Email me to add your friends and go into the draw to win a dozen unreleased Ambriel's Gift 2004 (Don't forget to let them know you're doing it)
dru@koonara.com

Koonara Vino Report

Well overdue Koonara report folks - my apologies, but it has been pretty crazy lately, with the honeymoon and all, as you can see below.

Viva Mexico
Matt Herde (export manager for Plantagenet Wines) and Maru Villaseňor were married in April in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. The beautiful little church was right in the middle of the town overlooking the Caribbean. The relaxed reception on a secluded beach (complete with white linen outfits - which made me feel like I was in a boy band film clip), soon turned into a 'carnivale' atmosphere (thanks mostly to tequila), complete with a clown on stilts doing shots and a box of props for the guests. Crazy times...

Matt giving the beautiful bride Maru the cheesy dip.....

Kate McClure and the villa straight out of a rap video...

Ben and Emma with the band

JK and Eva all loved up
 

Crazy shot-pouring clown on stilts.

(Click here for more photos)

Is That So...
Test your reaction to sulphites
The easy way to see if it's the sulphites in wine which is giving you problems (or maybe it's the amount of wine) is to eat a food high in natural sulphites - dried apricots. On average, 56 grams (2oz) of dried apricots have 10 times more sulphites than a glass of wine. If you eat those apricots and have a reaction, now you know (maybe talk to your local doc on how to fix it). If you don't have a problem with the apricots, then wines are not going to cause you a problem.
 

Quote of the Day:
"Love is like wine. To sip is fine, but to empty the bottle is a headache"
                                           - The Lovemiester himself, Julio Iglesias

Viva Cuba
We visited this amazing country while on our Honeymoon - fantastic culture of Cigars, Rum, and Salsa Music. An amazing passionate county, with some seriously talented artists - we ended up buying 2 paintings.

While there, we visited a real life Cigar factory, and was a little disappointed to discover they aren't rolled on the thighs of virgins after all. Sorry -no photos were allowed in there. An amazing amount of precision goes into choosing the right leaves for each individual cigar.

Che Guevara's image is still on everything

Old cars and amazing paintings



Cuban rapper


(Click for more photos)

Cooking with MacGyver:
Grilling fish on coals:
Let your fire burn down to a bed of coals, and then rake it level, giving it a light sprinkling of ash or sand.

Don't scale, gut or clean the fish; lay them on the hot ash. When one side is cooked, turn it over onto the other side, then lift by rolling carefully on to a flat sheet of bark or tin and slide them on to the plates. Flat fish cooks in a few minutes; chubby fish may take longer.

Skin, scales and adhering ash lift cleanly off with a fork, leaving the flesh beneath firm, clean and juicy. The entrails remain within their membrane under the bones, quite unbroken and undisturbed while the flesh is lifted away on the fork.

        Yummo.

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

Bar Joke of the month:
Two peanuts walked into a bar. One was a-salted. 



Wine Deal of the month- Winter:

Mixed case of reds for those roaring log fires:
2 x Seductress Coonawarra Shiraz 2004 (Restaurant Only) - $15.95 (Bronze Melbourne)
3 x Cupra's Gift Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 ("4 stars" - Winestate) - $18
3 x Bay of Apostles Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ("4 stars" - Winestate) - $20
3 x Bay of Apostles Port Phillip Bay Shiraz 2006 (New Release -my favourite at the moment ) - $20
FREE Bay of Apostles Pinot Noir (new release)
FREE Delivery
Price: $199 (normally $225.90)
Order HERE

Up- coming events:

JULY 1 - 31, 2008  - Coonawarra Cellar Dwellers  
Coonawarra wines are well known for their aging ability and Cellar Dwellers provides our region with an opportunity to showcase wines that are otherwise not available for tasting. Start the weekend off with Koonara's Kumfy Klub, with Silent movies on the big screen and DJ spinning some groves. Entry free - 5.30 to 7.30pm.

AUGUST 18- 27, 2008  - Coonawarra Wine Tasting Roadshow

• Sydney Monday, August 18th
• Brisbane Tuesday, August 19th
• Canberra Wednesday, August 20th
• Melbourne Thursday, August 21st
• Adelaide Monday, August 25th
• Perth Wednesday, August 27th

With over 100 wines to enjoy from individual Coonawarra wineries, visitors will have the opportunity to taste the wines and meet the winemakers and owners behind these famous brands.  5.30pm to 8.30pm. Cost is $25 per person; please pay cash at the door or contact the Coonawarra Vignerons Association on 08 8737 2392 to pre-purchase your tickets.

OCTOBER 17-19, 2008 - Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations
The region becomes alive with great music, vineyard tours, special dinners, wine tastings and much much more! Over 50 events in three days keeps you busy with each cellar door hosting an event or two throughout the weekend.
 

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

Dukkah-dusted Veal cutlets Serves: 5 Preparation Time: 40 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Ingredients 10   Veal cutlets 3 tbsp   olive oil or melted butter 2 cups   dukkah (if desired, fresh or dried herbs can be added to the dukkah before coating the veal) 1/2 cup   olive oil     lemon wedges (to serve) Method 1.   Ensure cutlets are well-trimmed. Bat out to attain a more even thickness. 2.   Brush cutlets with oil or butter, then press dukkah over both sides. 3.   Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes. 4.   Heat oil and shallow-fry until golden-brown, turning once only. 5.   Rest well before serving with your choice of seasonal vegetables. Matched with: Gavin Gegraw - Chariot re-issue. Big Gav, gavster...thewas re-released as a 2 CD pack - the 2nd CD is just him and a piano. He could have saved himself a fortune in production, and come out with the Acoustic one first. Awesome. His new albums is pretty catchy too, but maybe wait for the acoustic version...

Bay of Apostles Port Phillip Bay Shiraz $20 I am really loving this wine at the moment. Rich and super-deep colours, leaving the longest charred blackberry flavours on the palate. Drink now til 2015.         Cape Jaffa Mt Benson Shiraz 2004 $20 Derek Hooper has done a fantastic job of this wine at a great price, and the only reason it is still around is that he made more than normal. Lucky for us. Rich and Juicy Blackberries and vanilla, 2004 was a great year for fruit sweetness. This wine has great colour to back up the rich fruit. Eat: Slow cooked rosemary Lamb. Drink: Now to 2011. www.shiraz.com.au

"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