WHY the "e-version"?

Our vineyard newsletter had its origins in September 1985. It began as a missive to send to our mail-order customers. It also went to trade customers and media. By September 1986 we had progressed to a full colour front, and in 1995 it was a full-colour production. It was a costly exercise, and consumed much time, so much so, that by the time we got to "Number 43" it had fallen from its original quarterly production to a "twice a year" job. Meanwhile we were getting the message that whilst people wanted the information, they wanted it more frequently, and weren't too concerned if it came without the pretty pictures.

The "e-version" has a double meaning. Obviously it is the "e-mail version". And "eversion" is the action of "turning inside-out". Our editorial policy is to tolerate no humbug.

All issues of the "e-version" will be archived on the website.
www.wilsonvineyard.com.au

Correspondence is welcome, and should be directed to e-version@wilsonvineyard.com.au

2004 Vintage

It was a season that was dominated by a hot, dry summer, yet followed by a long dry ripening season. Mildew was not a problem. Sunburn to exposed fruit was a problem, particularly for riesling. However, we were better placed to manage that problem than many others in the Clare Valley. All our riesling is hand-picked, and then whole-bunch pressed, which has the effect of not macerating the skins, and thereby minimising the extraction of burnt flavours from the damaged skins. All the 2004 reds have shown excellent flavour, colour, and balance, with comparisons already being drawn between the 1994 and 2004 vintages.

2004 Rieslings

Our rieslings (like most from Polish Hill River) need a little time to develop in the bottle. Watervale rieslings, in contrast are of a more "up front" style. Historically we have found that our rieslings perform somewhat weakly in wine shows and alike in the first couple of months after bottling, but thereafter gather strength in the bottle whilst others start to fade. The performance of The Wilson Vineyard 2004 Riesling has been true to that trend. In the early showings in Adelaide and the Clare Valley Regional Wine Show (a month earlier than previous years) it returned nought. The (ACT) Riesling Challenge was kinder with a strong bronze. In the November listing by The Weekend Australian, this wine featured in James Halliday's "Top 100" with a score of 95 points.

Prospects for the 2005 Vintage

The rains during the winter of 2004 were adequate, but below average. Dry conditions prevailed through the early growing season in September and October. November was a month to test our viticultural stamina. In early November the Clare Valley was hit by a black frost. Many of the Valley's low-lying vineyards were devastated, even where frost machines had been installed. At The Wilson Vineyard we suffered some superficial frost damage in a few small pockets, however our emergence from the event largely unscathed confirms our thirty-year experience that our elevated vineyard position is not in a frost-risk area.

The rest of November brought a procession of rainy spells that had us applying preventative sprays fror mildew on a weekly basis. Then there were high winds that caused some damage to the vines. These rains came just at the time of flowering. Early signs are that excessive vigour, in the wake of the rains, will be the viticultural challenge of the coming weeks.

The GIC Paradox

The wine industry introduced the GIC concept to protect consumers from fraudulent labeling of wine. To use an example, a winery that bottled a Riverland wine as coming from the Clare Valley would be guilty of an offence. And such can be achieved because The Clare Valley exists (officially) as a blob (with very clear edges) on the map. The industry has very succesfully sold the GIC concept to consumers as a guarantee that dodgy label claims are a thing of the past, and that is where it has got things wrong.

The paradox is that this certainty of origin has no relevance in a situation where a vineyard locality has no GIC status. By way of example I quote our own situation in Polish Hill River. When the GIC process established the Clare Valley as a wine region, there was also the option of establishing sub-regions within the Clare Valley. Those sub-regions (which included Polish Hill River) were identified, and approximate boundaries explored. But the matter lapsed.

In the case of Polish Hill River, the locality is a non-entity in the eyes of wine-industry officialdom, only loosely delineated, and there is no organisation that is empowered to determine or police its boundaries. The same situation applies to other "sub-regions" of the Clare Valley such as Watervale, Auburn, or Mintaro. The "dot on the map" in the case of Polish Hill River is the junction of five roads on the edge of our vineyard. None in the local community would squabble about a vineyard, a kilometre distant, claiming the regional identity, and most would probably consider that anywhere within 2km "would squeeze in". Thereafter the matter becomes rather hazy. To use the ridiculous example, a vineyard half way to Broken Hill could declare its wine to come from Polish Hill River, and do so with impunity. The practical point is that there are now quite a few wines out there that claim (or infer) identity with Polish Hill River. In some cases I am left doubting.

2003 Rieslings Shine

Since the release of the 2001 Rieslings, there has been something of a "father and son" contest to see whose riesling comes out top. We have reached the happy (for us) point where our 2003 Rieslings have effectively become depleted, and therefore there is no longer any stock to qualify us in entering the various shows and tastings. Hence it is now time to take stock of the performance of the 2003 vintage and acknowledge that Daniel's 2003 DJW Riesling was the clear winner, although (Dad's) The Wilson Vineyard 2003 Riesling was far from disgraced.

The 2003 DJW Riesling started its run in the 2003 Clare Valley Regional Wine Show by taking the Mick Knappstein Trophy for the best commercial riesling, and also the Jim Barry Trophy for the best wine of the show. Then it took the award for the top riesling in the Tri-Nation Challenge (between Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand). Then only this month, just to confirm that the earlier awards were no flukes, Winestate Magazine awarded the 2003 DJW Riesling as the runner-up to the "Riesling of the Year". In the same Winestate line up of top rieslings, The Wilson Vineyard 2003 Riesling also featured in the "Top 5".

Clare Valley Accommodation Tips

When visitors come to taste wines a cellar-door, the vineyard and the wines are the dominant topic of conversation. Second on the list of discussion priorities is the matter of the tourism experience in the Clare Valley. We hear plenty of the good and the bad of the tourism experience.

It is not our intention to pamper to the whingers, but rather to make mention of the accommodation establishments that are consistently mentioned by those who have had the better tourism experience. This feature is one that we intend to continue and expand with subsequent editions.

Rave reviews in the last few weeks have been:

• Battunga (near Watervale) battunga@chariot.net.au
• Blenheim (between Leasingham and Mintaro) blenheim@rbe.net.au
• Miller's House (in Mintaro) clawson@senet.com.au
• Mundawora Mews (Stanley Flat) (08) 88 423 762

Stelvin Screw Caps

Apart from the matter of preserving wine quality, screw caps have certain advantages. A couple of the more obvious are; the ease of resealing a half-consumed bottle, and not having to search for the lost corkscrew. A few recent additions to the list are; the wife does not have to wait for hubby to come home and open the bottle; and, if one arm is fully occupied (like holding the baby), the screw cap can be removed with one hand. And, of course, Stelvin drinkers don't get to forfeit their corkscrews at the airport!

An Observation

The Clare Valley has historically attracted only small numbers of overseas visitors, but this seems to be changing. Those from Asian places are invariably polite and mostly visiting for the tourism, rather than the wine, experience. Too many of those from other places come with a degree of rudeness. We do not respond with rudeness, not even a courteous rebuke (if there is such a thing), but it worries us that if the trend continues, it is going to be a challenge to be always "nice" with some of these people.

Cellar-door Sales

The sales-cellar is open on weekends 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, and presently is open most Thursdays and Fridays. Visitors to the cellar will find that there are specials and discounts, that vary from time to time. These specials and discounts relate only to wine purchased in person at the time.

"Mail Order" Sales

An order form and schedule of delivery charges can be download here [40 Kb PDF file]. At the time of publication, the following wines are available (bottle prices shown).

• 2004 Riesling 19.50
• 2004 DJW Riesling 19.00
• 2001 Shiraz 23.50
• 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon 21.00
• N.V. Zinfandel (375ml) 23.50

The "e-version" is published by The Wilson Vineyard at Polish Hill River. Permission is freely granted to reproduce any item on the condition that acknowledgement of the source is acknowledged. If you no longer wish to receive e-version, please click here and send us an email.

The Wilson Vineyard is a small family winery located in the Clare Valley of South Australia.
Phone (08) 88434310. Postal address is P.O. Box 11, Sevenhill, South Australia 5453.
e-mail to e-version@wilsonvineyard.com.au