The Demystified Vine

It has been a little while since I’ve written a post. Life has been busy enough to keep me away from my writing, which, in my humble opinion, means I’m too busy. I was hired to create and deliver a culinary course at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, and take it from me…that takes time.

Back into the world of wine, I was recently working at the wine shop, and there was an opened bottle of Skillogalee Sparking Riesling. Apparently, word has spread that this special wine will no longer be available once the stock is all gone. Importers, in other words, won’t be reordering, folks.

Now, if you know anything about Skillogalee wines, you will also know this is sad news. Skillogalee is making some fantastic wines out of the Clare Valley in Australia. Varietals range from Riesling to Shiraz to Liquer Muscat. Sounds like a beautiful range of varietals, right? No lie. I don’t lie.

Handcrafted boutique wines by father and son, this winery was established in the early 1970s and their first wine was released in 1976. After only 2 years, their Riesling won some major awards, putting them on the map. Planted on stony soils with eastern facing slopes, the grapes that Skillogalee produce are hand-tended to and hand picked. Yields are low, and small batches of taken-care-of-wine is what you will taste in every bottle. For more on the history and what “skillogalee” actually means, click here.

So… the tasting note!

Before I spit that tasting note out (ha!), let me tell you that Liberty on Commercial Drive still has a few bottles in stock for about ~$29.00. I believe most of the employees have taken the opportunity to purchase a bottle or two, knowing that they won’t be able to get it anymore.

A clear, pale gold colour with nicely sized bubbles, the Skillogalee Sparking Riesling is youthful in its own right. With a medium intensity bouquet, this wine shines with innumerable characteristics. Lemon juice, floral notes (white flowers, elderflower), sweet vanilla pod, apricot, white peach, and that stunning petrol (minerality) pop from the glass. The added smell of white freezies from childhood made me think of pineapple.

On the palate, the fine bubbles created a non-aggressive, and solidly enjoyable mousse. Dry, high acid, and medium bodied, the stony minerality was complemented by tight citrus and green fruit notes. Some stone fruit came out to play, too. The slightly bready notes were more noticeable on the palate, as this sparkling Riesling was done in the traditional method, and spent 18 months on its lees.

My conclusion: Very good. DNNIFA (for all you wine geeks out there.)

Now…go buy some before it’s all gone, and save yourself from the decisiveness of importers!

Cheers!