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                              Damn Fine Wine.            

Koonara Vino Report

To view online: http://www.koonara.com/2008feb.htm

The New Cellar Door
Welcome to those who have joined us from our new cellar door - Bay of Apostles!
For those who don't know, we have set up a new Cellar Door in Apollo Bay, on the Great Ocean Road, to show off our wines which are not from Coonawarra (except the Cabernet, as everyone knows the best Cab comes from Coonawarra). It has been a blast!

Bald Hill

Paradise. No, really, that's it's name.

Spud Atkins & Tammy Schluter
In all some ridiculously good looking people at this wedding - great weather (yet again), and some old friends it was good to catch up with, as well as some new ones. Pretty much 50% of all the ladies were pregnant (it seemed), while the guys shook their heads in disbelief about being dads. Having seen most of them playing up at the bucks show, I also was in disbelief.

Ben (Spud) & Tammy

Bridesmaids

Amber & Skip

Jade & Marcel Ghoukassian
Possibly two of the best venues for a wedding in Melbourne. Firstly the ceremony in a secluded section of the botanic gardens, complete with goldfish pond. Then onto the Melbourne Aquarium where you almost get dizzy watching the fish go one way and the sharks and stingrays the other, circling around and around. The glass is about 15cm thick, so not much chance of a Tom Cruise Mission Impossible fish explosion happening...damn it. In all a very touching wedding. Last name pronounced Goo-cass-ee-an if you were wondering.

Jade & Marcel

Miranda, Kate, Tash & Clare

Steph & Monica (the Bozos ruining my photo at the back are James & Chris)

Click here for photos

Brad Tiver & Tessa White
I was able to work on my tan, during this amazing "after party" to a very small family affair wedding the day before. It was held at Greymasts B&B down at Robe, right next door to JJ's fantastic bookshop. Well done guys.

Girl of the hour Tessa Tiver (nee White) with Nina Leake

Lara & Tom Waltham

More photos Click here

Some people said they couldn't get to the link for our wedding , so here it is again.....with the link this time.

click for more photos

Is That So...
Reactions to wine Pt 1: Histamines
Histamines can cause reddening and itching of the skin. wine has far less histamines than strawberries. Think your problem with wine may be histamines? Eat a bunch of strawberries and then note your feelings over the 24 hours.

Note: A study in France has found that there is no correlation between the histamine content of wine and wine intolerance (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,  Volume 107, Issue 2 )

Competition
Still have $1500 of wine up for grabs - the best photo of you drinking wine will win it! Send it to dru@koonara.com , or put it on the Koonara group in Facebook to go into the chance to win.
 

Quote of the Day:
"We are all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine" - Eduardo Galeano, writer.

What Would MacGyver Do?:
First date:
Pimple redness: If your out and about, and you start seeing a pimple brewing, put eye drops which stop red eye on the offending area.
(see? Much more handy than knowing how to cook in the wild...)
 

Word of the Day:  oe·no·phile [ee-nuh-fahyl] 
1). One who appreciates and enjoys wine.
2). A collector of wine.

Wine Deal
Bay of Apostles
4 x Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra 2005 "" - Winestate Magazine
4 x Port Phillip Bay Shiraz 2006
4 x Geelong /Mt Gambier Pinot Noir 2006
Normally $240 - %10 discount = $216

Must say, I'm pretty happy with this whole selection. Peter Douglas (our winemaker) has done a fantastic job with all of them. We are incredibly impressed for our first vintage and can honestly say they are all great value for money. Send back the unused portion for a full refund if you're not.

$216 - One week only.

FREE Delivery anywhere in Australia.
Order HERE

The ultimate dinner party:
All advice on recipes warmly welcome HERE

Roast veal rib with caramelised baby beetroot and pinot sauce Serves: 4 Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Ingredients 1   Standing rib of veal with 10 cutlets 2 1/2 tbsp   Olive oil     Fresh ground black pepper 2   Onions, unpeeled and roughly chopped 2   Carrots, roughly chopped     Few parsley stalks 20   Baby beetroot, boiled until just tender, cooled & skins removed 1 1/4 tbsp   Butter 1/2 cup   Caster sugar 2   Carrots, diced 2   Parsnips, diced 2   Desiree potatoes, diced 1   Small kumera, peeled and diced 2 cloves   Garlic, minced 2 1/2 tbsp   Olive oil 1 1/4 tsp   Tomato paste 1 1/4 cup   Pinot Noir Method 1.   Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Brush veal with 1 tablespoon oil & season with pepper. Place onions, carrots & parsley stalks in a baking dish and toss remaining tablespoon of oil through. 2.   Place veal over onion and carrot in baking dish and place in oven. Allow to roast for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set veal aside to rest. 3.   Toss diced vegetables in a baking dish with garlic and oil and stir to combine. Place in oven and roast on the shelf under the veal for 25 minutes. Stir twice during cooking. 4.   To prepare beetroot: Melt butter in a frying pan over low heat, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add beetroot and cook, stirring, until they are shiny and lightly browned. Set aside. 5.   To make the sauce: Remove veal, onion and carrot from roasting pan. Discard vegetables. Place pan over a moderate heat and add tomato paste and wine. Cook, stirring, until sauce has reduced and thickened. Serving Suggestion: Spoon diced vegetables onto serving plates. Place two cutlets over vegetables for each serving. Place caramelised beetroot and steamed baby green beans on plates and drizzle sauce over. Serve immediately.

WINE TO GO: Pinot sauce? Pinot of course. Bay of Apostles Pinot 2006 $20 Mt Gambier - Bellarine Peninsula. This wine is really starting to soften up. Lots of Plums & Cherries, choose your lighter meats to go with this.  Click HERE to order NOT AFRAID OF THE COMPETITION: Vintara Durif & Sangiovese - $18.50 & $17 - What the blazes? These two wines are unbelievably good, and only available at their cellar door in Rutherglen. Chewy, big and smooth, it is done in such small batches that instead of using a pump to mix the skins up during ferment, he just gets a forklift and tips the bin into another. He also makes Chopper Reid Beer too, if your interested...

"Do yourself a favour" Music Selection
Vibes Latin Club
This is more modern upbeat salsa than dance music. Perfect background music for warm weather, just to put people in a relaxed party mode. I've been listening to it all day in preparation for a trip to Mexico....

"Here's to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one.
A pretty girl and an honest one.
A fine wine-- and another one."

Dru Reschke
Koonara Coonawarra Wines
O: (+61) (0)8 87 373 222
M: (+61) (0)408 101177
F: (+61) (0)8 87 373 220
dru@koonara.com
www.koonara.com
Box 5 Coonawarra
South Australia 5263



Silver  medal - SA Tourism awards
"One of the smallest & best wineries (in Coonawarra) is Koonara - A highlight and a must to check out."
- Ray Jordan, The West Australian