The Grower's Basket

    A long time ago in a wine region far, far away, wine was made by simply fermenting grapes. Many people probably think this is still how it’s done today, but unfortunately in most cases, no. Today winemakers have a cocktail of additives at their disposal to create a comfortable recipe that in my opinion completely dissolves the concept of terroir. There are people out there who still believe in the timeless art of winemaking, which is now fashionably known as “Natural Wine”, and in Australia there is a place nestled in the hills where you will find them. Basket Range is a small, tight knit community within the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. Late last year when Jean and I attended Rootstock Wine Show in Sydney we had to chance to chat with some of the small batch winemakers from Basket Range and taste their wines. It was love at first sip, and we decided we would visit Basket Range on our Australia Adventure.   As we drove from the coastal city o...

Canberra is a happening suit and tie city that encompasses the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Jean and I are lucky to have a good friend who lives in the city, and being only a few hours from Sydney, it was a perfect first stop. Not only is it home to the capital city of Australia but another reason to visit is to journey through the 140 vineyards and 30 plus wineries that surround the city. What makes this region so special is the range in temperatures, soil types, and elevation giving the wines a cool climate advantage over most other regions around Australia. Our first visit was Lark Hill Biodynamic Winery . Jean and I had tried their wines before and were excited to finally see the vineyard and taste more of their offerings. The property definitely had a boutique feel with a stone building covered in crawling vines, hens scratching around the gardens, and a clumsy Great Dane puppy who greeted us on arrival. The owners were at the Cellar Door happy to pour wines and...

If there was ever a time in my life which could represent feelings of happiness, satisfaction, and fulfilment it would be the time I have spent in Australia.   Over the past 2 plus years I have been living and working in Mudgee, NSW for Lowe Wines . Most of my allocated vacation time was spent going back to Canada to visit friends and family, and of course a short vacation to Nepal. As my 15 month anniversary in Mudgee crept up I began to wonder, what’s next? Travelling has always been on the post Australia agenda and it was now time to think about making a strategic exit. I decided after my 2 year work contract was up I would spread my wings and fly. Of course, not alone. My partner, Jean had also confided in me about his feelings of ‘readiness’ to move on from Mudgee. There was a sense of guilt lingering in the air as we chatted around our dining room table when we decided we would leave before the new year in 2016, which also meant leaving just before vintage. I didn’t wa...

The Ham  It was a few months ago at the Mudgee Wine Show where I finally said it out loud: I want to get a pig and eat it.  Okay, I understand that sounds cryptic but I can assure you it’s truly not. Every week we walk the isles of the supermarket catering to our wants and needs for energy and if you are anything like me, you read the catalogs for the latest specials to save a couple bucks. If it isn't on special I don’t buy it but does that mean the product is not worth the money? *Light bulb* How hard can it be to grow/ raise you own food? I can barely fulfill my need for fresh herbs with my own herb garden so I am guessing if I had to raise my own animals for meat, the occasion where I do enjoy the beast would be much more sentimental, or perhaps appreciated. Thankfully one of the guys I work with raises pigs so I bought two. Okay it wasn’t that simple…let me break down the process. I talked to Maurice (pig man...

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to get out on our tractor at Lowe Vineyards and spray 10 hectares of vines with what is called “Biodynamic Soil Activator”. Unfamiliar as to what this was before coming to Australia, I was curious to explore its benefits.   In my previous post I talked about the principal behind biodynamics and explained the preparations . So to simplify this for you, all of the preparations are made as individual ingredients that contribute to a compost pile or a compost concentrate, then sprayed in the vineyard either as a foliar spray or soil spray.  The “Biodynamic Soil Activator” is a form of compost concentrate including prep 500-508, and we purchase this through a company called Biodynamics 2024 . We purchase this because currently we do not make our own preparations on site, but are at the beginning stages of managing our own preps and creating our own compost at Lowe Wines .  So…how does this all happen? Well, here is a br...

“ Biodynamics is a mindset, not a religion or a recipe . ” Monty Waldin Rudolph Steiner Since I began working in a biodynamic environment, many people have asked me… What the hell is biodynamics ? I will tell you right now, it’s not just cow shit, and cosmos. Biodyanmics involves the concept of organic farming , with more of a holistic and homeopathic approach involving: practicality, spirituality, and cosmic influences. Back in the 1920’s an Austrian philosopher named Rudolph Steiner gave a series of lectures geared towards a new approach to agriculture in response to the decrease in overall health of crops and livestock. This eventually became the foundation of Biodynamic Agriculture as we know it. So, we take a look at the vineyard and its soil as a single system and utilize what can grow on our site by integrating   plants and minerals into Biodynamic Preparations, which are then sprayed either as an atmospheric spray, foliar spray, or soil ...

Mudgee, Australia - known for fine wine, good gastronomy, cute B&B's, and local flare. Did I mention this is where I now call home?  When I left Canada I was anxious about the flight, and excited to see Australia. As the pilot announced we were making our final decent into Sydney, I gazed down at the coastline. The bright contrast from ocean blue to sandy white put a smile on my face, it meant change - new scenes, new people, new experiences. When the wheels hit the tarmac my zen moment suddenly became a sarcastic reality, as the glow of the 'golden arches' was the first sight to catch my eye.  I have had a couple days to settle into my new room with my new roommates, and my new neighbourhood. At the grocery store I was quick to learn the facinating self reliance of the country, almost everything is product of Australia. Today I went to check out my new place of work,  Lowe Family Wines . Without a doubt this is the perfect fit for me - organic vineyards, bi...