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Wine Lessons > Making Botrytised WinesMaking Botrytised WinesBotrytised dessert wines or “stickies” are some of the most sought after and expensive wines in the world. Leading the way at around $500 a half bottle is the legendary Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes from Bordeaux. Great Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) wines from Germany can be just as expensive and just as sought after. With such a noble standing the world, these wines have inspired winemakers all over the world to both emulate them or surpass them.
Despite their prestige, to most consumers the process that creates them remains a mystery. Botrytised wines can be made from many different varieties. The most important requirements for selection of the varieties to be utilised in botrytis wines are colour, skin thickness, bunch size & density and ripening time. The main varieties used are Semillon, Riesling and Chenin Blanc. The natural creation of botrytised wines in the vineyard is like living on a knife’s edge. There is no certainty that the ideal weather conditions will be met – that is misty, damp mornings and warm, sunny afternoons. There is no certainty that the botrytis rot will set in at the period of grape ripening – too early and the rot will ruin a whole crop. Many other factors including reaching optimum rot level and quantity picked that also need to be considered. When God’s grace ensures all those conditions are in the favour of making “sticky”, the noble Botrytis cinerea goes to work. The fungus attacks the skins of the grapes slowly developing and acting as a replacement skin with a porous nature that promotes the evaporation of water from the grapes. Botrytis cinerea also metabolises some of the acids within the grapes resulting in berries rich in sugar content with a stable level of acidity. Botrytis cinerea also imparts other compounds and properties on the grapes it infects – most notably a higher level of glycogen. Picking of Botrytis infecting grapes usually requires individual bunch selection, though for the greatest Sauternes’ and Trockenbeerenausleses, picking of perfectly ripe, individual berries may take place. With all these issues it is no wonder that many new world produces are starting the replicate ideal weather conditions for Botrytis infecting in the winery after the grapes are picked. Large quantities of grapes are required in the winery to produce small quantities of botrytised wine – as with most “stickies“ due to the evaporation of the water. The higher sugar and glycogen content result in an extremely viscous “juice”. Fermentation usually stops of its own accord when the stress becomes just too great for the yeast to continue, leaving a wine with significant residual sugar and an alcohol level between about 9 to 14%. For all this effort you would hope the results (and the resultant price!) are worth it, so it is probably fitting that the world’s most recognised Botrytis wine – Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes – be that proof. After being discovered in a “bricked-off” pre-revolution Paris cellar, wines destined for then US President Jefferson from this great Chateau showed their class by remaining at their peak, from a dramatic tasting in the late 1980’s, aged well over 200 years old! However, Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes is a miniscule proportion of the botrytised wines made the world over, so what can you expected from the rest. Broadly speaking, wines with good aging ability. Perhaps more than any other wine style (Ports aside) botrytised wines – particularly the better examples – can age well. When young these wines extrude characters of honey and cabbage leaves, before developing into rich, golden wines full of things like fresh & dried apricots, honeycomb, raisins, marmalade, flowers etc, etc, etc. Good Botrytised wines will demonstrate a remarkable balance between sweetness and acidity, making them luscious, yet refreshing in the same instant. In terms of variation of styles, Sauternes sits at the top, but Barsac, it neighbour in the Bordeaux region mustn‘t be forgotten. Further north the Germans have their Beerenauslese and Torckenbeerenauslese, while back across the border, Alsace produces the Riesling based Sélection de Grains Nobles. Hungary has their Tokaji (not fortified wine Australian Tokay). In Australia, the Riverina area around Griffith has shown amazing potential with Semillon ‘stickies’. The best examples of which are De Bortoli ‘Noble One’ and Westend Estate ‘Golden Mist’ and Lillypilly Estate But some of the most exciting stickies in the world are those of New Zealand, made predominantly from Riesling. Produced primarily out of Marlborough these wines are consistently out pointing their Australian rivals with luscious, yet delicately balanced wines. |
Shopping CartWE ONLY ACCEPT ORDERS FROM AUSTRALIA We accept ![]() ![]() ![]() The Regional Wine ServiceWhat is The Regional Wine Service?The Regional Wine Service is a home-delivered wine business, run by country people to service country people.
The Regional Wine Service is focussed on providing regional Australians with access to a great range of the best value wines – without paying a premium for living in the country. Each offer by the RWS is hand selected by Dave Cann and Stuart Hay, founders of The Press Cellars, and draws on their 30 years of combined experience in all areas of the wine industry including production, wholesale, restaurants and retail; to source great wines for your enjoyment. Stu and Dave have a passion for wine and want to offer country Victorians the opportunity to access an appealing range of quality wines. Hours are spent tasting a wide range of wines at every price point in order to bring you the best selection. Our dozens will always be interesting and delicious. The RWS Daily Dozenconsists of twelve wines hand selected by Stu and Dave perfect for casual everyday drinking. The RWS Daily Dozen is a mix of 12 different red and white wines, but is available as a red or white only option. You can look forward to a new Daily Dozen every month. New at The CellarsSome Young PunksWhen Jennie Gardner, Nic Bourke and Col McBryde got in with the wrong wine " We blame the booze. The whiff and the swill did us in and all that was left to do was make more. In may ways the wines that weren't worth the pull of the cork caused this as much as the wines that we will never have the pleasure of decorking again. This is Passion, a monster bigger than the three of us that leads us to soapbox, grandstand,and sometime pass out on the couch."
These limited edition wines taste as good on the inside as the look on the outside, watch out these guys are seriously cool. There website is definitely worth checking out. someyoungpunks.com.au Hundres of BeersSome of our Hundreds of BeersHere's a quick list of some of the beers we stock...
Asahi Super Dry Baltika No. 3 Premium Lager Barefoot Radler Beer Barons Black Wattle Original Ale Barons Lager Barons Lemon Myrtle Witbier Barossa Valley Brewing Organic Ale Bavaria Premium (500mL/Can) Beard & Brau 'Red Tail' Amber Ale Beck's Lager Birra Moretti Pilsner Birra Moretti Zero Birra Peroni Gran Riserva Bishops Finger Kentish Strong Ale Black Sheep Ale Black Sheep Riggwelter Blue Tongue Premium Light Boag's Classic Blond Boag's Draught Boag's St George Boddingtons Pub Ale (440ml can) Brew Boys 'Ace of Spades' Stout Brew Boys 'Charger' Lager Brew Boys 'GT 351' Lager Brew Boys 'Maiden Ale' Amber Ale Brew Boys 'Schweinhund' Hefeweizen Brew Boys 'Seeing Double' Scot Wee Heavy Bridge Road 'Australian' Ale Bridge Road 'Chevalier' Saison Coing Broo Premium Lager Burleigh Brewing 'Big Head' No Carb Burleigh Brewing 'My Wife's Bitter' 650m Carlsberg Elephant Carlsberg Export 500ml Can Carlsberg Premium Carlton Cold Carlton Draught (cans) Carlton Draught (Stubby) Carlton Dry Carlton Dry Fusion Lemon Carlton Dry Fusion Lime Carlton Mid Carlton Natural Blonde Cascade First Harvest 2010 Cascade Pale Ale Cascade Pale Ale (Can/375mL) Cascade Premium Lager Cascade Premium Light Cascade Stout Castello Birra Friulana Chimay Blue (330mL) Chimay Red Cobra Premium Coldstream Naked Ale Coldstream Pilsner Coldstream 'Seasonal' Dark Lager (750mL) Coldstream 'Seasonal' Porter (750mL) Coldstream 'Seasonal' Summer Ale (750mL) Coopers '62' Pilsner Coopers Best Extra Stout Coopers Dark Ale Coopers Mild Ale Coopers Pale Ale Coopers Premium Light Coopers Sparkling Ale Coopers Vintage Ale (2008) Corona Extra Cricketer's Arms Lager Crown Ambassador 2008 (750mL) Crown Ambassador 2009 (750mL) Crown Lager Cuvee des Trolls Dieu du Ciel Aphrodisiaque Dieu du Ciel Corne du Diable Dieu du Ciel Derniere Volonte Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel Dieu du Ciel Rose d Hibiscus Dieu du Ciel Route des Epices Duvel Effen Triple Malt Lager Eggenberg Hopfenkoing Pilsner Eggenberg Samichlaus Classic Erdinger Weizen Dunkel Estrella Damm Barcelona Lager Fair Dinkum Aussie Draught Farm World Beer Pack Feral White Beer Foster's Lager (Stubby) Gage Road 'Wahoo' Premium Ale Goodieson Brewery Pale Ale Grand Ridge Black & Tan Grand Ridge Brewer's Almighty light Grand Ridge Brewer's Pilsner Grand Ridge Draught Bitter Grand Ridge Gippsland Gold Grand Ridge Moonlight Grand Ridge Moonshine Grand Ridge Supershine Grand Ridge Yarra Valley Gold Greene King Export Strength IPA (500mL) Grolsch - Swingtop Grolsch 330mL Grozet Celtic Premium Beer Guinness Draught (440mL/Can) Hahn Premium Lager Hahn Premium Light Hahn Premium Light can Hargreaves Hill Hefeweizen Hargreaves Hill Pale Ale Hawthorn Brewing Co Amber Ale Hawthorn Brewing Co Pale Ale Heineken Mini Draught (5L/Keg) Hoegaarden White Holgate Extra Special Bitter James Boag's Premium Lager James Boag's Premium Light James Squire Golden Ale James Squire Indian Pale Ale James Squire Original Amber Ale James Squire Pilsner James Squire Porter James Squire Sundown Lager Jamieson Brewery 'Beast' IPA Jamieson Brewery Raspberry Ale John Smith Extra Smooth (440mL) Kaiser Lager 500ml can Kilkenny Draught Can 440mL Knappstein Reserve Lager Kosciuszko Pale Ale Kozel Velkopopovicky Dark Kozel Velkopopovicky Premium Lager Kronenbourg 1664 (500mL) Krusovice Imperial Lager Leffe Blonde Leffe Radiense Lindemans Framboise Lindemans Kriek Lambic (750mL) Lindemans Tea Beer Little Creatures Bright Ale Little Creatures Bright Ale (Pint Size) Little Creatures Indian Pale Ale (Pint) Little Creatures Pale Ale Little Creatures Pale Ale (Pint Size) Little Creatures Pilsner Little Creatures Rogers' Beer Lobethal Bierhaus Indian Pale Ale Lord Nelson Brewery 'Old Admiral' Dark Lord Nelson Brewery 'Three Sheets' Pale Lucky Beer Mac's Brewery 'Gold' All Malt Lager Mac's Brewery 'Hop Rocker' Pilsner Mac's Brewery 'Mac Black' Stout Mac's Brewery 'Spring Tide' Low Carb Lgr Mad Abbot Dubbel Mad Abbot Strong Abbey Ale Mad Abbot Tripel Marzen Smoke Beer Matilda Bay Beez Neez Matilda Bay 'Big Helga' German Lager Matilda Bay Bohemian Pilzner Matilda Bay Fat Yak Pale Ale Matilda Bay Redback Wheat Beer Matilda Bay 'Sabastian Reserve' Dark Wht Max Beer Melbourne Bitter (can) Melbourne Bitter (stubbie) Mildura Brewery Desert Premium Lager Miller Chill Chelada Style Lager Monteith's Celtic Red Beer Monteith's Hearty Black Beer Monteith's Smooth Original Ale Monteith's Summer Ale Monteith's Winter Ale Doppelbock Monteith's Zesty Radler Bier Moo Brew Pale Ale Moosehead Lager Mountain Goat Hightail Ale Mountain Goat Organic Steam Ale Mountain Goat Surefoot Stout Murphy's Irish Stout (500mL) Murray's 'Best Extra' Porter Murray's 'Nivana' Pale Ale Murray's Pilsner Murray's 'Sassy' Blond New Norica Abbey Ale Newcastle Brown Ale O'Brien Gluten Free Pale Ale O'Brien Gluten Free Premium Lager Orval Paulaner Munich Hefe-Weisbier Paulaner Munich Lager Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier (500mL) Pepperjack Hand Crafted Ale Peroni Leggera Low Carb Peroni Nastro Azzuro Beer Phoenix Beer Pilsner Urquell 330ml Prickly Moses Summer Ale Pure Blonde Quilmes Argentino Lager Radeberger Pilsner Red Duck Pale Ale Sagres Portugues Beer Saigon Export Salitos Tequila Beer Samuel Adams Boston Lager Sapporo Draft Beer Schneider Aventinus Eisbock Schofferhofer Hefeweizen Schofferhofer Kristallweizen Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Skinny Blonde Beer Snowy Mountain 'Charlotte's' Hefeweizen Snowy Mountain 'Crackenback' Pale Ale Snowy Mountain 'Razorback' Red Ale St Peters India Pale Ale St. Arnou Premium Blonde St-Ambroise Blonde Pale Ale 341mL St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout 341mL Steinlager Premium Stella Artois Stone & Wood Pale Lager Stone's Alcoholic Ginger Beer Sunner Kolsch German Beer Tatra Pils (500mL) Tennents Beer Tetley's Ale (440ml/Can) Tiger Lager Tooheys Extra Dry Tooheys Old Black Ale Tuatara Porter Two Metres Tall Cleansing Ale Two Metres Tall Derwent Clear Ale 500mL Two Metres Tall Forester Pale Ale 500mL Unibroue Apple Ephemere 355mL Unibroue Don de Dieu 355mL Unibroue La Fin de Monde 355mL Unibroue La Fin Du Monde Unibroue Maudite (750mL) Unibroue Maudite 355mL Unibroue Raftman Malt Whisky Ale 341mL Unibroue Terrible (750mL) Unibroue Trois Pistoles (750mL) Unibroue Trois Pistoles 355mL Unicorn Brewery Classic Pale Ale Unicorn Brewery Horny Blonde VB Raw Stubby Victoria Bitter (Can) Victoria Bitter (Stub) Warsteiner Premium Weihenstephaner Heffe Alkoholfrei Weihenstephaner 'Korbinian' Dark Welde No1 Pilsener Wells Bombardier Satanic Mills Weltenburger Asam Bock Weltenburger Pils Westmalle Tripel White Rabbit Dark Ale Wicked Elf Pale Ale Wicked Elf Pilsner Wicked Elf Witbier Yebisu Young's Double Chocolate Stout (500mL) Zatec Lager Zipfer Pils (330ml) Zywiec Lager (5pk + Glass) Zywiec Original 650mL Zywiec Porter 330mL Please be aware our stocks are always changing and some beers may not be currently available. If you have a enquiry regarding a particular beer please contact us and we'll do our best to help. Grape Variety ProfilesTempranilloHola, My Name is...Tempranillo
My amigos often call me...Tinto Fino, Aragonez, Cencibel, Tempranilla, Tinta de Toro, Tinta Roriz, Tinto del Pais, Ull de Llebre. I have...skin as black as the ace of spades I grew up in...under the Medditerrian sun in the regions of Rioja and Ribera del Duero in Spain I usually hung out with... Granacha, Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell. People most like me because...I’m trendy and everyone in the know wants to be associated to “the next big thing”. I became trendy because of my brains, rather than my brawn. I am very dark, intensely complex and a little spicy!! I’d most like to live...I am not too fussy, but prefer moderate climates. I am not a huge fan of the heat. I do my best work for...Vega Sicilia in Ribera del Duero. Here I am the King and primarily responsible for Spain’s top red wine, “Unico”. In 2004 a magnum of this prestigious wine was sold at auction for US$65,000. I bet you didn’t know...as an important part of Port production in Portugal, I am one thing Spanish that the Portuguese actually embrace. The celbrity most like me is.... Will Smith, I'm not to everyones tastes, but you can't deny I'm cool. Wine Talknew itemGallery ImagesLinksFavourite Beer Links |
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Keywords: Botrytis, dessert wines, sauternes, stickies, botrytised wines |
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