Koonara Coonawarra - Coonawarra at its finest

Photo Comp:
Winner was Mark Gosse, who won 5 cases of whatever he likes, worth up to $1,500.
Ben & Lisa getting married with Koonara Wines

Koonara on the dog & bone:

Our Koonara team may have called you in the last month - please let me know if you would like your phone number of their list... we only ring with great deals

ADD YOUR FRIENDS
Like our email? 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 Sav Blanc 2008 - $20
SPECIAL:
buy 9 get 3 free 25%.
Perfect for this heat we are having - a blend of Wrattonbully and Mt Gambier grapes within the Limestone Coast. We found the perfect blend, then sold of the rest to keep the quality spot-on.
SPECIAL - CLICK HERE

Koonara Ambriel's Gift 2002 - "Advertiser top 10 Cabernets for 2008"
ORDER HERE

The Age Epicure :
"Koonara Wines, the Coonawarra-based winery, has recently moved across the border and launched a second label, Bay of Apostles, with a cellar door at Apollo Bay. Made for the sav-blanc drinker who enjoys the grassy, herbal side of the grape..."
$20 per bottle - order page

If you can't read this email please click here: http://www.koonara.com/2009jan.htm

Hot. Damn Hot.
Killer week down here in Coonawarra, with the temperature hitting 45 degrees again today. Our vines are being little troopers out there, with all of them handling the pressure well. Luckily, the heatwave came earlier than last year (March), so won't affect them much.

Wine Advice: Sour Drinks
Ever go out for drinks, and your first wine tastes like crap? Could be that you brushed your teeth just before you went out. The foaming agent in Toothpaste is called Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, which blocks the sweetness receptors on your tongue, making everything taste more acidic and sour. That's why orange juice and other acidic drinks (NZ Sav Blanc anyone?) taste even more acidic and sour, because the sugar that usually masks it is not being picked up by the taste buds.

Kate & James Westacott
These two legends of London came home to tie the knot on the lawns of Sprayfarm, on the Bellarine Peninsula over looking Port Phillip Bay (only a few kilometres away from where our vineyard is for our Bay of Apostles labels). I I have been playing with some new panorama software, and it's turning out well....
Incidentally, the Sprayfarm property is for sale for a cool $7 Million if you have that in your piggy bank.

Kate, Westy, & Sprayfarm in 180º

Kate, the ever-stunning bride

The Reschkes (Moi & a very pregnant Nickers), Kath & James Ferguson, and Tash & Chris Gleeson.
Not sure, but looks like I might be pulling my boxers out of a wedgie. No wonder I look so happy.

Click above for more photos

Wise advice: Hold your farts.
"This is hypocritical, because your brother can pipe the national anthem out his backside (often while sitting on you), but you should never break wind in a man's presence, just like he shouldn't moisturise in front of you.
Once you've bedded and wedded him, however, all bets are off and give as good as you get."
Sam De Brito - No Tattoos before your thirty - what I'll tell my children (penguin books).
http://www.penguin.com.au/lookinside/spotlight.cfm?home=penguin&SBN=0143004174

Coonawarra Cup 2009
Thankfully not as hot as last year, it was near perfect weather as I finally won some money at a Penola race meet ($15 for all those curious big spenders out there). There was once again a huge turn out. Just a warm up for the Easter Sunday Races...

Ladies posing under the sign

One of our cellar door girls, Jodie (Right) with friends

Southern Soils Director Jarrad Simcock With Sam Martin from Constellation Wines

Click above for more photos

Word of the day:
DISCONFECT, v., To sterilize the piece of candy you dropped on the floor by blowing on it, assuming this will somehow remove all the germs.

Chris & Tash
Yes it seems like we go to a lot of weddings, but this is one I couldn't miss out on - great friends Chris Gleeson & Tash Watts got married in Albert Park overlooking the lake at sunset. These two vets got hitched, then announced shortly thereafter that they are expecting - good chance an wedding night baby. And you know your pet is going to be looked after when she's a vegetarian.

Woo Hoo! Chris showing just how well those Gillette lady shavers work

Di and Jo

Miranda and John

Click above for more photos

Cooking with MacGyver
The perfect lamb roast:

Preheat oven in line with the cut which you are roasting. See cooking time table below.
Place the lamb roast in a roasting dish or on a rack. Brush lightly with oil. Season lightly with salt, pepper and any additional flavouring. Try our baste ideas below.
Cook to your liking based on the times suggested below.
Remove lamb roast when cooked to your liking. Test for doneness using the tips below. Rest for 10-20 minutes on a plate loosely covered with foil before carving. Carve the lamb roast across the grain to ensure tenderness.

Suggested cooking times per 500g of lamb:

Cut	Temp	For rare	For medium	For well done
Loin (boned and rolled), leg or shoulder (bone-in), easy carve leg or shoulder	180ºC	20-25 mins	25-30 mins	30-35 mins
Eye of shortloin/backstrap, lamb round or topside mini roast, lamb rump	220ºC	15-20 mins	20-25 mins	25-30 mins
Rack, four rib roast, crown roast, shortloin/midloin	200ºC	20-25 mins total cooking time regardless of weight	30-35 mins total cooking time regardless of weight	40-45 mins total cooking time regardless of weight
Rack, four rib roast, crown roast, shortloin/midloin	200ºC	20-25 mins total cooking time regardless of weight	30-35 mins total cooking time regardless of weight	40-45 mins total cooking time regardless of weight

Wine Quoteth:
· The wine urges me on, the bewitching wine, which sets even a wise man to singing and to laughing gently and rouses him up to dance and brings forth words which were better unspoken. -Homer (The original one ~ 700 BC)

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

Lamb, Mint and Mixed Pea Salad

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cime: 10 minutes
Ingredients

800 g		lamb fillets
200 g		snow peas, trimmed and tailed
150 g		sugar snap peas, trimmed
100 g		baby rocket
1 cup		loosely packed fresh mint leaves
100 g		low-fat feta, crumbled
		Mustard Dressing:
1 tbsp		white wine vinegar
2 tsp		canola oil
1 tsp		Dijon mustard

Method

1.		Cook lamb in batches, on heated oiled grill plate until browned and cooked as desired. Stand for 5 minutes; slice thickly.
2.		Meanwhile, boil, steam or microwave snow peas and sugar snap peas, separately, until just tender, drain. Rinse under cold water, drain.
3.		To make mustard dressing, combine white wine vinegar, canola oil and mustard in screw-top jar; shake well.
4.		Place snow and sugar snap peas in bowl with remaining ingredients and half of the dressing; toss gently to combine. Divide salad mixture among serving plates; top with lamb and remaining dressing.

Koonara Sav Blanc 2008 - $20
A quick special:
SPECIAL: buy 9 get 3 free 25%.
Perfect for this heat we are having - a blend of Wrattonbully and Mt Gambier grapes within the Limestone Coast. We found the perfect blend, then sold of the rest to keep the quality spot-on.
SPECIAL - CLICK HERE

First Drop - Montepulciano Mincha - $30
Bloody hard to say (mon-tay-pol-loo-chee-are-no), but pretty amazing to drink. A great example to cut your teeth on for this little known variety. A bit like a shiraz blended with a really good Tempranillo.
http://www.firstdropwines.com

Nutritious Spring Recipes

Everyday Meals

Dinner in a Hurry

Fine Dining

Quick Healthy Meals

Outdoor Cooking

Meals for Kids

Kids in the Kitchen

My Favourite Cooking Method

Making Marinades

Making Gravy

The Offal Truth

Total Wellbeing Diet Meals

Anti-acne Diet Meals

My Recipe Book

Join Up!

Member's Recipes

Chef's Recipes

Member's Competitions

Role of Red Meat in a Healthy Diet

The Teenage Anti-acne Diet

Red Meat Cravings

Iron Rich Food

Nutrition Fact File

FAQs

Guide to Feeding Baby

Total Wellbeing Diet

Nutritional Information

Weight Loss Advice

Fuelling Evolution

Eating for Exams

New Year's Resolutions

Set a Table

Know your Meat Cuts

Fold Napkins

Choose a Wine

Freeze and Refrigerate Food

Carve a Lamb Roast

Carve a Beef Roast

Guarantee Tender Beef

Convert kgs to lbs etc...

Match Cuts & Cooking Method

Pack a Picnic with Lamb

Substitute Ingredients

Make Sauces

Cook Pasta

Use Meat Thermometers

Sharpen Knives

Use-by and Best Before Dates

School Lunches

Cook Dinner in a Flash

Keep Kids Warm this Winter

Freeze Cooked Meat Dishes

Make Mealtimes Happy

Cook the Perfect Steak

Prepare and Cook Food

Plan a BBQ

Cook a Roast

Cook a Lamb Chop

Cook Steak and Snags

Make Marinades and Gravy

Cook using the Microwave

Use Herbs and Spices

Store and Cook Mince

Make Sensational Stir-fries

Cook a Lamb Roast

Cook a Lamb BBQ

Cook a Burger

What’s in Season?

Make Meatloaf

Cook Corned Beef

Kids in the Kitchen

Casserole Hints and Tips

BBQ Wisdom

Make Beef and Lamb Wraps

Make Beef and Lamb Salads

Cooking Burgers on the BBQ

Brown Meat

Make Stock

My Molly Meldrum Moment: Lenka
This quirky little Aussie songstress is on high rotation for me at the moment - a super happy album, perfect for a summer Sunday lunch.
www.myspace.com/lenkamusic

"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 8737 3222
M: (+61) (0)408 101177
F: (+61) (0)8 8737 3220
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