The Old Codger – Distinctly Different

I was lucky enough to receive a bottle of the The Old Codger Old Tawny Port as a Thank you from the Baron for being a chauffeur to many a DTWC night. And I have to say that this port stands out as one of the finest ports I have tasted to date. It is not to say that I haven't enjoyed the past ports, it is just that this one has been distinctly different to all the other ports I have tasted.

Interestingly enough this port has a little story behind it and where the name 'Old Codger' came from which for me adds a little more excitement to the port as well.

"My first job after completing high school was working in an old cellar in the Barossa Valley filling and stacking port barrels with an “Old Codger” (old man). Each day the two of us would finish work with a glass of port and share a few stories. What a civilised way to finish the day!" Wayne Dutschke as quoted from The Old Codger Old Tawny Port site.

This Port has been blended using a Solera system. The Solera system is quite interesting as the finished product ends up being a mixture of varying ages. Many different type of products can be solera aged some of which include Sherry, Madeira, Port wine, Marsala, Mavrodafni, Muscat, and Muscadelle wines; Balsamic, Commandaria, and Sherry vinegars; Spanish brandy; and rums. Wikipedia explains the process best "In the solera process, a succession of containers are filled with the product over a series of equal aging intervals (usually a year). One container is filled for each interval. At the end of the interval after the last container is filled, the oldest container in the solera is tapped for part of its content, which is bottled. Then that container is refilled from the next oldest container, and that one in succession from the second-oldest, down to the youngest container, which is refilled with new product. This procedure is repeated at the end of each aging interval. The transferred product mixes with the older product in the next barrel…The output of the solera is the fraction of the last container taken off for bottling each cycle."


The PORT Experience:

The Old Codger – Old Tawny Port
Region: 80% Langhorne Creek, 20% Barossa Valley, South Australia
Grapes: Verdelho, Grenache, Shiraz, Palomino, Frontignac and Muscadelle
Size: 750mL bottle
Alcohol: 18.5%
Winemaker: Wayne Dutschke
Retails Currently: $21.99AUD

This Port has a rich ruby colour to it. It has a hint of complexity and spice on the nose. To taste it is thick, but not like a syrup, with red fruity flavours including cherries and plums. It finishes with a hint of oak. For me the balance, for a lack of a better word is 'perfect!'. This port places itself 'perfectly' between dinner wine and a dessert wine, where the sweetness does not overpower the flavours at all.  Without a doubt this has to my favourite port to date.

So please – Join me next time, as we share in "The PORT Experience"
Na zdrowie!

Two fingers

Note: I also found a link (not sure how reliable it is), but it lists grape varieties. I found sometimes it has helped me to understand the flavours of what I am drinking by researching the grapes themselves. 

Distant Thunder Whisky Club Feature Article

Image from Beer and Brewer Magazine Website

Be sure to check out the Beer and Brewer Magazine Issue 20 Autumn 2012. It has a special article featuring our very own 'Distant Thunder Whisky Club'.

Three Fish

Over the past months I have admired many pieces of art – saying stuff like ‘Oh my gosh - that looks so hard to paint” & “No one paints on walls & ceilings like Michelangelo does”. I have also painted pieces which I’m not proud of and have started to educate myself more about painting – mainly from books that I have borrowed from the library - eventually I do want to take an art class  ! … but until then I will continue my personal research (e.g. trial & error).

I borrowed a book called “Acrylics workshop” by Phyllis McDowell, DK Publishing from the new Chatswood library. I examined the various techniques in this book - including how certain objects are sketched from different perspectives and how colors are used to build depth etc.. I found this book quite good as it is SIMPLE to follow and the paintings illustrated are great for practicing with ……. So I copied one of the artwork illustrated in this book and this is how it turned out:

Three Fish

Note that I used acrylic paint in “Three Fish” but the original artwork was painted in watercolor.

“Three Fish” is a bit different to my other practice pieces as I have been painting a lot of abstract stuff - generally I have been mucking around with new paint colors & brushes. I guess I got a little bit more serious with this one as I wanted to follow stricter painting rules e.g. which brush to use to give what result, use of glazing technique. I also focus hard on developing the form of the individual carps to make it resemble the original painting.

Overview of how I choose to paint “Three Fish”:

• Painted background
• Lightly sketched carp shape
• Painted bottom left fish
• Painted right fish
• Painted top left fish

I showed the painting to 3 different people and asked them which fish they preferred most and funny enough they all like different ones!

One more thing…  “1001 paintings you must see before you die” by Stephen Farthing, is a great book to flip through. It’s like a painting dictionary! I wish it only came in A3 size??

The Spinner

Sparkling for More

One of the members of the "Married to the Whisky club" organised a "Sparkly Afternoon" get together over the weekend. It was naturally a success and we all had a wonderful time. So a BIG THANK YOU to "The Spinner" for organising it all.

The afternoon consisted of us ladies being dropped off by our other halves and of course a few OR MORE glasses of Sparkly, Chatting, Sunshine and the best part Relaxation and just Enjoying each other’s company.

The 2 Sparkling Wines/Champagne of note – that we had generous samplings of, were the "Yellow Glen Perle" and the "Bollinger Special Cuvée". Fantastic wines, but I will come back to these a little later on.

Coincidentally prior to our sparkly get together, Dan Murphy's was having another one of their workshops for none other than Sparkling Wines & Champagne. I have to tell you I was extremely excited that this was to take place literally the day before. The reason I was so excited was probably because I have drunk Sparkling Wines/Champagne on occasions however I had never really taken an interest in the nose, flavours, finish and so on.

During the course of the Dan Murphy's workshop, The workshop leader (Mr M for blog purposes), who might I add is just fantastic, took us through the wines one by one and unleashed lots of valuable information about each and every one. But before I unveil some of Mr M's helpful tips and knowledge, I thought it best to clarify a few things that I had been confused about.

What is Sparkling Wine?
This is generally a wine that has large levels of Carbon Dioxide creating the bubbly effect. This can be made from natural fermentation in the bottle, tank or through injecting Carbon Dioxide into the wine. Sparkling Wines are predominantly white but they also have Sparkling Rose's and Red's which all vary from dry to sweet. The varieties that indicate whether the sparkling wine is sweet or dry are as follows:

• Brut – Means it is dry, however there is little to no sweetness
• Extra Brut - is as it suggests, it means it is extra dry. That is dryer than the Brut.
• Extra dry – Is the middle range of dry and are generally just a bit sweeter than brut wines.
• Sweet or Demi-Sec – Is basically your sweet to medium sweet range.
• Dry or Sec – Means it is dry

Sparkling Wines also come in Vintage or Non-Vintage. This, as with most wines, ports etc. simply means that the grapes used come from a single year or are the blend of multiple different years.

But what is the difference between Sparkling Wines and Champagne? 
Apart from the fact that only the wines that are produced from grapes within the Champagne Region in France can be labelled "Champagne", there is no difference. Basically it all boils down to the region & country it is produced in.

I was very curious as to whether one would sample Sparkling Wine in the same way you would for normal wines? That is the "swirl, the smell, the taste, the finish" and so on. The answer is yes you do. However there are a few other facts which are important to selecting a good Sparkling and Champagne and thanks to the Dan Murphy's workshop I can pass the knowledge I learnt from them onto you.


So here are some things to look out for when you are purchasing or sampling a Sparkling Wine or a Champagne:

• The optimum temperature for serving and sampling Sparkling is at 11.5ºC. However in the end the ideal temperature boils down really to how you the individual enjoys drinking it.
• The warmer you serve sparkling the more enhanced the flavours of the fruit and so on become.
• Sparkling wines are the hardest to define what flavours are within. This is due to the amount of acid in the wine.
• The white mousse (or the foamy bubbles as I like to call it) around the glasses edge indicates the quality of the wine.
• The smaller the bubbles are and the more in the line also indicates the quality of the wine.
• It is best to pop the cork slowly as opposed to the fun alternative of letting the cork fly into the air. Apart from wasting good wine when it overflows from the top, it also means you minimise the chance of the bubbles going flat.
• Ensure your glass is exceptionally clean as a dirty glass can flatten the sparkling also.
• The best way to chill a wine (semi fast) is to wrap a wet towel around the bottle and place it into the freezer for a while.

So now that I have a bit more of an understanding about Sparkling Wines I would like to share My Sparkling Wine Experience.

Image from Dan Murphy's website

Yellowglen Perle

Vintage: Non Vintage
Brand: Yellowglen
Region: Australia
Size: 750ml bottle
Alcohol/volume: 12.0%
Retails Currently: $18.80AUD

This sparkling is quite soft and fruity. It is pale in colouring with a hint of strawberry on the palette. It finishes nicely with a lemon, citrus tang. Overall this was really enjoyable to drink. It did not have the sulpher or overpowering carbonated/bubbly effect of some sparklings.

Image from Dan Murphy's website

Bollinger Special Cuvée
Brand Name: Bollinger
Varietal:  Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Meunier
Vintage: Non Vintage
Region: Champagne France
Size: 750ml bottle
Alcohol/volume: 12.0%
Retails Currently: $74.99AUD

This Champagne is pale gold in colouring. It is dry and acidic with toast like flavours. It has a lot more complexity than the Yellowglen however I found it difficult to identify any fruity flavours within it. This is no fault of the wines, merely my lack of experience in wine appreciation. The mousse was very thick. Overall though this was enjoyable to drink. It is one to definitely save for that special occasion.

So please – Join me next time, as we share in "The Experience" – Na zdrowie!
Two fingers

Dislike to Like – Niepoort Ruby Port

To date I have only reviewed Australian ports. However my next port, 'Niepoort Ruby' is from Portugal – Ports Origin.

Niepoort is located in the center of Vila Nova de Gaia. The vineyard has been divided into two locations for Harvest. Quinta de Nápoles where they produced the still wines and Vale de mendiz where they produce the port wines.

Quinta de Napoles was purchased by Niepoort in 1987. The Quinta includes nearly 30ha of vineyard. The vines are at an altitude of 180-250m and the age varies between 18 and more than 70 years. Located at the left margin of the Têdo river, this is where Niepoort makes their red, white and rosé wines. The former museum in Vale Mendiz was purchased by Niepoort in 2003 and converted to a vinification center for the Niepoort port wines.

Under European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines, only the product from Portugal may be labelled as Port or Porto. Elsewhere, the situation is more complicated: wines labelled "Port" may come from anywhere in the world, while the names "Dão", "Oporto", "Porto", and "Vinho do Porto" have been recognised as foreign, non-generic names for wines originating in Portugal.

What is Ruby Port?

Ruby Port is classified as the entry level for port, however this does not necessarily mean it is the cheap off cuts. Ruby port is made from a select few grapes which give the Ruby Port its red colour. These grapes include Toriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cao, Tinto Barrocca and Toriga Francesca. It is aged in bulk for 2 to 3 years using a blend of grapes from varying vintages and is bottled 'young'.

After fermentation, it is stored to prevent the oxidisation process from occurring and to preserve its rich red colour. Often the wine will be blended to match the style of the brand to which it will be sold. The wine is fined and cold filtered before bottling and does not generally improve with age. For this reason it is best to consume immediately.

The Niepoort Ruby Port wine originates from low yielding old vineyards in the Cima Corgo Region of the Douro Valley. The grapes are predominantly trodden in Lagares, prior to ageing in large wooden vats at their lodges in Gaia and bottled with an average age of 3 years.

The PORT Experience

of Niepoort Ruby

Produced: Niepoort (Vinhos) S.A.

Region: Douro

Soil Type: Schist

Vines: Cima Corgo

Average Vine Age: Over 30 years

Cast Varieties: Touriga Nacional,Touriga Franca,Tinto Cão,Tinta Francisca,Tinta Amarela, Sousão, Tinta Roriz and others

Vines per Ha: 4000 - 6000

Way of Harvest: Hand picked

Fermentation: Lagares/Foot Treading

Ageing: Large old oak casks

Residual Sugar: 102,3 g/ L

Baumé: 3,6

PH: 3,66

Total Acidity: 4,13 g/L Tartaric Acid

Size: 750ml bottle

Alcohol/volume: 20%

Closure: Cork

Retails Currently: $32.99AUD

I was very excited to have been given this Port and could barely wait to open it and explore the flavours within. Coming from a design background, I had often admired the dark bottle contrasting against the soft scripted logo and only hoped that one day soon I would get the opportunity to try this port... And I did.

However I must confess, I was not impressed with this Port to begin with. In fact I disliked it so much that I cringed at the thought of drinking it. This may have been due to the fact I lack the tasting experience of a variety of Ports especially quality ones or it may have been something else entirely. I found it had lacked the sweetness that was contained in most of the ports I previously tasted and that it was quite overpowering on the palette. It resembled more of a young wine than Port – Well what I had identified the flavours of a Port to be. I know that sounds ridiculous, but in the end it basically boiled down to the fact that I was expecting something different. I continued to persist on drinking the Port as unpleasurable as it was for me, waste not want not I always say, only to soon discover I had come to embrace the flavour.

How did this happen? I had sat down and commenced telling my father how this port was too intense for my Palette, poured him (and myself of course) two-fingers worth into a glass and we began to sample the port. To my surprise I found the Port drinkable, bearable and quite nice. Curious as to how my opinion could change so dramatically overnight, I soon came to realise that the coffee I had just consumed altered the flavour to a more pleasant and enjoyable one. From this day on with or without coffee I had experienced the flavours in a whole new light. Amazingly enough, all that was required was a mind change and the flavours having been altered by the coffee did just that.

The Niepoort Ruby is Dark Red in colour with light aromas of spice and dark fruits. The flavours are rich in cherries and blackberries and is quite smooth like a wine. The finish follows through smoothly from the front of the palette to sit at the back for a brief period of time.

What I got out of this tasting experience is that if you find you do not like something once, twice or even more try and try again. Do not stick to the same routine or foods, try and experiment a little. Cheese, chocolate and coffee are just some foods and flavours that can help neutralise or enhance flavours.

The worst that can happen is that you still dislike the flavour, the best that can happen as it was for me here, is that you will enjoy and embrace in the new found flavours you've just experienced.

So please – Join me next time, as we share in "The PORT Experience"

Na zdrowie!

Two Fingers

Beginning To Paint

I have decided to do a bit of painting – this came to me while I was watching the movie “Never Let Me Go”. I have completed my first painting and I wish to share this painting and experience. I chose to start painting with Acrylics – as I’ve read it’s easy to use and if I wanted to I could add some water and do some watercolour painting as well … that’s if I get awesome.

So last week I went to eckersley’s in North Sydney and brought some real BASIC acrylic painting materials (see Note 1) to get me started:

1. acrylic painting pad, A4 size

2. pack of 5 acrylic paint tubs (with a bonus no. 2 paint brush!) (see Note 2)

3. set of assorted acrylic brushes

4. basic palette, and

5. a couple of painting knives

I didn’t want to purchase anything more hardcore than what I did at this stage, as I’m hoping to get familiar with the vast amount of art materials that is available out there so I can source them .…. online.

So this is how my first painting looks like:

Blended Dolphins (see Note 3)

With the help of the ‘Colour Mixing Guide’ - I wanted to use this piece to try out all the colours I have, so as you can see, this painting has all the basic colours in it!  I blended different colours together, creating dark and light sections using different strokes to develop a sense of what I like. I found I enjoyed painting with long strokes and blotches with my brush. I like creating different shades of colours to try and produce varying levels of depth. The black and white colours alone really stood out in my painting, which I am fond of, but since I’m unable to control how I work with my colours at this stage, I am going to use these two colours in moderation.

I will definitely be painting more in the coming weeks. I am hoping to do paint on canvas in a couple of months.

The Spinner

Note 1: All the painting materials that I bought were made by Reeves.

Note 2:This colour pack contains all the primary colours I needed to get started – Titanium White, Lemon Yellow, Phthalo Blue, Brilliant Red and Mars Black.

Note 3: Naming a painting is interesting, almost like naming your child.

Worthy Contender – Orlando Liqueur Tawny

It was Easter and instead of getting eggs from the Easter Bunny I asked if I could get a port instead. So thankfully the Easter Bunny and I came to an arrangement, which was for me to select the port of choice around the $10AUD mark. I selected the Orlando Liqueur Tawny as I had seen it sitting on the shelf many times before and conveniently it was one I had not tried as yet.

Unfortunately, not much can be said for the information I have found on this port. In comparison to other ports there is little information supporting it, which I found rather disappointing. So I thought I would look into the brand a bit more as I had not really heard of Orlando before. Clearly I had no idea how big they actually are. I found out that the Orlando wines include prominent Australian wine brands such as Jacob’s Creek, Wyndham Estate, Richmond Grove, Morris and Trilogy. Many of which I have enjoyed in the past.

"Orlando Wines can trace its origin to the very beginning of winemaling in Australia with two wine industry pioneers George Wyndham (1828) and Johann Gramp (1847), founder of Orlando Wines. Our wines today express more than 150 years of winemaking expertise and passion shared throughout the organisation."  Stephen Couche, Orlando Wines, Brand Sites and Visitation Director

So I set out to enjoy my port, But first I needed to determine...

What do they mean by Liqueur when referring to port?

To begin with a liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavoured with natural ingredients such as fruits, herbs, nuts, spices or flowers and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are commonly quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavours to combine. Under European Union legislation, a liqueur wine is a fortified wine that contains no less than 17.5% alcohol by volume. More often than not it is recommend that you drink liqueurs after a meal.

The PORT Experience

Orlando Liqueur Tawny

Region: Barossa Valley, Rowland Flat South Australia

Size: 750ml bottle

Alcohol/volume: 17.5%

Retails Currently: $13AUD

I found this to be quite a nice drop. It shows off a rich ruby red colour when poured into the glass. I noted a sweet aroma, however it was not overpowering. The more I observed the aromas I got sweet fruit, perhaps cherries, raisins and oddly enough maple syrup which I also noted after tasting the Port. There is a mild presence of spice which has balanced the sweet fruit flavour quite nicely and has a dry finish. Overall it was quite enjoyable and easy to drink –  In the end I must confess I was knocking the glass back as if it was water or soft drink on a hot day. Probably not the best idea but the most important thing is that I enjoyed every last drop.

So please – Join me next time, as we share in "The PORT Experience"

Na zdrowie!

Two fingers