In some ways, the natural wine movement and I grew up together (from afar). It was 2011 and I was just starting out as a sommelier when Tom Shobbrook and the late Sam Hughes (in neon pink hot pants, no less) came bursting through my door with their newest vintage of Natural Selection Theory wines (crafted alongside Anton Von Klopper and James Erskine). Twelve years on, that first meeting still lives in my mind and I hold it dear as I reflect on the impact a group of winemakers in South Australia’s Basket Range had on the entire Australian wine industry, for better and worse.
It’s a complicated story to tell but it’s one Tom Keelan, winemaker and ex-president of the Adelaide Hills Wine Region and I have discussed many times over the years: how the natural wine movement was bouyed by charismatic storytellers. “The winemakers would go meet sommeliers and buyers and share stories. For so long, wine selling has been about talking about awards and how the wine was made – but the natural wine movement got people to buy into a story.” These winemakers had the advantage of being funny and personable; treating sommeliers like friends when establishment winemakers made sommeliers the brunt of their “wine wankers” jokes.
Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Gourmet Traveller.
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Gourmet Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Not a vegetable but rather a flower bud that rises on a thistle, the artichoke is a complex delight. Its rewards are hard won; first you must get past the armour of petals and remove the hairy choke. Those who step up are rewarded with sweet and savoury creaminess and the elusive flavour of spring. Many of the recipes here begin with the same Provençal braise. Others call on the nuttiness of artichokes in their raw form. The results make pasta lighter and chicken brighter or can be fried to become a vessel for bold flavours all of which capture the levity of the season.
