It is no secret that the Georgian dictator Joseph Stalin who one ruled Russia exclusive drank wine of the saperavi grape. Now here is a chance for Quensland drinkers, too. Some of the largest Australian plantings of saperavi occur in the South Burnett. The wines are richly coloured, the taste long-flavoured and very memorable … >> Read more
By Peter Scudamore-Smith, Master of Wine
Published in Queensland Smart Farmer, Feb/Mar 2014
The Prendergast family have been locals in Moffatdale village since early 1990s. Their establishment, Dusty Hill vineyard borders the fringes of Lake Barambah, aka Bjelke-Petersen Dam, and back into the nearby ridges which support the north-south rows of grap vines.
Today, there is a new beginning for Dusty Hill vineyard.
Despite the first harvest of grapes int he 1999, that inaugural wine production happened nearby in a large winery. From 2014, Joe Prendergast and his winemake Nick Pesudovs have commissioned a new winery directly on the property in the true concept of estate production-grown, made, bottled and sold on an dfrom the property to keen the connection.
When I asked Joe to describe the vineyard’s origin his reply was … Read article
By Peter-Scudamore-Smith, Master of Wine
Published in Queensland Smart Farmer, Dec 2014 – Jan 2015
A Leading wine entrepreneur of the South Burnett is Jason Kinsella of Moffatdale Ridge. He is a commanding fellow, measured and gently spoken who always reminds me that he makes wine his customers’ enjoy.
So a visit to his brightly-painted, colonial-style cellar door built near Barambah Creek on a 145-hectare beef property is beckoning. The imposing Moffatdale Ridge insignia pitched against the roof suggests a proud family business … Read article here.
By Peter-Scudamore-Smith, Master of Wine
Published in Queensland Smart Farmer, Aug – Sept 2014
With proud Sicilian roots, it is no wonder Ray Costanzo is a champion winemaker, and now the Queensland maestro of alternative variety of wines.
He hails from a very drinkable address on 337 Sundown Road, deep in Strange Bird wine country – that is, in the rural hamlet of Ballandean, a good 10 kilometres south of the granite town of Stanthorpe.
To visit Ray’s cantina (winery), you need to stump up to a glass of white vermentino (origins north-west of Sicily in Sardinia) or red nero d’avola, the hero red grape of the hot lands of southern Sicily, the Costanzos’ homeland.
To read more about Golden Grove Estate’s Ray Costanzo … Read article here.
By Peter-Scudamore-Smith, Master of Wine
Published in Queensland Country Life, Jun-Jul 2014
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