d’Arenberg The Peppermint Paddock Sparkling Red Blend

Description

d’Arenberg The Peppermint Paddock Sparkling Red Blend is made with grapes sourced from d’Arenberg’s Peppermint Paddock, a vineyard surrounded by peppermint gum trees, which was replanted from Shiraz (which had never thrived here) to Chambourcin in 1989.

D’Arenberg is one most iconic of Australian wineries and certainly one of the famous in the McLaren Vale wine-growing region. The company was founded by Cornish-born, Joseph Osborn. Osborn’s parents emigrated to Australia in the 1850s and Joseph went on to become a well-known Australian Rules footballer, co-founding Norwood Football Club along the way. Eventually he would become a partner in Thomas Hardy Limited, a local politician and became involved in horse racing before buying what would become the d’Arenberg estate in 1912. Today the estate is in the hands of the fourth generation, winemaker Chester Osborne. The company is known for their iconic red striped label and quirky wine names such as Dead Arm, Laughing Magpie and Stump Jump.

The estate is famous for its top quality, premium red wines made from classic Australian grape varieties like Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache; however, they also have some more unusual planting of Mediterranean and Rhone varieties including Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Vermentino, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. The McLaren vale, located some 45 minutes south of Adelaide is perfect for grape growing with a Mediterranean climate, huge diversity of soil types and proximity to the ocean with the resultant cooling sea breezes. Minimal intervention is the keyword in the winery where the individual vineyard site’s character is allowed to shine through. Classic vinification methods are used such as open top vat fermentation, foot treading and basket pressing. All d’Arenberg estate owned and leased vineyards are NASAA Certified for organic and biodynamic processes. d’Arenberg are members of Australia’s First Families of Wine.

d’Arenberg The Peppermint Paddock Sparkling Red Blend is a blend of 88% Chambourcin (which they have also used in their fortified red wines before) and 12% Graciano. Chambourcin is a a French-American interspecific hybrid grape variety which has been available since 1963 and tends to produce deep-coloured and aromatic wines. Chambourcin is a teinturier, a grape whose juice is pink or red rather than clear like most red vitis vinifera cultivars. Graciano is a grape normally found in Rioja in Spain known for its dark colour.

d’Arenberg The Peppermint Paddock is a non-vintage wine with parcels of wine from different vintages being blended to produce consistent wine from year to year. The base wine is prepared using the time honoured techniques of open fermenting, foot treading and basket pressing. Addition of liqueur tirage instigates secondary fermentation and creates bubbles with a unique vibrant purple colour.

This wine is suitable for vegan and vegetarians.

Sealed with a crown cap.