Downunderwines.net » Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island’s first winery – now in Penneshaw’s CBD

Michael Brecht — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 11:30:33 +0000

Most travel guides still cite the cellar door of Dudley wines to be out far East on Kangaroo Island, about 20km away from Penneshaw. But when you drive through this village where the ferries from Australia’s mainland reach the Islands shore, you cannot miss the big sign stating: ‘Dudley’s cellar door, now in Penneshaw.’ Right in its CBD if you like, just opposite the pub.

Well to tell you the truth, we are talking more about a cross of cafe, wine tasting counter and clothing shop than a real cellar door. The ones of us who aim to taste the wines in a romantic atmosphere close to the vines themselves will be disappointed. I am usually suspicious, when staff in a self-proclaimed cellar door starts the conversation with ‘would you like coffee or are you here for the wines?’, but hey, I am on my way to try out the wines from Kangaroo Island’s first and oldest winery.

Dudley Wines from Kangaroo Island

The wine portfolio consists of nine individual wines, presented in two ranges – the Island Range, which is priced at an entry level to suit locals and the many tourists coming to the Island and the premium Vineyard Series. On top of that Dudley now also has two limited releases available.

On this particular hot summer’s day I tried the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2007 Island Chardonnay and Dudley’s 2005 Porky Flat Shiraz – my impression: very average wines, aimed at the summer tourism market and all of them lacking character. I couldn’t help and ask a few questions about soil and wine production itself, however the staff wasn’t really able to help me out on this.

Coffee, wine or clothes, all in one shop

Kangaroo Island deserves better than this, so my recommendation is to avoid this ‘fancy’ set-up in Penneshaw’s CBD and try out the smaller local wineries while being on this wonderful Island.
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Mein Besuch bei Dudley Wines auf Kangaroo Island war leider eine ziemliche Katastrophe. Weit entfernt von romantischen Weinhuegeln, ist die sog. cellar door vor wenigen Wochen nach Penneshaw gezogen und hier steht eine Theke, plaziert zwischen einem Cafe und einer Modeboutique ausgestattet mit modischem Schick der 80er Jahre.

Die Dudley Weine selbst sind in zwei preisliche Segmente eingeordnet, zusaetzlich gibt es zwei limited releases. Saemtliche von mir probierten Weine waren eher durchschnittlich, leider konnte mir die dortigen Bedienung auch wenig ueber die Winery oder gar die Besonderheiten der Dudley Weine berichten.

Meine Empfehlung: der fish & chips shop in Penneshaw ist eine Reise wert, dort gibt es zwar keinen Alkohol, aber dafuer fantastischen Fisch, geoeffnet zwischen 16 und 20 Uhr.

Ihr Michael Brecht

Kangaroo Island – new vines and wonderful wines from the green Island

Michael Brecht — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:32:51 +0000

Kangaroo Isand is Australia”s third largest Island and since 2001 been declared as a wine region. The Island is one of Australia’s newest cool-climate wine areas. Most of KI’s population is concentrated on the East Coast, where you’ll find the majority of the winemakers, food producers and the cellar doors.

Currently there are 18 wine labels and six cellar doors in operation, and there is more to come. The most prestigious winery, The Islander Estate Vineyard operates a cellar door only by appointment, with most of the wines achieving top marks with the Australian wine critics. As they follow the taste of a more traditional french wine-making style, most of the wines do actually not meet the taste of the local Aussie wine folk.

The Islander Estate Vineyard Cellar Door

“We do not sell to many of these wines here on the Island as they are not really made for the average Australian wine taster”, explains the owner of the bottle shop in Penneshaw. This is quite a franc statement that explains well, why my tasting of a bottle of Rose of the wine label didn’t receive high marks at all the other night.

Dudley Wines claims to be the oldest winery on the Island and has recently shifted its cellar door from out east, close to the scenic but rather deserted Cape Willoughby Lighthouse to the centre of Penneshaw. Samples from nine wines are offered here nicely bundled with some fresh oysters or a seafood platter.

Dudley Wines at Cellar Door in Penneshaw

I have tried the Sauvignon Blanc 2008 which was planted at Grassy Flat, one of the three major estates that the winery gets their grapes harvested from. The wine shows a grassy aroma and offers a tropical fruit palate. It is unwooded and finishes with a fresh and very clean acidity, very nice for a summer quoffa with just 12.5% alcohol.

Six kilometers west we find a Sunset Tasting Experience at the Sunset Winery. Hosting lunches and sunset dinners throughout the summer months, the winery also offers the best of local produce, such as Island pure cheeses. The wines are lighter and aimed at the Sauvignon Blanc drinker, definitely reflecting the palates of customers after a summers day with 38 degree and lots of sunshine.

There are more tastings to be done.

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Kangaroo Island ist die drittgroesste Insel Australiens, liegt ca. 45 Minuten mit der Faehre suedlich vom Festland und ist seit 2001 eine eigenstaendige Weinregion, eine der neueren Cool Climate Regionen Australiens. Besonders auf der Ostseite der Insel finden wir die Wineries und die lokalen Cellar Doors.

Derzeit existieren 18 Weinlabels und es gibt sechs eigene Cellar Doors, viele der Weine erhalten heute bereits Topresultate bei Weinshows in South Australia. Neben The Island Estate Vineyards habe ich Dudley Wines und die Sunset Winery besucht, allesamt in der Lage gute Weissweine einer Cool Climate Weingegend zu produzieren.

Ihr Michael Brecht

The Islander Estate Vineyard – secret wine address from the Island

Michael Brecht — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:36:32 +0000

Not a surprise to many experts travelling to the Kangaroo Island every year, The Islander Estate Vineyard has for the third time in a row been named a five star winery with James Halliday. Consequently their star labelling in Halliday’s wine guide has now reached top status being five stars in red colour.

A Rose of The Islander Estate Vineyard

To tell you the truth, I have not been aware of The Islander Estate Vineyard before and tried to find their premises on a map of Kangaroo Island. A mere 45 minutes on a ferry away from South Australia’s mainland, this Island proves to be worth a trip for many food and drinks connesseurs, the Island becoming more of a green and healthy food addict kind of place in the past years.

The Islander Estate Vineyard provides no cellar door for tasting or buying purposes, so you have to rely on locals pointing you to the right bottle shop. Finally I find their wines in the bottle shop in Kingscote, the Islands main but ugliest village. The bottle shop provides a wide range of beers and a few bottles of the local winemakers.

Asking for a bottle of the Islands treasure wine, I receive a secret look saying: yes they are great but we don’t really get a lot of their stock. So I leave happily with a bottle of their Rose, nicely chilled (remember: 90% of Australian White and Rose gets drunk within 60 minutes after purchase here downunder – so the bottles have to be in the fridges – of which there are not many) – and ready for a sun-downer on our beach, a mere 5 minutes away from our house.

My first impression: not really great, though Rose was most likely not the style, Halliday tried while making this winery a 5 star winery. The varieties include Grenache, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc, a little too sweet for my personal taste, but the owner Jacques Lurton stems from a prominent French winemaking family. The alcohol content of 13.5% is a little on the upside for a summer quoffa, the bottle comes with a screwcap which comes handy, when we open the bottle on the beach.

I will try more of their wines in the next days, to find out, where the 5 stars come from, no worries.

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Das Islander Estate ist der grosse shooting star der Winemaker Szene des Kangaroo Island, die Winery gehoert Jacques Lurton, welcher aus bekannter franzoesischer Weinfamilie stammt. James Halliday hat der Winery 5 Sterne verliehen, und das bereits zum dritten Mal hintereinander, so dass in seinem jaehrlichen Weinfuehrer die Sterne nun rot erleuchten.

Ich selbst hatte vor meinem diesjaehrigen Besuch vom The Islander Estate Vineyard noch nicht viel gehoert, und so machte ich mich neugierig auf die Suche nach einer der Flaschen. Leider hat das Estate keine Cellar Door und in den lokalen Bottle Shops musste ich letztlich in die groesste aber eben auch haesslichste Kleinstadt der Insel Kingscote fahren, um hier ein Exemplar zu erwerben.

Mein Eindruck ist durchwachsen: mit 13.5% ist der Rose relativ hoch alkoholisiert, die Mischung aus Grenache, Sangiovese und Cabernet Franc ist nicht gerade mein Lieblingsfall, aber der Wein ist sauber und ohne Fehler. Keine Frage: ich muss mehr Weine aus diesem Hause probieren, um mehr uber den wahren Charakter dieser Winery erfahren zu koennen.

Mit sommerlichen Gruessen
Ihr Michael Brecht