AlexMacWine Club Schedule 2013

So it is nearly the end of the year which means lots of festivities, but also lots of preparation for 2013. To give you an idea what goes on at wine club I am publishing our schedule for 2013.

Why not create your own wine club and use some of these ideas to get you started? One of our fabulous wine clubbers Laura Jonsson has just written and published her first book titles '52 weeks of fun'. It gives you 52 great ideas of things to do with your girlfriends throughout the year. You can check it out at amazon or on her facebook page. I am pleased to say that AlexMacWine Club gets a mention and Mrs Jonsson was the one who suggested that I publish the secrets of Wine club for the world to enjoy.

Let me know if you have any questions or ideas.

As always, lots of love Alex Mac xx.

Tasmanian Devils

It is nearly the Christmas break and I have to admit I am very much looking forward to my holiday to Tasmania with a group of new friends. Normally I wouldn't have picked the island at the bottom of our great country as holiday destination but through a little research I have discovered that it is quite a wonderous little place with some seriously good wine.

In an attempt to get the most out of the trip I decided to have a look at some of the wineries that we might get to have a look at whilst we are travelling around. This is what I have found.

About the Region

Tasmania has a cool climate with a mild summer and long autumn days. In this type of environment the grapes ripen slowly and surely and therefore offer crisper/drier characteristics. The climate is similar to that of the famous European wines and therefore if you are interested in trying the European styles without the price tag then you don't have to go far!

Tasmania now produces some delicious and elegant cool climate wines that are gaining popularity including Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris and Sparkling wines. The wineries tend to be small but offer wine tastings at their cellar door. There are also a number of wineries that have lovely restaurants offering views of the water or the vineyard.

The Southern Wine Region

This region is made up of three different areas; the Coal River Valley which is a about 15 minutes by car north east of Hobart, Derwent Valley is a 35 minute drive and the Huon Valley/D'Entrecasteaux Channel region is around 30 minutes away. The climate is known as a maritime climate due to the proximity to the water which creates authentic cool climate wines. This would make an ideal day trip from Hobart where you can visit the historic villages of Richmond, New Norfolk, Huonville and Cygnet which have vineyard restaurants and cellar doors.

The Puddleduck vineyard looks super cute, The Richmond Tasting House has both Whisky and wine tasting which is sure to be a crowd pleaser and for the true enthusiast like moi there is Pooley Wines with a guided tour and lessons.

The North West Wine Route

This area is near cradle mountain and is home to lesser known towns and village sides. This region is closer to Davenport and sports a similar climate. Vineyards to visit here include Ghost Rock vineyard which is just 10 minutes drive from Davenport. You can sit outside and relax on the terrace whilst sipping delicious wines, nibbling on local produce and taking on the ocean and mountain views... sounds like heaven right! Lake Barrington Estate is very close as well and has a range of wines called Alexandra, clearly a must try. This area actually has a ton of lovely places to visit and is definitely worth getting lost in. Hawley House is one that I will definitely be checking out, take a peek at the link.

Launceston, Tamar and the North

Again, close to a city, I must admit the locations of the wineries in Tasmania are very convenient! A few to check out here include Pipers Brook Vineyard which has an architecturally-acclaimed cellar door offers tastings and sales of Kreglinger sparkling, Pipers Brook and Ninth Island wines, Three Wishes Vineyard because we all need a little luck sometimes and of course saving the best until last Jansz... Begin and end with bubbles!

Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac xx

Drinking wine at Christmas time

As those of you who live at the bottom of the world along with me know, Christmas time is generally quite hot and therefore requires a very different wine list to our friends in the Northern Hemisphere.

Here are a few of my favourites to drink at Christmas time:

Bubbles, Fizz, Sparkling, Champagne

It is really all the same thing and in my opinion is something that can really be enjoyed all year round and on any occassion (except maybe a wake), however there is truly all the more reason to celebrate when everyone is getting on their festive cheer.

As a self proclaimed francophile I can definitely say that the French Champagne is close to my heart with some of my favourite brands consistently producing quality champagne including Veuve Cliquot, Moet Hennessy, Taittinger and Piper. These can be a little expensive though and are nice to keep for that special occassion or the first bottle for the evening. That said, when I was in Dan Murphy's recently I did purchase a few bottles of Piper for $35 per bottle which was a pretty incredible price! 

They have some great specials on at the moment, so if you can't go past the French stuff I recommend taking your car and stocking up. Dan Murphy's Champagne

For those of us who can only afford one special bottle never fear, local Aussie and other new world wine producers make some delicious bubbles that you won't even notice is not the original stuff. Some goodies include Jansz from Tasmania, Chandon - the little sister of Moet, and Grant Burge. Dan Murphy's Sparkling

White stuff

The Christmas parties are definitely in full swing now and the weekday lunches are beginning to fill up which is one of the best parts of the year. But what to drink? Generally I try to keep it light when eating out at a restaurant, especially when I have to go back to my desk and attempt to be productive in the afternoon. As a basic rule I usually pair light food with a light wine to try and make the flavour balance equal.

Wines that always come back in when summer comes knocking include a young Riesling such as the Pewsey Vale from the Eden Valley. This is a seriously easy drinking wine that subtly demonstrates the flavours without being too overpowering as I can sometimes find Riesling. I had this one last Friday at the new Merivale hot spot Mr Wong. It went superbly with our steamed ginger fish. I have also always loved a Pinot Gris but it is something that I am finding is becoming more and more brutalised as every Tom, Dick and Harry gets on the Pinot Gris train for a ride. Be careful when choosing this one and make sure that you get some advice if you don't have an idea of what you want. Some of the poor quality versions can taste watered down and tasteless.

Slurpable Red

The 'slurpable red' is a favourite term of my boyfriend who pretty much calls any resaonably priced tasty wine by this name. I quite like it myself as it says to me that I can have more than one glass when I am out without fear that I look like I am from the Twilight movies with blood-sucking teeth. No favourite brands at the moment but definitely feeling the medium bodied slurpable-ness of my friend Merlot.

Enjoy the festive season and until next time have a glass for me. Alex Mac!

Wine Etiquette - Drinking it right

Etiquette is generally something that you learn in school or from your parents that speaks to how one should behave in certain social occasions. However over time these become skewed and it can sometimes be difficult to decipher what is actually good manners, what is completely pretentious and then what is just plain silly. I thought it would be fun to do a little research and make sure that my wine etiquette skills are up to scratch before frequenting the parties of the silly season. This is what I found out... 

1. Fill 'er up!

When pouring yourself a glass of wine it is proper to fill a red wine glass 1/3 full, a white wine glass 1/2 full and a champagne flute 3/4 full. You can always go back for more... I know what you are thinking!

2. Glass grabber

Hold the glass by the stem for all types of wine. This prevents you warming white wine that should be served chilled and also stops you leaving smudgy fingerprints at the top of your glass. I learnt this one the hard way, having to change a smudgy glass half way through a business lunch. Eeek. Let's just say whatever the reason it is always better to hold by the stem.

3. Too many wines, what to drink first?

When drinking wine it is always best to start with the lightest wine first starting from the lightest of whites to the heaviest reds. If you don't know which variety is lighter then go by the colour of the wine. Generally speaking the lighter the colour in both white and red the lighter the wine will be. The reason you do this, is because as the wines become heavier so do the flavours and it will be very difficult to go backwards to taste the subtler flavours.

4. Hostess with the mostess

It is the host's job to make sure that the glasses of all the guests stay full, so grab that bottle and mingle with those party goers!

5. Would you like to try the wine?

The waiter will generally pour a small amount of wine into the glass of the person who ordered the bottle. This is so you can make sure that the wine is not corked, NOT for you to taste it and see if you don't like it. Wine that is stored under screw cap is almost never corked (because there is no cork) so you can just tell the waiter that it will be fine if you prefer not to go through the motions.

6. Merci beaucoup!

When someone brings an expensive bottle of wine to a dinner party you are hosting it is bad manners to put it on your wine rack and keep for your self. It is much better to graciously accept the wine and say how well it will go with whatever dish it best matches. If you are concerned about the wine that your guests bring match the wine why not let them know that you will be cooking?

7. You don't know what you don't know...

When you are at a restaurant ask the sommelier their advice. It is their job to create a wine list that specifically goes with the menu. They have tasted every wine on the list and will be able to help you find something that will suit what you are going to eat to your taste in wine.

I hope these little tips help you through the party season with a spring of confidence in your step.

Until next time. Have a glass for me. Alex Mac x

Other blogs to check out about Wine Etiquette:

A CUP OF JO - Super fun blog

Winery2U - First time here but some interesting tips and wineries to visit

A spring in our step

Finally Spring is here bringing us a refreshed outlook on life as the gloom of winter dissipates behind us. While we are not yet ready to put all of our coats and stockings away, it is definitely time to put our toe in the water and start exploring new wines to match our sunny disposition and enjoy that glorious ride into the lazy summer days.

Just as I am ready to park my parker, I am also ready to leave those big reds on my wine rack and start enjoying the lighter side of life. Moving from a big red to the lightest of whites is clearly a process though, I will need to adapt my wine selection to the weather and warm up to summer where I foresee myself sipping Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at a picnic in the park, relaxing with a Rose at an afternoon BBQ or bubbling away with the festivities of Champagne in the lead up to Christmas. But what lies in between? Well, I will have you know that there is an assortment of wines to sample in white and red that will tempt your taste buds in this beautiful interim season.

On a Spring day where the sun is shining, yet there is a chill in the air you may still need something soothing, a quality which I find mostly in red wine. A medium bodied version that I have recently taken notice of is Merlot. It is an interesting grape dark blue in colour. It is widely planted throughout the world as it can be used on its own to create a single variety wine (known as a varietal), or it can be blended with other grapes to create a multitude of wines differing in complexity and flavours. It is a grape that ripens quickly and is best produced in cool climate regions.

The best quality Merlot is grown in Australian vineyards in the cooler areas of Adelaide Hills, Eden Valley, Orange and the Limestone Coast. As recommended on the Australian Good Food and Travel Guide some Merlots worth trying this Spring are recommended below. Try one of the ones suggested or speak with the shop assistant at an independent local bottle shop to get some advice on a good wine. One I really like is the Wolf Blass Yellow Label Merlot. It is very affordable at $15.99 and is a really easy wine to drink.

Enjoy the first days of Spring and until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac

Taylors Clare Valley Merlot 2006

This wine is one of substance with fleshy fullness of flavour. The palate has an abundance of red be...

RRP: $19.99 |

Bliss Vineyard Merlot 2005

With optimal temperatures for a unprecedented growing season, 2005 afforded us the perfect weather f...

RRP: $21.00 |

Printhie Orange Merlot 2006

A complex bouquet of earthy, blackberry aromas. This Merlot continues onto a round and soft palate d...

RRP: $19.00 |

Blue Pyrenees Merlot 2006

Winery: Blue Pyrenees Estate

Crash course in colour

We already know that the aromas found in the wine give us hints about what type of grape the wine is made from and depending on the ripeness of the fruit present what region that might be. But what about the colour? 


Personally, I find that my eye sight is far more acute than my sense of smell. This is because we spend our entire lives training our eyes to recognise the subtle differences between teal, aqua and sky blue. It is for this reason that I find that it is easier to get more accurate hints about the wine from the colour when first learning.


When you look at a white wine the first thing that you probably notice is the colour. Is it so pale that you can barely see the colour? If so, you can draw two general conclusions. Firstly, the wine is likely to be a young wine, probably harvested within 24 months of when you are consuming it at your table. So, if it is 2012 now, then the wine that you are drinking is likely to be 2011 or 2010. This is a pretty good party trick for those interested in such childish games like moi ;).


Secondly, the wine is likely to have been produced in a cool climate. If you can think logically for one moment go with me here, when you are in a place that is known to be colder you always take a jacket with you for the evening. In summer in this cold place, the days can be nice when you are standing in the sunlight and you can warm yourselves. However, when the sun goes behind a cloud or sets earlier in the evening you need to put your jacket on. It is hard to imagine that luscious fruit would have the opportunity to ripen in this environment isn't it? 


Well, for that reason exactly grapes grown in a cool climate don't ripen like their sunnier counterparts. The fruit remains tight with flavours and acidity, never having enough sun to obtain a richer colour. The ripeness of the fruit used to make the wine then has a direct correlation to the colour of the wine made. For example if you juice an under ripe orange you will get light watery coloured orange juice with a much more subtle orange flavour. If the orange was however perfectly ripe with a bright orange skin and scent that permeated through, the juice you get from this orange will be brightly coloured with a strong flavour and smell. 


On the flip side, if your white wine is a deeper gold colour then you can draw the conclusions that it is grown in a warmer climate and is likely to have some age. The wines that are the lightest in colour and are best consumed in the first two years after bottling are called 'Aromatics' and include Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminer, Riesling and Viognier. Then there are some white wines that change their colour depending on where they are produced. The best example of this is Chardonnay. If the chardonnay grape is produced in the classic Burgundy style it is grown in a cool climate and creates a crisp and clean wine, with a light colour. A Chardonnay from sunny South Australia would have a much brighter disposition and be a deeper golden colour.

So white wines go from pale to dark as they age but red wines do the opposite. When red wines are young a vibrant they have a red/purple colour. As they age they lose the purple and gain brown hints. The best thing to do when you first get to try the wine is tilt the glass at about a 45 degree angle and look at the colour. If it has elements of purple in it then it is likely to be a younger wine. If it is simply a red colour then it is probably a few years old, and if it is somewhat brown then it probably has a few more years again. 


This is of course an initial guideline as with red wine the grape variety also has a lot to do with the colour. This is because with red wine the colour is determined by the skin of the grape and its contact with the juice. But that is a longer more complicated story for next time. I hope that has been helpful. Shoot me through any questions that you have and I will do my best to answer them.


Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac.

Once a month

As you have probably noticed the frequency of my blogs has become less in the last few months. Without being apologetic I wanted to let those who support my blog know that the lack of writing has not been from a diminishing interest in wine, quite the contrary actually! A few months ago my family received some life changing news and there has been less time to write and even less time to spend researching things that might somehow enrich your day, which is what I always try to do.


Rather than abandon my post during this time, my wonderful boyfriend suggested that I just write once a month enabling me to uphold my responsibilities to my family but also to my supporters and to my passion.


I promise to continue bringing you tales of wine from the secret world of Alex Mac on a monthly basis. Once through this difficult period I fully intend to get back on that horse and bring you weekly tales about my wonderful wine adventures and discoveries.


Thank you for supporting my blog. Love always Alex Mac.