Show 535, July 22, 2023: Handpicked Wines, Sydney, Australia with Adam Dromi USA Market Manager Part One

Adam Dromi of Handpicked Wines

Handpicked Wines is a family-owned Australian Winery that specializes in crafting wines that offer a true sense of place, but fundamentally not from a single place. The Mornington Peninsula in Victoria is home to their Winery and flagship vineyard Capella, but winemaking spreads to five more fully owned, top-site vineyards across in Tasmania, Yarra Valley, and Barossa Valley.”

“With several trophies and hundreds of accolades to their name, Handpicked Wines has earned a reputation as a top site-specific producer vintage after vintage. They have proudly held their Halliday 5-Red-Star-Winery rating since 2014 along with being recognized as a Top Winery of Australia by The Real Review since 2018.”

“They are advocates of sustainable viticulture with a commitment to grape-growing techniques that improve the health of their vines and that of the local environment. Handpicked Wines is a proponent of minimal intervention, a vineyard-driven approach to winemaking that accentuates the character, complexity and geology of each site.”

Just back from Australia is Handpicked Wines’ USA Market Manager, Adam Dromi, to pull the cork for us on all that is Handpicked Wines.

Show 535, July 22, 2023: Handpicked Wines, Sydney, Australia with Adam Dromi USA Market Manager Part Two

Adam Dromi of Handpicked Wines

Handpicked Wines is a family-owned Australian Winery that specializes in crafting wines that offer a true sense of place, but fundamentally not from a single place. The Mornington Peninsula in Victoria is home to their Winery and flagship vineyard Capella, but winemaking spreads to five more fully owned, top-site vineyards across in Tasmania, Yarra Valley, and Barossa Valley.”

“Their ethos has always been to share their love of wine with others. Handpicked wants to demystify the world of wine and bring others on the journey, having lots of fun on the way.”

“They are advocates of sustainable viticulture with a commitment to grape-growing techniques that improve the health of their vines and that of the local environment. Handpicked Wines is a proponent of minimal intervention, a vineyard-driven approach to winemaking that accentuates the character, complexity and geology of each site.”

“The uniqueness of their fully-owned, top-site vineyards across Australia is captured under their Single Vineyards labels. The Collection series are a set of premium wines from hand-picked regions – each crafted to reflect a supreme sense of place and exceptional character. Regional Selections are a collection of classic varieties grown in the terroir that suits them best.”

Just back from Australia is Handpicked Wines’ USA Market Manager, Adam Dromi. He continues with us pulling the cork on all that is Handpicked Wines.

Show 344, October 12, 2019: Alessia Travaglini, Travaglini Gattinara, Piemonte, Italy

Alessia Collauto Travaglini of Travaglini Gattinara“Driven by a passion for exceptional Nebbiolo, the Travaglini family has been producing remarkable, limited-production wines in Gattinara for four generations. The Travaglini family has owned land in Gattinara since the beginning of the 19th century. The family’s winemaking tradition started with Clemente Travaglini, who was succeeded by his son Arturo, however, it was not until 1958 when Arturo’s son, Giancarlo, took the helm that the Travaglini Estate Winery was established as it exists today.”

“Today, the Travaglini family owns 146 acres of vineyards, 128 of which are dedicated to vines, primarily Nebbiolo, covering roughly 50% of total vineyards within the Gattinara DOCG. This small appellation lies in the rocky foothills of the Monte Rosa range, where ventilating winds blow down from the nearby Alps. Soils are rocky and rich in porphyry, granite and iron. Similar in composition to the Alps, Monte Rosa’s sedimentary rock is highly acidic, due to low levels of calcium carbonate and magnesium, and an absence of calcium. Vines grown in this rare soil produce grapes with a unique flavor profile, high acidity and firm tannins. The finished wines offer refreshing acidity, soft tannins, minerality and complexity.”

“A member of the fourth generation, Cinzia Travaglini now runs the estate, together with her husband Massimo Collauto, chief winemaker. Their efforts, as the generations before them, have made Travaglini one of Italy’s most recognizable wines and the Number 1 selling Gattinara in the world.”

Fifth generation Travaglini family member Alessia Travaglini (Cinzia’s daughter) graciously pulls the cork for us on the long line from Italy.

Show 217, April 1, 2017: Aurelio Montes Sr., Montes Wines, Chile

Aurelio Montes SrIn 1988, four enterprising partners (including winemaker Aurelio Montes Sr.), sharing a common dream, embarked on a project to make high quality Chilean wines at a time when, strange as it may sound, such an idea was considered a high-risk venture.

Starting from the ground up with modest resources Vina Montes led what became a new wave of producers making sustainable, premium-quality wines, and adhering to solid management principals.

“Considered one of the most able practitioners in the cellar, Winemaker Aurelio Montes has always maintained that 80 per cent of good wine comes from the vineyards and only 20 per cent from the cellar. So vineyard care is paramount, enabling us to produce world-class wines. From the vineyard rows to the cellar, we meticulously study every variable in the winemaking process. Our commitment to method and process is almost obsessive. Nothing is left to chance.”

Aurelio Montes Sr., President of Montes Winery, is our guest.

Show 173, May 28, 2016: Kyle Meyer, Co-Proprietor, Wine Exchange, Santa Ana

Kyle Meyer of Wine ExchangeFrance’s Alsace region produces 18 per cent of the total French production of still white AOC wines. Our resident wine authority Kyle Meyer of Wine Exchange is here to give us an overview of the prominent region. Kyle will also chat with us about how wine professionals navigate their way through trade tastings.

Alsace is located on France’s eastern border and on the west bank of the upper Rhine, adjacent to Germany and Switzerland. In 1962, centuries of winemaking excellence were rewarded when Alsace received AOC status.

Alsace produces 10 per cent of all Riesling consumed worldwide. It is regarded as one of the finest white wines in the world and widely considered to reach its peak form in Alsace.

Show 126, June 13, 2015: Camron King, Executive Director, Lodi Wine Commission

Camron King of the Lodi Winegrape AssociationThe about-to-be-discovered “Lodi Wine Country” is one of California’s major winegrowing regions. It’s located 100 miles east of San Francisco near the San Joaquin/Sacramento River Delta, south of Sacramento and west of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Lodi is characterized by rural atmosphere where wineries and farms run by 4th and 5th generation families operate in tandem with a new group of vintners who have brought creative winemaking and cutting–edge technology to the region.

In Lodi, grape growing is inextricably woven into the culture : the city of Lodi’s police department prominently features a grape cluster in its logo, and high school teams are named after grape varieties.

Lodi has been a major winegrape growing region for over 150 years. Unlike many U.S. wine regions, Lodi actually prospered during Prohibition and as such has been a continuous source of wine grapes since the 1850s. In fact, when early trappers wandered into what is now Lodi, they called one stream they discovered “Wine Creek” because of the proliferation of wild vines found there. As more and more Italian and German immigrants made their homes in Lodi, vinifera varieties such as Zinfandel, Tokay, and Alicante appeared by the 1880s.

Camron King, the Executive Director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission joins us with all the exciting 411.