It was just after vintage when I visited Rockford wines in the Barossa Valley this year. With an international media group, as part of Tasting Australia, we stopped by to sip Rockford Sparkling Black Shiraz for breakfast. Perhaps the international visitors were perplexed? I certainly was (at first.) While I’ve enjoyed this style of purely Aussie sparkling celebration since I was a teenager, I would have thought the wine style was a bit of a puzzle to our guests from the UK and US (even without considering the time of day.)
It went down well.
During a tour of the traditional winery and equipment we learnt more of the traditional winemaking philosophy of award winning founder and winemaker, Robert O’Callaghan.
That same philosophy extends past the grape beverages and on to food. Breakfast was prepared by Rockford Chefs Sandor and Lauren Palmai featuring produce grown at the Krondorf Farm. The finger food offerings meant that we could continue our Rockford wine journey from that first glass (or two or three) of Rockford Sparkling Black Shiraz.
We’d started in the courtyard. But it was a chilly morning and I needed a fire. So the next stop for me in the tour of the winery was inside the warmth of the old sandstone cellar door.
Leaning on the cellar door counter, now warmed from the burning logs in the fireplace behind, Rockford enticed me with their very fine Alicante Bouchet. Unlike some that are newer friends to rosé wines, I’ve got a long history of enjoyment of crisp clean rosés. New to me though, in matching food to rosé, was drinking rosé with a sweet friand (hahaha and for breakfast!). Both slipped down well to finish my morning at Rockford.
From across the country came social networking pleas, for me to buy some of the Rockford Alicante Bouchet at cellar door. I didn’t get the messages in time. On my return to Sydney, I’ve found this wine to be a matter of discussion, as it is not technically made in the way of rosé. Grape skins are taken off as in red wine making. I’m not a wine writer, just a wine drinker, so I’ll leave the final word in this debate to one: Wine without BS.
Rockford Wines
LOT 563 Krondorf Road Tanunda SA, Australia
+61 8 8563 2720
June 12 2012 at 10:18 am
What makes Alicante Bouchet, which outside Rockfords wine label is actually spelt ‘Bouschet’, particularly rare is that it is one of the only grape varieties in the world with red flesh! Most grapes, including nearly all other red grape varieties, have white flesh and it is the skins that add the colour and the tannin.
By having red flesh Rockford are able to make a light red wine/rosé without any skin contact at all!
June 12 2012 at 5:37 pm
So wish I had been there at vintage! Thanks for that extra info..