Krinklewood vineyard is a family-owned, biodynamic vineyard, in which every member of the family contributes to the daily operations of the business. Rod and Suzanne Windrim first planted wine grapes in 1981 in the Hunter Valley. In 1997 they increased the vineyard to 48 acres in the Broke-Fordwich region, where they grow Semillon, Chardonnay, Verdelho and Shiraz, with younger plantings including Viognier, Mourvédre and Tempranillo.
I decided to grow and make biodynamic wine because… I wanted to make the best possible wine from Krinklewood. I was inspired by vineyards in Burgundy that were using biodynamic principles to grow grapes; in France they have a higher disease pressure than in the Hunter, which gave me even more confidence. In 2001 I discovered ‘Wine From the Sky’, a book by Nicholas Joly which sparked me to do a Steiner Agricultural course that same year. From that moment, I was absolutely hooked on Biodynamics, and in 2002 I began operating within the biodynamic cycle and using the biodynamic preparations.
Biodynamic practice is better for the environment, better for the people who live on and work on the property, and can give us better quality wine that truly reflects the terroir of the vineyard. It didn’t really take much convincing…
“Biodynamic practice is better for the environment, better for the people who live on and work on the property, and can give us better quality wine that truly reflects the terroir of the vineyard”
Krinklewood wine is different from the mass-produced wine you might find in a bottle shop because… no chemicals are used in the vineyard to grow the grapes. Biodynamics also allows the wines to express the uniqueness of the vineyard site, known as terroir.
Demand for Krinklewood wine in the current economic climate is… very strong. In the past few years some of our wines have been selling out before the next vintage is available for sale which we feel good and bad about - good that the wines are in demand, bad that we are unable to produce enough.
The most satisfying thing about producing wine is… working biodynamically. It is extremely motivating and addictive. It has allowed us to be almost totally self-sustaining and as a result our farm has healthy soil, plants and animals - which is without doubt reflected in the quality of our wines. Viticulture is an ongoing learning process, as is winemaking. The more you know the more you want to know!
The biggest frustration in producing wine is… not being in control of the weather!
The best meal I’ve eaten this year was… with a bunch of like-minded winos, hell-bent on having a laugh and enjoying some great wines. We were at Lolli Redini Restaurant in Orange, and I had the roasted Dutton Park duck with Sicilian vegetable caponata, crisped truffle Parmesan polenta and glazed quince. It was fantastic !
My most treasured food/wine memory is… enjoying a roast chicken dish for a Sunday lunch in Chez Blanc in Borg-en- Bresse in France. It was a wonderful restaurant and after reading about their free range chicken for so long, it was great to finally experience it.
“Bresse chickens are treated like fine wine. They have an appellation, a particular place where they come from, and they are a particular breed. Plus, they get to eat real food and walk around the countryside, all regulated by law.”
“Bresse chickens are treated like fine wine. They have an appellation, a particular place where they come from, and they are a particular breed. Plus, they get to eat real food and walk around the countryside, all regulated by law.”
Slow Foodies should check out… Wine from the Sky by Nicholas Joly, and the following websites:
www.krinklewood.com
www.biodynamics.net.au
www.biodynamics2024.com.au
The most important thing about the sustainable food movement is… not only sustainable food that is important, but that food must also be nutritionally enriching, i.e., to be sustainable is not enough if the food is not nutritionally beneficial.
To make food and wine in Sydney better, cleaner and fairer, Slow Food members should… support certified growers at farmers’ markets and genuine certified food and wines. Restaurants could also give better support to certified organic and biodynamic food and wines.
“Support certified growers at farmers’ markets and genuine certified food and wines.”
Winter - what a great time to indulge in comfort food, using the best cool-weather produce from local growers! Follow up Alison’s parsnip soup with a classic winter dessert like pecan pie or apple and rhubarb crumble, or just tuck into a freshly-cut navel orange… perhaps with a little dark chocolate on the side?