EARLY START PICKS UP VINTAGE PACE

BR JOHN CELEBRATES 50 YEARS GOURMET FEATURES THE FLAVOURS OF SEVENHILL

TASTE TEST CONFIRMS SUBLIME RIESLINGS

THETIBERSEVENHILL COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2013

ISSUE 015

John joined the Jesuits in 1949 with training

at Loyola College in the northern Melbourne

suburb of Watsonia. After working at Sevenhill

from 1963 to 1969, he returned to Loyola

College in 1969 where he was manager of

a large retreat house and novitiate.

However, when Brother Hanlon died suddenly

in early February 1972, John was recalled

to Sevenhill to become the seventh Jesuit

Winemaker because of his recent involvement

at the winery.

As manager of winemaking and viticulture,

John embarked on a program to improve

the winery buildings and facilities, and the

vineyards were expanded using the best

clones of varieties suitable to the Clare Valley

in conjunction with the then Department of

Agriculture (now Primary industries).

John retired from winemaking at Sevenhill in

2003, with his stewardship distinguished by

the emergence of Sevenhill’s reputation for

quality table wines, the growth of its cellar

door and visitor recognition of Sevenhill as

an important location of religious and

heritage character.

John’s passionate advocacy of Sevenhill

and the Clare Valley continues through his

active role in the winery’s activities and as

an ambassador for the region.

Vintage a time for sharing on a global scale

by Liz Heidenreich Winemaker

John celebrates 50 years with lunch on the lawn

Jesuit Winemaker Emeritus, Brother John May,

SJ, recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of

his arrival at Sevenhill Cellars just prior to the

1963 vintage.

John shared the milestone with Sevenhill staff

and the Jesuit community at lunch on the

winery lawn on Tuesday, February 26.

With the 2013 vintage in full swing, John

recalled it was quite different in 1963 when he

was an assistant to the then Jesuit Winemaker,

Brother John Hanlon, SJ.

“Most things were done by hand back then

and vintage started later because of the

emphasis on fortified varieties,” John said.

“I think we started vintage around March 17

in my first year.

“All the grapes were picked by hand into

buckets made from kerosene tins and these

were brought to the winery on wagons.

“It was only a few years before I came that

the horses that used to pull the wagons

were sold.”

John’s first year at Sevenhill coincided with the

start of an era when technology started to play

a greater role in wine production and new wine

styles were introduced.

The first airbag wine press was installed at

Sevenhill in 1963 and in 1968 the first dry white

table wine was made from Crouchen (Clare

Riesling) grapes.

With extra help needed during the long hours of vintage, it’s a great time for many people involved in the wine industry to gain valuable experience, regardless of whether they are just starting out or an older hand.

The vintage recruitment process usually starts around September when advertisements are placed for casual staff and inquiries start coming in from around Australia and overseas.

Each year, I try to employ a fourth-year winemaking student from the University of Adelaide. This supports the university and gives the student the chance to experience the practicalities of working in a winery during the busiest period of the year. It also keeps me in touch with what our winemakers of tomorrow are being taught today at tertiary level.

At Sevenhill, like many wineries in the Clare Valley, we also like to help an international winemaker to undertake a vintage in the Southern Hemisphere to expand their knowledge through working in another country.

With Australia’s vintage running from February to April and the Northern Hemisphere’s from August to October, it is possible for winemakers and cellarhands to do two, sometimes three, vintages in a year.

In recent years, we have hosted winemakers from Germany, Italy, the United States (Oregon and California), China and New Zealand. As I have found through working on vintages in Europe, these exchanges are a wonderful opportunity to build your understanding of winemaking and enjoy living in another country. You meet some great people along the way, many of whom become friends or valuable contacts to share information and skills.

All this make you realise just how fortunate we are to be part of a global industry that provides so many rewarding experiences.

Br John May with Vineyard Manager Craig Richards and Winemaker Liz Heidenreich.

Early start picks up vintage paceJohn celebrates 50 years with lunch on the lawn

Driving anywhere in the Clare Valley during

February and March it was very obvious that

2013 was a vintage of intense activity.

The roads were literally alive with vehicles

as harvesters, other equipment and loads

of grapes were on the move day and night,

seven days a week.

Sevenhill’s premium St Ignatius red blend

owes its creation to some extreme weather

back in the early 1970s.

Floods occurred in the Clare Valley during

winter in 1974 and the heavy rain continued

through the growing season. As a result,

Jesuit Winemaker Emeritus, Brother John

May, SJ, was not convinced that the Cabernet

Sauvignon or the Shiraz were suitable to

release as individual wines, so he blended

them together.

Not long after bottling, the well-respected

Melbourne wine merchant Doug Crittenden

tasted this wine and gave a great compliment,

exclaiming it was the closest thing to Pomerol

he had ever tasted!

Doug knew John and sent him a bottle of

his favourite Pomerol wine to taste. Indeed,

John could understand the similarities and

was keen to learn more about these wines

and why the Bordelaise blend Cabernet

Sauvignon with other varieties to create their

best. He investigated the related varieties and

found Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc

each added another dimension, so

he began planting some of the first of

these vines in the Clare Valley.

While the inspirationfor this blend

stems from France’s Bordeaux

region, the varieties are

suited to Sevenhill’s

cooler, later-ripening

conditions and the wine

reflects the Clare Valley’s

intense regional style.

Vineyard management

also contributes to low

vigour in the vines and

modest yields, ensuring

a wine of impressive

concentration.

The newly released

2010 St Ignatius is a

blend of Cabernet

Sauvignon (52%),

Merlot (28%), Malbec

(10%) and Cabernet

Franc (10%).

The frenetic activity reflected a vintage that

started early and, because of rapid ripening of

many varieties, shortening of the harvest with

some unusual consequences.

For example, Shiraz was picked ahead of

Riesling at many wineries, including Sevenhill,

an event which had not happened before, but

both varieties delivered very good quality.

At Sevenhill Cellars, vintage started on February 4, with delivery of the first load of Chardonnay to the winery – compared with February 13 in 2012.

Vineyard Manager Craig Richards said the early start reflected very dry conditions in the lead-up to vintage with little rain.

“We missed out on our normal spring rain, so the berries tended to be smaller but flavours were still quite intense,” he said.

“Only 30mm of rain fell during January-March, with one fall of 22.5mm on February 27.

“With consistently warm and dry conditions, including nights, the fruit certainly ripened very quickly, but fortunately we did not have any extreme heat.

“Of the reds, Shiraz has been the standout, showing very high quality. Riesling has proven itself once again, with above-average yields and good quality under dry conditions.”

Sevenhill’s vintage concluded before the end of March, with harvesting of the final fortified

wine varieties on Wednesday, March 27.

According to Winemaker Liz Heidenreich,

the wine is another distinguished red from

the highly regarded 2010 vintage when

good winter, spring and summer rainfall in

the lead-up to vintage laid the foundation

for a quality harvest. Mild conditions in

February and March allowed the fruit to

ripen evenly and

to be picked at optimum ripeness.

The result is a wine marked by aromas

of dense, dark berry fruits. The palate

is rich and concentrated, with spicy red

berry fruits, hints of chocolate, black

olive and grainy tannins. Tannins will

continue to integrate and soften over

time. Bottled under screwcap, the 2010 St

Ignatius is drinking very well now but will

also reward those willing to bottle age over

the next 5 – 10 years.

Father Paul Fyfe, SJ, blesses the first load of Chardonnay grapes delivered to the winery crusher on February 4 to start Sevenhill’s vintage.

A distinguished blend from a top year

See the Tiber Wine Offer for our bonus magnum offer with purchases of 2010 St Ignatius and 2009 St Aloysius six-packs.

Our cover image by Done Brice shows hand-picking of Sevenhill’s old-vine shiraz.

Treasurer Wayne Swan knows better than most

that the numbers add up when the value of

the Australian wine industry to the economy is

considered.

Therefore, it was not surprising that he was an

eager participant in a recent tasting of Clare

Valley wines at Parliament House that included

Sevenhill Cellars.

Winemaker Liz Heidenreich presented four

Sevenhill wines in conjunction with four wines

from Jim Barry Wines, introduced by Peter

Barry, head of the family company.

Sevenhill’s 2012 St Francis Xavier Single-

Vineyard Riesling, 2010 Inigo Cabernet

Sauvignon, 2009 St Ignatius and 2008 Vintage

Touriga were served to match a selection of

canapés at the Friends of Viticulture event.

The tasting was organised by the Winemakers’

Federation of Australia in conjunction with

South Australian MPs Nick Champion, the

Sevenhill wins plenty of votes in Canberra’s corridors

Sevenhill’s sacramental wine was presented to

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI as part of the

installation of Australia’s latest Ambassador to

The Holy See.

Mr John McCarthy, QC, presented his

diplomatic credentials to Pope Benedict early

in November last year at a ceremony attended

by his wife and children.

Of his presentation of Sevenhill’s

Sweet Red Altar Wine,

Mr McCarthy said in

a letter to the Pope:

“With this Australian

altar wine, I ask you to

remember Australia, and

the Australian people

in all their diversity, in

your mass, prayers and

reflections.

Mr McCarthy replaced the

Hon Tim Fischer AC, who

served as Australia’s first

resident Ambassador to

the Holy See from February

2009 until January 2012.

Australia and the Holy

See established diplomatic

relations in 1973 and

the bilateral relationship

has benefitted from the

appointment of a resident

Ambassador. This has

allowed closer dialogue,

advocacy and cooperation

with the Vatican on a broad

range of issues of importance

to Australia, including food security, inter-faith

dialogue, religious

freedom, international humanitarian relief,

and the promotion of peaceful and

sustainable development.

An event of significance for the relationship

in recent times was the canonisation of Mary

MacKillop as St Mary of the Cross on October

17, 2010.

Altar wine presented with diplomatic credentials

Member for Wakefield which takes in the

Clare Valley, and Amanda Rishworth, who

represents the electorate of Kingston to the

south of Adelaide.

The event was also attended by the Minister for

Science and Research, and Minister Assisting

on Tourism, Senator Don Farrell, the Minister

for School Education and Minister for Early

Childhood and Youth, Peter Garrett, and the

Minister for Employment Participation and

Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care,

Kate Ellis.

Liz Heidenreich (centre) and Peter Barry (third from right) with some well-known Government representatives.

Mr McCarthy is a senior lawyer who has been

actively involved in public and church affairs

for many years, as well as being a member of

the Australian Bar. He was extensively involved

in university education and governance, sports

administration, arts administration, legal aid

and professional committees and international

charitable and disaster relief activities.

Mr

McCarthy was Senior Counsel for the

Dunghutti people, appearing as Senior

Counsel in their successful native title case in

the Federal Court in 1997.

In 2006, Mr McCarthy was appointed Knight

Commander of the Order of St Gregory the

Great (KCSG) by the Holy See for services

to the Catholic Church in Australia and to the

wider Australian community.

Gourmet features the flavours of Sevenhill

The wine theme continues with dessert, which

is a trifle made with Sevenhill’s 2008 Vintage

Touriga.

All meals will be served with London Hill’s

hand-made, crusty, wood-fired bread and

freshly baked pastries and muffins will also

be available.

Joining the relaxed market-style setting on

Sevenhill’s lawns will be fresh coffee and tea

styles from the Travelling Bean stall and olive

oil and associated products will be on sale

from local producer, Warrick Grove.

All gourmet delights will be accompanied by

wine on sale from Sevenhill’s portfolio and

entertainment will be provided by popular

local ensemble, Tamarisque, who delighted

visitors last year with their melodic folk music.

Local produce will again be the focus of

Sevenhill Cellars’ Gourmet Weekend menu

this year on Sunday, May 19.

Our Local Affare food offering on the Sevenhill

lawn between 11am and 4pm will showcase

the skills of local food identities Phil Scarles

and Amanda Waldron, from London Hill

Catering.

The experienced duo has created two entrée-

sized main meals using free-range chicken

and saltbush hogget, raised on their own

property, providing authentic flavours of the

Clare Valley (see story next page).

The free-range chicken will be poached in

Sevenhill’s 2012 Inigo Riesling and served in

a roasted tomato and basil sauce with London

Hill’s fresh egg noodles.

The saltbush hogget will be slowly braised in

Sevenhill’s 2010 Inigo Shiraz and served with

autumn vegetables and seasoned rice.

Sevenhill’s Cellar Door will also be open from 10am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday of Gourmet Weekend.

Diane and John Schluter joke they probably

know Shakespeare’s plays as well as the

actors from Essential Theatre, who regularly

perform at Sevenhill Cellars.

The couple from the Adelaide suburb of

Paradise was in the audience for the first

Shakespeare in the Vines at Sevenhill and

they have been to the event every year since.

“We were staying in the Clare Valley at

Martindale Hall in 2003 and we saw a brochure

about the first Shakespeare in 2004,” Jim said.

“We booked our tickets and came up stayed

for the weekend and really enjoyed the show

(Twelfth Night).

“Since then we have come up each year

with a group of friends. We just love the way

Shakespeare is presented with the modern

humour and the costumes.

“It’s a wonderful setting to bring your chairs

and have a picnic – much different to any

theatre we enjoy in Adelaide.

“The location is so beautiful and everyone is

so friendly. We will be back again next year.”

Shakespeare veterans keep coming back

Diane and John Schluter (left) with friends June and Jim Bell, of Beaumont, South Australia

Sevenhill Cellars is one of 40 wineries featured

in this year’s 10 anniversary of the Noosa

International Food and Wine Festival on

Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Sevenhill Winemaker Liz Heidenreich is one of

the winemakers from around the country who

will be sharing her knowledge with consumers

and wine enthusiasts at a range of events

during the four-day festival from May 16-19.

In addition to hosting our stand in the food and

wine kiosk area between 10am and 7pm on

Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19, Liz will

be involved in two featured wine events during

the weekend.

On Saturday, she will join the expert panel to

discuss red wine between 1pm and 1.45pm at

a session in the Village Wine Marquee chaired

by prominent wine journalists Tony Love and

Max Allen.

Liz will also be involved in a dinner, Port

Douglas meets Noosa, sponsored by Sevenhill

at the River Cottage Restaurant on the Noosa

River on Friday, May 17, at 7pm.

The four-course dinner features a menu

developed jointly by Spencer Patrick, of Port

Douglas’ Harrisons Restaurant, and Mark

Wohner, owner and chef of the River Cottage

Restaurant.

A highly acclaimed chef in London before

coming to Australia, Spencer applies his

classic training and innovative European

methods to fine local produce and the creation

of dishes that appeal to the Australian palate.

Similiarly, Mark’s emphasis is on fresh, local

produce in an ever-changing menu that

reflects the seasons.

Sevenhill joins Noosa’s festive spirit

Tickets for the Noosa event can be purchased by visiting www.noosafoodandwine.com.au

A tumultuous finale of thunder and lightning

marked the Friday night performance of

Twelfth Night at Sevenhill Cellars’

Shakespeare in the Vines in February.

Fortunately, the threatening weather did

not eventuate and the rain also held off for

Saturday night’s production, despite some

black clouds hovering above the Clare Valley.

Essential Theatre’s cast and the audiences

on both nights relished the opportunity to

celebrate the 10th anniversary of Shakespeare

in the Vines at Sevenhill. More than 500 people

attended the weekend’s performances.

Essential Theatre’s Co Artistic Director Sophie

Lempel said Shakespeare’s comedies were

ideal for open-air theatre in a winery setting.

Next year, Essential Theatre will perform another of Shakespeare’s classics, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, at Sevenhill on Friday, February 21, and Saturday, February 22.

The journey to establishing a food business

in the Clare Valley built around local produce

began for Phil Scarles and Amanda Waldron

on the other side of the world.

They were both working at the same restaurant

in London in 1992 – Phil as a chef and Amanda

as front-of-house manager.

Catering couple with a commitment to regionalityAmanda was a former town planner from

Broken Hill who gave up office work to join

the food industry while travelling overseas.

Phil’s training was in classical French cuisine

and he started his career as a chef at the

five-star RAC gentlemen’s club in Pall Mall,

London. His career also included stints at

notable London restaurants Kensington Place

and the Terence Conran-owned Quaglinos.

Phil came to Australia with Amanda in

1995 and they worked together in various

restaurants before moving to the Clare Valley

in 1999 after discovering its delights while

passing through on holiday.

They purchased the former Sevenhill

schoolhouse and six hectares of land in

the valley and began working at a winery

restaurant where they leased the kitchen

to provide winery lunches, picnic hampers

and outside catering.

They now concentrate on catering and

gourmet produce that emphasise regional

flavours and seasonal ingredients. They have

planted an orchard of 80 fruit trees and they

also produce sheep, free-range chickens,

ducks and geese for use in their menus.

Both were instrumental in establishment of the

Sevenhill Producers’ Market, which operates

on the last Saturday of the month at Sevenhill’s

Madonna Hall.

Phil Scales with his produce at the Clare market.

Stormy backdrop to 10 years of Shakespeare

“Comedies are a perfect match for the vineyard

environment, they are light and fun,” she said.

“We really enjoy our visits to Sevenhill because

it’s such a beautiful setting.

“We have a great rapport with the

audiences here because they always

seem to love to get involved. They are

very engaging and a great mix of locals

and visitors from outside the valley.”

Essential Theatre was established by

Sophie with fellow Artistic Director and cast

member Amanda La Bonte, both of whom

performed in the first Tweflth Night at Sevenhill

in 2004.

Stelzer pointed out that while 2002 was not the

first vintage bottled widely under screwcap, it

as the first great one.

“It’s impossible to overstate the lease on life

afforded to Riesling by a consistent closure,”

he said.

“This is a vintage (2002) that is evolving slowly

and seamlessly toward the mature Clare Riesling

hallmarks of toast, honey, roast nuts, preserved

lemon and butter; the most refined examples

retaining a core of lemon and lime fruit.

“The consistency of the season carries all the

way to the bargain wines…the Sevenhill Cellars

Clare Valley Riesling (96 points) showing such

poise that it should drink magnificently for

another decade still.”

Referring to the later vintage, Stelzer said that

it seemed no one in Clare contested that both

years ranked among the best Riesling vintages

experienced by the winemaking fraternity.

“2012 infused Clare Riesling with fruit

concentration, crystalline natural acidity

and well-defined structure,” he said.

“Even ripening conditions afforded the

opportunity to harvest at the optimum moment

of ripeness to capture the Clare’s lime, lemon

and Granny Smith apple profile. This is a

Taste test confirms sublime Rieslings

Riesling’s long life and the benefits of the

screw cap closure have been reinforced in an

extensive tasting of two classic vintages of the

variety in the Clare Valley.

The highly regarded 2002 and 2012 Rieslings

were put to the test in a recent tasting staged

by the Clare Valley Winemakers’ Incorporated

to assess the development of the 2002 wines

and see how the 2012 rated in terms of a

stand-out year.

According to Tyson Stelzer, writing in the

January-February issue of Gourmet Traveller

Wine, there was a collective sense of awe

even before a glass of the 2002 Rieslings

were tasted.

“Never before had I seen 25 10-year-old

Rieslings glow with such astoundingly youthful

electric-green hues,” he said. “A decade on,

the 2002 vintage has never looked

more magnificent.

“A decade on, the wines certainly live up to

the hype. Wine after wine showed purity of

definition and an inherent sense of energy

that will propel it into the future.

“The real surprise came in the number of

wines that appeared to be only half-way

through their life.”

vintage in which the detail of the vineyard

and sub-regional expression is articulated

with particular clarity.”

See the Tiber wine offer for the chance to win a six-pack of the 2002 Sevenhill Riesling or Shiraz with Inigo orders.

Under guidelines developed by the

Winemakers’ Federation of Australia and

DrinkWise Australia, Sevenhill back labels

will include the internationally recognized

“pregnant lady” pictogram and the DrinkWise

logo, which encourages consumers to obtain

information from the DrinkWise website

(www.drinkwise.org.au).

Label changes promote responsible consumption of alcohol

Sevenhill Cellars has joined the Australian

wine industry’s campaign to build awareness

of the health risks associated with drinking

alcohol while pregnant.

In addition to promoting an important health

message, the campaign underlines the

wine industry’s commitment to responsible

consumption of alcohol.

Catering couple with a commitment to regionality

Supporting the campaign, the WFA said the

National Health & Medical Research Council

had issued advice that the safest approach

was not to consume alcohol while pregnant.

“This is an important issue for all winemakers,”

the WFA said.

“It is critical for the industry not only to meet

government and community expectations, but

to also demonstrate its genuine commitment

to support initiatives that promote appropriate

alcohol consumption.

“We are offering all winemakers the

opportunity to adopt the comprehensive

DrinkWise labeling initiative and to support its

wider communication campaign to change

Australia’s drinking culture.”

The DrinkWise labelling was introduced with

Sevenhill’s 2010 College Red label and will

be progressively applied to other labels as

vintages change.

Followers of fortifieds will have

another opportunity to discover

the delights of this winemaking

style at the Fabulous Fortifieds

Masterclass during

the June long weekend.

Jesuit Winemaker Emeritus,

Brother John May, SJ, will

conduct the Masterclass in

Sevenhill’s historic Slate Cellar

on Saturday, June 8, at 11am.

The forum includes discussion

of fortified wine styles, including

their development in Australia

and overseas, and the

opportunity to taste imported

and local examples.

The Masterclass, which costs

$40, includes all tastings and

extensive reference notes.

Sevenhill Cellars

College Road, Sevenhill, South AustraliaT: (08) 8843 4222 F: (08) 8843 4382 E: orders@sevenhill.com.au www.sevenhill.com.auPRINTED ON 100% RECYCLED CERTIFIED AND AUSTRALIAN MADE PAPER

When Sevenhill Cellars’ Winemaker Liz Heidenreich was working in

Portugal during the northern vintage, one of her favourite meals

was paella.

This wonderful seafood dish was enjoyed with a cold, crisp Vino

Verde or Verdelho, but it would also go well with the bracing acidity

of the 2012 Sevenhill Inigo Riesling.

Paella is a rice dish that originated in its modern form in the mid-

19th century near lake Albufera, a lagoon in Valencia, on the east

coast of Spain. Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain’s national

dish, but most Spaniards consider it to be a regional Valencian dish.

There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella

(Spanish: paella valenciana), seafood paella (Spanish: paella de

marisco) and mixed paella (Spanish: paella mixta).

SEAFOOD PAELLA

SERVES 6 – 8

INGREDIENTS

500g Kangaroo Island squid, cut into 3cm pieces

5 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 chicken thigh fillets cut into small cubes

150g shallot, finely chopped

1½ red peppers, seeded and chopped into 1cm pieces

1½ green peppers, seeded and chopped into 1cm pieces

1½ tsp smoked hot Spanish paprika

225g large raw peeled prawns

600g short-grain paella rice, such as Calasparra

1 heaped tsp loosely packed saffron strands

1.5 litres fish stock

250g large mussels, cleaned

SaltMETHOD 1. Place a 40–50cm paella pan over two burners on a medium

heat. Add the oil and garlic and, as soon as the garlic begins to

sizzle, add the shallot and fry for 5–6 minutes until soft and

sweet, turning the pan every few minutes so that everything

cooks evenly.

2. Add the red and green peppers and hot Spanish paprika , and

chicken and fry for 5 minutes until the peppers are just

softened. Stir in the squid and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until it

becomes white and opaque.

3. Scatter the prawns around the pan, add the rice and saffron,

and stir everything together well. Add the stock and 2½

teaspoons of salt and bring to the boil, stirring briefly to

redistribute the ingredients around the pan.

4. Leave to simmer vigorously for 6 minutes over a medium-high

heat, but do not stir it any more, remembering to give the pan a

turn every 2 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium, arrange

the mussels evenly around the pan and push them down slightly

into the rice. Leave to cook for a further 14 minutes, again

without stirring, by which time all the liquid will have been

absorbed and the surface of the rice should be pitted with

small holes.

5. Turn off the heat, cover the pan with a clean tea towel and

leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm straight

from the pan

If you are interested in registering for the Masterclass, please call (08) 8843 4222 or email orders@sevenhill.com.au

A Masterclass for fortified followers

Riesling perfect with paella