Not only will it look sexy on your coffee table, but the latest issue will also take you on a tour of Melbourne’s deli scene with Anthony Scutella. It’ll whisk you away to the wilds of Oaxaca with photographer Andrew Reiner. It’ll teach you how to master a handful of classic cocktails, tell you where to drink in Ibiza and remind you why Sean’s is one of Australia’s great restaurants. Heck, after reading the interview with The Mighty Boosh’s Dave Brown and the ode to TV legends Two Fat Ladies, it might even affirm your life.
]]>The operation may now rest largely in the hands of Elisabetta’s children – fourth-gen winemakers Emilio and Theo and farmer Myrtha – but the wines are as refined as ever. Teroldego is the star player here, of course, seen through the lens of two single vineyards just about one kilometre apart: Sgarzon and Morei. The former is a cooler site with sandy soils, resulting in an uncannily fresh and lifted expression; the latter is composed of pebbly alluvial soil, which is to say denser, plusher, more mouth-filling and mineral-rich. Up at the pointier end, there’s the Granato, a “riserva” teroldego from the estate’s oldest vineyards and one for the collectors and chin-strokers: stewy pomegranate intensity and layer upon layer of warm spices.
This is not to say that the other cuvées aren’t worth seeking out. Fans of a fleshier style should get around the nosiola, an ancient indigenous variety that spends eight months on skins and shows hints of white peach, scrubby herbs and umami savouriness. Finally, there’s a thrilling, grippy, amber-style take on pinot grigio, laced with kirsch, black tea, cranberry and rosewater character. Decanters at the ready!
]]>Sidra. Apfelwein. Cidre. Cider. Whatever you choose to call it, it’s safe to say few drinks on the planet compare to the glorious fermented juice of freshly squeezed apples. And even fewer ciders can hold a candle to those produced by the legend that is Julien Frémont.
Since 1999, Julien has been at the helm of his centuries-old family estate in the Pays d’Auge region of Normandy in northern France – aka ground zero for Camembert cheesemaking and a world capital for apple farming. His property comprises some 40 hectares, all organically certified and biodynamically tended, which are home to Norman cattle and more than 20 apple varieties.
As you’ve probably gathered, harvest here is done only by hand, with the help of antique equipment, including a water-powered cloth-and-wood press that dates back to the 1800s. Fermentation occurs in 100-plus year-old foudres without temperature controls or cultured yeast, and no additions are made to the dazzlingly complex final product.
Keener eyes amongst you will recognise the Cidre Brut Par Nature and Silex Cidre du Fort Manel, which are back in stock and both ripper introductions to this incredible gear. The former is finely beaded, desert-island dry and offers up the earthy bitterness of the fruit’s skin and core. The latter is a mineral-rich reflection of the flinty soils on which some of the ancient trees grow. The equally wonderful Poiré has returned to the shelves, too, which is made exactly the same way, only with pears.
This year also brings two new additions to the stable. The Piterne Cidre is a 50/50 blend of 2021 cider fermented in a 400-litre Calvados barrel and 2022 cider still in the process of fermenting. What emerges is bracingly invigorating, with pronounced bitterness, acidity and drive. Ooh yeah. The Quévrue Cidre, by contrast, is all 2021 juice that’s been fermented and matured in Italian amphora, resulting in a wine-like, terracotta-textured thing of beauty with soft tannins and extraordinary length. Quantities are super limited, so get in quick.
Of course, where there’s excellent cider, there’s almost always excellent distilling doing down as well. For our dollar, Frémont’s Calvados is just about the best around – rich and round, loaded with orchard scents and gentle peppery spice. For something brighter and breezier, give the Pommeau a crack; it’s 75/25 blend of unfermented apple juice and high-proof Calvados that makes for a wicked apéritif over ice. And, of course, if you want to treat yourself to the most soigné cider vinegar out there, Frémont has your number. Remember, an apple a day they say…
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So much love for Yugen wines. We do most of our chat with the wonderful Brodie Comer of Yugen, but it's a collective effort for this wine producer, with team Yugen on shared duties of grape sourcin', pickin', winemakin', bottlin', shippin' and slingin'. We love the way Yugen look to healthy and happy vineyard sources across a collection of Vic wine regions. We love the way they end up creating a collection of bright, vibrant, thirst-quenching, and, importantly, really interesting and good wines. Latest releases have been scintillating for originality and vibrancy; a true rainbow of vinous pleasure. It's hard not to like a wine called Phosphorescence even before you've tasted the thing in the bottle. This is a rose pet nat made from dolcetto grapes, so alive, so brisk and electric, so delicious to drink that it makes our heads spin. Pure, summery refreshment. Similarly energetic and frisky is Lunar Pool Party Pet Nat (these wine names just get us!), a naturally sparkling wine made from skin fermented moscato giallo grapes. It's a more wild style pet nat with tropical fruit juice blasted all over fresh cut flowers and a big squeeze of citrus. Oh my, very fun. Alongside these fizzy wines there's the more mellow, fruity and juicy feeling number named Tropical Sunrise - a skin fermented sauvignon blanc from Yugen's Sunbury vines. It's orange wine in a lighter shade, with all the nice chewy pucker but loads of zippy acidity to keep things mouth-watering and lively. Floating On Clouds is chardonnay by name, but is one of the most frisky, crisp and crunchy versions of that variety we've seen. Best drunk in full heat of day from the coldest fridge you can find. A beloved suite of wines over the past few years, Yugen is one of those kinda essential selections for rolling out the good times, delivering a very good hit of avant garde Aussie natural wine and generally being something that feels easy access but way interesting. Thank you, team Yugen. |
The word ‘amaro’ quite literally means ‘bitter’ in Italian and, when it comes to potables, refers to an alcoholic concoction made by macerating a mixture of bark, roots, herbs, spices, fruit and flowers in a neutral grape spirit or wine.
Enter Beechworth Bitters... The brainchild of Michael Ryan and Jeanette Henderson, the dynamic duo behind Beechworth's award winning Provenance Restaurant. Always fascinated with amaro and cocktail bitters, it wasn't until the couple was faced with back-to-back lockdowns that they actually had the time to start experimenting. They started with cocktail bitters and it was only logical step to go to amaro. They use more than 120 botanicals - citrus, fruit, herbs, leaves, bark, roots, spices - with many of the fruit and veg coming from local producers. We're seriously into their left-of-centre takes on such a traditional aperitifs/digestifs - incorporating, yuzu, kombu, koji, cochineal bugs, beetroot and tomato. They've made five different variations. All good for the range of amaro lovers around. There are also two cocktail bitters and a mind-bogglingly good yuzu-cello. Bonza!