CONSTELLATION RAPE HITS JESUS BOX

BECAUSE THE McLAREN VALE WINEMAKERS MANDARINS HAVE SHEWN NOT A SKERRICK OF INTEREST, OR HAVE BEEN HIDING FROM THE MIGHTY TRANSNATIONAL, CONSTELLATION, I THOUGHT I MIGHT JUST AS WELL POST A BAROSSA PHOTOGRAPH HERE, IN PLACE OF THE SACRED HEART OF McLAREN VALE, THE 1838 CHATEAU REYNELLA, WHICH I RECKON IS ABOUT TO GO ANYWAY. THIS IS BAROSSA WINEMAKER ROLF BINDER, LEFT, WITH THE AUTHOR IN HIS BARONS' FROCK AND CEREMONIAL SILVER ASHTRAY, CHRIS 'RINGERS' RINGLAND, OF THE "R" WINE CORPORATION, AND MICHAEL WAUGH OF GREENOCK CREEK VINEYARDS AND CELLARS, HAVING TAKEN THEIR AWARDS AS BAROSSA BARONS VITICULTURER AND WINEMAKERS OF THE YEAR BACK WHEN I WORE A PONY TAIL. CLICK ON PHOTO FOR FREE TV SHOW! pic: Leo Davis

Reynella Uproot Hits The Tube
Dimbo Vinepullers Get Famous
PR Victory For Small Good Folks
by PHILIP WHITE

South Australia's most wine-aware general news journalist, Channel Nine's Kelly Clappis, has done a very clean job of reporting the disastrous Constellation plan to remove one of Australia's oldest and most significant vineyards from McLaren Vale, South Australia.

There was no help from the local winemakers' association, which appears to be so close to undead it calls itself MVGWTA. Which is, actually - and I think this is a first - it's an abbreviation of an acronym, which is, in turn, a marketer's record-breaking horror. If they were honest, it'd be MCVGWATA, which at least sounds kinda African.

One of these days, these confounding and arcane bodies will hire a smart writer, and realise that being called the McLaren Vale Grape Wine And Tourism Association is a long way from Coke, which appears to be a slightly more successful brand.

So enjoy the Barossa photograph above, and then realise we're not in the Barossa, but we're going back to the deep south, to that king-hell rival of the Barossa, MVGWTA, a.k.a McLaren Vale, to watch the current Constellation state of play, or lack thereof, in that peculiarly humid and beautifully Mediterranean-mellow neck of the woods.

As this scandal undressed itself, it became more and more obvious that the main reason the Vales winemakers would not speak out was their callow hope that Constellation would continue to buy their grapes. They're scared. An enormous amount of the Vales crop is sold to big refineries for amorphous blends that leave most wine enthusiasts nonplussed.

This is not a fair reflection on the potential and quality of the region's better fruit. Traditionally, McLaren Vale reds have provided what was called "the middle palate of Australia", not to mention most of the wine that was sold in New South Wales as Hunter Valley. McLaren Vale is much better than this, but needs to be increasingly vigilant, and throw much more energy into sub-regional terroir-driven wines of higher quality than the leviathan megaswill plonkmongers will, or can, ever manage.

It cannot be long, for example, before Fosters closes its Rosemount refinery on the site of Jim Ingoldby's old Ryecroft winery, which provided Burge & Wilson with their Jimmy Watson Trophy winner in the late 'seventies.

At the same time, there are revered Vales vineyards which always go into Grange, and beautiful facets of wonder like the Oliver's tempranillo which makes 100% of Penfolds stunning forthcoming Cellar Reserve tempranillo, which I think is the best version of this variety yet made in Australia.

Many vineyards are in the wrong places, planted for the wrong reasons, by the wrong people.

But there are many treasures, and these must eventually win wide recognition.

Click on my tastevin above, and you get to see Kelly's neat TV reportage of something which is not at all funny.

Wake up, McLaren Vale!

The comments are flooding in. You can post through the comments box below of hurl 'em at my facebook.

Dear Phil,

Firstly, many thanks for sending this story through.....indeed, it will be fascinating to see how things develop!

Is it true that the vines are diseased, and can this “disease” be eradicated?

Hoping that this message finds you well and I look forward to being in touch with you again soon.

Regards Stoppa.

Grant said:

Clearly they need to remove the 'TA' from their appalling acronym, because tourism is certainly something that doesn't appear to be part of their current action plan.

That would make it 'MVGWA', or if they used the vaguely African sounding version that you propose, 'MCVGWA', which is probably an African word for sellout.

Keep up the good fight.

ben said:

Phillip,

MLC David Winderlich asked a question about this in Parliament on Tuesday

So at least there is some question being asked about this disgraceful issue.

This is all part of a broader disregard that the Labor SA Government has for heritage, local communities' representation or anything that stands in the way of developers having carte blanche to do whatever they like.

Just look at the (closer to town) issues of Glenside redevelopment, Searle's Boatyards, Urban Infill, Cheltenham Racecourse, developer donations, Residential Development Bill, etc etc

Cheers

Ben

http://davidwinderlich.net/2009/06/02/stony-hill-vineyard-question/

Legislative Council - Tuesday 2nd June 2009

The Hon. DAVID WINDERLICH: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations, representing the Minister for Environment and Conservation, questions about the impending bulldozing of South Australia’s oldest commercial vineyard, Stony Hill at Old Reynella.

Leave granted.

The Hon. DAVID WINDERLICH: The Sunday Mail of 31 May reported that Stony Hill at Old Reynella is set to be bulldozed to enable the construction of just 41 homes. Stony Hill was established in 1839 by John Reynell and was planted with 32 hectares of cabernet sauvignon vines. Only two hectares of this vineyard remain.

According to Onkaparinga council, the vineyard was removed from the state heritage list by the Department for Environment and Heritage. This is a very strange decision, because the vineyard clearly meets at least three of the seven criteria for listing under the state’s Heritage Places Act: it demonstrates important aspects of the evolution or pattern of the state’s history; it is an outstanding representative of a particular class of places of cultural significance; and it has a special association with the life or work of a person or organisation or an event of historical importance.

To delist such an important part of our history for such a small gain, 41 homes—we are not talking about this vineyard blocking the development of Roxby, for example—raises the concern that nothing is safe. It also raises questions about the integrity of the heritage listing process. My questions are:

1. Why was the Stony Hill vineyard taken off the state heritage register?

2. Was the minister aware that the Department for Environment and Heritage had removed Stony Hill from the state heritage register?

3. If the minister was not aware, will he undertake an investigation as to why the Department for Environment and Heritage made this bizarre decision?

4. Will the minister step in and prevent the bulldozing of the Stony Hill vineyard until he has completed an investigation as to the reason for its removal from the state heritage register?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy): I thank the honourable member for his important questions. I will refer them to the Minister for Environment and Conservation in another place and bring back a response.
June 4, 2009 9:49 AM

Peter made a comment about your link:

i am greatful that someone is keen to save the wine heritage of this state, your efforts will be appreciated in years to come.

being a former west aussie i am scared what the same company will do to the Gingin blocks houghtons sourced its moondah brook chardonnays from for years. i know in these tough times the company has deserted the growers it pushed to plant in this region.

like the cabernet at reynella, many west aussie chardonnay vineyards are planted from cuttings of the original gingin block.

Hi Philip,

Been following every word of this – you came over well on telly.

Just can’t comprehend the news of so much apathy from MVG TWAT or whatever they are called.

Keep at 'em mate, many of us are with you, though I still haven’t joined facebook...

Cheers

Harold, Adelaide

Whitey,

How did they remove the heritage listing? Gov? Council?

Cheers,

JD (Barossa)

It's an outrage!

Hope the program stirs some ire and passion in the people.

What else can be done? I'm sure you and others are working on it.

Thanks for sending the info on ... I missed the current affair program, yet knew it was on, due to their promos earlier in the week.

Keep stirring the pot, Whitey.

Cheers,

Annabelle (Langhorne Creek)

Whitey,

I wanted to buy Stony Hill from Rothmans in 1980 - not for the history, but because it was always the best Cabernet in the cellar - Reynella, McLaren Vale or Coonawarra.

Hack (Adelaide)

Greedy, insensitive bastards. We live in an unfair country.

Michael (Adelaide)

Not Good. No point having somewhere to live if you have nothing to drink.

Tony Ford (Port Lincoln)

Whitey,

Can you believe these arseholes?

Cheers Ox (Adelaide Hills)

Great job …. “Yuppy Ghetto” …. “Clap Trap”…. Lovin’ your work man.

Seriously, good work and keep up the fight.

Paul (McLaren Vale)


If you'd like to add your steam, use the comment box below or get to me on youtube. Meanwhile, there's plenty of background argument on this fiasco if you have the time to read on ... first up comes Geoff Hardy refuting Constellation's claims that the famous Reynella Selection cabernet did not come from the block they intend to convert to a yuppie ghetto.