Sunday, August 31, 2014

Swirl Sniff Spit - Spring: New Beginnings and New Releases

Just quietly, tickets are available for out Spring tasting here.

Spring is the season of new life, of new beginnings and renewal. In the wine industry it's when the vines start 'springing' back into life, a process known as budburst, and it's also when we start to see new releases hit the shelves and become available through wine clubs.

At Swirl, Sniff, Spit we're keen to show the best of some of these releases as we see them. As ever, there may be a few quirks, a few releases that year-in-year-out offer excellent drinking and will be perfect for the warmer months ahead.

Final line-up subject to confirmation:

Sparkling
Smallfry Cinsault Grenache Pétillant Naturel Rosé 2014 
@SmallfryWines
Yangarra Pet Nat 2014 
@Yangarra

Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc
Briar Ridge 2014 
@BriarRidge
Guthrie Wines 'The Little Things' Sauvignon Blanc 2014 @HugeWino

Riesling
Pewsey Vale Eden Valley 2014 @Pewseyvale
O'Leary Walker Watervale 2014 @OLearyWalker

Other Whites
De Bortoli Vinoque Oval Pinot Blanc 2014 @DeBortoliWines
Chaffey Brothers Wine Co Düfte Punkt 2014 @ChaffeyBrosWine

Rosé
Oliver's Taranga Chica Mencia Rosé 2014 
@OliversTaranga
Chaffey Brothers Wine Co 'Not Your Grandmother's' Rosé 2014 @ChaffeyBrosWine

Dominique Portet Rosé 2014 @portetwines 

Reds
Yangarra PF 2014 @Yangarra
Battle of Bosworth Puritan 2014 @BosworthWines

We hope you can join us for our September tasting.


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Swirl Sniff Spit - Session 35 - A New American Frontier

Tickets are available for our August tasting here.

"There exist limitless opportunities in every industry" so wrote inventor Charles F Kettering. This can apply equally to wine as it could any other industry, "and where there is an open mind, there will be a frontier".

A new frontier in American wine is the theme for our August tasting. Our host for the evening is Brad Hickey, himself a son of that great country, the man behind the Brash Higgins wine label; former Wine Director of 2 Michelin star New York fine dining establishment Bouley. In short, a man who knows wine and knows the new frontiers of wine being explored in his homeland.

Brad has personally selected a range of wines spanning this diverse country. Stylistically, varietally and regionally we will explore American wines from producer who are choosing to tread a different path to that which commonly prevails.

Come share in this rare opportunity to taste a diverse range of wines, lead by an individual who will inform, entertain and share in their enjoyment.


1. 2012 Paumanok Chenin Blanc-North Fork, Long island, NY @PaumanokWine
2. 2012 Hermann J. Wiemer “Dry" Riesling, Finger Lakes, NY

3. 2012 Dutton-Goldfield “Dutton Ranch” Chardonnay, Russian River, CA @DuttonGoldfield
4. 2010 Channing Daughters “Meditazione”, White Friulian Blend, Hamptons, Long Island, NY @CDWWine

5. 2013 Idlewild Grenache Gris, Gibson Ranch, Mendocino, CA
6. 2011 A Tribute to Grace Grenache, "Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard", Santa Barbara, CA

7. 2010 Sineann Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR
8. 2012 Peay Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA @PeayVineyards

9. 2010 Forlorn Hope “Mil Amores, Dewitt Vineyard”, (Touriga Nacional, Tinto Roriz, Trincadeira), Sierra Foothills, CA @ForlornHopeWine
10. 2011 Scholium Project “Gardens of Babylon” Red Blend, CA @ScholiumWines

11. 2011 Edmeades Zinfandel, Mendocino County, CA @EdmeadesWine
12. 2008 La Jota “Heritage", Howell Mt. Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, CA @LaJotaWines