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There's always something exciting happening at the winery. With lunches, dinners, wine schools, new releases and special tastings, we'd love to be able to let you know how you can be involved.
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There's a number of events planned over the next six months. Check them out on our 'Events' page. We hope to see you in Mudgee soon.
The Latest News...
Mudgee winemaker invites you to the ‘Tunnel of Lowe’
“And the big wheel keep on turning neon burning up above
And I’m just high on the world
Come on and take a Lowe ride with me girl
On the tunnel of love” *
The Lowe ride continues with the latest ‘Tunnel of Lowe’ scheduled for February 18th. Lowe’s ‘Tunnel of Lowe’ dinner offers guests a wonderful food and wine escapade under a tunnel of vines, hosted by winemaker David Lowe.
“We are planning a great night of food, wine and entertainment,” said David. “We are planning something a bit different, with dinner served under a tunnel of grapevines in the vineyard. There will be music from the Ray Vanderby Quartet, some of our reserve wines and an Italian banquet prepared by Kim Currie.”
“The vineyard is looking fantastic at the moment, and it’s very rare that anyone gets a opportunity to sit amongst the vines and enjoy a meal and entertainment. It should be quite special.”
Kim Currie is one of the region’s leading ‘foodies’. She heads up the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW’s Fine Foods Committee and has 25 years experience as a wine and food specialist. “The produce for the Italian banquet will be sourced from around the region. There is such diversity and quality in the area; it is really exciting to be able to work these producers to showcase the food of the region,” Kim said.
Ray Vanderby will take charge of the musical entertainment, with a range of original and eclectic tunes. Ray made a name for himself by touring with the likes of Steve Wright, Jon English and Marcia Hines and will lift the lid off Lowe Winery.
The dinner will kick off at 6.30pm, when David and the Lowe team will greet guests. They will then be transported down the ‘Tunnel of Lowe’ on a night of sensory discovery and entertainment.
“We certainly don’t take ourselves too seriously, however we’re serious about our food and wine, and we’re looking to giving our visitors a night that they won’t forget.”
The ‘Tunnel of Lowe’ is one of a number of events held recently at the Lowe Winery, with January’s Summer Lowe’in proving extremely successful. It comprises tapas, alfresco dinners, lunches and the mini wine schools hosted by the David Lowe and Kim Currie.
“We’ve had a fantastic response to the ‘Summer Lowe’in’,” commented David. “It has attracted a range of locals and visitors to the winery, and the region. We have a calendar full of events for 2012 including the Vintage Birthday, Winemakers Tables, Wine Schools and the September Celebration. ”
The ‘Tunnel of Lowe’ is on the 18th of February, starting at 6.30pm at the Lowe Winery on Tinja Lane.
‘Tunnel of Lowe’ Details
Date: 18 February 2012.
Time: 6.30pm for a 7.00 start.
Tickets: $120.00 (discounts apply for Lowe Wine Club Members).
Bookings: 02 6372 0800 or online at http://winestore.lowewine.com.au/
*With apologies to Dire Straits (Tunnel of Love)
Mudgee Winemaker set to be Future Leader
Lowe Winemaker Liam Heslop has recently been named one of 15 wine industry professionals to join the 2012 Future Leaders Program hosted by Wine Australia.
Future Leaders is an innovative program jointly initiated by ‘Wine Australia’, the ‘Winemakers’ Federation of Australia’ (WFA), the ‘Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation’ and ‘Wine Grape Growers’ Australia’.
The initiative is designed to provide a valuable conduit for the wine industry veterans to pass on their industry knowledge and wisdom, as well as provide opportunities to develop leadership, networking and collaboration.
Liam, who has worked with Lowe Wines since 2005, is the first Mudgee winemaker to be offered this valuable experience.
Liam is also the recipient of the Trevor Drayton Scholarship. This is a scholarship put forward by the WFA to honour the lifetime work of Hunter Valley winemaker Trevor Drayton who was a serving WFA Board member at the time of his death. The scholarship covers the travel costs and expenses related to the program.
The 2012 Future Leaders comprise winemakers, marketing and sales managers, viticulturalists, general managers, public relations managers and business owners. The course will cover a range of topics including personal leadership, tacit leadership, strategic leadership, international leadership and leading change.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for me and a great chance to involve the Mudgee region with a broad range of wine industry professionals,” said Liam. “Mudgee is making world class wines which I am looking forward to sharing with people from other Australian wine regions.”
“This is a very well regarded program within the industry. It will give me further leadership skills to help not only the industry, but our region. I am looking forward to the challenges that the course will throw at me and the opportunity to be involved at a higher level within the leadership of the industry.”
“This is fantastic opportunity for Liam,” explained Lowe Wines owner David Lowe. “Liam is an impressive winemaker and is heavily involved in Mudgee’s wine industry. I’m sure that he will gain valuable knowledge and networks from this industry program which will in turn benefit the Mudgee region.”
New Whites showcase Mudgee's Cool Heights
We have recently released two new 2011 vintage wines, the 2011 Louee Chardonnay ($25) and 2011 Louee Riesling ($25). Both these wines are from Mudgee’s highest vineyard, Nullo Mountain that sits at an impressive elevation of 1100 metres.
The new vintage wines form part of Lowe’s single vineyard Louee Range. The Louee vineyard is located at Rylstone, on the south-eastern boundary of the Mudgee GI, a genuine sub region of Mudgee.
“No where in Mudgee can produce wines of this style,” explained David Lowe. “The elevation of the vineyard and its subsequent high sunshine hours offers the vines increased ultra-violet light which can increase the levels of phenolics that build flavour and mouth feel.”
“What we can therefore achieve with this vineyard is lovely flavour and ripeness at lower baumé and subsequently lower alcohol levels.”
This is something that, as Vice President of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, I recognise that we need; to progress wines of lower alcohol. We like the taste of wine, and if we can have wine with a good taste and lower alcohol it is all the better for our community and our social responsibility.”
“The key is to use the correct sites and clones to ensure that the wines produced show the terroir and not just a featureless expression of the variety. We believe that the wines from Nullo Mountain achieve this, as well as showing exceptional longevity.”
“Our older vintages, such as the 2003 Riesling, are drinking really well, showing how the natural, cool climate acidity maintains the wine structure over time.”
The new vintage Louee wines join the other Louee wines including the Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Late Picked Riesling, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.
2 Trophies for the new 2009 Lowe Zinfandel at the Australia / New Zealand Organic Wine Show
Lowe Wines has been awarded the ‘Best Wine of the Show’ at the 2011 Australia / New Zealand Organic Wine Show with the recently released 2009 Lowe Mudgee Zinfandel.
The Australia / New Zealand Organic Wine Show was established in 2005 and is the only annual organic wine show dedicated to the judging and promotion of certified organic and biodymanic wines from Australia and New Zealand.
Showcasing the diversity, regionality and quality of organic wines, the show aims to help the organic wine sector carve a larger niche for itself on the shelves of the wine trade and in the knowledge base of wine connoisseurs.
The 2009 Lowe Zinfandel won two prestigious trophies; the ‘Trophy for the Best Red Wine of the Show’ and the prestigious ‘Gil Wahlquist Trophy for the Best Wine of the Show’.
According to the Organic Wine Show’s website, “the Best Wine of Show is awarded the beautiful Gil Wahlquist Trophy, designed and carved by Nick Statham (from Rosnay Organic Wines in Cowra) from a fallen tree. Gil Wahlquist planted the first organic vine in Australia in 1971, which then went on to become the first certified organic vineyard in 1984.”
“2009 was a textbook season with a mild spring and good rainfall, then a benign, dry summer,” explained Lowe Wines winemaker and owner, David Lowe. “Following the drought from 2002 onwards, this was a godsend. We crop-thinned the unripe fruit twice in the vineyard which helped produce outstanding fruit.”
The 2009 Zinfandel is only made in very limited quantities and only in years where David Lowe deems the fruit to be of outstanding quality.
The 2009 Zinfandel was also recently named in the NSW Top 40 wines of 2011. The Citibank NSW Wines Awards will hold their Trophy Presentation and Awards dinner on 17 October 2011 at the Sydney Opera House.
Recent Awards:
• “Best Wine of the Show” Australia / New Zealand Organic Wine Show 2011
• “Best Red Wine of the Show” Australia / New Zealand Organic Wine Show 2011
• Gold Medal, Australia / New Zealand Organic Wine Show 2011 (19/20)
• Top 40, NSW Wines 2011
• The Gil Walhquist Perpetual Trophy for ‘The Most Successful Exhibitor of the Show, Mudgee Wine Show 2011
3 Trophies for Lowe Wines
Last week Lowe Wines was awarded three trophies at the annual 2011 ‘Clear Image’ Mudgee Wine Show.
The trophies reflected the attention to detail that David Lowe focuses on in his organic winery on Tinja Lane. The trophies, including the Best Organic Producer comprised:
Best White Wine (not including Chardonnay & Semillon)
2010 Louee Nullo Mountain Riesling
Most Outstanding Fortified Wine of the Show
Lowe Muscat
The Gil Wahlquist Trophy (Best Organic Producer)
“This is an excellent result for Lowe Wines,” commented David Lowe. “The Best White Wine Trophy, other than Chardonnay and Semillon is particularly competitive, as it traditionally comes down to the region’s best rieslings.”
“We’re experiencing a bit of a renaissance with this variety in Mudgee. There are a few fantastic examples that can compete with any from across Australia. We believe that our Nullo Mountain vineyard, at an elevation of 1100 metres, consistently produces some of the region’s best, with incredible natural acidity and intensity of flavour.”
The Best Organic Producer is also closely contested given the range and history of organic grape growing in the region. “Mudgee has a number of organic vineyards and it’s something that we are very passionate about. Our vineyards, winery and farm are all certified organic as we believe it makes a better quality wine; it’s good to see the judges agree.”
The 2011 Clear Image Mudgee Wine Show was judged by Greg Duncan-Powell (Wine Writer and Judge), Stephen Doyle (Bloodwood Wines) and Renee Foster (Ultimo Wine Centre). The Associate Judges were Liam Heslop (Lowe Wines) and Jacob Stein (Robert Stein Wines).
Awards:
Gold Medal, Class 7, 2010 Louee Nullo Mountain Riesling
Gold Medal, Class 14, 2005 Louee Tongbong Chardonnay
Gold Medal, Class 24, Lowe Muscat
