“Our thoughts are with those that have been directly and indirectly impacted by the dreadful fires that have ravaged the country,” said owner Jason O’Dea. “We are fortunate that, so far, we have escaped the worst of what has been a difficult start to 2020.”
The Windowrie Estate vineyards are all free of smoke taint. The white varieties have been harvested and are safely in the winery, with the exception of our Picpul. “This variety ripens around the same time as Shiraz. It’s an exciting variety which we continue to gain experience with.”
“Our various Shiraz parcels are presenting themselves as positively as ever,” explained winemaker Anthony D’Onise. “The grapes went through veraison at the usual times, however bunch weights were lower, as a reflection of the dry conditions.
“We experienced some warm temperatures in early January which saw the baumes move quite quickly. Harvest was subsequently seven days earlier than usual.
“Some of the early ripening, lower yielding Shiraz is in the winery with other red varieties planned to by picked shortly.”
“Our Shiraz continues to perform well. I’m confident that with the experience that we have with the region, the vineyards and in the winery, we’re continuing to produce a modern style that competes for the best value Shiraz in New South Wales.”
Jason’s father, David O’Dea, who established Windowrie 32 years ago, and recently celebrated his 80th birthday, has experienced most of nature’s challenges. “Every vintage is unique, and we’re constantly reminded that, as an agriculturally based business, we exist at Mother Nature’s whim.
“We are a tough and resilient community and I am confident that the global climate issues that we are experiencing will be addressed in line with the science that is being presented.”
Cowra’s Windowrie Estate has had a strong relationship with Japan for over a decade. This year, that relationship is will see the winemaker help with the Cowra Breakout’s sole surviving POW visit the site of the prison camp for the final time.
Teruo Murakami, now aged 99, was a POW at Cowra and, with his fellow prisoners, was involved in the breakout on the morning of August 5th 1944.
Windowrie connection with Japan began in 2005 when owners David O’Dea and his son Steph travelled to the Aichi World Expo as the official wine of the sister city event representing Sydney. An official lunch was held at which David spoke of the strong connection between Cowra and Japan.
Photo: Japanese War Cemetery, Cowra Visitors Centre
This day piqued interest in the Cowra connection and the beginning of the relationship grew. The resulting discussions saw Windowrie making a special Cowra wine for the Sakura Festival; the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival that celebrates the beginning of Spring.
“This is a special year,” said Windowrie’s General Manager Jason O’Dea. “Our Japanese importer, Vai & Co. is assisting with Teruo Murakami to travel to Cowra. He’s will 99 years old, potentially making it his last visit to Cowra.”
“His visit and connection to the region is a significant link to Cowra’s history. The day of the Cowra Breakout saw 231 Japanese and four Australians dead. 75 years later the bond between Cowra and Japan is a genuine positive that came from that grim day.
“When the opportunity arose to help facilitate Teruo Murakami’s trip back to Cowra we were honoured to be involved. Whilst this may be his final visit to Cowra, we will continue to build the relationship with Japan.
“We have been making the Windowrie Estate Sakura Shiraz for close to 15 years. The wine is exported to Japan in December in time for the Sakura Festival and usually sells out within a couple of months.
The Sakura Festival has grown significantly over recent years and, with the fleeting splendour of the blossom, has become symbolic with the temporary nature of this beauty.
Details:
Teruo Murakami’s arrives in Cowra on 4th August 2019
Attend Mayoral dinner on night of 4th August 2019.
Attend wreath laying on site on 5th August 2019
For further information, photos and interviews please contact:
David Cumming at Define Wine Marketing & Communications on 0414 736 342 or [email protected]
Jason O’Dea at Windowrie Estate on 02 634443234 or [email protected]
Established by the O’Dea family in 1988, Windowrie Estate experienced considerable success, allowing them to build a winery in 1999, which was certified organic in 2008. The Windowrie range now comprises the ‘Family Reserve’ and ‘The Mill’ range. Jason O’Dea also makes the ‘Pig in the House’ organic wines and was recently awarded the NASSA Organic Wine of the Year Trophy.
With the 2019 vintage well underway at Windowrie, two new vintage Family Reserve wines have been released. These comprise the 2017 Windowrie Family Reserve Chardonnay($35) and 2017 Windowrie Family Reserve Pinot Noir ($35).
“Vintage is progressing well with the white varieties looking good considering that January was warmer than average,” said owner and vigneron Jason O’Dea. “The yields are lower as a result. We harvested the grapes marginally earlier ensuring the quality continues to be high. The red varieties are now coming into the winery; Shiraz is looking like a standout from the dry finish to the season.”
The new single vineyard 2017 Windowrie Family Reserve Chardonnay is made from grapes grown on Windowrie’s home block. “This vineyard, surrounding the homestead, was planted in 1987 at the time when Chardonnay was starting to make its mark in the Australia wine scene.
“We have been making Cowra Chardonnay for nearly 30 years and have seen the evolution of the style since the early days when Rothbury Chardonnay was one of the highest selling white wines.”
“We are looking to produce a modern example of Cowra’s most famous variety,” explained winemaker Anthony D’Onise. “It is all about fruit purity, elegance and restraint, with classic varietal elements highlighted and complemented by the spice of the oak.”
The new Windowrie Family Reserve Pinot Noir is the third release of this wine. The grapes are sourced from one of Orange’s higher elevated vineyards. At 950 metres, the vineyard is on the north-eastern slopes of Mount Canobolas and was planted in 1999 with Pinot Noir clones 114, 115 and MV6.
“The vineyard is reaching a maturity that is showing in the quality of the grapes,” said D’Onise. “The fruit was cold soaked for three days in draw out more of the aromatics and enhance the structural component of the wine. A small parcel of the wine was fermented in open fermenters with natural yeast to further add to the complexity of the finished wine.”
Pricing & Distribution: The Windowrie range of wines is widely distributed and is available online at www.windowrie.com.au
2017 Windowrie Family Reserve Chardonnay $35.00
2017 Windowrie Family Reserve Pinot Noir $35.00
Further information on Windowrie and their wines can be found at windowrie.com.au
For further information please contact:
Jason O’Dea at Windowrie Estate on 02 634443234 or [email protected]
Established by the O’Dea family in 1988, Windowrie Estate experienced considerable success, allowing them to build a winery in 1999, which was certified organic in 2008. The Windowrie range now comprises the ‘Family Reserve’ and ‘The Mill’ range. Jason O’Dea also makes the ‘Pig In The House’ organic wines and was recently awarded the NASSA Organic Wine of the Year Trophy.
Windowrie Estate Family Reserve continues to receive acclaim
Windowrie Estate ‘Family Reserve’ Shiraz 2016 has been awarded the prestigious Dick De Luca Memorial Trophy for the Champion Shiraz at the Australian Small Winemakers Show in Stanthorpe at the awards dinner on Wednesday night.
The Australian Small Winemakers Show was established in 1987 for winegrowers crushing less than 500 tonnes and has grown to be one of the most prestigious wine shows for small winemakers in Australia and New Zealand.
Wine consultant Jim Harre chaired the 2018 show, with panel judges comprising Nick Bulleid MW, Ralph Kyte-Powell and Andrew Corrigan MW.
Receiving the trophy was Windowrie winemaker Anthony D’Onise. “This was a real honour. Dick De Luca was a passionate advocate for Shiraz and to be recognised for what we are doing with our shiraz in central NSW is a proud moment for our small team at Windowrie.”
“Our ambition is to be one of the top Shiraz winemakers in NSW,” continued D’Onise. “The vineyard is producing well ripened fruit and, along with the winemaking, eminently suited to the modern style.
“We have received a number of trophies and gold medals for our Shiraz, including the Windowrie ‘Family Reserve’, ‘The Mill’ and our organic Pig in the House. Our vineyards continue to improve as they mature and, as the winemaker, I continue to learn with each vintage.”
Further information on the Dick De Luca Memorial Trophy can be found here:
Dick De Luca Memorial Trophy for Champion Shiraz, 2018 Australian Small Winemakers Show
Gold Medal, 2018 Australian Small Winemakers Show
2017 Windowrie ‘The Mill’ Shiraz
Gold Medal, 2018 Australian Small Winemakers Show
Distribution and Pricing: Windowrie Estate is widely distributed and is available online at www.windowrie.com.au
Further information on Windowrie and their wines can be found at windowrie.com.au
For further information please contact:
David Cumming, Define Wine Marketing & Communications on 0414 736 342 or [email protected]
Jason O’Dea at Windowrie Estate on 02 63444 3234 or [email protected]
WINDOWRIE is one of the Cowra region’s founding winemakers. Established by the O’Dea family in 1988, the business experienced considerable success, allowing them to build a winery in 1999, which was certified organic in 2008. The Windowrie range now comprises the ‘Family Reserve’ and ‘The Mill’ range. Jason O’Dea also makes the ‘Pig In The House’ organic brand, which was recently awarded the NASSA Organic Wine of the Year Trophy.
Windowrie Estate joins the world’s winemakers at Vinexpo Hong Kong
Windowrie Estate will be joining the best of world’s winemakers at the upcoming Vinexpo Hong Kong in May.
Vinexpo is the leading wine industry event in Asia Pacific and will be held over three days from 29 to 31 May 2018. This year’s Vinexpo Hong Kong will be showcasing Australia as the ‘Country of Honour’ in partnership with Wine Australia.
Vinexpo Hong Kong is proudly hosting Australia as it reports that the country is emerging as one of China’s key sectors, with expected growth of 25 per cent in volume in the market.
Windowrie Estate will be showcasing their range of awarded organic wines including their 2016 Pig in the House Shiraz that was awarded the Trophy for the Best Organic or Biodynamic Wine Trophy at the 2017 Royal Melbourne Wine Show.
“We have steadily converted our vineyards to certified organic over the years and it now represents over 70 per cent of our production and increasing each year. While we produce conventional wines we see our future in the organic sector; this is where our experience is and where the quality is evident,” said Windowrie Estate’s Jason O’Dea.
The Windowrie Estate wines will be displayed in the World Of Organic Wines (WOW) section of the Expo. “With over 17,000 trade based visitors to the Expo, it is a fantastic opportunity to show the quality of our region, vineyards and winemaking.”
Windowrie Estate winemaker Anthony stated, “It will be fantastic for us to be exhibiting with other like-minded winemakers from all over the world including France, Italy, Argentina, South Africa and Spain. It is an exciting prospect to share our experiences and learn from the other winegrowers and trade visitors over the three days.”
To taste the award winning organic wines visitors are invited to join Windowrie Estate on Level 3 at Stand M59 in the World of Organic Wine section.
For those wishing to make an appointment to meet Jason O’Dea and taste the range of wines in Hong Kong, please contact him directly on:
Further information on Windowrie and their wines can be found at windowrie.com.au or by contacting Jason O’Dea at Windowrie Estate on 02 634443234 or [email protected]
WINDOWRIE is one of the Cowra region’s founding winemakers. Established by the O’Dea family in 1988, the business experienced considerable success, allowing them to build a winery in 1999, which was certified organic in 2008. The Windowrie range now comprises the ‘Family Reserve’ and ‘The Mill’ range. Jason O’Dea also makes the ‘Pig In The House’ organic brand, which was recently awarded the NASSA Organic Wine of the Year Trophy.
The date for the annual Windowrie Long lunch has been set, with this year’s lunch being a celebration of three decades of Windowrie.
The Windowrie Lunch, on Saturday 28 October, is an alfresco event, set amongst the meandering gardens of the O’Dea family’s Windowrie homestead.
“The vineyard was established in 1987, so it’s a pretty special anniversary,” said Windowrie’s Jason O’Dea. “This year’s Long Lunch has a Greek theme. The team is certainly looking forward to the challenges of matching our wines with Greek inspired dishes and while we would never impose a dress code there has never been a better chance to wear a toga out to lunch.”
Winemaker Anthony D’Onise said, ‘’one of the best parts of the Windowrie lunch is the trial and error of matching our wines with the food to see how they come together. There is a wide array of dishes available from Greece, so it should be a lot of fun to work with the chef to ensure the flavours and the wines all work together.”
Sustainability is of paramount importance at Windowrie and the family have been scouring the Central Ranges for suppliers for the planned menu. As well as local produce, Jason O’Dea has started work on a home vegetable patch (under cover until the frost disappears) to supply as much of the produce as possible from the Windowrie (certified organic) farm.
“The pressure is on to get this right so we can harvest as much produce as possible on the morning of the long lunch from our garden and surrounding farmers,” explained Jason. “There is nothing we like more than eating produce straight out of the garden and, with people traveling from far and wide for the event, it is essential we showcase the magnificent produce of the region in its freshest and purest form.
“Our Long Lunch has evolved over the past 16 years. We initially hosted a concert and then garden parties, and now the laid back long lunch is the focus. Live music, surprising and delicious food and, or course, some of our new vintage wines.”
Local musicians, and a special appearance from the mythological Deion, will entertain guests at the Long Lunch.
Windowrie winemaker Anthony D’Onise and vigneron Jason O’Dea will also be on hand to discuss the new wines and how they were matched to various dishes.
Further information on Windowrie and their wines can be found at windowrie.com.au
For further information please contact:
Jason O’Dea at Windowrie Estate on 02 634443234 or [email protected]
David Cumming at Define Wine Marketing & Communications on 0414 736 342 or [email protected]
Andrew Grinter, Cowra Tourism on 0263424333
WINDOWRIE is one of the Cowra region’s founding winemakers. Established by the O’Dea family in 1988, the business experienced considerable success, allowing them to build a winery in 1999, which was certified organic in 2008. The Windowrie range now comprises the ‘Family Reserve’ and ‘The Mill’ range. Jason O’Dea also makes the ‘Pig In The House’ organic brand, which was recently awarded the NASSA Organic Wine of the Year Trophy.
The most relaxed vintage in the Central Ranges in 30 years
Windowrie Wines, who source grapes from 100 miles of their Cowra winery, are expecting one of the best vintages on record.
With fruit coming into the winery from Orange through Cowra and on to Hilltops, Windowrie’s Jason O’Dea is in a perfect position to gauge the quality of the vintage from NSW’s Central Ranges.
“It is all coming together,” said Jason, “this is the my first vintage where all the ‘ducks are in a row’. It certainly takes a lot of the stress out of vintage.”
Windowrie winemaker, Anthony D’Onise agrees, “the entire region is looking at an awesome vintage. 95 per cent of the whites are in from Hilltops and Cowra and are in pristine condition. We’re looking to start picking sauvignon blanc from Orange in the next week or so. With the warm weather the ripeness levels have been near perfect.
“Being one of the only wineries taking grapes from a number of NSW regions we don’t usually have the luxury of picking when we want. This year has been allowed us to do just that, and the all of the fruit from each region is fantastic.
“It has made for an enjoyable vintage. The dry weather means we are sleeping well and only looking at the weather forecast once a day. It just makes for a great vintage when your hand is not being forced by Mother-Nature.
“With the weather on our side for a change, we are able to let the fruit hang a little longer to ensure we have ripe tannin and pure varietal fruit expression.”
In Cowra, Shiraz once again looks to be the standout. The warm dry finish has allowed the vines to ripen slowly with flavours more intense than even the driest of vintages during the drought. “It’s a great follow up to the Shiraz that won the NSW Wine of the Year,” commented Jason.
Picpul Blanc will be the last white variety to harvest and it is maturing well on the vine. “It is amazing how it is holding it’s acid balance,” commented Anthony. “This is an exciting new variety, not only for the Central Ranges, but for Australia.”
It was a tough year for organics in the region (over 60 per cent of the brands from Cowra are now certified organic) with high spring rain leaving growers in the region open to fungus issues. “Most of the growers have managed the conditions well and countered any real issues,” said Jason.
Windowrie patriarch, David O’Dea, commented that he could not remember a more relaxed vintage at Windowrie. “After 30 odd vintages its nice to have one which is a bit more relaxed. It’s a testament to the team we have here that everything is progressing so well this year.”
For further information, images or samples please contact:
David Cumming at Define Wine: 0414 736 342 or david@ definewine.com.au
Jason O’Dea at Windowrie Estate: 0427 443 598 or Jason@ windowrie.com.au
WINDOWRIE is one of the Cowra region’s founding winemakers. Established by the O’Dea family in 1988, the business experienced considerable success, allowing them to build a winery in 1999, which was certified organic in 2008. The Windowrie range now comprises the ‘Family Reserve’ and ‘The Mill’ range. Jason O’Dea also makes the ‘Pig In The House’ organic brand, which has been awarded the NASSA Organic Wine of the Year Trophy.
The 2015 vintage is looking particularly promising in the Cowra region of NSW.
“Our yields were somewhat lower than average due to the frost in 2014,” explained Windowrie’s viniculturist, Jason O’Dea. “However this helped increase the quality of the fruit, especially in the shiraz and chardonnay vineyards.”
Vintage began at the end of January with sparkling base being picked and continued to around the end of April. “We are all about preserving the flavours from the vineyard, complementing them with various winemaking techniques, and creating a sense of place from the vineyard and the region.”
Vintage at Windowrie was distinctive in that the winemaking team welcomed Japanese winemaker Shige Kimura to the winery.
Windowrie has a strong relationship with Japan, having exported to this market for over a decade. “Having Shige with us for vintage was fantastic,” commented Windowrie winemaker Anthony D’Onise.
“He gave us a new perspective on our winemaking, as well as a better understanding of the Japanese market and palate. Each process in our harvest and winemaking came into question, making us re-think and re-evaluate we are doing in order to make the best wine possible.”
“We’re lucky to have had him in the region and will be working closely with him in the future.”
“Shige is from Tokyo and was a sommelier there for several years before deciding to study oenology and viticulture in New Zealand. He has been in the industry for around 20 years, making wine for 9 years.”
Windowrie, one of the region’s leading organic winegrower, has significantly increased the focus of its organic winemaking this vineyards. “This is our first harvest of an organic Sauvignon Blanc which is looking exceptional,” commented Anthony.
“Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect accompaniment to many Japanese dishes, however Chardonnay and Shiraz is becoming quite popular. The Japanese market is changing, with an increase in education about wine and subsequently, more people enjoying different varieties,” explained Shige.
Further information on Shige Kimura can be found here
For further information, images or interviews please contact:
David Cumming at Define Wine: 0414 736 342 or david{at}definewine.com.au
Jason O’Dea at Windowrie Estate: 02 6344 3264 or jason{at}windowrie.com.au
WINDOWRIE is one of the Cowra region’s founding winemakers. Established by the O’Dea family in 1988, the business experienced considerable success, allowing them to build a winery in 1999, which was certified organic in 2008. The Windowrie range now comprises the ‘Family Reserve’ and ‘The Mill’ range. Jason O’Dea also makes the ‘Pig In The House’ organic brand, which was recently awarded the NASSA Organic Wine of the Year Trophy.
