Dear Criss,

It seems to be getting colder, so we have decided to combat the chill with some superb "winter warming" wines. We have a look at a fantastic, and incredibly well priced, Zinfandel from Heathcote's Buckshot that will knock your socks off. Our 5 Week Wine Appreciation Course commencing at the end of July has now sold out, but keep checking the website as we will announce another course shortly. If you are hankering for a wine tasting and can't wait for the next course, the Icon Grenache tasting is coming up in a couple of weeks and is set to be a hit. We have had quite a few wines come into the store in the last week, so we have selected some of the best for you to have a look at and, of course, we have included some Wine House Trivia.

We hope you enjoy,

From the Team at Wine House

Buckshot 'The Square Peg' Zinfandel 2006 - from $23.36!!

This cracking wine, with its warm, juicy and concentrated fruit is sure to defrost us in these drizzly, wintery conditions. Wildly popular in the U.S., many consider Zinfandel the original "California red." In fact, California is the largest grower of Zinfandel. Recent research shows that the grape originated in Croatia in the guise of the grape variety Crljenak Kastelanski, not southern Italy, where it is cousin to Primitivo, as previously thought.

Zinfandel as a red wine can be made light and fruity, much like the French Beaujolais, or can be made into a lively, complex and age worthy, like Cabernet or Aussie Shiraz. Buckshot's "shot" at Zinfandel is definitely a terrific example of the latter.

When we opened this bottle up, it floored me. It's colour is incredibly intense with a deep black crimson hue. The nose shows all sorts of concentrated aromas like black cherry and liquorice with a beautiful spicy, black pepper end note. The palate is really impressive. It is huge, concentrated and filled to the brim with juicy, ripe fruit. This wine is powered by the strength of liquorice, plums, cherries and blackberries while a touch of vanilla makes drinking now a delight. Fine grained tannins are so smooth and it literally lingers forever. I am a COMPLETE convert to this mystery variety!

This little beauty only costs $23.36 in a dozen | $25.95 per bottle,

For other great wine specials, check our Specials Page. For more information, please e-mail sales@winehouse.com.au or call Matt, Gill or Luke on 03 9698 8001.
 

Clarendon Hills and Kalleske are names synonymous with Aussie Grenache and Grenache based blends. Come and learn why! In Australia (and also, the world), Grenache has been one of the most widely planted grape varieties. It has been the foundation vine of Australian wine regions such as the Barossa Valley, where over time it has gradually lost favour to Shiraz. Only recently has the variety seen a revival as the wave of interest in French Cotes du Rhone style wines grows, with outstanding quality Grenache based wines being blended with Shiraz & Mourvedre in particular. 

Come and taste some of the best Grenache around:

- Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Grenache 2001
- Kalleske Clarry's Grenache Shiraz 2006
- d'Arenberg Custodian Grenache 1999
- Kay Brothers Amery Grenache 2006
- Langmeil "The Fifth Wave" Grenache 2002
- Penfolds Cellar Reserve Grenache 2002

The tasting, and the learning, is free! Check the calendar here for more future tasting details. We also have a Riesling tasting coming up.

Recently, the Wine House has seen a number of new additions fly into our storeroom and onto the shelves, so as a way of informal introduction, here are a few of the best for you to peruse. In particular to note is the incredible Chablis offering from young producer Bernard Defaix, this is really stunning. Also, "The Riebke" Shiraz, from Barossan producer Teusner, is an INCREDIBLE wine for its price. We promise it will not disappoint. Enjoy!

Domaine Bernard Defaix Chablis 2006, Chablis, FRA.
Wow! Bernard Defaix, is the brother of Daniel Defaix, one of the great names of Chablis. This is an estate where the children have taken over and quality has gone through the roof. A definite rising star so keep your eyes peeled. In 2006, the appellation of Chablis performed well and this wine is up to its usual high standard. Beautiful lemon/lime nose with stunning minerality. A lovely creaminess on the finish. Top notch chablis.

$33.26 in a dozen | $36.95 per bottle

Primo Estate has for some years flown the flag for the Colombard variety. These days there's some Sauvignon Blanc in the mix but Colombard still dominates. The resulting wine is zippy and fruity with a nose of passionfruit and slightly grassy notes. Its tastes of fruit salad and is clean and lip-smacking. Delicious.
 - THIS WEEK ONLY - SPECIAL PRICE $13.95 - RRP $17.95 -

$13.95 per bottle

Kalleske Greenock Shiraz 2002,  Barossa Valley, SA.
Robert Parker 96 points!

The black/purple-coloured 2002 Shiraz Greenock emerges from a young vineyard planted on sandy, loamy soil. A tour de force in winemaking, it is a full-throttle, classic Barossa Shiraz that brings to mind some of Rockford's single vineyard offerings. Great minerality intermixed with fabulous blackberry and cassis fruit and subtle background oak backed up by a sensational texture as well as a long, heady finish make for a spectacular wine that should age effortlessly for 10-15 years.
$40.46 in a dozen | $44.95 per bottle

Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this blend also contains some Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot & Malbec. According to Pierro, the 2004 Reserve is the best red yet to be produced at the winery. It is fragrant with vibrant, redcurrant dark plum flavours, some spicy cedary notes, silky smooth texture, tight structure, good weight and fine ripe tannins, finesse, delicacy and some characteristic Pierro restraint. 

$69.95 per bottle

Teusner 'The Riebke' Shiraz 2006, Barossa Valley, SA.
I cannot say enough about this wine! A fabulous bargain! Produced in honour of the Riebke Brothers, whose support has been instrumental in the success of Teusner Wines. An honest and affordable wine displaying regional expression of the Ebenezer sub region. This Northern Barossan Shiraz is intensely deep in colour with rich chocolatey fruit and hints of spice on the nose. The palate is full and fruit driven, gaining complexity from it's time in older french and american hogsheads. The long full finish will leave you reaching for another bottle - Lucky it's so affordable!!!
$17.96 in a dozen | $19.95 per bottle

For more information on our wines, or if you have any wine matching questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail sales@winehouse.com.au or call the store on 03 9698 8001.
 

At the end of this month, the Wine House will be hosting the fantastic Henschke dinner. With wines already selected and the food menu being announced shortly, we are rapidly getting more and more excited.

As almost all tickets to this dinner have already been pre-purchased, this dinner is not for sale, however, we welcome you to email us your details in the event that any new spaces become available. We are doing everything we can to include as many of our customers in this dinner.... All hope is not lost!

For more information on our wine dinners, please e-mail sales@winehouse.com.au or call the store on 03 9698 8001.

The Wine House is pleased to announce a new series of wine education programs, starting with the Introduction of Wine Appreciation Course. The first course we will be running will be held in the lush surroundings of the Brasserie and will begin on Wednesday 30th of July 2008. This course is suitable for anyone wanting to gain, or improve, their wine knowledge and, of course, taste some great Aussie and New Zealand wine.

The cost of this 5 week course is $200 which includes 6 wines per session, all tutoring and handouts. Gift vouchers available. Click on the link, Wine Appreciation 5 Week Course 30/7/08, for more information.

Please note - this course is SOLD OUT!
 

Last week's question was...

After studying mathematics and philosophy at Oxford University, I started work with a travel company. On December 1, 1975, I became assistant editor for the trade magazine Wine & Spirit. In 1984, I became the first person outside the wine trade to become a Master of Wine. I also served as a wine consultant to a famous international airline. Who am I?

Clearly this was FAR too easy for you all. Congratulations to Sylvia. And well done everyone else.

The answer is... Jancis Robinson!
 

This week we ask:

Name the Austrian white grape variety whose skin turns red just before it is ready to harvest?

 

For your chance to win a $30 voucher at Wine House, email your answer, with TRIVIA as the subject line, to sales@winehouse.com.au.  Extra consideration is given to detailed answers where many correct replies are received in a short time period.

WINE HOUSE . OLD & RARE WINES . BRASSERIE

133 Queensbridge Street, Southbank, Victoria 3006 Australia
tel: 61 3 9698 8000 | fax: 61 3 9698 8099
sales@winehouse.com.au   www.winehouse.com.au

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FUNCTION SPACE

Listed on our Brasserie website are various menu and beverage combinations that cover a majority of function needs. However every event is different so talk to us about your specific needs. Our function space has full audio/visual equipment for your use if a presentation or guest speaker is part of your event.

Download our Functions Pack

OLD & RARE WINES HOURS
 

Monday

Closed

Tuesday-Friday
11:00am - 7:00pm
 

Saturday
11:00am - 5:00pm

CONTACT

03 9698 8001 or

KIOSK TRADING HOURS
Monday-Friday
7.30am - 3:00pm
 

CONTACT
03 9698 8006 or

WINE EVENT CALENDAR

Henschke Dinner, 25th July.

Mount Mary Dinner, 19th September.

View Tasting Calendar

WINE YOU WANT!

If you have wine you need please let us know so we can try and find that old or rare wine for you.

RECYCLE PACKS

Wine House frequently sends in Styrofoam boxes which we obtain second hand to help reduce environmental impacts. If you have packs and would like help recycle please bring them into the store.

REVIEWS

Quoted reviews are taken from the following sources:

www.jeremyoliver.com

www.erobertparker.com

www.winecompanion.com.au

www.winefront.com.au

www.winespectator.com

Penfolds Rewards of Patience

WINE FRIDGES

Wine House is proud to sell and use Kitchener Wine Cabinets. For more in formation on these specialty wine fridges please call the store to receive a broacher or to obtain quotes on fridge sizes.