Celebrate World Environment Day with  a 5 course organic degustation at The Restaurant at 3 Weeds Balmain. The delicious sounding tucker is being matched with Battle of Bosworth Wines. Dinner is on Tuesday the 5th June and costs just $90.00. Bookings can be made by calling 02 9818 2788. I have attached the  menu (along with the Battle of Bosworth wine matchings) below, to whet your appetites. 

Bonito

Citrus, kohlrabi remoulade, ponzu, apple and horseradish

2011 Battle of Bosworth  Sauvignon Blanc

Thirlmere Spatchcock

Roasted breast, confit leg sausage, pineapple sage and chestnut

2011 Battle of Bosworth  Chardonnay

Richmond Pork

Milk poached belly, fennel root, lemon balm and cider jus

2011 Battle of Bosworth ‘Puritan’  Presevative Free Shiraz

 Grass Fed Beef

Braised cheek, bone marrow tortellini, baby leeks and heirloom carrots

2010 Battle of Bosworth Cabernet Sauvignon

Selection of 3 cheeses with date chutney and house-made lavosh   

2010 Battle of Bosworth ‘Clarence’  Botrytis Semillon

As of 1st May 2012 both of our Battle of Bosworth Scarce Earth Single Vineyard Shiraz are now available for (limited) tasting and sale in cellar door. Made in very small quantities, the 2010 Scarce Earth Braden’s Single Vineyard Shiraz and 2010 Scarce Earth Chanticleer Single Vineyard Shiraz are for sale in a twin pack at cellar door. We will be opening a bottle of each for tasting  on the weekends as we have such limited stock of this wine. Comparing and contrasting the effects of differing geology and soil on these wines (which have been made in exactly the same way) is a fascinating exercise. To our mind Chanticleer is more floral and Braden’s has more earth and chacuterie on the nose. Cellar door is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday 11-5pm. 

Bozzie was on duty, and had a chat with Michael Smith from ABC 891 about the wines he showed (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Best of Vintage and ‘Clarence’ sticky Semillon). Louise just ate and drank. Ian Adam who works cellar door here at BoB won the lucky door prize, a copy of Valli Little’s recent book. 

Joch and Louise had a visit from Trudi Jenkins, Editor -in-Chief of Delicious Magazine the next day at cellar door, so it was lucky they had not just returned 20 minutes earlier from a sleepover at Langhorne Creek, stinking of bonfire and wearing the same clothes they had worn at lunch the previous day. Authentic, that’s what we are.

Louise caught up with uber-bloggers Patrick Haddock (www.winingpom.com.au @winingpom) and Andrew Graham (www.ozwinereview.com.au, @ozwinereview) at the Elbow Room restaurant on Branson road. Chef is ex-d’Arry’s Verandah Nigel Rich and the food was excellent. That Bosworth Chardonnay was good too, although after 3 weeks with kids on school holidays I think Louise would rather it was in her glass not lying next to the entree.

The boys (plus other members of the fourth estate) were in town to taste the 2010 Scarce Earth Single Vineyard Shiraz wines (all 28 of them).  McLaren Vale Scarce Earth wines explores the geological, climatic and soil diversity of the region. All wines come from a single block, a small plot of land with a unique flavour profile and personality. Those last two sentences were lifted from the official blurb that MV Grape Wine and Tourism provided us with, not my words, but you get the drift.

Joch is at the old Tatachilla Winery as this blog post is typed, showing off the 2010 Battle of Bosworth Chanticleer Single Vineyard Shiraz and the 2010 Battle of Bosworth Braden’s Vineyard Single Vineyard Shiraz. Note the nice new banner which Louise finally succumbed to buying.

The two Battle of Bosworth Scarce Earth wines will be available in cellar door from May 1st onwards. They will be available as a pigeon pair, allowing the purchaser to compare and contrast the wines in light of their differening geology and soil types. It’s a fascinating exercise. To our mind Chanticleer is more floral and Braden’s has more earth and chacuterie on the nose….

We had some rain last weekend (30mm in fact), which was very welcome. As a true countryman Joch knew this was coming, not by looking at the Elders Weather website, but by having a bogong moth fly into his head and nearly knock him out. These giant moths only come out when rain is imminent, and then only have about 24 hours to go about their breeding business before they pop their clogs. Speed dating extraordinaire. I  googled bogong moths just now, and the site  did not mention their abbreviated sex life, so maybe Joch was lying. Whatever the story, they are a big moth.

And finally, while we’re in this corner of the paddock,  we had visitors in the vineyard the other day down near Snake Gully. It is a bit  cliched, but everyone loves a kangaroo. 

McLaren Vale Scarce Earth project is a celebration of McLaren Vale’s best Shiraz vineyards reaching their full expression through single block wines. The 2010 wines are carefully selected by a panel to ensure they reflect their sense of place and express their true fruit characters. McLaren Vale Scarce Earth explores the geological, climatic and soil diversity of the region. All wines come from a single block, a small plot of land with a unique flavour profile and personality. Come and try them! Book at http://www.mclarenvale.info