Strangebird on the loose - Petit Verdot

Juliane from Granite Ridge Wines is here this week to tell us a little bit about Petit Verdot.

'Petit Verdot means 'the little green one' - it is a late ripening variety with intense colour and high tannins.  Its home is Bordeaux, France where it is used as a small component in the Bordeaux blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.

We first became interested in planting the variety after tasting a straight Petit Verdot from Maclaren Vale in the late 1990s.  We planted ours in 1999 and have found it suits our climate and is relatively trouble free to grow.  It grows in a loose bunch and has small berries with thick skins, which means that it is fairly disease resistant and can cope with our summer rains.  Our vines crop vigorously and we thin the bunches to keep the yield down.

 We make a 100% Petit Verdot and also use it in our red blends. It produces a beautiful dense, dark wine with aromas of violets, spice and leather and some wonderful flavours of dark berries, plums and cherries.  Our current release is the 2009 Petit Verdot.'

 
The Stanthorpe State High School also introduced Petit Verdot to its vineyard some years ago and this fruit was the basis of the Banca Ridge 2013 Petit Verdot that won the first Gold medal received by QCWT and the SSHS.

Queensland's First Ever Ophicleide Recital

 Queensland's first ever Ophicleide Recital is happening in the concert hall at Robert Channon Wines at Stanthorpe in Queensland’s Granite Belt on Sunday October 4^th.

The concert features Nick Byrne, Australia’s leading player of the ophicleide and David Miller one of the country’s finest pianists. What is an ophicleide? Why is the Battle of Waterloo important? and why is this Queensland’s first recital?

The Ophicleide is a 19^th century brass instrument that looks a bit like a brass bassoon.

But for the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, it might never have been invented.

After the battle, the victorious troops marched to Paris, led by military bands. The Grand Duke Constantine of Russia is said to have been delighted by a particular bandsman from an English regiment, playing a keyed bugle. Constantine had a copy made (of the instrument not the bandsman) by instrument maker, Halary, who in 1817 went on to develop a family of three new keyed brass instruments. He called his soprano instrument a "clavitube", the alto a "quinti-clave" and the bass instrument an “ophicleide".

“Ophicleide” was a made up name from the Greek words meaning ‘serpent’ and ‘keys’. The serpent was the excitingly named but hapless wooden tubed instrument (coiled into a snake-like shape) that the ophicleide replaced in bands and orchestras. Unlike the serpent though, which had been in use for more than 250 years, the heyday of the Ophicleide was to be short. The newly invented tuba (with valves instead of keys) swept in as the instrument of choice from the 1870’s.

How do we know that this is Queensland’s first recital? Well, we don’t really, but according to a paper delivered by CG Austin in 1961 on the subject of Early Musical Performances in Queensland, the first professional orchestra to play in Brisbane was in 1872 – already towards the end of the ophicleide’s orchestral reign.

In recent times, Nick Byrne (also a Sydney Symphony Orchestra trombonist) played the ophicleide in Brisbane in a performance with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra but he says that as far as he also is aware “this will be the first time an Ophicleide has performed in any solo capacity in Qld!”

What does it sound like? According to the Musical Instruments Museum “This instrument is particularly agile and endowed with a beautiful sound quality. But like all instruments, it requires a good ear to play it correctly.”

Why should you come to the concert? Two of Australia’s finest musicians are performing and, it may be another 150 years before you get your next chance to hear this noble old instrument being played.

Robert Channon said,  ”I have a small collection of old instruments including a serpent and an ophicleide. It will be a joy to hear the ophicleide being played properly at last. I always feel that I would be able to make a better fist of playing it if I had been born with three hands.”

The concert is in the Swigmore Hall at Robert Channon Wines on Sunday 4 October at 2.00. Tickets are $25 including a glass of wine at the interval, and they can be booked through the winery on 07 4683 3260.

Robert Channon Wines are at 32 Bradley Lane, Stanthorpe in Queensland’s Granite Belt where they are particularly known for their trophy and gold medal winning Verdelhos.

For further information contact Robert Channon on 07 4683 3260

Strangebird on the loose - Jaquez

Jacquez is a variety or a group of varieties from the species Vitis bourquiniana, sometimes called bourquina. It is believed to have originated in the Eastern United States. As it is not in the Vitis vinifera species it is not susceptible to Phylloxera and is can be used for resistantrootstocks.

Jaquez (also known variously as Lenoir, Jacquet, Jack, Blue French, Ohio, and El Paso,is a  hybrid grape resulting from a cross of the American Vitis aestivalis species of grape with an unknown Vitis vinifera pollen donor. This hybridisation may have occurred naturally, as was the case with many of the early American grape cultivars. From its wild South Carolina parent, Lenoir carries natural resistance to the Phylloxera pest. On the Granite Belt, Ridgemill Estate grow Jaquez on their Severnlea vineyard.

The intensely coloured berries have a dark coloured juice with a distinctive flavour. Jaquez also has the distinction of being banned by France in 1935.

Sommeliers taste the Granite Belt

So close and yet so far is how Sommeliers Queensland have billed Granite Belt wines, which feature in their 19 April tasting.

They say: "We are only three hours away from the region, and yet we generally know very little about it and the wines they produce. It is time we started taking notice and supporting our local industry!"  Leading light Peter Marchant has invited his industry colleagues to join him and the esteemed Rob Hicks, and Bree Boskov as they explore the wines from the Queensland wine capital. It all happens next Tuesday at Brisbane's Ortiga restaurant 

The Shows Not Over Till...

Another season of gold has begun on the Granite Belt and with it, the annual Opera in the Vineyard. In years past Ballandean Estate has put on an iconic and memorable event filled with wine, food and of course Opera and as we know, Italians don't break tradition.

On the line up this year; Queensland Opera, Milica Ilic (Soprano), Brad Daley (Tenor) and Jose’ Carbo (Baritone). Performances include The Girl of the Golden West, Tosca, The Barber of Seville and Of Mice and Men.

“It is very exciting to host Opera Queensland this year and the artists appearing are the best of an amazing line up of performers. As usual, guests to the Opera will be treated to some amazing performances.” ethuses Angelo Puglisi owner of  Ballandean Estate.

Autumn on the Granite Belt also means great accommodation deals. Enjoy your stay with a complementary bottle of gold medal wine with participating operators, see Granite Belt Wine Country for more information or to make your booking.  The bonus is that everyone who books a Granite Belt Gold deal will go into the draw for two free tickets to the popular public tasting of the annual Australian Small Winemakers Show in October.