Tastings of the Saint Clair 2014-vintage wines are a major part of the daily routine right now, as the winemaking team make their final adjustments before the wines are bottled and released.
Several wine varieties including chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, viognier, gewürztraminer and late-harvest gewürztraminer were on the tasting table today.
The Saint Clair winemaking team tasting some of the 2014-vintage white wines.
Saint Clair white winemaker Stew Maclennan says the daily tastings are a real team effort, as individual notes are compared and discussed.
“The whole team is involved, because [palate-wise] you can have good days and bad days, so we tend to operate on a group consensus.”
They steer clear of perfumes, aftershaves and heavily-scented products which can interfere with the subtle flavours and characteristics present in the wines. The winemaking team may not smell like a bunch of roses, but they’re usually pretty happy by 10am, he says.
Assistant winemaker Heather Stewart says they are checking for the wines’ acid and sugar levels, and make any required adjustments, to ensure the wines are perfect before consigning them to the final stages of the winemaking process and bottling.
Bottles are filled with the new vintage wine, sealed, labelled and packaged, ready to be sent off to markets around the world.
The Vicar’s Choice Pinot Gris Bright Light 2014 is the first cab off the bottling rank this year. The low alcohol, low calorie wine was bottled, labelled, and made ready for market today.
Stew says the Vicar’s Choice Pinot Gris Bright Light is the newest addition to Saint Clair’s lifestyle wine range, which includes our Vicar’s Choice Sauvignon Blanc Bright Light, offering our customers another light wine option.
Saint Clair’s low alcohol and low calorie range of wines were produced by picking grapes slightly earlier than usual.
The fruit was physiologically ripe, while retaining some firm acidity and a little less sugar which naturally reduces the alcohol and calorie content.
Stew says pinot gris lovers looking for a lighter option, will enjoy the the food-friendly, subtly spiced wine immensely; it’s lower alcohol content makes it perfect for long lunches.
“While the classic pear, bread crust and spice flavours of a typical pinot gris still prevail, wine lovers can safely enjoy a glass or two of the Bright Light without it impacting on their lifestyle.”
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