Secret Vines Blog

Showing all entries for 2010

Tonight... Marion v Frank Camorra

25th May, 2010

I hope you're having a good one!It's a really exciting day for the Secret Vines crew, as Marion cooks-off against the best Spanish cook in Australia, Frank Camorra, from Melbourne tonight.Frank owns and is head chef of MoVida, a Melbourne dinning institution. He is widely regarded as the father of fine Tapas and the ultra-popular Spanish food movement in Australia.So if you're not doing anything tonight, be sure to tune into MasterChef at 7:30 on Channel 10 and give Marion a cheer! We'll be...
Read more… | (1) Comments

The Great Southern

19th May, 2010

Today I wanted to share a little more information about Harewood Estate and the Great Southern region of Western Australia. In case you couldn't already tell, I'm a massive fan of the wines from this remote area on the Southern tip of W.A.I first got really interested in the area when I heard Maurice O'Shea (probably the most influential Australian winemaker of all time and somebody I idolise) said if he had his time again, this is where he would plant his vineyards. If you're not...
Read more… | (0) Comments

Why We Mix...

12th May, 2010

It occured to me yesterday after talking to a couple of our members yesterday that not everyone understands why we favour the mixed packs when we publish our offers..... this is my fault, as maybe I have not explained it well enough.I've been around the wine industry most of my working life and I came to realise two things;1. Everyone has their own tastes, but we all like good wine, and2. There are too many agents or wholesalers who increase the cost of wine before it gets sold in a bottle...
Read more… | (0) Comments

News from the home front.....

16th April, 2010

I've got some news on the home front today.Marion, my partner, who many of you know as one of our talented 'Tipsters' and the pro bono author and photographer of our home recipe suggestions, is going to be in the auditions next week for the up and coming series of MasterChef on Channel 10 (it starts next Monday at 7.30pm).There's been some astute members notice her on some of the promo's that have been running and got in touch to ask if that is Marion - well, the...
Read more… | (1) Comments

It's all a matter of degrees!

9th April, 2010

 Being Friday afternoon, you're probably starting to think about what wine you're going to have tonight and what tasty treats you will have with it.Do you know, the "wow-factor" of that wine will be greatly influenced by the temperature you serve it at?Often whites are served too cold and reds too hot!When a wine is too warm, its flavours are easier to detect, but its backbone (mostly acidity) is reduced and the alcohol becomes more...
Read more… | (0) Comments

Some tips on the latest wines.....

24th March, 2010

Just in case a pack hasn't already landed on your door step, don't forget our new offer is out.If you're interested, below are my ratings and cellaring advice for the wines.   I thought it would be worth pointing out that at Secret Vines we're highly critical of the wines we sell, and certainly don't have false or inflated ratings as some merchants do.A word of warning, if you see a retailer claim a cleanskin wine (or some other cheapie) is 95/100, you would be right to...
Read more… | (0) Comments

To decant, or not to decant......

5th March, 2010

One thing is for sure - I don't make the rules! But today I want to discuss one of wine's long running questions, 'to decant or not to decant?' I know some people that will decant all of their wines. However, I suspect the idea of always allowing a wine "to breathe" is overdone. Once a wine is aerated, its aromas start to fade. This may be a good thing if it's overtly strong to begin with. The problem is, if it's a subtle wine or particularly old, you risk losing what remains of the precious...
Read more… | (0) Comments

Fish and Red Wine

11th February, 2010

On a recent fishing trip, someone asked me a question I get a lot.... "Tim, what wine should I drink with fish?"To dispel an old myth, I think the notion of white wine with fish or white meat, and red with red meat is nonsense.Yes, a crisp, dry white can go perfectly with a delicate fish like whiting o r gar.But red wine can match beautifully too! In fact, I often prefer a red - particularly with a full flavoured fish like Barramundi, Salmon, Tuna or Ocean Trout.Try going for...
Read more… | (1) Comments