been shared between his mates at that bar alone  (while also listing several small mezze plates that were thoughtlessly consumed at the same time).

He spent the next ten minutes recounting his alcohol-fuelled binge at 3 other small wine bars, up until  the point the last bar shut at midnight (as per small bar licensing rules). “We should have taken the safer option and just gone to the Bourbon and Beefstake and done shots, or headed to a strip club” James lamented. “I knew hitting the wine bars was going to lead to trouble”.

With his face in his hands, and staring down the barrel of an assault charge and a criminal record, James continued answering questions.

The interview above is obviously fictional, though given some recent commentary regarding small Sydney inner city wine bars, you might have to pause for a moment before dismissing it as such. In light of some truly tragic violent crimes in the King Cross area, a public debate about alcohol-fuelled violence in the Sydney CBD has occured. Incredibly, part of this debate had focused on the recent proliferation of small wine bars as being one of the contributing factors behind the violence.
First there was former Prime Minister Paul Keating, who must hate natural wine and tasting plates, given his simplistic, reductionist slur on small (largely wine) bars, not to mention his personal attacks on Clover Moore. As a recent newspaper article notes:

“Mr Keating also attacked Cr Moore's policy of encouraging small bars around Kings Cross, outside the area subject to a freeze on new liquor licences imposed by the Labor government in 2009.

''Small bars are still where people drink,'' Mr Keating said. ''Clover Moore says this is cosmopolitan but the reality is these are more places where people can get a drink.'' (Link)

Paul – sure, people drink in a wine bar, but the last time I checked, Tequila Slammers or B52’s have never been recommended to me by a sommelier or informed waiter in a wine bar (or a whisky speakeasy for that matter).  In an entertainment strip full of mega bars and strip clubs, to single out 4-5 small bars that sell a comparatively miniscule volume of relatively expensive, contemplative alcoholic beverages is simplistic and misleading.



The new boutique Kings Cross Wine bar "Hells Burgundy Angels" opened
to much fanfare, particularly among members of the criminal underworld



More worryingly, we have the current NSW Hospitality Minister, George Souris coming out and stating publically that the rules governing the establishment of small bars in Sydney will be reviewed by the NSW government, suggesting small bars are contributing to problems in areas such as Kings Cross (Link).
Given the vice-like grip the Hotel lobby has had on consecutive State governments and the glut of massive, classless, poker machine filled beer bars and clubs in the Sydney CDB (and beyond), comments like these are frustrating, simplistic and arguably misleading.

To disproportionately focus on small wine bars as a contributing factor to violent crimes in Kings Cross is astounding, and seemingly politically motivated (if not motivated by the urgings of powerful lobby groups trying to deflect attention away from other causes for the binge drinking).

It is as if the scenario played out in the opening ‘interview’ is the norm, and the violent thugs and undesirables are avoiding the alcohol-free and trouble-free strip clubs, Bars and multi-level nightclubs, instead zeroing-in on the dark intimate wine bars to binge drink and wipe themselves out.

Clover Moore polarises opinions, but her changes to licensing laws have helped reinvigorate the small bar scene in Sydney over the last 4 years. This has been mentioned by RedtoBrown and others in the past and is a wonderful development for anyone who loves fine wine. People who says otherwise must not have visited a wine bar over this period.

Seeking refuge from the violent wine bar customers,
the group fled to the safe confines of the Hotel's Poker Machine room.

In light of the power of certain lobby groups, talk of restricting the sale of all drinks above 5% abv after midnight had been mooted. Thankfully, it appears that the State Government is implementing some alcohol and glass bans that target the sale of spirits and shots, but not the ongoing operation of small bars themselves. (Link) How these laws may impact on the opening of additional small bars is yet to be seen.
Regardless of the positive or negative impact of these bans, the misleading commentary regarding small bars has cast them in an undeservedly negative light. It is as if the fictional police interview at the top is how certain politicians and commentators view the impact of small wine bars in Sydney, and this view is so far from the truth, it is absurd.

Wine Wars - Episode IV

Episode IV sees the arrival of legendary natural wine smuggler, Han Solo. After agreeing to take Luke and Obi-Wan to Alderaan, Han has some unexpected run-ins with Pancho Campo and Jay Miller. Click on the link below to see how these encounters unfold . . .

https://vimeo.com/47160675

WINE WARS EPISODE 3 - NATURAL WINE

In the latest installment of the inter-gallactic battle for the future of wine, Obi-Wan, Luke and the Droids have set off for Mos Eisley, seeking a smuggler of Natural Wine who can transport them to Alderan. The fate of the Biodynamic Wine Alliance depends on their mission.

Click HERE to View Wine Wars Episode 3

Bordeaux 2011: Vintage of the Epoch

We’re going to call it early and call it now, but at RedtoBrown we believe the 2011 vintage in Bordeaux to be the greatest in many millennia, and indeed the Epoch.

The RedtoBrown team has just spent the week in Bordeaux during the official En Primeur week (unlike some of those other pesky critics who jump the gun and taste the previous week). We started each day tasting through 150 wines before breakfast, another 150 before lunch, and depending on how we felt, sometimes another lazy 100 wines in the afternoon. Over the course of the week the quality of the vintage became clear. The samples have barely gone through malolactic fermentation, it's unclear if these samples are representative, and we’ve no idea what the final blends will look like, but we’ve seen enough to know a vintage of the Epoch when we see one.

Highlights included Chateau Margaux (99-100 points), which displayed a tannin structure reminiscent of the 1374. The Lafite (98-100 points) was quintessential Pauillac and should peak in about 3 centuries. Finally the Latour is we believe the greatest wine ever made and we are giving it our first ever 101 points!

During the week we were also fortunate enough to go to a dinner where we were able to taste through a vertical of Petrus back to 1109. It was a truly magical and decadent dinner (reminiscent of dinners we’ve had in Hong Kong), with the 1492 and 1776 the highlights.

Get in early once the Chateau start pricing their wine (particularly now that RedtoBrown has “called” the vintage), as they will undoubtedly be great investments in the long-term.

Wine Wars - Episode 2

C3-PO and R2-D2 have hooked up with promising young wine blogger, Luke Skywalker. Together they have trekked out to a remote vineyard to meet legendary, yet mystical Vigneron, Obi-Wan Kenobi . . .

http://vimeo.com/39088951



The RedtoBrown Team

Wine Wars - Episode 1: A Vinous Hope

A short time in the future, in a galaxy not that far away, two diametrically opposed wine making factions face off in a battle that will decide the future of wine consumption in the galaxy:

LINK:  Wine Wars - Episode 1: A Vinous Hope

RedtoBrown News EXCLUSIVE - Broken Hill International Wine Show launched: “Set to revolutionise the Australian wine industry"

Last night the Broken Hill Chamber of Wine and Food Commerce, in conjunction with the Far West Alternative Wine Growers Collective announced that a new annual wine show would be held in the historic mining town, starting next year. The event, officially titled ‘The Broken Hill International Wine Show’, is scheduled to be held at the same time as the Sydney Royal Wine Show in February of each year.

The Broken Hill International Wine Show
 is set to boost tourism in 'The Silver City'

The concept is the brainchild of former wine marketer and freelance wine judge, Johan Trambly-Churchill. At the official launch, Trambly-Churchill was excited by the possibilities the wine show offered the town and Australian wine drinkers.  “This is a real win for Broken Hill. I commend the winemaking pioneers in this town for supporting me in pursuing my vision”. Trambly-Churchill outlined his plans for the event in an introductory 15 minute sound and light presentation. Included were a history of wine making in Broken Hill and interviews with the owner of the one wine bar in the town.  Trambly-Churchill also revealed that the Broken Hill International Wine Show would have 35 different classes of wine that receive a trophy. As an added extra, 25 special awards would be distributed amongst the trophy winners, for unique classes such as "best young semillon, not from the Hunter, paired with sautéed scallops" and "best single site, 100% whole bunch, cool-climate syrah".

Trambly-Churchill claimed the Broken Hill International Wine Show would also revolutionise the way wine shows are judged in Australia with a unique judging panel concept. “Organisers of this wine show realised that there are issues with wine shows when age-worthy wines of pedigree from a great vintage don't even win a bronze medal, while wines from the riper, cheaper, or "quaffer" category wines are awarded a trophy. To combat this tendency, we developed the ‘Galena Tasting Panel Method™’. It will really shake up the wine judging world”.

Such was the excitement following last night's presentation, several wine
 corporations had already submitted samples to be entered into next year's Wine Show (inset)

Trambly-Churchill elaborated slightly on the ‘Galena Tasting Panel Method’ in his presentation, noting that when assessing the entrants, each tasting panel would taste 140-150 wines a day, with a Chairman of Judges and an international judge brought in to adjudicate when there was a disagreement. In response to a question from the audience querying how this new method differed from the traditional show panel system, or how anyone could possibly taste that many wines in a day and be confident in their assessments and scores, Trambly-Churchill was quite vague, mumbling something inaudible that referred to ‘The Galena Stone’ making the final decision on all Trophies, before ending his response by stating that further details on the judging method would be released closer to   the date of the wine show.

The mysterious Galena Stone had yet to be identified when this article went to print,
though some wine exporters believe they may have found it (inset).

As the finale to the presentation, Trambly-Churchill announced an Australian Wine Show first – the introduction of a ‘Rhodium medal™’ for best wine in show. Following the presentation, Trambly-Churchill noted that the organising committee had toyed with the idea of a platinum medal for the best wine in show, but "platinum medals have already been awarded in the past”. Trambly-Churchill also highlighted the impact of the new medal. “The focus groups we surveyed liked the idea of a ‘Rhodium Medal™’ and we think it will make our wine show really stand out”.

When asked why the Broken Hill International Wine Show was occurring at the same time as the Royal Sydney Wine Show, and whether this would have an impact on the popularity of the event, Trambly-Churchill was bullish. “I am confident that this wine show will stand up to any held in Australia. February is a relatively quiet month for wine shows, but on every weekend in February we still had one or more clashes with a notable wine event. We had to make a call on which one to go up against in February, and the Royal Sydney Wine Show was our choice. We did not want to clash with the Cootamundra, Condobolin, Katherine or Mt Isa wine shows, and holding it one week later in March would then bring us into conflict with the Karratha and Derby wine shows – all of these events are highly influential, so we settled on the clash with Sydney”.

Those in the know believe the upcoming Karratha
Asia-Pacific Wine Show will unearth some real gems

Though the representatives from major wine corporations refused to comment at the launch, it is expected that the Broken Hill International Wine Show will receive thousands of entries from wineries eager to possibly have the new Rhodium medal placed on their bottles. One wine executive who asked not to be named was quoted as saying that the wine show would improve sales of wine in the troubled $5-15 bracket, and could also be used to shift some aged material. “We love these wine shows, despite them being a bit of a lottery. If the public keep buying wines based on the ‘bling’, we will keep submitting them to be tasted amidst 1000’s of other bottles – it is a lottery with nice dividends, money for jam. Literally”.

RedtoBrown Wine News Exclusive: Barack Obama Endorses WBMwinemagazine’s #Top100WineTweeters Concept

November 17, 2011 - 8:51PM.



President Obama casts a friendly eye over the media throng in Canberra


Canberra: US President Barack Obama last night surprisingly endorsed WBM Wine Magazine’s concept of a Top 100 Australian wine tweeters list. Obama, who last night was attending a parliamentary dinner hosted by the Prime Minister Julia Gillard was candid with RedtoBrown reporters when asked about the list. “I love the idea and love Australian wine. In fact, I have known about Australian wine for some time now. My Grandmother would bring home bottles of Aussie wine like Lindeman’s Bin 65 when I lived in Hawaii. She would sit on the porch drinking a glass while I dreamed of change the USA could believe in. I hold those memories dear, and to this day my aides keep me abreast of all the developments in the Australian wine industry”.



Obama is famous for harnessing the power of social media, and as such, is well-versed in assessing the merits of the WBM Wine Magazine’s Top 100 Tweeters concept. In between slices of Australian lamb, washed down with Coonawarra cabernet, Obama praised the WMB Wine Magazine initiative.

“The concept of a top 100 list on Twitter is fresh, untried - I mean, who has seen a top 100, top 20, top 5 list on Twitter in the last 5 years?. It channels and promotes all the positive elements of new media – narcissism, sycophancy, self-absorption, vested interest to gain more exposure and increase company/winery revenue – I like it”.

Obama also stated he was an interested observer of the #Top100WineTweeters hashtag conversation that was occurring when he landed in Canberra on Wednesday afternoon. “I saw people discussing the top 100 list while I was on my way to Parliament House and it brought back memories of when I was trying to make a name for myself in the cut-throat Chicago political system. I liked the chutzpah of the tweeters – largely industry reps and wineries - nominating their friends to be on the list and the others who openly stated their tactics for being placed on the list. Blatant and singular self-promotion once worked for me at a local Democrat Convention, so it all brought a smile to my face”.

Obama was non-commital when asked if he had ever attempted the ‘Mollydooker Shake’

Obama was so positive about the Top100 Wine Tweeters idea that he feared news of the list may overshadow the announcement of a new joint facility in Darwin. “Posting 2500 US Marines in Darwin is big news, but the potential of this list to influence the wine world may put my announcement in the shade – yet another example of the intelligent and original use of social media tools”.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard refused to be put on the record when questioned by RedtoBrown, though it was noted that she was slowly making her way through a bottle of Victorian cool climate Syrah on the night.