November 07, 2006: Lights! Camera! Nardone Baker!

Popular television program, Out Of The Blue, ventures throughout South Australia and travels the world in search of superb food and wine. In May, 2006, the team travelled to the birthplace of Nardone Baker Wines in the hometown of Giuseppe (Joe) Nardone, who left Italy 55 years ago to travel to South Australia and pursue his love of wine and winemaking.
The episode featuring Nardone Baker Wines, went to air late in 2006, in which the two main presenters saluted Joe Nardone as they used Nardone Baker Chardonnay to cook a superb seafood pasta dish on the dazzling shores of Gaeta - the jewel of the Mediterranean. 
Gaeta is 120km south of Rome and has long been the seaside resort of choice for Italy's and Europe's well-to-do. Nardone Baker wines are available in Italy and locals have commented on similarities between our McLaren Vale varieties and Gaeta's local drops - due to the influence of salty coastal air on both regions.. 
In the picture, above, taken during filming, one of the presenters, Emma, is buying fresh cherries from a market in Gaeta. The crew bought fresh produce for cooking with the Nardone Baker wine.

Joe's son, Frank Nardone, is now Managing Director of Nardone Baker Wines and travels to Italy whenever he can to meet with local distributors and to visit his father's homeland. While in Gaeta, Frank stays at the family's apartment which is a few hundred metres from the market photographed above. .

September 10, 2006: Nardone Baker scores another medal

ANOTHER wine from the Nardone Baker family has won a major prize in an international competition. Our late release, Nardone Baker The Wara Manta Reserve 2001 Shiraz has scored a Silver medal at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards in London.

Just like its companion product, the 2002 Shiraz, it has won two international medals. Its previous medal was a Bronze at the 2005 London International Wine Show.

During maturation, this award-winning wine was nurtured in a combination of new and two year old American Oak. It displays ripe berry and spice notes, complemented by vanilla oak Characters. The palate is medium bodied, leading to a clean, balanced tannin finish.

You can find out more about this wine by downloading its tasting notes from our wine notes section.

We have already received abundant registrations of interest for allocations of the 2001 reserve from our partners around the world. However, due to the low volume of this vintage we can only allocate limited quantities to each country.

To our faithful band of wine lovers, if you would like to snare some, we suggest you contact your local bottle shop/distributor soon to register your interest.

August 13, 2006: A hard day's work in The Vineyard

IT WAS a hard day's work for the owner of The Vineyard, Bill Dwyer, and his daughter, Kerry Dwyer, when Frank Nardone and Rolivia Senior Account Manager, Gerry Burell, descended on the popular North Andover (MA, USA) wine shop and gourmet store in July for a Nardone Baker Wines tasting. Frank Nardone, our Managing Director, talked to The Vineyard customers about all things "Australian" and all things "wine".
Bill and Kerry were surely aware of Frank's and Gerry's attendance, because Nardone Baker wines were walking out the door!
But Frank cannot take all the credit - it seems The Vineyard customers are already enamoured of Nardone Baker wines. According to The Vineyard's innovative Top 55 shelves (where the top-selling wines are displayed in a way similar to Top 40 CDs and DVDs), Nardone Baker wines were already making the top five in most categories.
This unique approach to wine marketing is well received by customers because Bill Dwyer compiles the rankings solely on sales figures. As boutique winemakers, we applaud this genuine marketing approach because it informs wine consumers who are "new" to wine, just what wine is being consumed and enjoyed by those in the "know".

July 22, 2006: Nardone Baker is in La Taverna!

MORE and more Italians are discovering the taste of Nardone Baker wines, with La Taverna Di Mino among the early fans of our range.
La Taverna Di Mino is the premier restaurant/wine bar/steak house in Gaeta, south of Rome, the birth place of Nardone Baker Wines patriarch, Joe Nardone.
La Taverna Di Mino recently played host to a visit from Frank Nardone and some of the Nardone Baker Wines (Italy) team.
Apparently, there has been a lot of interest surrounding the Nardone Baker range in Gaeta, following the visit of a television crew in July, to shoot a cooking show in the region which featured Nardone Baker wines. 

June 27, 2006: Socceroos make history

IT WAS a long wait between drinks, so to speak, for the Australian football (soccer) team, known as the Socceroos.
The last time the team made the World Cup was in 1974. Thirty-two years later, Australia has not only broken the drought and made it onto the world stage, but the team has made it into the second round.
Despite the team's controversial loss to Italy due to a questionable penalty in the final minutes of the elimination final, our players are being hailed as heroes for their record-breaking efforts.
The spirit the players showed, always performing under the pressure of being underdogs, emulated some of the virtuous characteristics that Aussies hold dear - playing hard, playing fair, and never giving up.
As a result of Australia's performance in Germany, soccer has a much brighter future down under.
Although soccer has long been played in Australia, it has always been in the shadow of four major sports - Australian Rules Football, Rugby League, Cricket and Tennis.
However, our fledgling national soccer league has been building momentum over the last few years and, on the back of the Socceroos' achievements at the World Cup, the scene is now set for soccer to muscle confidently onto Australia's sporting stage and share the limelight.
Australia wishes all the best to Italy and the remaining teams, as they contest the title of football's 2006 World Cup.

June 18, 2006: A daily/weekly drink helps men/women

IT SEEMS that it now makes sense to drink a toast to your health, after a Danish study found that men and women benefit from drinking wine.
According to the study of 50,000 people - which is a very large sample - men who drink wine daily had a 41% reduced risk of coronary heart disease and women who drank weekly had a 36% reduced risk of heart disease.
Professor Morten Gronbaek's team from the Danish National Institute of Public Health found that men needed to drink daily to benefit from wine consumption, while women could have a glass of wine weekly or daily for the same net result
Reportedly, the researchers were not able to conclude why there were differences between the affect of alcohol on men and women. It was suggested that it could be due to hormones, the type of alcohol consumed or simply due to the ways men's and women's bodies process alcohol.
The results of the study have been published in the British Medical Journal and researchers are keen to point out that the findings do not justify heavy drinking.
During the six year study, men drank an average of 11 glasses of wine per week and women drank an average of five-and-a-half. Participants were aged 50 to 65.
The team at Nardone Baker Wines welcomes the findings and echoes the call for people to enjoy wine in moderation.
 

May 10, 2006: A toast to Nardone Baker Wines

FRANK and Anna Nardone accepted a thank you certificate from Ronald McDonald House in Adelaide recently, for Nardone Baker Wines' support of the children's charity.
Chair of the Ronald McDonald House Board, Chris Baker, left, made the presentation to Frank and Anna at a special ceremony in North Adelaide.
Nardone Baker sponsors the annual Ronald McDonald Ball in its role as exclusive wine sponsor and the donation of gift packs for auction on the night.
"Frank and Anna have always been very supportive of Ronald McDonald House," said Chair, Chris Baker.
"For the last two years, they have supported the House with their wine sponsorship, and before that they have always supported the House in other ways.
"In fact, I can't remember them ever missing a Charity Ball," he said.
Nardone Baker Wines will again sponsor the Ronald McDonald House Charity Ball as exclusive wine sponsor.
Last year's event raised more than $90,000. This year's event will be on Saturday, October 28, at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
For bookings, contact Ronald McDonald House on (08) 8267 8922.

April 25, 2006: Lest we forget - ANZAC Day 2006

ANZAC Day - 25 April - is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only fourteen years. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. They landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. The campaign dragged on for eight months and at the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.
In the picture, above, is the legendary "Man with the Donkey", Private John Simpson (right). Simpson landed with the Field Ambulance early on the 25th April, but by the following day had established himself as virtually an independent unit, leading a donkey carrying wounded from the front down Monash and Shrapnel Valleys to the beach. In the first three weeks of the campaign he became a familiar sight, always cheerful and oblivious of danger. He was killed by machine-gun fire near Steele's Post on 19 May.
The date, 25 April, was officially named ANZAC Day in 1916; in that year it was marked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services in Australia, a march through London, and a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt. In London, over 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets of the city. A London newspaper headline dubbed them "The knights of Gallipoli". Marches were held all over Australia in 1916. Wounded soldiers from Gallipoli attended the Sydney march in convoys of cars, attended by nurses. For the remaining years of the war, ANZAC Day was used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and recruiting campaigns, and parades of serving members of the AIF were held in most cities.

During the 1920s, ANZAC Day became established as a national day of commemoration for the 60,000 Australians who died during the war. The first year in which all the States observed some form of public holiday together on ANZAC Day was 1927. By the mid-1930s all the rituals we today associate with the day - dawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, sly two-up games - were firmly established as part of ANZAC Day culture.

With the coming of the Second World War, ANZAC Day became a day on which to commemorate the lives of Australians lost in that war as well, and in subsequent years the meaning of the day has been further broadened to include Australians killed in all the military operations in which Australia has been involved.

ANZAC Day was first commemorated at the Australian War Memorial in 1942, but due to government orders preventing large public gatherings in case of Japanese air attack, it was a small affair and was neither a march nor a memorial service. ANZAC Day has been annually commemorated at the Australian War Memorial ever since.

Australians recognise 25 April as an occasion of national commemoration. Commemorative services are held at dawn, the time of the original landing, across the nation. Later in the day ex-servicemen and women meet and join in marches through the major cities and many smaller centres. Commemorative ceremonies are held at war memorials around the country. It is a day when Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war. This history of ANZAC Day from http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac/anzac_tradition.htm. 

April 22, 2006: Riesling is ready to ship!

The long, lonely wait of our Chardonnay is over as it now has a fellow white wine to accompany it in the Nardone Baker range.
Long, tall and proud, this Riesling does live up to the title of "king" of the white wine varieties. And our king is crowned with the latest in closures - a screw cap, stelvin, to ensure you enjoy the right, royal flavours that wine's hard-working subjects (our winemaking team) have crafted.
Once again, McLaren Vale's seaside soils have yielded fresh, sprightly fruit, which has been carefully transformed into a Riesling boasting citrus-floral tones and a hint of the mineral characteristics one expects of this variety.
Nardone Baker partner, Patrick Baker, is a mad fan of Riesling and has long been advocating a Riesling for the company range. He believes this new release is an excellent exponent of McLaren Vale Riesling.
"Wine lovers around the world will enjoy this drop," says Patrick, "but my hope is that South Australians, who tend to rely on Clare Valley for their Rieslings, will lift their gazes and glasses and try this cracker drop with its coastal influences and limey zing."
We recommend pairing this 2005 Riesling with any seafood feasts you might be planning, especially if they will feature salmon, shrimp/prawns, crab and other shellfish. It will also accompany lighter style Chicken dishes and Asian stir fries. Or keep things simple, just chill it and enjoy as a long, cool summer drink.

March 20, 2006: Nardone Baker Wines (Italy) - Full Circle!

Fifty-five years after Nardone Baker Wines patriarch, Joe Nardone, arrived in Australia from Gaeta, Italy, to experiment with wine-making down under, the first shipment of Nardone Baker's Australian wines has arrived in Italy for the launch of Nardone Baker Wines (Italy). We hear there is a lot of excitement and expectation in the local market, with Italian wine lovers relishing the opportunity to try a new range of wines from the "New World".
"With our European heritage, I am confident our wines will appeal to the Italian palate," says Nardone Baker Wines Managing Director, Frank Nardone.
"This is certainly a proud moment for my father; being embraced by his fellow-Italians in such a highly regarded area as wine."
To contact Nardone Baker Wines (Italy), email Giovambattista Brognano on giannib@nardonebaker.com , Stefano Barsotti on stefanob@nardonebaker.com or Mariella Taurino on mariellat@nardonebaker.com. You can also phone the team on +39 0586 426 721.ur winemaking team is continuing to win us friends.

March 15, 2006: Winestate magazine salutes Nardone Baker's value for money

Our winemaking team is continuing to win us friends. Our newest admirer is the oldest wine magazine in Australia and New Zealand, Winestate.

Winestate tasters have not only recommended our wine but they have awarded us a coveted place in their Top 40 "best buys less than $15" list.

This list pits our wine against quality drops from the big name brands and other boutique producers. Winestate says the listing, "gives credit to the value wines in the marketplace - wines that would otherwise be overshadowed by their much more expensive cousins."

The best thing about this listing as far as our team is concerned here at Nardone Baker, is that this is the very first time we have ever submitted wines to Winestate for one of their tastings. Even though we should be getting used to receiving compliments (and medals) for our wines, it is always a welcome surprise to have a third party praise our wines.

The other exciting aspect of this listing is that Winestate is held in high regard by consumers and the wine trade throughout Australasia, so watch this space as other wine lovers like you, discover Nardone Baker wines for the first time.

February 14, 2006: Hearts of Gold help Ronald McDonald House

Nardone Baker wines shared the spotlight with gourmet chocolates and fashion models in Rhode Island last night, at the third annual Hearts of Gold event, organised in part by Nardone Baker distributor, AGM Distributors. Hearts of Gold is a prestigious event bringing together the whose who of Rhode Island, with top restaurateurs, fashion designers and one of the world's leading chocolatiers, Andrew Shotts. This year, Andrew produced chocolate headpieces for the event's models to wear, following last year's head-turning chocolate body paintings!
Nardone Baker and our long-standing importer, Rolivia Inc (MA), donated 12 cases of wine to help meet the $US10,000 fund-raising target to benefit Providence Ronald McDonald House, which offers a home-away-from-home for for families of hospitalised children.
Ralph Fragola, President of Rolivia, Inc. said, “It was a privilege and an honor to participate in the Hearts of Gold promotion ...
"To me, nothing is more important than family, and I consider being able to help raise funds, for families in such an emotional and stressful time, an opportunity to provide a little peace of mind for those families.”
Once again, Nardone Baker Wines was the exclusive supplier of wine for the evening, held on Valentine's Eve, February 13. This year's venue was Gracie's Restaurant, which is Providence's trendiest eatery.
On the fashion front, exquisite jewellery by Spectrum Award winning designer, Marya Dabrowski, looked fantastic on the models, who were also wearing clothes from one of Providence's hottest salons, Seiren. 

January 2, 2006: A joyful "whisper" for a Happy New Year

One of the great joys of working in an export industry, is meeting an amazing array of people with different ways of viewing the world and enjoying life. One such person is Steve So, owner of Leung Yick Co. Ltd. - Nardone Baker's distributor in Hong Kong.  
Steve has been a hard working businessman for more than 30 years but for the last decade, he has made time to pursue his passion for painting "after hours". This surprisingly relaxed and reflective side to a typically frenetic Hong Kong businessman, illustrates the creative spirit that is at the core of Leung Yick Co. Ltd. 
One of the highlights of each December for Nardone Baker staff, is the annual arrival of the Leung Yick Co. desk calendar featuring twelve bright, colourful, original paintings by Steve So. The image, above, is from the 2006 calendar and is called "whisper". It is actually the image for October, but who could blame us sneaking a quick peek through the full calendar now that it is on the desk?
Steve is a self-taught artist and believes that bright colours bring joy and happiness - you never find the dull greys of winter in a Steve So painting! Steve's work has been exhibited in various events in Hong Kong and Beijing, organised by the Hong Kong International Oil Painting Association and Lifeline Express. 
In 2000, Steve's work was part of an exhibit that won the Award of Distinction and was displayed in the Museum of Chinese History in Beijing - a truly, great honour.
Leung Yick Co. Ltd. is a dynamic member of Nardone Baker Wines' international team of distributors. Their on-going success has really tapped Hong Kong's thirst for quality Australian wine. Not only have Nardone Baker's premium range of wines been a popular part of Leung Yick Co.'s inventory, the company has enjoyed immense success with The Wara Manta Reserve wines In fact, LYC made headlines in Adelaide's Advertiser newspaper for buying the last shipment of our 1998 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and LYC has another large allocation of our multi-award-winning 2002 Reserve Shiraz on en route to Hong Kong right now!

December 3, 2005: Here's cheers in Singapore

Singaporeans can now enjoy Nardone Baker Wines with all the convenience of their local Cheers outlet. 
Furthermore, Cheers staff will be able to give excellent guidance after undergoing a comprehensive wine appreciation course last month, conducted by Nardone Baker Wines' Managing Director, Frank Nardone.
Mr Nardone says the thirst for knowledge about wine and wine and food matching, supports forecasts of wine becoming an ever more popular drink in Singapore.
"The latest figures we have seen, suggests wine consumption in Singapore will increase by 20% in the next four years," remarked Mr Nardone.
"With Australia already placed as the number one importer of wine to Singapore, ahead of France, we know that as long as we keep producing quality wines that suit the vibrant flavours of Asian cuisine, we will continue to hear Singaporeans saying 'cheers' with Nardone Baker!"

During tasting, staff were given detailed guidance on food and wine pairing and then armed with some custom-designed counter notes to take back to their stores, to ensure Cheers customers get the best advice possible when it comes to selecting the right wine for their occassion.

While in Singapore, Mr Nardone was also a special guest at the annual Temple Function Yishun, where many hundreds of attendees enjoyed Nardone Baker Wines and an inspired range of dishes.
Mr Nardone was treated to a special, VIP tour of the Temple and was quite taken by the detail of the various adornments and the brief explanation of daily life at the Temple.

December 1, 2005: 2005 Chardonnay launch

Our winemaking team at Nardone Baker pride themselves on consistency and quality, vintage by vintage - when you have a winning style, you don't go changing it. So why did the 2005 Chardonnay cause a stir at its official launch on December 1?
"I think we are just getting better at perfecting the 'unwooded' style," says Nardone Baker Managing Director, Frank Nardone. 
"There has been a clear change in preference among wine drinkers in Australia and the US, in particular, moving away from the heavy, oak-laden Chardonnays to the lighter, brighter, fruitier style we have been producing for a number of years," he said.
"I have seen this reflected in our growing sales of Chardonnay and I have also heard it directly from wine drinkers when I have been out and about at wine tastings with our distributors and retailers around the world."
Chief winemaker, Brian Light, is proud of the 2005 Chardonnay for its soft, round character. "This is truly a soft, easy drinking wine," says Mr Light. "It really is a very simple wine that is clean, fresh and low in acidity.
"As a result, the fruit flavours come to the fore with melon the predominant flavour."
The launch was well timed ahead of a hot, thirsty Australian summer but Mr Light says wine lovers in export markets are probably in the box seat.
"By the time this wine arrives in the northern hemisphere, to Europe and North America, it will be at its peak for excellent drinking during the 2006 summer."
"And for Asian markets where temperatures are warmer year-round, they have a full 18 months of pure pleasure ahead of them with this superb Chardonnay!" he said. 

November 1, 2005: "I Do" celebrate weddings with Nardone Baker wines

Once again, Nardone Baker wines are being promoted in Hong Kong's premium Wedding/Bridal magazines as the stylish gold trim of our labels and the quality of our wines continue to grow in popularity with wedding planners.
In the image here, you can see the current advertisement amid the many other necessities for celebrating marriage in Hong Kong.
If you have a wedding coming up, whether it is in Hong Kong, other parts of South East Asia, or anywhere else in the world, we will happily put you in contact with our closest distributor to help you secure the perfect amount of Nardone Baker wines for your celebration.
We recommend allowing one bottle per two guests of wine for general drinking, especially if there are other beverages available such as beer and soft drinks.
For toasts and speeches, allow one bottle of sparkling wine (our Brut Cuvee or Sparkling Shiraz) per four or five guests.
Our distributors, retailers and restaurateurs will be able to give you further guidance.

October 15, 2005: "Nardone Baker" Is In The Air

Australian and International Pop Icon, John Paul Young, teamed with Australian and International Wine Icon, Nardone Baker Wines, to entertain Adelaide's A-List and raise more than $90,000 in vital funds for Ronald McDonald House.

John Paul Young was the headline entertainer at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre and gave an energetic rendition of his classic hit, "Love Is In The Air". 

Nardone Baker wines were the excusive drink of choice for the annual Charity Ball, with our Chardonnay, Cabernet Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Brut Cuvee and Sparkling Shiraz all starring in their own right. We have heard that our range helped put bidders into a generous frame of mind for the silent auction!

It is the second consecutive year, Nardone Baker has been a Gold Sponsor and exclusive supplier of wine for the Ronald McDonald Ball and is our way to assist families in need.

The fact that it is also great fun, is just a bonus!

Nardone Baker Wines Managing Director, Mr Frank Nardone, his wife, Mrs Anna Nardone, and family attended the event to show total support for the cause.

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent, non-profit organisation, that seeks to help seriously ill children and their families through Ronald McDonald Houses. These houses are attached to major women or children’s hospitals and provide a 'home-away-from-home' for seriously ill children and their families, while the children are undergoing prolonged treatment.

The Ronald McDonald House mission is to "create an environment where families can maintain their privacy and independence while living in a caring and supported environment. A place where the children can feel safe, happy and loved."

September 29, 2005: The Wara Manta makes Top Ten Shiraz in the World

"We are flattered but not surprised," says Nardone Baker Wines' Managing Director, Frank Nardone, upon learning The Wara Manta Reserve 2002 Shiraz has been named in the Top Ten Shiraz in the World over £10.
"It won Silver at the London International Wine Challenge last year and Gold at the World Wine Awards this year, it was only a matter of time before The Wara Manta won greater recognition," said Mr Nardone.

September 27, 2005: The Wara Manta Reserve Shiraz 2001 wins Bronze

The latest release from the Nardone Baker The Wara Manta Reserve stable, our 2001 McLaren Vale/Langhorne Creek Shiraz has won its first medal - a Bronze in the 2005 London International Wine Challenge. The judges said, "A long growing season has evoked pure berry fruits with hints of warm spice. The flavours and tannins are ripe. Long and balanced."

September 26, 2005: Decanter World Wine Awards - Gold for The Wara Manta Reserve