Testing the grit of the grape's grip
I've blown a lot of money on booze. But it has all been worth it.
When the Penfolds biennial re-corking clinic recently ended its latest global tour in Brisbane I jumped at the chance to rub shoulders with Australia's wine royalty, while having my own collection tested.
As I unloaded a dozen bottles of Grange Hermitage from the back of my car I could feel the nerves playing havoc with my palate.
Investing in Penfolds' illustrious Grange Hermitage wine can be a risky business.
While the wine holds up in its own right as an investment, cellaring and temperature variances can spell its death.
When you fork out anything from $280 to $50,000 per bottle, that thought can make anyone a little tense.
Other nervous punters were flowing into the appointment-only free clinic, clutching single bottles, or wheeling in crates of different Penfolds blends.
It was a melting pot of wine lovers - or heaven on earth for this wine buff.
I was also nervous about the tasting process - all that swirling and spitting, would I be up to scratch?
Especially under the watch of Peter Gago, who is only the fourth Penfolds chief winemaker in 164 years.
The crates were opened and bottles unwrapped from the protective shield of Penfolds-branded white paper, some of which had yellowed with age.
The staff responded immediately to the chief's gentle instructions on tending the wine.
He lined the bottles up, eyeing the levels and examining the corks.
At first it was exciting, watching him as he gave some bottles the nod to return to the crates, but excitement waned as some bottles came under closer scrutiny.
Liquid levels had dropped and some corks were stained a deep red colour.
Mr Gago sought permission from me to open the bottles and test the wine.
If I agreed, there was a risk the wine could be spoiled. But I decided to take the plunge.
After all - he is the chief winemaker - who would refuse?
Carefully the bottles were uncorked using a corkscrew that resembled a miniature pair of tongs, which is great for holding together crumbly corks.
A curly orange hose resembling those used to put air in car tyres released a mix of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas into the bottle. (The gas would act as a buffer to protect the precious liquid before a temporary cap plugged the bottle.)
Only 15ml of wine was poured into a glass and given a decent swirl.
"Because it's been in that bottle for 16 years, we let it awaken and get a bit of air," Mr Gago said.
Next came the taste test.
"Fingers crossed," he said holding his arms in the air.
As he swirled the wine in his mouth, he didn't look my way, striking fear into my heart (and bank balance).
"It's absolutely as it should be," he said after spitting the wine into a spittoon.
Then came the bad news.
"Now remember though, 1992 wasn't the strongest of the vintages for Grange, but it's a solid Grange, and it's looking terrific in its 16th year," he said with a smile.
"It's one that I'd be drinking from 15 years on - or even now."
He then urged me to taste my own wine - he didn't have to ask me twice.
Under his gentle coaching he revealed there is no secret to tasting wine - it is simply a case of drinking what you like.
You also need to let it spread its wings before tasting if it has been captured inside a bottle for a while.
Once the wine is given the nod, apart from lots of smiling and cheering (and tasting of course) the bottle was topped up with the current vintage, certified and re-corked using a Penfolds Grange cork, then resealed and wrapped up like a newborn baby before being replaced into its case.
Bottles that don't cut the mustard are branded with a white dot, a plain cork and no certification - which has made many a grown man cry, Mr Gago said.
Lucky for me all my bottles passed the test.
In two years' time I will return with the bottles that weren't tested to once again validate the reason for blowing so much money on booze.
But hopefully it'll all be worth it.
A history of Penfold's Grange Hermitage
The wine wizard responsible for Penfolds Grange was originally banned from making the iconic drop.
Max Schubert, who became Penfolds' first chief winemaker in 1948 and is the man behind the famous wine, started out as a stable boy before being promoted to the lab.
It's there where the man was able to brew his gift.
At first, the wine was rejected, but Mr Schubert, who died in 1994, secretly continued brewing the Grange.
After serving in the military he returned to Penfolds and was sent on a trip to Europe when he held the post of chief winemaker at Magill in South Australia.
It was this trip that changed the course of wine history in Australia after Schubert witnessed French and German winemaking techniques.
On return to Australia he made an experimental batch of wine from the 1951 vintage.
Grange was born.
Schubert called it Grange Hermitage, instead of shiraz, to "pander to the snobs in New South Wales" according to the Penfolds history book, The Rewards of Patience.
In 1957, Penfolds management pulled the plug on production as it took manpower away from the core production of fortified winemaking.
So the Grange winemaking went underground. The 1957, 1958 and 1959 batches were secretly made.
With no budget, Schubert bottled the wine using abandoned bottles found lying around in other cellars.
The Grange winemaking technique continued, but the fermentation was cut back from 18 to nine months.
Even though these batches don't pack the punch of the other vintages, they still hold their own, according to wine writer James Halliday.
It wasn't until 1959 that the company acknowledged the top-notch potential of the wine and gave the nod for production to continue.
The recognition came after jibes such as: "Schubert, I congratulate you. A very good dry port, which no-one in their right mind will buy - let alone drink."
A bottle of 1951 Grange Hermitage recently sold for $50,000.
Schubert never expected the wine to last more than 20 years, let alone remain drinkable after 50.
It is officially an Australian icon after its National Trust heritage listing.
Great vintages, such as the 1971 and 1996, can be cellared for up to 50 years and other vintages will last for at least 20 years, according to Penfolds.
The secret to wine tasting
Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago's tips on tasting, serving and cellaring wine.
Tasting tips:
- Choose your wine preference
- Know the track record of the wine: for example, was it a good year for the vintage?
- Are you buying the wine to cellar or drink straight away?
- Pour the wine and give it a swirl to get the air into it
- If wine has been bottled for some time let it rest or decant it first to get rid of sediment
- Hold your glass against a white background to check the colour of the wine and remove any sediment or cork
- Smell the wine. The aromatics leap out of the glass when it's swirled, as the inside of the glass coats with wine and the aromatics lift out
- The palate is the most important process, so swirl the wine, taste the layers and tannins, not just the flavours
- The more you taste, the more you get to know the styles and the better your understanding
- Buy it based on an "organoleptic" assessment of sight, smell and taste.
Serving tips:
- Decanting takes the wine off its fine film of sediment
- Double decanting, or pouring back into the original bottle once sediment is washed out, is good to identify bottles
- Remove red wine from the cellar at least eight hours before serving, a day prior is ideal
- Wash and dry glasses before using, otherwise dust and grime will affect the taste
Cellaring tips:
- Choose a wine suitable to cellar
- White wine is vulnerable to temperature variations
- Lay bottles on their side - including bottles with a screw caps
- Store at between 14 and 16 degrees Celsius (a constant temperature of 18 degrees is best) and relative humidity of 65 to 75 per cent
- If storing in airconditioning don't set below 17 degrees Celsius otherwise dryness can cause the corks to crumble
- The cellar should be dark and free from vibrations
- Wine fridges are great for the wine buff wanting to cellar a number of bottles
- Check corks for leakage
(Source: Penfolds, The Rewards of Patience.)