Comments on: Consider the alternatives

By: Toby

Toby — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 01:35:23 +0000

A farewell to a good and entertaining man. I attended university and shared digs with Rod in Darwin, NT long before he became Dr Rod. I always knew he was destined for good things and find it fitting he ended up in the wine industry. Vale Rod Bonfiglioni. A good man…

By: Holly Czinke

Holly Czinke — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 12:02:13 +0000

My comment is not about Rod’s work. My comment is simply one of great gratitude for the impact he had on my life as a young girl…. Rod added a dimension to my life that perhaps I would never have been lucky enough to experience had he not been around in some of my most formative years… At the time I lacked gratitude for what his presence, nature and soul brought to my life. As I grew up I realized what a profound and positive impact he had on who I became and my approach to life, particularly a strong work ethic and to seek passion in work and life in general… I’ll never forget the essay I wrote, where my teacher assumed I had not written the paper myself due to the use of language exceeding my age group… We laughed about that later… And I thank you for so many things you imparted on me and how your presence had a grand impact on my family as a whole… May you be in a garden in the sky, glass in hand and quietly chuffed with how you Roderick Bonfiglioli had a positive if not profound impact on those who knew you… God blessxx

By: Hugh Ammundsen

Hugh Ammundsen — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:06:26 +0000

Knowing the standard of winemaking in areas such as Sardinia this is potentially a good example. Moreover, the Italians and French do tend to pick the grapes before they are fully mature in order to retain acidity. I am curious regarding Australia in part for the same reason, and in part because almost all their Vermentino is grown inland in more continental climate zones whereas almost all Mediterranean Vermentino is grown on islands or very near the coast.
Disclosure of interest: I am growing (or should I be more honest and say trying to grow) Vermentino in the Far North at Doubtless Bay where we have an extremely maritime climate – windy, never too hot or cold – and where we have a very long growing season. Watch this space!

By: Ruby Andrew

Ruby Andrew — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:37:44 +0000

Thanks Hugh, I think the AAVWS is helping to point the way with alternative varieties suffering from “neglect” in their countries of origin. Vermentino, for one, is undergoing something of a renaissance thanks in part to experimentation in Australia.

By: Ruby Andrew

Ruby Andrew — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:34:31 +0000

Absolutely, John, it was indeed thanks to Rod’s efforts that New Zealand accessed true-to-type Albarino – and wouldn’t it be great if Kiwi winemakers could resurrect that category at the AAVWS?

By: Hugh Ammundsen

Hugh Ammundsen — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:31:06 +0000

As an avowed believer in diversification (via experiment, not just luck) I wonder if I might add an observation and a resulting theory.
In wine industry terms it is not that long ago that Matua Valley, followed by Montana/Brancott in Marlborough experimented with sauvignon blanc. As they say “the rest is history”, but of course it might not have been. What if the wines of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume were supremely fashionable and quality driven at the time (which I do not believe was the case). NZ sauvignon blanc might not have challenged for global benchmark status in the way that occurred, although I do believe it would still have garnered many enthusiastic drinkers around the world.
There are many other instances where a country has made its repuation on grape varieties either forgotten or neglected in their lands of origin.
The theory. New Zealand, as a consequence of its range of climates and conditions, can succeed in growing a wide range of varieties. It may even manage to do grow a number of them very well indeed, including some that the likes of Forrest, Cooper’s Creek and Trinity Hill are forging ahead with. However, for NZ to take a variety to the sauvignon blanc level, which I consider a longer-term economic imperative, some other factors may be important. Just one of those could well be the neglect factor – the variety that is produced either lazily (overcropped) or neglectfully in the winery “back home”.
Even in the 21st century I believe there are plenty of such instances and we could do a lot worse than to stalk them, hunt them down, and set about beating them (and getting noticed in the market place for doing so).

By: John

John — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:50:23 +0000

A remarkably composed and restrained photo of Rod there Ruby . . .obviously he did not know the photo was being taken
Thanks to Rod that NZ has the first (prob Southern Hemisphere!) Albarino