Unfiltered FAMOUS FIVE

Sportsmen turned
wine producers
1) Tennis player Thomas Muster:
HOW TO… make de-alcoholised wine Hochkittenberg, Styria, Austria
Mireia Torres is technical director for Torres in Spain. Its 0.5%abv Natureo Muscat was 2) Formula One racing driver Jarno
first released in 2007 in response to demand for low alcohol wines.The producer says the Trulli: Podere Castorani, Abruzzo, Italy
wine is aimed at everyone from drivers and calorie counters to pregnant women 3) Rugby player Schalk Burger:
Welbadecht, Wellington, South Africa
How do you make the base wine? The same way as a normal white – fermented for
two weeks in stainless steel tanks at low temperatures. We wanted a light, aromatic, 4) Ice hockey player Wayne Gretsky:
fruity wine and thought Muscat would give the best expression. And how do you No. 99 Estates, Niagra, Canada
get rid of the alcohol? With the Spinning Cone Column technique. What’s that? 5) Golfer Greg Norman: (below) Greg
It’s a form of steam distillation that uses stainless steel columns to gently Norman Estates, California, USA
separate volatile compounds in liquids while minimising the effect on the taste.
How’s it done? In two steps: first the aroma is separated, then the remaining

PHOTOGRAPH: ROGER SEDRES/CORBIS

wine is passed through the column to eliminate the alcohol. The aroma is added
back at the end. How do you keep the wine’s natural antioxidants and minerals?
The process doesn’t damage the wine components. The technique lets us work
at low temperatures, which helps keep all the elements intact. Does the wine
have any ageing capacity? Not really. It should be drunk as young as possible,
but it will keep for 18 months. Any plans for a red? We’re still doing trials. It’s
tricky to get a pleasant mouthfeel in a de-alcholised red. Syrah seems a good
variety to work with, and oak will be key in achieving complexity and character.

WHOSE WINE IS 20 YEARS AGO IN DECANTER: May 1990

IT ANYWAY? (p10) ■ Our cover was Communist red, and and took 1,000 cuttings
Did you get what we featured a wine bottle branded with a from the Penfolds vineyard
were twittering about hammer and sickle. The cover story, and began propagating
with our bird clue? The ‘Glassnost by the Glass’, examines the vine in 1968.’
label, from renowned whether the fall of the Iron Curtain will ■ ‘My daughter was born
Montalcino producer cause a flood of Eastern European in 1970 and I bought
Fattoria dei Barbi, wines to the West. some Lynch-Bages for
features the crest of the ■ Tony Lord reports on the new her; when anything
Colombini family, who phenomenon of Antipodean major happens in her life we
have owned the estate Chardonnay. In his article, Murray Tyrrell crack open a bottle,’ recalls John Lodge of
since 1790 and whose recounts: ‘One moonlit night I went out The Moody Blues in his Bin End interview.
Tuscan roots date back to
1352. Colombini means
small dove in Italian, while the
crown denotes artisocracy. TOP DOGS
GG (St Supéry Vineyards, Rutherford, California)
THE AFFLUENZA BUG Appearance: Brigitte Bardot in her heyday.
Guard dog ability: Terrible; she greets all strangers with a
Grenade cocktail wagging tail. Favourite foods: Lamb and rice dog food,
shaker rawhide bones, white bread, vitamins.
If, like James Bond, you prefer Likes: Being a socialite – she carries her
your vodka martinis shaken not own business cards in a pouch on
stirred, then this could be the ideal her collar and has a Facebook page.
addition to your drinks cabinet. Also belly rubs, chewing her
Modelled on a WW2 hand grenade, it lobster toy and long walks with
is made from cut glass and sterling
boyfriend Buster. Dislikes: Loud
silver. At £8,000, the 23cm shaker costs a bomb,
but it’s one of only two in existence, made noises, fireworks, bath time, being
exclusively for New York’s Nicolas Brawer left alone. Would like to be
Gallery. Handle it as carefully as you would the remembered as: She who loved,
real thing. Over-indulgent spend rating: 10/10 and was loved.

12 8 | M AY 2 010

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