All about Lucy & Alice – The wine

by koonara | Nov 3, 2022 | Blog, News and Events

Join us this November as we celebrate our featured wine of the month, ‘Lucy & Alice Pinot Gris and tell you everything you need to know about it.

How did it get its name?

We named our Pinot Gris after our two beautiful girls, Lucy and Alice. It’s as simple as that, but here’s the back story… ⁠

⁠Nicole was in the last stages of her pregnancy with Alice and knew we would soon be bottling a Pinot Gris. I fussed about with names etc., and sent her on her way, knowing she had more pressing matters to worry about (like birthing our daughter and looking after Lucy). After Alice was born (about four weeks later), when we were bottling it, I decided it was the perfect tribute to name this new wine after both Lucy & Alice. The best bit – I didn’t tell Nicole. It wasn’t until she popped into the cellar door with baby Alice and saw it that I could reveal my secret tribute. There may have been a few watery eyes that day.

What does it taste like?

This one is an absolute delight. The perfect all-rounder that goes down a treat. Passes ‘would I have a second glass’ test with flying colours. Hell, I’d drink the whole bottle.

Like most Pinot Gris, ours is fruit-forward, with intense fresh pear on the nose and peach and gala apples on the palate. It’s got big tropical fruit flavours but with refreshing acidity. Also, it’s low in sugar and sulphur, as well as being vegan friendly too.

What foods go with Pinot Gris?

Crispy pork roll with honeyed Granny Smith apple stuffing. It also pairs well with salmon and a range of Thai foods. But let’s be honest, Pinot Gris is a food lover and goes well with many things.

Very informative, good to throw into conversations fact:

Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio refer to the same grape variety, which is grey in colour.

However, that’s where the differences end.⁠ Pinot Grigio is the Italian style is picked earlier for a crisper, more acidic finish⁠. On the other hand, Pinot Gris is the French style, in which the grapes are picked later for a slightly sweeter and more floral wine. Hence the tribute to our two sweet girls, Lucy & Alice.

Cooked to perfection

by koonara | Oct 20, 2022 | Blog, Recipes and Cooking

We know it’s hard to pair food and wine. We are constantly working with our resident foodie to find and create recipes that perfectly match our wines. This one works a right treat with our Wanderlust Cabernet Sauvignon. This recipe is perfect for the warmer month and is quick and easy to prepare. All you need to do is hit up the shops for your supplies, cook and enjoy.

We hope you enjoy this quick, easy and minimal-fuss recipe. We’d love to get your feedback, so please hit us on socials or email us if you have tried it and let us know your thoughts.

You can find the recipe here ➡ Lamb Chops Foriana

All the latest news and updates: September Edition

by koonara | Sep 21, 2022 | Blog

September update from Dru and Nicole

Spring has finally sprung. With it comes the lovely warm, sunshiny weather followed by a downpour, wind, and sunshine again.

We have just commenced pruning here in our Coonawarra vineyards. It’s a bit different down in Mt Gambier. Pruning was completed a little while ago, as Chardonnay bursts much earlier than Cabernet, so it is well and truly bursting out now, ready to flourish after its big winter sleep.

Now, we are constantly monitoring the weather forecast keeping an eye out for the threat of frost. But by pruning late, that should safeguard us quite well.

Not sure if you saw back at the start of the Month, we were awarded 94 points for our latest release, 2019 Ambriels Gift Cabernet Sauvignon in the James Halliday Wine Companion.

They said, and I quote –

“Firm, concentrated and engagingly lush… this has a veritable forest of dark berries, shaped by firm structuring tannins and laden with exotic spice. It’s classic Coonawarra – the mint, dark choc, and blackberry bramble on the nose are a dead giveaway, confirmed in the mouth. A lovely lingering aftertaste offers even more opportunity to taste. Smart.” – Erin Larkin.

To say we were pleased was an understatement!

Nicole’s been driving kids around a lot, so she hasn’t been reading us much but using the time to listen to some great audiobooks. She loved Daisy Jones and the Six, (even though she was surprised when she couldn’t find their music on spotify coz it’s a made-up story, haha). Of course, I’ve been reading more books about Mental Health and also some about regenerative farming. Books are a great way to inspire change and boost your mood.

We were lucky to dust off our passports a couple of weeks ago and head over to Bali for a great family holiday. We enjoyed lots of bike riding, Qi Gong, walking, and of course, lots of cocktails, fantastic food, massages and relaxation by the pool. It was so great to hear some different languages, meet people from all over the world, and see the world return to normal.

We have also been busy planning our Cabernet Celebration dinner in the cellar door as a part of the Month long Cabernet Celebrations in October here in the Coonawarra. There is an excellent program of events and so much to see and do. It’s a wonderful time to visit the region.

Till next month,

Dru & Nicole Reschke

All the other bits

Album of the Month

Andy Penkow – Love Lies and Dirty Dishes

Andy Penkow – have a listen, as he’s just released a new album. and I’m confident you’ll love it. You can even catch him playing live in the South East as a part of the “Should Have Hired a Car” tour. There are gigs in Mt Gambier, Coonawarra, and Robe.

Wine of the Month

Zema Estate – Family Selection

Demetrio Zema made our first ever wine in 1992. This is their flagship wine from aged vines in Coonawarra. I opened a bottle from 2005 recently, and it was off the charts amazing. The world’s truly great wines are amazing at any age, and these show that quality.

Recipe of the Month

Szechuan Spicy Chicken

Each month we trawl thru our recipe books to show you just how easy it is to match our wine of the month with regular everyday food. This month it’s all about our Flowers for Lucy Moscato and you had better believe it’s a great match for this Szechuan Spicy Chicken. Find the recipe here

If you want a more traditional pairing for the Moscato be sure to check out this Summer Berry trifle recipe.

2 mins to do good –

It’s time for clean air, a safer climate and healthier communities. It’s time for cheaper fuel and energy independence. It’s time to Electrify Everything. First stop: transport. To ensure clean transport for Australia our government must quickly legislate for strong fuel efficiency standards in line with other major markets.

To sign the petition click here

Upcoming Events

Cabernet Celebrations Dinner

Come along and celebrate Koonara’s tribute to Cabernet Sauvignon as part of this year’s Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations. Enjoy a three-course dinner by renowned chef Kirby Shearing with a selection of current vintage and museum wines. Dru and Nicole will walk you through our Koonara journey in the relaxed setting of our cellar door. For more information, click here

WHEN | Friday 21st October 6:30pm

WHERE | Koonara Wines Cellar Door, 44 Church Street, Penola

TICKETS | $120.00 per person, which includes a 3-course meal and matched current and museum wine selections

Cabernet Celebrations

Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations is one of our best wine-based events, with over 70 unique food and wine experiences designed to showcase and celebrate the Coonawarra wine region’s beautiful signature red wine: Cabernet Sauvignon.

Enjoy the spring-time celebrations across the month of October, with every week/weekend featuring themed events. With a huge range of wineries offering up events all month long, there is no shortage of activities to celebrate, activate and educate your senses.

As an added bonus, there will be shuttle buses running to help get you safely to the wineries and the events on the weekends. For more information and to book a spot on the bus, click here

Should Have Hired a Car Tour

Anne Fraser, Poppy Moyle-Read and Andy Penkow, come together to share their songs and stories as a part of their Should have hired a car tour. For more information, click here

WHEN | Friday 7th October September 7.30pm

WHERE |Coonawarra Memorial Hall

TICKETS | $25 per person

Dunkeld Races

Our Platinum Marquee is located in the premium trackside infield location, this marquee is suited for those guests looking for a superior day of racing, elegance and fun. Tickets are $205 which includes general admission to the racecourse, all-inclusive gourmet finger food as well as premium wine and beers and live entertainment. To book or to find out more click here

5 things about our Flowers For Lucy Moscato

by koonara | Aug 31, 2022 | News and Events

Join us this September as we celebrate our featured wine of the month, ‘Flowers for Lucy Moscato,’ and tell you everything you need to know about it.

1 – How did it get its name?

“Back when they were just little girls, Lucy and Alice would stroll into the Cellar Door to say hi, and almost always, they are holding flowers picked along the way. Alice’s flowers go to Nicole, while Lucy’s – with her arm stretched out proudly, come to me. “These are for you, Dad,” she says. One day (when she is old enough to enjoy it in moderation), the burst of floral flavours in this Moscato will be my flowers to her.”

2 – What does it taste like?

This Moscato is bursting with delicate rose and elderberry flowers on the nose, with the light fizz highlighting Turkish delight, musk, and cumquat flower notes. Stone fruits such as peach, apricot, hints of Turkish delight, musk and strawberries. Floral notes like rose petals and cherry blossoms. It tastes like a sweet summer’s day.

3- But what if I don’t like sweet wine…

Well, the good news is, while it is sweet, it’s not over-the-top sweet. This one is perfect in cocktails as a bit of a fizz mixer. We love it in an Aperol Spritz and even hardened up with a bit of Gin or Vodka

4 – What foods go with Moscato?

Moscato goes down a treat with foods possessing opposite flavour profiles like spicy, sour, salty, and bitter. It can also be treated as a dessert wine and paired with sweet flavours like Summer berry trifle and homemade ice cream.

5 – Very informative, good for watercooler conversations fact:

Flowers for Lucy Moscato is one of our best-selling wines. So much so that in the last 5 years, we have sold over 216,000 litres of the stuff!!!

All the latest news and updates: August Edition

by koonara | Aug 16, 2022 | Blog

An update from Dru and Nicole

Nicole here, I thought it was my turn to give you all an update on what been going on here at Koonara. I guess I should start with the obvious that we are nearly at the end of winter. I have begun to feel a slight spring in my step with the days getting just that bit longer and the warmth of the winter sun on my skin.

At the moment, the vineyards are undertaking an extensive rejuvenation process, a little bit like checking into the Endota Day Spa for a full body scrub and peel. We are removing old wood to increase sap flow, eutypa control, and to prepare the vines for pruning.

The vines are indulging in well-deserved R & R in what can only be described as ideal conditions. Warm sunny days after frosty starts coupled with on and off again rain.

Dru tells me we will be applying some basalt to the soil. Basalt brings much-needed micro-nutrients to the soil and helps the vines uptake other nutrients. By Spring, they will be zingy with eagerness for bud burst.

I’m currently reading The Downstairs Girl. I’m always looking to Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club for my reading inspiration, and I’m very rarely let down. I’m halfway through this and really enjoying it. It’s about a Chinese American girl growing up in segregated Atlanta. I lived in South Carolina for a year when I was 20, so this part of the world is very dear to me. So far, it’s a really compelling story about a driven and resourceful young lady.

Alice and I left Dru and Lucy to it the other weekend. We headed off to Shepparton so Alice could compete with her Calisthenics team at a competition. Whilst it was a lot of driving, it was worth it as her team came away with the Aggregate, which means they were pretty gosh darn awesome!

Till next month,

Dru & Nicole Reschke

All the other bits

Ecologi Update

Because we really want to make a difference. For every $15.00 spent on wine between now and September 4th, the folks at Ecologi will plant a tree on your behalf.

You can check out your contribution when you log into your account. There’s a section called “My Forest” that shows just how many trees your wine purchase has contributed towards.