Foot Notes (NB News) ... Valentine's Edition 009

A newsletter from the team at Nardone Baker Wines Valentine's Day Edition 009 February 2007

AUSTRALIAN SOIL ... European Heritage

The Nardone Baker guide to Valentine's Day

Valentines Day picnic When was the last time you had something to celebrate? If you are like most wine lovers, you would have found yourself reaching for a bottle of something special to celebrate with, such as the Nardone Baker The Wara Manta Reserve Shiraz.

However, some celebrations go better with sparkling wine, and Valentine's Day just happens to be one of them. But do you lead with the Brut Cuvee or the Sparkling Shiraz? We have asked our resident romance expert, Anna Nardone, for her tips on how to win the heart of your loved one this Valentine's Day.

"When I think of Valentine's Day, I always think of picnics," Anna begins. "Of course, in Australia, Valentine's Day falls in summer and the weather is usually perfect. For people in the northern hemisphere, a cosy restaurant or a candlelit dinner at home can also work well. The important thing is to have fun, and not make the event too serious.

"If you are planning a picnic (either an outdoor one down under, or a fun one at home in winter), pay attention to the basket. A nice basket really sets the scene well, as does a thick, luxurious blanket. I also recommend using "real" glassware, not plastic picnic glasses.

Brut Cuvee

"Nardone Baker Brut Cuvee is a wonderfully light, white bubbly wine, which works very well with pate and cheese," says Anna. "Another favourite of mine is hummus (a Middle-Eastern chick pea and tahini dip), which is delightful with a French stick and Brut Cuvee.

"For something a little more substantial, the Brut Cuvee also goes nicely with fresh baguettes with smoked chicken or smoked turkey, and cranberry jelly.

"I'd suggest finishing your romantic indulgence with strawberries and fresh fruit, and the remaining Brut Cuvee!"

Sparkling Shiraz

"I find the Nardone Baker Sparkling Shiraz quite full bodied," remarks Anna, "and so I team it with a variety of "nibbly" foods rather than a more substantial sandwich.

"A couple of different cheeses with crackers, dried fruit (raisins, apricots) and nuts (cashews, almonds) work magically with the Sparkling Shiraz. Fresh crusty bread is an absolute delight, too.

"With this wine, I would finish with some expensive, dark chocolate."

Anna also has one last word to ensure your night has a happy ending.

"The person planning and creating this special meal should also plan to do the dishes and tidying up," she adds.

"That little bit of extra effort will make your loved one feel even more special."

Nardone Baker Chardonnay is where the action is!

Nardone Baker Chardonnay will be on display again at this month's Boston Wine Expo in Massachusetts, USA, and rightfully so..

This Chardonnay has been popular around the world since we launched Nardone Baker Wines and it seems like it is destined to remain a most welcome visitor in US restaurants and liquor stores for some time to come.

Figures from 2006 reveal that Chardonnay is the number one selling wine variety in the USA and, in fact, the volume of Chardonnay sold almost equals the volume of the next two most popular varieties - Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

With Chardonnay accounting for about one in five bottles of wine sold in the USA last year, the Nardone Baker Chardonnay has a brighter-than-average future because of its "unwooded" style. Australians have enjoyed unwooded Chardonnays for many years, but last year saw a noticeable shift in the US palate towards the fruitier, zestier unwooded Chardonnay.

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

If you have already discovered our delightful Chardonnay, please share your thoughts with us, we always welcome your feedback and interest.

Email feedback on our wines anytime - it's always welcome

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.

Read full story in the News section of our website

Email us to find an outlet or restaurant stocking Nardone Baker near you

Lack of clouds has a silver lining

Rland area Ask any winemaker about the "glut" of Australian wine, and you will hear many different opinions, here's ours!

The wine surplus came about because of a string of excellent seasons that delivered us more grapes than we needed. However, our winemaking team believes there are a number of factors that are fast depleting supplies.

Frost. Early in the 2007 vintage, many of our prime growing areas were struck by very severe frost. This cost many tonnes of grapes.

Drought. Australia, especially South Australia, has been experience one of its worst droughts on record, leading to stringent restrictions in water allowance for grape growers and residents alike, This has led to lower yields being forecast.

Tornado. In scenes from a down under version of the Wizard of Oz, the Riverland region, pictured above, was struck by an unusually fierce tornado, which flattened many vines completely, wreaking havoc and slashing crop forecasts.

Heat. Our summer is delivering is harsh sting of hot weather and, given the preceding conditions, many vines are shutting down and being harvested much earlier than expected. We hear that due to this combination of factors - lower yield, difficult growing conditions - the fruit that is being harvested is much more intense in flavour than usual.

Popularity. The final factor eating into wine stocks is the growing popularity of Australian wine overseas. We are working at top pace just to keep up with demand.

Little wonder then that with increasing sales and the difficult growing conditions, supply and demand will be much more evenly balanced this vintage.

Read full story in the News section of our website


	Contact us

	Nardone Baker Wines Australian Head Office
	Ph: +618 8445 8100 Fx: +618 8445 8200 sales@nardonebaker.com Postal/Administration PO Box 386 McLaren Vale SA 5171 Australia Sales/Distribution 10 Gray Street Kilkenny SA 5009 Australia

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	All of us at Nardone Baker Wines enjoy our wine immensely, as we expect you do too. But we urge everyone to enjoy wine responsibly. And please do not let friends drink and drive. Cheers!

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