Saturday, May 17, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Camellia's are in bloom at Constable Estate Vineyards
Camellia’s are well in bloom at Constable Estate Vineyards!
The Camellia Garden at Constable Estate Vineyards contains approximately 70 varieties of Sasanqua and Japonica. The garden is framed with Sasanqua RufflePink designed to form a hedge.
The path has been created in the shape of a C (the entrance) and H (the foot of which leads to the exit). The C and H refers to Constable and Hershon, the original name of the vineyard.
Constable Estate Vineyards Head Gardener, Barry has recommended a few hints for planting and maintaining a healthy camellia garden.
Barry’s secret to growing camellias is good drainage! They must be planted in loose, well-drained soil. (Slightly acid (pH 6), sandy or loamy is a great soil for camellias.)
A mix of 15%-25% coarse, sharp sand, mixed with 75%-85% fine pine bark mulch, is an easy, inexpensive and ideal soil mix.
Camellias love a few (about 10%) pine bark “nuggets” added to the soil mix. The roots will attach themselves to these pieces of pine bark because of the air the bark holds. Add enough dolomitic limestone, about two tbs. per cubic foot of this mix, to bring it to a pH of approximately 6. (One cubic foot of soil is equivalent to 1-1/2, five-gallon paint buckets full of soil.) This is all that is needed.
Distance between planting camellia really depends on and will vary with growth habit ofthe species and cultivars you are planting. Generically, when planting camellias in the landscape, allow a minimum of about eight feet between plants, except for planting a hedge when a distance of six feet may be okay. Some of the new `Winter-Hardy’ camellia hybrids make excellent hedges as well as stand alone, tough and decorative plants.
Barry’s easy steps:
Step 1:
Pick your location: The best place to plant your camellias is under a pine tree or in an area with filtered sunlight. Camellias need water; if they dry out they die. If at all possible, plant near established trees or shrubs for protection.
Step 2:
Choose your soil: Camellias prefer acidic soil (without limestone), which can be attained by adding the right ingredients depending on what type of soil you start with. Take a soil sample of about a cup to your local nursery for testing. This should be free of charge and is the easiest way to prepare the soil for your plants needs.
Step 3:
Plant selection: Look for the most mature and disease-free plant. Plants that are more mature will have more extensive root systems that protrude from the bottom of the container. The plant should look healthy and have uniform color leaves.
Step 4:
Prepare the Planting Bed: When you are ready to plant, dig a hole about twice as big as the plant. Turn over the soil beyond the hoe to about 3 feet in diameter if possible. Add the recommended soil fortifiers.
Step 5:
Planting Your Camellia: If you are planting in hot weather, plant your camellia early in the day or in the evening to prevent shock. Take the plant is in and give it a squeeze to loosen up the roots and allow you to remove it from the container. Grab the plant by the base of the trunk and gently tug on it. The plant should slide out easily with little resistance.
If the plant does not come out easily, stop tugging and use a cutting tool to carefully cut the container away from the plant. Next, grab both sides of the root area and gently break up or scratch the roots, just enough to stimulate the plant, the way you would scratch someone’s back. This helps stimulate the plant to grow and also lets it know it is no longer in a container. Plants should be planted at the same level as they were in their container. Planting too high will allow the roots to be exposed, while planting too low will not allow the plant to breathe at the base of its trunk and it will suffocate.
Step 6:
Water your camellia after planting. This is vital to a plant’s survival. In hot areas, do not water the foliage as it will burn the plant
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The Gardens
The Gardens
THE CONSTABLE ESTATE VINEYARDS GARDENS
HUNTER VALLEY, NSW
Constable Estate Vineyards NSW was established in 1981. Out of a total of approximately 15 hectares, 7 have been planted with Shiraz, Semillon, Chardonnay and Verdelho.
A house was built in 1985 and at that time native shrubs were planted to give privacy and act as a windbreak.
In 1984 a project was commenced to establish a large scale Hunter Valley country garden comprising various well-spaced gardens and a sculpture garden.
Sculptures
SCULPTURES
Before I became involved in the collection of sculptures for the Constable Estate Sculpture garden, I was unaware of the impact of their location on the vineyard. Over time, you develop an eye for such things but initially, naiveté probably rules.
Our first project was a dedicated sculpture area within the garden and here it was relatively easy to place the pieces within the allocated space. Even when we bought some larger sculptures, it seemed a simple task but it wasn’t until we acquired ‘Manhattan’ and the sculptor himself came to the vineyard to find the optimum location for his piece that I realised placement itself was an art. ‘Manhattan’ is a contemporary work in slate-coloured and mirrored steel in the shape of a reverse U, 2.2m high by Campbell Robertson Swann. .
When I saw the work at the sculptor’s studio, my mind flew to various locations on the vineyard and I thought an open space would be the perfect home. But Campbell was surprising and adamant in his choice. After walking around the series of gardens and open grounds, he settled on the Secret Garden, where a sculpture already stood!
It was a Victorian statue of Mercury in take-off mode, complete with his winged sandals, plumed hat and drawstring purse. Mercury had seemed so well suited to this romantic environment. His presence had overseen the growth of two magnificent Chinese Elms which stood on either side of the rectangular space, mysteriously enclosed by a Western Red Cedar hedge and guarded by two protective bronze lions. Once inside the garden, you became aware of the purple Salvia and white lilies which nodded sympathetically towards him. Did this sculptor want Manhattan to share the space with Mercury? No, he wanted Manhattan to replace Mercury who was to be evicted to the shade of a Casuarina tree near the house! I was truly shocked and upset for my light-footed friend but went along with the change having been persuaded it would be better for Mercury to be closer to human contact, enjoying the stream of visitors to the Cellar Door. Strangely enough, Mercury did adapt well to this new location but what surprised me most was my feeling on seeing ‘Manhattan’ for the first time in the Secret Garden - the sense of the modern superimposed on the classical and the monumental Dionysian against Apollonian lightness. In late afternoon, the sculpture had a new life when the sun displayed all her colours through the inverted U, ricocheting glitter from the mirrored surface.
Having learned so much about sculpture installation from this experience, I left the placement of our new piece, ‘Wind, Shining, 2007’ by the Japanese sculptor Hiroyuki Kita, to an expert. We bought this magnificent stainless steel mobile, which is finely balanced on a tall rod and ball bearings, at ‘Sculpture by the Sea’, Bondi beach. The steel, red-tipped mobile, which can be enticed by the merest whisper of a breeze, is being installed near the edge of the dam. Proudly independent, the interlocking movable arms reach unencumbered to the sky and if you could sit on top and twirl, both ‘Manhattan ‘and Mercury would be easily visible.
I. Constable
Before I became involved in the collection of sculptures for the Constable Estate Sculpture garden, I was unaware of the impact of their location on the vineyard. Over time, you develop an eye for such things but initially, naiveté probably rules.
Our first project was a dedicated sculpture area within the garden and here it was relatively easy to place the pieces within the allocated space. Even when we bought some larger sculptures, it seemed a simple task but it wasn’t until we acquired ‘Manhattan’ and the sculptor himself came to the vineyard to find the optimum location for his piece that I realised placement itself was an art. ‘Manhattan’ is a contemporary work in slate-coloured and mirrored steel in the shape of a reverse U, 2.2m high by Campbell Robertson Swann. .
When I saw the work at the sculptor’s studio, my mind flew to various locations on the vineyard and I thought an open space would be the perfect home. But Campbell was surprising and adamant in his choice. After walking around the series of gardens and open grounds, he settled on the Secret Garden, where a sculpture already stood!
It was a Victorian statue of Mercury in take-off mode, complete with his winged sandals, plumed hat and drawstring purse. Mercury had seemed so well suited to this romantic environment. His presence had overseen the growth of two magnificent Chinese Elms which stood on either side of the rectangular space, mysteriously enclosed by a Western Red Cedar hedge and guarded by two protective bronze lions. Once inside the garden, you became aware of the purple Salvia and white lilies which nodded sympathetically towards him. Did this sculptor want Manhattan to share the space with Mercury? No, he wanted Manhattan to replace Mercury who was to be evicted to the shade of a Casuarina tree near the house! I was truly shocked and upset for my light-footed friend but went along with the change having been persuaded it would be better for Mercury to be closer to human contact, enjoying the stream of visitors to the Cellar Door. Strangely enough, Mercury did adapt well to this new location but what surprised me most was my feeling on seeing ‘Manhattan’ for the first time in the Secret Garden - the sense of the modern superimposed on the classical and the monumental Dionysian against Apollonian lightness. In late afternoon, the sculpture had a new life when the sun displayed all her colours through the inverted U, ricocheting glitter from the mirrored surface.
Having learned so much about sculpture installation from this experience, I left the placement of our new piece, ‘Wind, Shining, 2007’ by the Japanese sculptor Hiroyuki Kita, to an expert. We bought this magnificent stainless steel mobile, which is finely balanced on a tall rod and ball bearings, at ‘Sculpture by the Sea’, Bondi beach. The steel, red-tipped mobile, which can be enticed by the merest whisper of a breeze, is being installed near the edge of the dam. Proudly independent, the interlocking movable arms reach unencumbered to the sky and if you could sit on top and twirl, both ‘Manhattan ‘and Mercury would be easily visible.
I. Constable
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Wine Tasting
Learn how to taste and smell wine
Learning how to taste wines is a straightforward adventure that will deepen your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. Look, smell, taste - starting with your basic senses and expanding from there you will learn how to taste wines like the pros in no time! Keep in mind that you can smell thousands of unique scents, but your taste perception is limited to salty, sweet, sour and bitter. It is the combination of smell and taste that allows you to discern flavor.
Pay attention to the way the wine changes as you hold it in the mouth. First impressions on taking the wine into the mouth may be referred to as the forepalate, followed by the mid and end palate, leading up to the finish.
Here are some easy steps for learning how to wine taste:
1. Note the wine’s viscosity - how slowly it runs back down the side of the glass - while you’re swirling. More viscous wines are said to have “legs,” and are likely to be more alcoholic. Outside of looking pretty, this has no relation to a wine’s quality.
2. Sniff the wine. Initially you should hold the glass a few inches from your nose. Then let your nose go into the glass. What do you smell?
3. Take a sip of wine, but do not swallow yet. Roll the wine around in your mouth exposing it to all of your taste buds. You will only be able to detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (think: meaty or savory). Pay attention to the texture and other tactile sensations such as an apparent sense of weight or body.
4. Aspirate through the wine: With your lips pursed as if you were to whistle, draw some air into your mouth and exhale through your nose. This liberates the aromas for the wine and allows them to reach your nose where they can be detected. The nose is the only place where you can detect a wine’s aromas. However, the enzymes and other compounds in your mouth and saliva alter some of a wine’s aromatic compounds. By aspirating through the wine, you are looking for any new aromas liberated by the wine’s interaction with the environment of your mouth.
5. Take another sip of the wine, but this time (especially if you are drinking a red wine) introduce air with it. In other words, slurp the wine (without making a loud slurping noise, of course). Note the subtle differences in flavor and texture.
6. Note the aftertaste when you swallow. How long does the finish last? Do you like the taste?
Happy wine tasting!
Learning how to taste wines is a straightforward adventure that will deepen your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. Look, smell, taste - starting with your basic senses and expanding from there you will learn how to taste wines like the pros in no time! Keep in mind that you can smell thousands of unique scents, but your taste perception is limited to salty, sweet, sour and bitter. It is the combination of smell and taste that allows you to discern flavor.
Pay attention to the way the wine changes as you hold it in the mouth. First impressions on taking the wine into the mouth may be referred to as the forepalate, followed by the mid and end palate, leading up to the finish.
Here are some easy steps for learning how to wine taste:
1. Note the wine’s viscosity - how slowly it runs back down the side of the glass - while you’re swirling. More viscous wines are said to have “legs,” and are likely to be more alcoholic. Outside of looking pretty, this has no relation to a wine’s quality.
2. Sniff the wine. Initially you should hold the glass a few inches from your nose. Then let your nose go into the glass. What do you smell?
3. Take a sip of wine, but do not swallow yet. Roll the wine around in your mouth exposing it to all of your taste buds. You will only be able to detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (think: meaty or savory). Pay attention to the texture and other tactile sensations such as an apparent sense of weight or body.
4. Aspirate through the wine: With your lips pursed as if you were to whistle, draw some air into your mouth and exhale through your nose. This liberates the aromas for the wine and allows them to reach your nose where they can be detected. The nose is the only place where you can detect a wine’s aromas. However, the enzymes and other compounds in your mouth and saliva alter some of a wine’s aromatic compounds. By aspirating through the wine, you are looking for any new aromas liberated by the wine’s interaction with the environment of your mouth.
5. Take another sip of the wine, but this time (especially if you are drinking a red wine) introduce air with it. In other words, slurp the wine (without making a loud slurping noise, of course). Note the subtle differences in flavor and texture.
6. Note the aftertaste when you swallow. How long does the finish last? Do you like the taste?
Happy wine tasting!
How to prune roses
On your next visit to Constable Estate Vineyards, wonder around for a look through our beautiful Rose Garden and just admire how roses can be used a such a feature.
Our Head Gardener Barry shares some advice on how he maintains the gardens roses on the property when it comes to that time of the year.
Pruning rose bushes can be intimidating to many gardeners, but it is actually very good for the plants.
Becoming an accomplished rose pruner takes time and practice, but keep in mind that it is very hard to kill a rose with bad pruning. While there is a great deal of disagreement among rose experts regarding how and when to prune roses, it is generally agreed that most mistakes will grow out very quickly and it is better to make a good effort at pruning roses than to let them grow rampant.
Why Prune Roses
* Encourage new growth and bloom
* Remove dead wood
* Improve air circulation
* Shape the plant
Tools You’ll Need
* By-pass Pruners
* Long-handled Loppers
* Thick Gloves (preferably long ones)
Rose Pruning Basics
1. Use clean, sharp tools
2. Look at the overall plant, but begin pruning from the base of the plant.
3. Prune to open the center of the plant to light and air circulation
4. Make your cuts at a 45-degree angle, about 1/4 inch above a bud that is facing toward the outside of the plant.
5. Make sure it is a clean cut (not ragged)
6. Remove all broken, dead, dying or diseased wood (Any branches that look dry, shriveled or black. Cut until the inside of the cane is white.)
7. Remove any weak or twiggy branches thinner than a pencil
8. If cane borers are a problem in your area, seal the cut with a white glue, such as Elmer’s.
9. Remove sucker growth below the graft.
10. Remove any remaining foliage
When to Prune Roses
Timing is determined by the class of the rose plant and the zone in which it is growing. Most rose pruning is done in the spring, with the blooming of the forsythia as a signal to get moving. If you don’t have forsythia, watch for when the leaf buds begin to swell on your rose plants, meaning the bumps on the canes get larger and reddish in color.
Hybrid tea roses are the most particular about pruning. If you don’t know what type of rose you have, watch the plant for a season. If it blooms on the new growth it sends out that growing season, prune while dormant or just about to break dormancy, as stated above. If it blooms early, on last year’s canes, don’t prune until after flowering.
Rose Varieties
Modern Ever-Blooming Roses & Floribunda: These bloom best on the current season’s growth. Prune hard (½ to 2/3 the plant’s height) in the spring and remove old woody stems. Leave 3-5 healthy canes evenly spaced around the plant. Cut them at various lengths from 18 - 24 inches, to encourage continuous blooming.
Hybrid Teas & Grandiflora: These also bloom on new wood and should be pruned in early spring. Remove dead and weak wood. Create an open vase shape with the remaining canes by removing the center stems and any branches crossing inwards. Then reduce the length of the remaining stems by about ½ or down to 18 - 24 inches. You can allow the older, stronger stems to be a bit longer than the new growth.
Our Head Gardener Barry shares some advice on how he maintains the gardens roses on the property when it comes to that time of the year.
Pruning rose bushes can be intimidating to many gardeners, but it is actually very good for the plants.
Becoming an accomplished rose pruner takes time and practice, but keep in mind that it is very hard to kill a rose with bad pruning. While there is a great deal of disagreement among rose experts regarding how and when to prune roses, it is generally agreed that most mistakes will grow out very quickly and it is better to make a good effort at pruning roses than to let them grow rampant.
Why Prune Roses
* Encourage new growth and bloom
* Remove dead wood
* Improve air circulation
* Shape the plant
Tools You’ll Need
* By-pass Pruners
* Long-handled Loppers
* Thick Gloves (preferably long ones)
Rose Pruning Basics
1. Use clean, sharp tools
2. Look at the overall plant, but begin pruning from the base of the plant.
3. Prune to open the center of the plant to light and air circulation
4. Make your cuts at a 45-degree angle, about 1/4 inch above a bud that is facing toward the outside of the plant.
5. Make sure it is a clean cut (not ragged)
6. Remove all broken, dead, dying or diseased wood (Any branches that look dry, shriveled or black. Cut until the inside of the cane is white.)
7. Remove any weak or twiggy branches thinner than a pencil
8. If cane borers are a problem in your area, seal the cut with a white glue, such as Elmer’s.
9. Remove sucker growth below the graft.
10. Remove any remaining foliage
When to Prune Roses
Timing is determined by the class of the rose plant and the zone in which it is growing. Most rose pruning is done in the spring, with the blooming of the forsythia as a signal to get moving. If you don’t have forsythia, watch for when the leaf buds begin to swell on your rose plants, meaning the bumps on the canes get larger and reddish in color.
Hybrid tea roses are the most particular about pruning. If you don’t know what type of rose you have, watch the plant for a season. If it blooms on the new growth it sends out that growing season, prune while dormant or just about to break dormancy, as stated above. If it blooms early, on last year’s canes, don’t prune until after flowering.
Rose Varieties
Modern Ever-Blooming Roses & Floribunda: These bloom best on the current season’s growth. Prune hard (½ to 2/3 the plant’s height) in the spring and remove old woody stems. Leave 3-5 healthy canes evenly spaced around the plant. Cut them at various lengths from 18 - 24 inches, to encourage continuous blooming.
Hybrid Teas & Grandiflora: These also bloom on new wood and should be pruned in early spring. Remove dead and weak wood. Create an open vase shape with the remaining canes by removing the center stems and any branches crossing inwards. Then reduce the length of the remaining stems by about ½ or down to 18 - 24 inches. You can allow the older, stronger stems to be a bit longer than the new growth.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Learn How To Taste Wine
Welcome to Constable Estate Vineyards!
Learn how to taste and smell wine
Learning how to taste wines is a straightforward adventure that will deepen your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. Look, smell, taste - starting with your basic senses and expanding from there you will learn how to taste wines like the pros in no time! Keep in mind that you can smell thousands of unique scents, but your taste perception is limited to salty, sweet, sour and bitter. It is the combination of smell and taste that allows you to discern flavor.
Pay attention to the way the wine changes as you hold it in the mouth. First impressions on taking the wine into the mouth may be referred to as the forepalate, followed by the mid and endpalate, leading up to the finish.
Here are some easy steps for learning how to wine taste:
1. Note the wine’s viscosity - how slowly it runs back down the side of the glass - while you’re swirling. More viscous wines are said to have “legs,” and are likely to be more alcoholic. Outside of looking pretty, this has no relation to a wine’s quality.
2. Sniff the wine. Initially you should hold the glass a few inches from your nose. Then let your nose go into the glass. What do you smell?
3. Take a sip of wine, but do not swallow yet. Roll the wine around in your mouth exposing it to all of your taste buds. You will only be able to detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (think: meaty or savory). Pay attention to the texture and other tactile sensations such as an apparent sense of weight or body.
4. Aspirate through the wine: With your lips pursed as if you were to whistle, draw some air into your mouth and exhale through your nose. This liberates the aromas for the wine and allows them to reach your nose where they can be detected. The nose is the only place where you can detect a wine’s aromas. However, the enzymes and other compounds in your mouth and saliva alter some of a wine’s aromatic compounds. By aspirating through the wine, you are looking for any new aromas liberated by the wine’s interaction with the environment of your mouth.
5. Take another sip of the wine, but this time (especially if you are drinking a red wine) introduce air with it. In other words, slurp the wine (without making a loud slurping noise, of course). Note the subtle differences in flavor and texture.
6. Note the aftertaste when you swallow. How long does the finish last? Do you like the taste?
Happy wine tasting!
Constable Estate Vineyards
Learn how to taste and smell wine
Learning how to taste wines is a straightforward adventure that will deepen your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. Look, smell, taste - starting with your basic senses and expanding from there you will learn how to taste wines like the pros in no time! Keep in mind that you can smell thousands of unique scents, but your taste perception is limited to salty, sweet, sour and bitter. It is the combination of smell and taste that allows you to discern flavor.
Pay attention to the way the wine changes as you hold it in the mouth. First impressions on taking the wine into the mouth may be referred to as the forepalate, followed by the mid and endpalate, leading up to the finish.
Here are some easy steps for learning how to wine taste:
1. Note the wine’s viscosity - how slowly it runs back down the side of the glass - while you’re swirling. More viscous wines are said to have “legs,” and are likely to be more alcoholic. Outside of looking pretty, this has no relation to a wine’s quality.
2. Sniff the wine. Initially you should hold the glass a few inches from your nose. Then let your nose go into the glass. What do you smell?
3. Take a sip of wine, but do not swallow yet. Roll the wine around in your mouth exposing it to all of your taste buds. You will only be able to detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (think: meaty or savory). Pay attention to the texture and other tactile sensations such as an apparent sense of weight or body.
4. Aspirate through the wine: With your lips pursed as if you were to whistle, draw some air into your mouth and exhale through your nose. This liberates the aromas for the wine and allows them to reach your nose where they can be detected. The nose is the only place where you can detect a wine’s aromas. However, the enzymes and other compounds in your mouth and saliva alter some of a wine’s aromatic compounds. By aspirating through the wine, you are looking for any new aromas liberated by the wine’s interaction with the environment of your mouth.
5. Take another sip of the wine, but this time (especially if you are drinking a red wine) introduce air with it. In other words, slurp the wine (without making a loud slurping noise, of course). Note the subtle differences in flavor and texture.
6. Note the aftertaste when you swallow. How long does the finish last? Do you like the taste?
Happy wine tasting!
Constable Estate Vineyards
Thursday, March 27, 2008
David Constable's Vegetable Garden
In September 2006, I decided to build a walled, semi-commercial organic vegetable garden. Measuring 28 x 14 metres, it was in two parts.
The first part was designated for soft fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and gooseberries. The second, larger area was shaped like the spokes of a wheel with the centrepiece being a sundial dating from about 1780 and bought in the UK. As this sundial was made for the northern hemisphere, it does not work in the south. However, it adds a lot of character to the garden. At the end of the spokes of the wheel I planted 4 bay trees “laurus nobilis”. There are nine beds for seasonal vegetables, including uncommon varieties. One of the beds contains asparagus which produces spears annually.
On the inside wall. I espaliered persimmon “ebenaceae diospsyros”, cherry “prunus cerasus”, pomegranate “prunica eramatum”, peach “prunus
persica”, and apricot “prunus armeniaca”.
The outside wall is covered by climbing roses with beautiful, perfumed white and pink flowers: 4 x Mme Alfred Carriere and 4 x desprez
a fleur jaune.
In addition there are 3 mulberry “morus rubra” trees and 3 quince “cydonia oblonga” planted outside the garden as they would grow too large for the inside.
http://vinismo.com/en/Constable_Estate_Vineyards
The first part was designated for soft fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and gooseberries. The second, larger area was shaped like the spokes of a wheel with the centrepiece being a sundial dating from about 1780 and bought in the UK. As this sundial was made for the northern hemisphere, it does not work in the south. However, it adds a lot of character to the garden. At the end of the spokes of the wheel I planted 4 bay trees “laurus nobilis”. There are nine beds for seasonal vegetables, including uncommon varieties. One of the beds contains asparagus which produces spears annually.
On the inside wall. I espaliered persimmon “ebenaceae diospsyros”, cherry “prunus cerasus”, pomegranate “prunica eramatum”, peach “prunus
persica”, and apricot “prunus armeniaca”.
The outside wall is covered by climbing roses with beautiful, perfumed white and pink flowers: 4 x Mme Alfred Carriere and 4 x desprez
a fleur jaune.
In addition there are 3 mulberry “morus rubra” trees and 3 quince “cydonia oblonga” planted outside the garden as they would grow too large for the inside.
http://vinismo.com/en/Constable_Estate_Vineyards
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Want to learn more about wine? 1. How to smell
1 # How to smell the wine
First smell the wine when it is still — before you swirl it in the glass — then swirl it around and smell it again immediately after swirling, as the wine settles. There is usually a difference between these two states, especially with finer, more mature wines.
Wines made from noble grape varieties have particularly distinct smells: Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, reminds most people of blackcurrants, Gewurztraminer of lychees and Turkish delight. Grape variety is the first thing to try to identify when "nosing" a wine.
The most frequently found non-grape smells are those of the wood in which the wine has been aged — particularly those associated with new oak: cedar, vanilla and caramel for example.
Winetasters, when smelling, use a combination of short and deeper sniffs, very gentle and also much sharper sniffs.
Think about what the smells remind you of.
Carley Woods
First smell the wine when it is still — before you swirl it in the glass — then swirl it around and smell it again immediately after swirling, as the wine settles. There is usually a difference between these two states, especially with finer, more mature wines.
Wines made from noble grape varieties have particularly distinct smells: Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, reminds most people of blackcurrants, Gewurztraminer of lychees and Turkish delight. Grape variety is the first thing to try to identify when "nosing" a wine.
The most frequently found non-grape smells are those of the wood in which the wine has been aged — particularly those associated with new oak: cedar, vanilla and caramel for example.
Winetasters, when smelling, use a combination of short and deeper sniffs, very gentle and also much sharper sniffs.
Think about what the smells remind you of.
Carley Woods
Constable Estate Vineyards - food matching
Lemon grass prawn skewers with mango mayonnaise
It's summer time and the eating should be easy, and it certainly will be if you put a few of these prawn skewers on the barbie!
Preparation Time
30 minutes
Cooking Time
10 minutes
Equipment
You will need to soak 40 bamboo skewers in cold water for 15 minutes for this recipe.
Ingredients (serves 8)
- 40 (about 1.2kg) green prawns, peeled leaving tails intact, deveined
- 1 stem lemon grass, pale section only, finely chopped
- 2 kaffir lime leaves, centre veins removed, finely shredded
- 1 tbs palm sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbs finely grated fresh ginger
Mango mayonnaise
- 1/2 ripe mango, peeled, coarsely chopped
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbs fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 250ml (1 cup) peanut oil
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Method
- To make the mango mayonnaise, place the mango, egg yolks, lime juice and mustard powder in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin steady stream, stopping occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl, until mixture is pale and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer mango mayonnaise to an airtight container and store in the fridge until required.
- Combine the prawns, lemon grass, lime leaves, sugar, garlic and ginger in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 3 hours to develop the flavours.
- Thread the prawns, tail-end first, onto bamboo skewers. Preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill pan on medium. Cook half the prawns on the grill for 1-2 minutes each side or until they change colour. Transfer prawns to a large serving platter. Repeat with the remaining prawns.
- Transfer the mango mayonnaise to a serving bowl and serve immediately with the prawn skewers.
Notes & tips
- Note: You can serve this recipe with the pumpkin & cashew couscous salad (see related recipe).
Serve with Constable Estate Vineyards Unwooded Chardonnay
http://constablevineyards.com.au/Journal/index.php
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake - with Constable Estate Vineyards Botrytis
Chocolate hazelnut cake
Ingredients (serves 12)
- 200g dark chocolate, chopped
- 200g butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup choc-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)
- 80 small solid chocolate Easter eggs
Method
- Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 20cm (base) round cake pan. Place chocolate into a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Heat on MEDIUM (50%) power for 2 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, or until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla essence until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add cooled chocolate. Mix well.
- Sift flour and cocoa powder together. Fold half the flour mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold half the milk into chocolate mixture. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk.
- Spoon cake batter into cake pan. Smooth surface. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand for 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Spread choc-hazelnut spread over cake. Top with Easter eggs.
Serve with a delicious glass of Botrytis ......mmmmmm.....
Easter Feast Recipe!!!! Prawn salad with avocado cream
Prawn salad with avocado cream
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 3 limes
- 1/2 telegraph cucumber, finely sliced
- 2 avocados
- 5 tbs (100ml) coconut cream
- 2 cups baby salad leaves
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 16 cooked prawns, peeled, deveined, leaving tails intact
- 2 tbs chilli oil*, to drizzle
Method
- Squeeze juice from 1 lime and set aside. Peel and segment remaining 2 limes and place in a bowl with cucumber. Blend avocado flesh in a blender with coconut cream and lime juice until smooth, then season.
- Add salad leaves to bowl with lime segments and cucumber, then toss with olive oil and season. Spread avocado cream in the centre of 4 serving plates, top with some salad. Place 4 prawns on top of each plate. Drizzle with chilli oil to serve.
Serve with:
Constable Vineyards Estate Semillon or an Unwooded chardonnay.
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