Dawning Of An Ancient Era

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Max Allen’s timely piece on Aussie AMPHORA reared wines, including Brash Higgins‘ 2011 “NDV” nero d’Avola and winemaker, Brad Hickey, in the Nov. issue of Gourmet Traveller. The 2012 “NDV” will be released in early 2013. Excerpt: “I love fermenting in amphorae”, says Brad Hickey. “Each one is only 200 litres and I fill it with grape skins, juice and seeds (sic)-everything goes in. Each pot ends up with different flavours, which creates complexity in the finished wine when we blend them together. You also get remarkably even, stable ferments without needing temperature control. It’s fascinating: there’s a different feel, a texture that’s different from wines fermented in stainless steel or wood. There’s a warmth to them.” (p.131) see www.bradhickey.typepad.com for more on the process in Brad’s blog.