Grape Porn

I am usually a preparer. If I am going to do something, whether it be travel, bake or just go out to dinner; I study my project first, make a plan, decide what I am going to order (trust me, it is much better than have me sit in a restaurant overwhelmed by the choice of a whole menu!). My journey into the wine world has not been like that though. From snippets of knowledge gained at many a cellar-door I have trip-stumbled my way into jobs in wine retail, wine bars and now a winery. I have learned an enormous amount along the way and there is something delightfully innocent about the constant search for knowledge and the feeling that there is still this enormous cloud of possibility to be explored.

Until now I have never really worked this way. I have studied and learned all the information first and then started doing. I was always scared of blagging my way through, being discovered for a fraud. My life is about learning so this was a very narrow-minded way of approaching it, life. So bring on the trip-stumbling.

Such was (and still is) the case with wine-making. I have buckets of textbook knowledge since doing my WSET Level 3 exam and important sounding words about wine-making techniques trip off my tongue with surprising ease but it was a bit like reading some J. R Tolkien and considering yourself an expert on Hobbit physiology. To put it simply, I had not seen grapes, except in the supermarket, and they do not count. Most of my visits to wineries have always been in winter when the vines are dormant. A couple of times I have been close to vines that had leaves on them which generated much excitement but rarely have I see actual wine grapes and been allowed to go close enough to touch them.

Until now.

I assume not everybody is as excited about wine grapes as I am but some of you may be interested in seeing what they look like before they become the elegant complex nectar in your wine glass.
Just after starting my new job I took myself on a little excursion around the winery to photograph the vines and taste the grapes and this is what I came up with:

Sauvignon Blanc

I had a bit of a revelation when I popped a sauvignon blanc grape into my mouth- tropical fruit salad and passionfruit exploded in such rich concentration. I am not a big savvy b fan (except for Sancerre) but the grapes are one of the most delicious things in the world (the world, I tell you).

Sémillon

A burst of lemon citrus

Pinot Gris

Now I had heard that these grapes had 'a pinkish skin' so when I went looking for them in the vineyard I had 'Hello Kitty' colouring in mind. I had to go back and check the marker post 3 times to make sure I hadn't stumbled upon a patch of merlot or something. But I hadn't, this is pinot gris my pretties and it too is very pretty. Different clones produce a variation in colour from a light pinky/grey to a bit darker than this; but you can see why there can be a slightly pinkish tinge to the resulting wine if the grapes are left in contact with the juice for a few hours.

Chardonnay
Incredibly versatile grape. If you think you don't like chardonnay, keep trying them, there are so many different styles that can be produced and the latest trends are leaning towards more subtle oak and crisp acidity (in Australia at least).

Barbera
A very food friendly variety with naturally high acid levels that match well with tomato-based Italian foods. These were not quite ripe when I took this picture and the distinct sour cherry flavour was intense.

Merlot
Such pretty berries- unfortunately the birds have been feasting a bit so the bunches aren't as dense as they could be.

Tempranillo

Shiraz
Rich and fruity and spicy- just delicious!

Cabernet Sauvignon
A late ripening variety- these weren't quite ripe when I tasted them but the blackcurrant characters were already present

There is one significant problem that arose from this little photography project- I have been ruined for ordinary table grapes. Even the nice ones are just so plain and low in flavour compared to these magical Willa Wonka-ish bursts of intensity.