Success of a swift sea-change
Ed and David Swift were only in their twenties when they decided on an earlier- rather than a later-in-life sea-change. Ed with an engineering background and David with one in design decided they'd venture into the winemaking business.
So in the mid-1990s, David started building a winery on Mt Canobolas in the Orange region of Central Western NSW. David started designing a label, they planted a vineyard, contracted a local grower to supply specific premium fruit for their enterprise and invited Robert Black − a local winemaker well versed in the needs and potential of the Orange region − to join them in their venture.
Their first wines under their Printhie label hit the market in 2004 and they've not looked back. Among this year's releases is a 2006 Sauvignon Blanc made from fruit off vigneron David Gartrell's property, over 1000m above sea-level on the south-western side of Mt Canobolas.
This is a wine that's fantastically drinkable with wonderful tropical fruit-salad flavours.Served well chilled, it makes an ideal companion to steamed white asparagus, a dob of parsley sauce and warm garlic bread on the side.
For a wine that delivers far more than its $16.99 price tag, we just wonder if Ed and David are under-selling themselves.
One for lunch
If you've got a big winter BBQ on the horizon and you'll be needing more than a few bottles of red to accompany those sizzling pepper steaks and jacket potatoes, consider De Bortoli's inexpensive Wild Vine Shiraz. This one's got everything going for it in the value stakes − plenty of berry fruit, varietal pepper and a touch of oak on the palate. Priced at just $7.99 a bottle, it comes under a handy screw cap so there's no need to keep hunting for the corkscrew, while you're suppose to be turning the steaks.
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