Up and Away to Orange!

The Wine Media Conference offers several pre- and post-conference excursions. These are always special experiences because of the limited number of attendees. I chose the excursion to Orange and our group consisted of just nine people.  The organizers had originally intended to fly us to Orange on a local carrier, but with such a small number of travelers, they chartered two private planes.  Hilary and I flew with our pilot, Sam, in a beautiful Cessna four-seater.  What an incredible experience flying over the beautiful countryside as Sam described points of interest below.

Orange is one of Australia’s newer wine districts, officially recognized in 1997, and it is receiving accolades for award winning wines and restaurants.  Located about 125 miles northwest of Sydney, Orange is home to 80 vineyards with over 30 cellar doors (tasting rooms) in operation.  It is the highest altitude growing area in Australia – to be labeled “Orange,” grapes must be grown at 600 meters or higher.

We were greeted at the tiny Orange airport by Justin Jarrett, owner and wine maker at See Saw Wines. We hadn’t had breakfast and only a half cup of coffee, but that wasn’t going to get in the way of wine tasting! Justin provided us with an excellent overview of the wine growing region of Orange and his winery’s philosophy of sustainable and organic farming practices and minimal intervention wine making.  See Saw is the only producer in Orange to have planted the Glera grape that is used to make Prosecco.  Their organic Prosecco was delightful with pleasing bubbles and notes of melon and pear.  Justin is experimenting with some skin-contact wines and has given two of them the whimsical names of Marge and Samm.   Marge is his organic, skin-contact Pinot Noir.  It is a cloudy ruby color and tastes of dark fruit and strawberries.  The more I explored this wine, the more I liked it. Samm is a skin-contact blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Marsanne.

Our next stop was Angullong Wines, where we were treated to a fabulous tasting of their portfolio of wines. We were entertained by a troupe of dancers who demonstrated ceremonial dances handed down by the Wiradjuri tribe and sampled a variety of indigenous foods including kangaroo and emu.  The Angullong family purchased its first property in 1950 and grows a wide range of grapes including several Italian varietals.  One of the wines I especially enjoyed was the 2018 Angullong Fossil Hill Chardonnay.  Grown at a higher altitude site, the wine’s aromas include citrus and spice followed by stone fruits and subtle oak on the palate.  Another very special wine was the 2015 Augullong Crossing Reserve Shiraz.  This deeply colored, full bodied Shiraz is highly concentrated with flavors of dark fruit, spice, and herbs.

We checked into our overnight accommodations but needed to make a quick turnaround before heading to Rowlee Vineyard for a delightful, informal tasting and dinner. Rowlee is a small vineyard of just eight hectares, or twenty acres, at an elevation of 950 meters (a little over 3,000 feet).  They specialize in cool climate, single vineyard wines.  We sampled their sparkling Cuvee, rosé, and Pinot Gris as we strolled around their beautiful property.  During the dinner that featured beef and a glorious assortment of farm fresh vegetables and salads, we tasted two Pinot Noirs, Nebbiolo, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Nebbiolo was a big hit with our group, a medium bodied, deeply colored wine with rich cherry flavors and floral notes.

We were grateful to our generous hosts for making the first day in Orange one to remember!

Cheers!