“Sod the wine, I want to suck on the writing. This man White is an instinctive writer, bloody rare to find one who actually pulls it off, as in still gets a meaning across with concision. Sharp arbitrage of speed and risk, closest thing I can think of to Cicero’s ‘motus continuum animi.’

Probably takes a drink or two to connect like that: he literally paints his senses on the page.”


DBC Pierre (Vernon God Little, Ludmila’s Broken English, Lights Out In Wonderland ... Winner: Booker prize; Whitbread prize; Bollinger Wodehouse Everyman prize; James Joyce Award from the Literary & Historical Society of University College Dublin)


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06 February 2016

KAY BROTHERS: 125th VINTAGE LUNCH

The Kay family, owners of Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards in McLaren Vale, gave a lovely lunch today in their 1895 cellar to celebrate the launch of a fine family history book, Kay Brothers - The First 125 Years, written by Alice Kay with James Dunsmore and Colin Kay, and published by the very special Adelaide company, Wakefield Press.

This is Colin Kay speaking. Many members of the Kay family took their turns to pay loving and witty respect to the tireless generations that went before. We took a tasty lunch with beautiful Kay Brothers wines. That dry vintage air hung heavy with memories and anecdote for three perfect hours.

Many Kays gathered around to assist Colin cut the book cake. We ate slices of it with their first sparkling Shiraz, a brilliant rich but balanced wine which has immediately taken a place in the front ranks of this rare Australian style.

That's young George Kay with his Mum Elspeth and Grandpa Colin. At four years of age, he made a good speech, too, about how he loves tasting the grapes with Grandpa at vintage

Watch DRINKSTER for a forthcoming review of this important book. It's a telling glimpse into the sort of tireless toil that builds these mighty enduring Australian wine families. 

The Kay Brothers board, just by the way, is always 50-50, men and women.

photos©Philip White
 

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