WanderCurtis Wine

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Author Archives: Kiran


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Not Yet Named Wine Co:  ‘I helped make that wine’

Last year I signed up to the Not Yet Named Wine Co. at the suggestion of one of our regular wine dinner guests (thanks Carrie)

The attraction was that Alex Brogan who runs the venture offers an ingenious way of involving wine lovers of all levels to become part of the winemaking process. Founded by Alex and Manuel two Plumpton College Viticulture and Oenology students seeking a way to fund their own wines, the project has evolved into a vibrant community of wine enthusiasts, united by a shared passion for creating something truly unique.

At its core, the concept is beautifully simple: members pay a monthly subscription to participate in crafting two wines per year, one from the northern hemisphere and one from the southern. In return, they receive six bottles twice annually. What makes it special, however, is the democratic decision-making process. At every key stage, whether selecting fermentation methods, maturation vessel or blending styles, members vote on how the wine should be made, guided by detailed, jargon-free educational emails outlining the pros and cons of each option. Normally these emails come with an added dash of humour or at the very least a pun or two.

For those seeking deeper engagement a WhatsApp group offers a space to debate decisions with fellow members. The company also organizes annual vineyard visits (northern hemisphere), where subscribers can taste their wine in barrel and participate in blending or acidity trials transforming the experience from theoretical to hands-on.

The current vintage is being produced in Slovenia and Alex and Ales Rodica from the winery hosting the vintage, brought over some barrel samples of the Malvazija that we’re making for us to taste. And that’s the great thing about this, you do feel as if you are a part of the wine making team even if Alex is doing all the work.


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Vasse Felix: A Margaret River pioneer

If you’ve ever wondered how Margaret River came to produce some of the world’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon led Bordeaux blends, Dr. Tom Cullity is no small part of the answer.

Back in 1965 Dr. John Gladstones of the University of Western Aus had identified the ridge running north south in Margaret River as having good potential for viticulture.

Enter Tom Cullity, Perth cardiologist and, most importantly, lover of Bordeaux. He bought land in 67 and planted Cabernet, Malbec and Riesling establishing Vasse Felix wines

The Riesling didn’t make it but the Cabernet and Malbec vines still go into the winery’s flagship Tom Cullity bordeaux blend. The 2020 of which is pure silk and elegance.

It’s pretty dry during the growing season and at 34 degrees latitude it would be hot but for the cool cape current hugging the peninsula which moderates the summer temperature. As a result grapes ripen slowly and the wines to stay fresh.

Vasse Felix also make excellent chardonnays, the ripe yet restrained Heytsbury is the premium offering, but both the estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are also tremendous wines.

A visit and lunch at their amazing restaurant overlooking the vineyards is definitely a must if you are in the region.


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Regenerative Viticulture: Farming for the Future

Regenerative Viticulture (RV) is quietly revolutionising how some of the world’s most thoughtful winegrowers approach their craft. It’s more philosophy than prescription, rooted in ecology and driven by a desire to transform vineyards into thriving self-sustaining ecosystems now and for generations to come.

At its heart, RV aims to restore soil health, improve resilience to climate extremes, reduce chemical inputs, sequester carbon, and nurture biodiversity. These are lofty ambitions, but for many growers, they’re fast becoming the only way forward.

Why Regenerative Viticulture?

The motivations behind RV vary. For some, it’s about producing better wine with less interference. Others are adapting to the escalating challenges of climate change; heatwaves, erratic rainfall, and soil erosion. Toby Buck of Te Mata is looking toward the horizon: “Our estate has to be sustainable for there to be a viable legacy.”

RV also speaks to the growing desire among wine drinkers for transparency, ecological integrity, and authenticity. In a world increasingly wary of greenwashing, it’s no surprise that many pioneers of organic and biodynamic win, like Tablas Creek and Felton Road, see RV as the next evolution.

But what makes RV different isn’t just the list of things it avoids. It’s the things its doing to build the growing environment back up.

The Methods

Rather than following a fixed set of rules, RV offers a toolbox of practices. Growers adapt methods to their particular environment, soils, and climate, to create resilient, biodiverse agro-ecosystems with healthier vines and deeper-rooted sustainability.

Soil First

Soil health is the cornerstone. Cover crops are sown between vine rows, preventing erosion, locking in moisture, and supporting underground networks of fungi and microbes. These relationships, vital to nutrient cycling and carbon storage, create a self-sustaining system beneath the vines.

Legumes fix nitrogen. Grasses manage vine vigour. Compost (including grape pomace, manure, and even biochar from prunings) replenishes nutrients and increases humus. This aids water retention and carbon sequestration. Johan Reyneke, whose South African vineyard was an early adopter, says humus levels have risen significantly thanks to high-density cattle grazing in the dormant season and careful composting.

Designing with Nature

Regenerative vineyards are often shaped at a landscape level. Incorporating trees and permanent wild habitat attracts predatory insects, supports biodiversity, and buffers weather extremes. Trees help cool vineyards during heatwaves and provide modest frost protection, but they must be carefully placed to avoid shading vines.

Water management, too, is critical. Techniques like keyline planting slow runoff and help retain moisture.

Integrating Animals

Animals, ducks, sheep, and cattle, are another key component. They manage weeds, fertilise the soil, and reduce the need for mechanical inputs. Reyneke uses ducks to tackle snails, and a herd of cattle in winter. Trellising systems can be adapted to allow grazing even during the growing season.

From Chemicals to Complexity

RV reduces reliance on synthetic inputs, especially pesticides and herbicides, which often damage beneficial biodiversity. Alternatives include organic-approved treatments and the cultivation of disease-resistant Piwi hybrids, which dramatically reduce the need spray against mildew. But organic practices like tilling can damage soil structure and release carbon, so many regenerative growers aim for minimal or no tillage, using mulches and interrow planting instead.

RV doesn’t pretend to be a silver bullet. Some growers still use herbicides, or till occasionally. But the emphasis is on long-term soil health, not short-term fixes.

The Costs and the Payoff

Transitioning to RV takes time, skill, and often money. Johan Reyneke openly speaks of the “school fees to pay”, yield drops during early experimentation, the need for new equipment, and a steep learning curve. Managing a vineyard as a living ecosystem means more complexity, more hands-on work, and more multidisciplinary knowledge.

Certification can also be costly and fragmented. Still, frameworks like Regenified offer tiered pathways that make entry more accessible.

On the other hand, RV can reduce dependence on costly external inputs like fertilisers and fuel, whose prices have soared in recent years. Tablas Creek believes improved soil health will extend vineyard lifespans beyond the usual 25-year cycle, reducing replanting costs and boosting profitability.

Yields may initially dip, but often recover, and some growers report even better quality grapes and more reliable harvests in extreme conditions. Extended ripening seasons, preserved acidity, and lower alcohol levels are just a few of the benefits Reyneke and others have observed.

Building a Business and a Legacy

Beyond the balance sheet, RV aligns with a growing desire to create purposeful, resilient wine businesses. Tablas Creek embraced ROC certification for its inclusion of social fairness. Felton Road is pushing towards net zero carbon. RV is simply one part of a larger mission.

In the end

Regenerative Viticulture won’t save the planet on its own. But as the wine world increasingly looks at lifecycle carbon footprints, packaging, distribution, winery energy, it’s clear RV is an important piece of a larger sustainability puzzle.

It offers something compelling: a way of farming that puts the ecosystem first, builds resilience, and returns power to the soil. It’s a way of producing authentic wines and perhaps these wines are just better too?  Give them a try and see what you think……….

This article is based upon my independent research project for the WSET diploma.


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Margaret River – well worth a visit.

Margaret River only produces 3% of Australia’s wine but produces a large proportion of its premium offerings.

Though a young wine region, Margaret River is recognised globally for its premium wines, particularly its elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, refined Chardonnay, and crisp white Bordeaux-style blends. Located in Western Australia, this remote yet picturesque region benefits from a unique climate and ancient soils, creating exceptional conditions for grape growing.

Margaret River’s wine story began in 1967, when Dr. Tom Cullity planted the first commercial vineyard at Vasse Felix, inspired by Harold Olmo, a University of California viticulture professor who identified the region’s potential for fine wine production. Soon after another medic Dr. Kevin Cullen and his wife founded Cullen Wines, further establishing the region’s credibility. By the 1970s, the area attracted the attention of Robert Mondavi, the legendary Napa Valley winemaker. His technical expertise and influence were pivotal in guiding Leeuwin Estate towards planting Chardonnay, which was still rare in Australia at the time. Under his mentorship, Leeuwin’s Art Series Chardonnay became one of the nation’s most celebrated wines, proving Margaret River’s potential on the world stage.

Situated at 34 degrees latitude, Margaret River’s climate should be warm to hot. However, it enjoys a cooler maritime influence due to the Cape Current, which hugs the Indian Ocean coastline surrounding the peninsula. This cooling current moderates the summer temperatures, preventing the vines from overheating and allowing for a long, gentle ripening season essential for producing wines with complexity and balance.

The region’s rainfall pattern is also significant. With high winter rainfall and dry, warm summers, Margaret River experiences a low disease pressure growing season, reducing the need for chemical intervention. The region’s red gravelly loam soils, formed over ancient granite and gneiss bedrock, are low in nutrients, naturally restricting vine vigour and promoting concentrated, high-quality fruit.

The absence of phylloxera allows Margaret River’s vineyards to have been propagated from selected heritage cuttings, preserving and enhancing the region’s clones.

Margaret River’s Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in the region’s free-draining, gravelly soils. The extended ripening period ensures full tannin maturity, resulting in wines with dark fruit flavours, fine structure, and great aging potential.

Chardonnay, often made from the region’s signature Gingin clone, performs exceptionally well in the cool maritime climate. This clone produces small, loose bunches with berries of varying sizes, resulting in wines with concentrated citrus, stone fruit, and tropical flavours, complemented by vibrant acidity.

The region’s Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blends, inspired by white Bordeaux, flourish in the cool conditions, offering zesty citrus, passionfruit, and herbaceous notes with crisp acidity and freshness.

There is also a vibrant wine and gastronomic culture driven by visitors from nearby affluent Perth and international tourists are also drawn by the amazing coastal landscape and ancient gum tree forests.


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Jackson Family Wines WanderCurtis dinner at Bocca di Lupo

We are so lucky to have had such a lively and sociable crowd at last night’s wine dinner.

Regulars and new faces alike enjoyed glasses filled with drops of golden Californian sunshine which paired deliciously with rich umami laden Italian fare.

My favourites of the evening:

La Crema Sonoma coast Chardonnay 2020 – bursting with stone fruit kept in check with mouth-watering acidity.

Mt. Brave Mount Veeder  Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – the perfumed cedar, blackcurrant leaf, sandalwood, fresh vanilla pod, and hint of milk chocolate will linger long in the memory as this uniquely Napa Valley wine does on the palate.

Thank you to Michele Fazari for taking us through the wines. Jackson family wines’ commitment to sustainability is to be applauded. Their Rooted for Good: Roadmap to 2030 sustainability initiative, will see them adopt regenerative farming practices across 100% of their estate vineyards. Which as one of the largest land owners in California will have a huge beneficial impact.

Well done to Stuart for spending all afternoon double decanting the reds so that the wines showed at their best.

Finally thank you to Fells for supporting the event.


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Mt Brave, Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Napa Valley

Tasted ahead of our Jackson Family Wines dinner at Bocco di Lupo in Soho this wine is from the Napa Valley in California, home of super premium ripe cabernets.

Napa Valley is nestled within the coastal range of mountains but is open to San Pablo Bay in the south. The slopes of Mount Veeder AVA face east and located to the south-west experiences both the cooling influences of the Bay and altitude. East facing slopes are also shielded from the sun in late afternoon at the hottest part of the day. This means it is day time temperatures on the mountain can be 10 – 15 degrees cooler than the valley floor.  These conditions tend to produce wines that are structured with firm tannins and retained freshness and the ability to age for a long time.

The wine is mostly cabernet sauvignon but with a splash of other Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  In fact JFW make a Mt Brave Mount Veeder Malbec too.

Deep crimson and ruby with lively viscous legs denoting the 14.5% ABV

Nose is superb: Ripe blackcurrant, blackberry liqueur, a lingering savoury meaty element with a bright red plum and cherry lift, followed by perfumed cedar, blackcurrant leaf, sandalwood, fresh vanilla pod, a hint of milk chocolate, a bit of pencil shavings, and lifted tones of violets encompassed by new oak. Stunningly elegant and evocatively haunting.

Palate: Fruit is all ripe but not overripe with a strong surge of acidity highlighting the red cherry and plum and a long finish tending to concentrated blackcurrant with a hint of savoury meatiness. Tannins are fine but very abundant and a bit grippy, with oak not feeling quite fully integrated yet. Warm finish denoting the ABV level. Super balance and elegance with an undercurrent of power supported by the structure. This will transform intime into a magnificent example of Napa elegance balanced with power.


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WSET D6 Independent Research Assignment – Regenerative Viticulture

The WSET D6 Independent Research Assignment in 2024 was on the subject of Regenerative Viticulture.

The context given was: The term ‘regenerative viticulture’ (RV) did not appear in the 2015 edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine but today is a much-discussed topic. The aim is not simply to maximise production but farm to improve the agricultural ecosystem with a view to long term sustainability. It is claimed that by improving soil health and increasing biodiversity, the health and resilience of the vineyard can be enhanced, the inputs and costs reduced, and a contribution made to restraining anthropogenic climate change. Whilst there are seen to be many benefits to RV, there are also challenges to its implementation.

In 3000 words the paper had to give an account of the aims of RV, comment on commercial advantages and disadvantages and finally give a personal opinion on the approach’s future.

The key requirement here was to carry out wide ranging literature review, primary research isn’t really needed although many students conducted a few interviews. Critical interpretation of the source material is called for and a clear argument supported by examples.

The assignments need to be properly reference using Harvard or similar methodology.

Note: this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document. It remains the copy right of WSET.

Regenerative Viticulture Independent Research AssignmentDownload


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Zuccardi Serie A Malbec 2021

This wine comes from grapes selected from a range of vineyards in the Uco Valley in Mendoza. Here vineyards are ranged on terraces in the Andes at altitudes of between 850 and 1500, with cold nights and warm days that lead to wines with fresh acidity.  The intense sunlight at these altitudes really concentrates flavours in the grape skins so that wines have the potential to display super ripe fruit but still retain great freshness and moderate levels of alcohol.

The wine is really dark purple colour with a blue glint across the surface.

Immediately on the nose; ripe black cherry and blue berry, some dried herbs and a touch of black pepper, smoke and coffee grounds.  The wine has spent some time in oak barriques unlike many of Familia Zuccardi’s wines which are matured in concrete eggs.

The wine is really dry with fresh acidity and lots of nice fine grained tannins the body is medium, the alcohol at 14% is well integrated and everything finely balanced. In the mouth it is at first a little closed but with some swirling begins to open up with those ripe but crunchy fruits, spices, black pepper, liquorice, tomato leaf and a touch of biltong dried meat. 

This is really quite elegant and has a long finish. Its quite tight but further complexity should develop with some more bottle age. A really good value wine which is widely available.

Look out for our planned Familia Zuccardi Wine Dinner early next year.


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Marri Wood Park: Biodynamic wine grower in Margaret River

Tucked away in Yallingup, Western Australia, Marri Wood Park is a small family-owned vineyard known for its Demeter-certified biodynamic practices. Since 1992, this 16-acre estate, located along Caves Road near Smiths Beach, has cultivated vines with a reverence for nature’s rhythms.

The vineyard’s sustainable philosophy avoids chemicals, instead embracing celestial cycles to guide pruning, fertilising, and harvesting. Grazing animals enrich the soil, while natural biodiversity fosters a self-sustaining ecosystem. With no irrigation, the vines rely on the cooling breezes of the Southern Indian Ocean and the deep, resilient roots of their 28-year-old cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, and semillon vines. The soils are a blend of sandy, gravelly loam over limestone bedrock retain water over the dry summer.

Hand-harvested grapes are meticulously sorted and fermented in a variety of vessels, including clay amphoras and French and Austrian oak barrels. This hands-on, minimalist approach captures the essence of Margaret River, producing wines of purity and depth.

Inspired by Rudolf Steiner, whose teachings revealed nature’s intelligence, and guided by Alex Podolinsky, the founder of Demeter Bio-Dynamics, Julian the owner of Marri Wood Park embraces a philosophy of ‘active perception’. He explains that through observing and engaging with the land, they have cultivated a profound affinity with their patch, a deep respect for its rhythms and ecosystem and how it works.

Visit the estate by appointment and Julian will walk you through the land and the vineyards explaining his unique approach as he goes then on returning the  barn sample the wines.

Unusually for the region they grow Chenin Blanc and the Marri Wood Park, Chenin Blanc museum release 2014 was superb!

Rich yellow in colour, with an intense nose of waxy lemon peel, preserved lemon, yellow apple, fresh green rosemary, thyme and dried herbs. There is also roasted macadamia, smoke, toast and honeycomb. Super complex.

Dry, very mouth-watering, with a lovely oily texture. Medium body, only 11.2%. More tart citrus, tinned peach, a subtle touch of vanilla, waxy and toasty, with a long taught finish.


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The Settlers Tavern, Margaret River.

Many of the wineries in the Margaret River region have excellent restaurants but these are normally only open at lunchtime. Great for combining a visit to the winery, a taste through the wines and a scenic lunch in the Vineyard, but what do you do in the evening?


The answer turned out to The Settlers Tavern in the town of Margaret River itself. It is very popular so you need to book but once you’re in, there’s a great menu ranging from something light like fish tacos (if you’ve already had a big lunch) through to a 300 g rump steak if you need it. Best of all they have an incredible fine wine list with a large number served by the glass either from their enomatic machine or via Coravin for their list of ‘Premium and Iconic’ wines.

I had a glass of Cullen ‘Grace Madeline’ Wilyabrup Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend. At a Liberty Wines tasting in London Vanya Cullen explained that this wine was inspired by Haut-Brion Blanc which counts as one of the most amazing whites I’ve ever been lucky enough to try.  This homage is stunning; aromatic but smoky, full of energy but also substance and delicious.

I also had a glass of Cullen ‘Diana Madeline, 2012 which was still perfumed, with black currant and capsicum and lovely earth and leathery notes.

We didn’t manage to visit Cullen winery and I love their wines and their biodynamic and carbon neutral approach to wine making. This made up for it though!