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Like our email? Add your friends and go into the draw to win a dozen unreleased Ambriel's Gift 2006 (Don't forget to let them know you're doing it)
dru@koonara.com
 

Koonara Ambriel's Gift 2006 - "94 Points" - James Halliday

Silver - Cowra Wine Show

If you can't read this email please click here: http://koonara.com/2009july.htm

Winter is nearly over
Those little wooly leaf buds are just around the corner - this photo of course, was meant to be months ago when my last email was meant to come out. Things have been pretty hectic, as you will find out in next month's email (I'm leaving you hanging...)
                          

Just a couple of baby snaps, I promise
Sorry, I know how annoying it can be with friends overloading you with baby snaps, but seriously, how cute is she!Lucy is 7 months old and is going gangbusters.

Luvin mum....

Pretty in pink

Chubby Munchkin

New Ad:
Got my ugly mug on local Telly - check it out if you want a good laugh/cringe. Thanks to Ben Hood at  www.hellowfriday.com.au for doing a bang up job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO-J0GiD-cI

Wine Fact:
Grape varieties do not determine sweetness: winemakers do. Any grape can be made into sweet or dry wine.

Wine Deal:
The 2005 Angel's Peak Just picked up Gold at the Boutique Winemakers awards. We have sold out, but the 2006 is better (I know, winemakers say that all the time, but it's true). Go to


Wine Advice:
See those big bottles in restaurants? Now you can impress your friends and put a name to those crazy-sized bottles;




 

Bar Joke
A man walked into a bar and sat down next to a man with a dog at his feet. "Does your dog bite?" he asked. "No," was the reply. A few minutes later, the dog took a chunk out of his leg. "I thought you said your dog doesn't bite!" the man said indignantly. "It's not my dog,"...
 

Future Leaders
I have been fortunate enough to be selected for the Future Leaders program, put on by the Winemakers Federation of Australia, and Wine Business Magazine. Part of it meant a serious few days camping and problem solving in order to work out the type of leaders we were. It was great to meet a pretty amazing and very talented group of guys n' gals from all different parts of the wine industry.

Our team: Ed Swift (Printhie), Moi, Scott McWilliams (McWilliams), Rob Bramley (CSIRO) & Sophie Field (Lion Nathan)

 
Yes folks, these are the leaders of the future (with our team leaders).
 

Restaurants we love:  Clarion Soho - Decant
Uber-funky, tiny little restaurant in Adelaide's east end. Very cool and intimate, and the boutique hotel attached  is also super cool. Worth a look if you are in Adelaide.

http://www.clarionhotelsoho.com.au/



 

Word of the day:
DISCONFECT, v., To sterilize the piece of candy you dropped on the floor by blowing on it, assuming this will somehow remove all the germs.

Dancing with the Stars
The Limestone Coast put on it's own dancing with the stars, to raise money for the Stand Like Stone Foundation. A full house at the Barn Palais meant all had a blast. I can't remember who won - I was at the bar. All the twirling was making me dizzy.

Local Newsreader Sharny McLean

Super-fit Personal trainer Julie Denton



IT guru Simone Kain from Hello Friday
 

Extreme Sport No 2: Skydiving
The crew from Goolwa Skydiving came to Coonawarra to do some skydiving - so good friends Liv roped in her hubby Marky Gowans to do it with me. I think the hangover helped calm the nerves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o_76JfL_KQ
 

Cooking with MacGyver
The six most important tips when barbecuing steak:

1. Take the steaks from the fridge a few minutes before cooking If the meat is chilled the rate of cooking will be slowed down. The end result will be better if the steaks are near room temperature before cooking. Take them from the fridge about 10 minutes before you cook.

2. Keep the seasoning simple Use freshly ground sea salt and black pepper. Season just before you cook.

3. Oil the meat and not the grill plate Rather than drizzle oil onto the barbecue plate, brush the meat lightly or better still rub meat with oil before cooking. This ensures the meat does not stick to the grill or barbecue plate allowing it to sear, giving good colour and juiciness. Use a neutral flavoured oil such as canola or good vegetable oil.

4. Don't crowd the grill plate Ensure the barbecue is hot; make it hot enough to sizzle the meat as it makes contact with the plate or grill. And don’t crowd the grill plate - this reduces the heat and the meat will then release juices and begin to stew.

5. Don't turn the meat too often the rule is - turn meat once only. Let the meat cook on one side until moisture appears. Turn the meat, don't stab it! Always use tongs - never a barbecue fork to turn the meat. A BBQ fork will drain the juices from the meat onto the grill or barbecue plate making the meat drier and less tasty.

6. Always rest meat after it comes off the heat This allows the juices, which have been driven to the centre of the meat by the heat to return to the surface. The steak will be juicier and tastier. As a guide steaks should stand for about 3 to 5 minutes. Rest meat in a warm place – loosely covered with foil, as wrapping meat straight from the heat too tightly will cause it to sweat.

Wine Quoteth:
"I made wine out of raisins so I wouldn’t have to wait for it to age."
                  - Steven Wright
 

Wise advice: 
Observation: Matter will be damaged in direct proportion to its value.




Events:
Cabernet Celebrations - 16th - 18th October
The Barrel Series is the pinnacle of the year in Coonawarra. The best single barrel from the best wines of 2008 are auctioned in 5 case lots - if your the winner of the first barrel bid, you have the option to take 5, 10 15 or all 20 of the cases from the barrel. 2008 looks to be a classic year, with very low tonnes recorded across the region. Come along for a weekend of festivities, visit www.coonawarra.org for info and www.penola.org for places to stay.
 

Roast lamb with lemon and honey Serves: 6 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 90 minutes Ingredients 1½ kg easy carve lamb leg 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 2 tbsp warm honey roasted tomatoes, roasted potatoes and steamed green beans to serve Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and honey. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Place lamb in a large oven bag. Pour lemon and honey mixture over lamb. 2. Tightly tie the end and cut 3 slashes in the top of the bag. Place lamb into a roasting dish, roast for 1 hour for rare, 1 hour and 15 minutes for medium, or 1½ hours for well done. 3. Remove lamb from oven and rest for 15 minutes before carving. Carefully remove lamb from oven bag, place lamb on a serving plate and pour over any juices. Serve with roasted tomatoes, roasted potatoes and beans. Tips Suggested roasting times per 500g for lamb: lamb loin (boned and rolled), leg or shoulder (bone-in), easy carve leg or shoulder Cook at 180ºC. Rare 20-25 min, Medium 25-30 min, Well done 30-35 min. Judging your roast's degree of doneness using a meat thermometer. The internal temperature for: Rare – 55-60ºC, Medium rare – 60-65ºC, Medium – 65-70ºC, Medium well – 70-75ºC, Well done – 75ºC. You can also use tongs to test the roast's doneness. Gently prod or squeeze the roast – rare is very soft, medium rare is soft, medium is springy but soft, medium well is firm and well done is very firm. Roasts need to rest for about 10 to 20 minutes before carving. This gives the juices in the meat a chance to redistribute, giving a moister and more tender result.

Wine to Match: NEW RELEASE: 2006 Angel's Peak Cab Sav - $15.95 The 06 is out, and is the biggest yet. Still sweet, but fermented dry, so will age beautifully. Only about half of the amount produced than the 2005, so be quick. The 2005 just won gold in the Small Winemakers Awards, and just picked as best buys from Winestate mag, so be quick.   www.koonara.com/ourwines.html           Printhie Chardonnay 2007 or 8 - $17 Owner Ed Swift has been producing some cracking wines from Orange, and Chardonnay seems to shine in this region. Forget about your fat oaky Chardys from the 90's - this is a great example of what modern Australian Chardy is all about, and is probably the best value chardy I've ever seen. 2008 Just won Gold in the Cowra wine show. http://www.printhiewines.com.au