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Archive for January, 2012

Jan 31

Brancott app
2 Comments

In An App: World’s Most Curious Bottle

If you’re both a wine lover and chronically addicted to your smartphone, you should take a look at the  new app that has just been released by New Zealand wine brand, Brancott Estate.

Ambitiously titled the World’s Most Curious Bottle, this app is a full-on wine entertainment and education package, which integrates a lot of the latest and greatest digital & experiential technology.
It boasts 14 unique experiences including an augmented reality flight on the back of NZ’s native falcon, a virtual exploration of the Brancott estate, wine-tasting information & food recommendations, an interactive guide to  Marlborough’s weather, a musical game wine bottle game, a puzzle, and more.
Best of all – it’s a free download from both the App Store and Andriod Market.
They’ve also gone the whole hog in terms of multi-channel advertising- QR codes are now on the back of Brancott bottles which invite you to download the app once scanned, and they’ve got a promotional tab up and running on their Facebook page.
Whoever is giving them advertising advice is one smart cookie :)

While there are many apps on the market for foodies & barflies, this is by far the most impressive I’ve seen to date. The only downside is that Brancott is an New Zealand label –  I would love to see an Australian wine brand step up to the plate and try to produce something better.

Breadcrumbs:

Take a look at the Brancott website here. It’s very pretty and floats beautiful words like explore, curiosity, and my personal favourite Chief Winemaker. 
Get an official overview of the app for iPhone here.
You can also share the love and join the conversation on their Facebook page.

Jan 30

The Dog Strangler

The Bottle:

Teusner’s Estrangle Chien, or The Dog Strangler.

A wine label with imagination. I love it.

This one is a Mataro – not quite as common as your normal Cab Sav’s and Pinots. Like Shiraz, it’s on the full-bodied end of the grapevine in terms of flavour. And I tell you what! This one certainly has a bit of kick to it! Take a sip and it will hit your mouth with a rich, spicy tang-  the likes of which, if ever consumed by a dog, would probably strangle it. It’s not bitter at all (if you’re thinking of the after taste that comes with cheap red wine), but rather another layer of flavour that adds to the complexity of the wine.

I quiet enjoyed  this little kick- it made a nice change to the softer wines I’ve been consuming of late.As far as my research goes (And by research I mean I read the back of the bottle), Mataro is best left to stew on the shelf for a few years before you drink it. This one was at 2010 – another year in the cellar could have done even more amazing things for it.

Although these pictures don’t really do it justice (I didn’t have my camera on me so I had to resort to Instagram – sorry!), it has the most wonderful rich crimson colour. In combination with its fabulous name, everything about this wine screams ‘drink me’!!

Well, if you insist.

The Occasion:

Home to the country for the weekend. I shared this particular bottle with Papa Bear, over the remnants of the most wonderful home cooked meal – Spatchcocks,  roast vegetables and salad from the garden.

It was a grand affair-
We watched some tennis. He told me stories about life. I helped him with his iPhone.

A fair trade, I would say.

Breadcrumbs:

This wine costs roughly $30. (Get it from Dan Murphy’s for about $28)  I’d recommend buying half a dozen and storing them for a while.

The Mataro grape in Australia is known as Mourvedre and Monastrell in Spain – a handy little piece of knowldge if you’re ever traveling overseas and you can’t decipher the menu. If you’re seriously interested, read this very long-winded, but interesting article from WineBiz.

Foodwise, this wine would go well with hearty foods – roast vegetables, rich winter stews, and spicy Thai dishes.

What comes to mind:

The funniest song by Modest Mouse comes into my head when I think of this label – Wild Pack Of Family Dogs.

Listen and laugh. : )

Jan 28

Pavlova_smaller
1 Comment

Pavlova & Patriotism…

January 26, Sydney, Australia.

A first-class festival of flag-waving and feasting.

What was drunk:

The classy stuff, of course. Not exactly an local brew, but Coronas are so well loved by Australians, we may as well call them our own. Best chilled in an esky by the beach, on in a rusty bathtub of ice in the backyard.
And then there’s 5 Seeds cider- the chick version of of beer. Not a huge fan, but it’s one of those drinks you can always sip on cheekily.

On our plates: 

Cooked to perfection….

And sweet deliciousness…

What was played: 

What we listened to…

The Triple J Hottest 100. An 8 hour countdown of 100 generally awesome tunes.
My pick of the bunch- Matt Corby’s ‘Brother’. It gives me chills. Other personal favourites:

Bon Iver – Perth
Hilltop Hoods (featuring Sia) – I Love It 
Kimbra – Good Intent 

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