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Wine Lessons > Making Botrytised Wines
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The Press Cellars is located in the beautiful, vibrant regional centre of Warragul, a little over one hour south-east of grey, chaotic Melbourne. Come in have a chat to Dave and Stu, lounge in our lovely old Chesterfields take it all in.

The Press Cellars
1/80 Smith St Street
Warragul 3820

Phone: 5622 0494
Fax: 5623 4610
Opening Hours
Monday - 10am to 7pm
Tuesday - 10am to 7pm
Wednesday - 10am to 7pm
Thursday - 10am to 7:30pm
Friday - 10am to 8:30pm
Saturday - 9am to 7:30pm
Sunday - 11am to 6pm
WARNING: Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 it is an offence
- To supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 years (Penalty exceeds $7,000)
- For a person under the age of 18 years to purchase or receive liquor (Penalty exceeds $500)
(Licence No.: 32055962)

Wine Lessons > Making Botrytised Wines

Making Botrytised Wines

Botrytised 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.
 
Wine Lessons > Making Botrytised Wines

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The Regional Wine Service

What 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 Cellars

Some Young Punks

Some Young Punks
When 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 Beers

Some of our Hundreds of Beers

Here'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 Profiles

Tempranillo

Hola, 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.

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Keywords: Botrytis, dessert wines, sauternes, stickies, botrytised wines

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