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RIESLINGS IN RETROSPECT

We produced our first riesling in 1985. With 20 vintages of riesling behind us, it was time to check the performance record. Only silver medal awards or equivalent have been listed. 1985, 1987, 1993, and 2000 were the only years that did not get a look in.

"LEUCOTHEA" IN STELVIN

This wine is one of our more consistent sellers at the vineyard, and its popularity has arisen from being a wine quite unlike any other encountered in the Clare Valley, and the fact that it was bottled in long narrow bottles, and capped with bees' wax. (For those unfamiliar with this wine, it is a fortified and wood-aged gewürztraminer (see www.wilsonvineyard.com.au/wines/leucothea.asp). When first produced we used conventional corks, then we tried a run with synthetic "corks", however have concluded that in the interests of presenting the best quality of wine, screw cap was the way to go. Unfortunately, there is no screw-cap version of the original long bottle, which meant that the transition would result in a more conventional presentation. The new look has drawn a few moans from old customers, but doesn't seem to have stopped them entirely.

CLARE VALLEY ACCOMMODATION TIPS

Rave reviews on local accommodation from customers at cellar-door in recent weeks have included the following:

• Devonshire House (in Mintaro) (recommended by several of our customers).
• Trestrail (tucked away in some isolated woodland)
• Clare Country Club (we've never heard a bad word about the Clare Country Club).

SURVEY TIME

We occasionally run surveys of customers at cellar-door, always with the bonus for the customers, of going in a draw which sends some cartons of wine to a lucky few. Our most recent survey commenced in late December, and will continue through March. The published figures are interim results. Question one asked which of the following had been used for information for the present excursion (listed here in order of popularity). 95% had used one or more of the following

Another question asked about the practice of placing names on mailing lists (both postal and e-mail) of wineries they visit, and how seriously they read the material. These results surprised us, because we expected to find consumers spread their names amongst numerous mailing-lists, and then treat most as "junk-mail". Most seem to confine themselves to less than five mailing lists, and diligently read all of the material they receive

Finally we invited comment on any shortcomings they had encountered during their present visit to the Clare Valley. 45% provided no reply. 21% specifically indicated total satisfaction with the state of things in the Clare Valley, and 34% 0ffered a few things that needed fixing. We find this last group of comments quite valid and have listed them all.

• Problems with signage. 16% of all respondents
• Tourism maps should show the names of the roads.
• The Riesling Trail has no provision to walk it one way, and use public transport for return.
• Some wineries/restaurants/attractions closed at times when they advertise as being open. (This was a criticism that drew comment from several respondents).
• Out-of-date information in brochures etc.
• Lacking fine food provedores (of regional produce) several respondents.

Some comment on the latter is appropriate. In earlier years the Clare Valley has sprouted its specialist smallgoods processor, a boutique goat-cheese producer, and a procession of shops trading in regional produce. They have all fizzled, the most recent being a produce retailer in Auburn that has put out a "Closing Down" sign only in the last few weeks. One of our respondents suggested that the local "tourism organisations" etc. should encourage more such businesses. Our better suggestion is that the said "tourism organisations" could be probing into the reasons behind such failures.

More survey results will appear in the next "e-version".

GREEN PICKLED WALNUTS

We have a few walnut trees, and decided to pickle some of the crop this year. We found a recipe on the internet (www.websterltd.com.au/pages/food/wrecipes.html) and gave it a go. Be warned that people who write recipes fail to mention that the juice that comes out of green walnut kernels STAINS BLACK AND HARD!

THE RETURN OF "THE Rx"

The autumn of 2005 will see a change in our portfolio of wines. There will henceforth be only one red wine produced in significant quantity, and this will be blend of shiraz and cabernet sauvignon: the blend will vary from vintage to vintage. Varietal reds (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot) will be produced in small amounts and only in those years that the wines are of quality. These varietal reds will not be available to all markets.

It is a fact of (vineyard) life that we have large variations in quality of varietals from season to season, and the move to a blend is an attempt to achieve a more consistent standard of wine. We are also conscious that we are competing against a lot of other wines, and will now channel our energies towards one volume white (The Wilson Vineyard Riesling), and this new volume red.

Back in 1975 we created the first "Wilson" label for some "private bin" bottling. That label featured an illustration of a passenger train crossing the Quarry Road bridge (near Sevenhill) and depicted the Rx class of steam locomotive. The label illustration was taken from a photograph taken a few years earlier. That same scene has been reworked for our new red blend. We have made one subtle and cheeky change.

The original rail bridge was a box girder structure supporting the trackwork above. When the railway was dismantled in 1989, the steel structure was removed. When the railway corridor was later developed as The Riesling Trail an arch-style pedestrian bridge was erected at the site. There has subsequently evolved a popular misconception that the present arch structure was designed in the same style as the original rail bridge. This myth had become so entrenched, that a couple of years ago there was a very serious (but obviously futile) search attempted for a photograph of the original arch rail bridge. We could not resist the opportunity to have the artist create what never existed.

The artist is Diana Jaquillard of Graphic Language Design, who deserves credit for bearing with our finicky requirement on the finer detail of the steam locomotive, to achieve a design that is technically correct, yet artistically clean.

CELLAR-DOOR SALES

The sales-cellar is open on weekends 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. We are often open on Thursdays and Fridays, but such openings are likely to be infrequent during the vintage season (March and April). Visitors to the cellar will find 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 found on our website. At the time of publication, the following wines are available (bottle prices shown).

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