G'day from Adelaide!

REDRUM · Nov 28, 2013

Hey all.

I'm from Brisbane originally but living in Adelaide, South Australia - which, if you're unfamiliar with Aus geography, is a city conveniently wedged in between the wine regions of the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills.

I've always enjoyed drinking wine but am now doing a PhD that's involved spending plenty of time in McLaren Vale, talking to winemakers, etc - and that's definitely sparked my interest further.

My Croatian father-in-law (along with HIS father-in-law) makes his own wine off a suburban block of Grenache vines - pretty rough and rustic peasant wine, no scientific measurement involved! It's often quite undrinkable to my tastes but some years are surprisingly decent.

I'm keen to start helping him out a lot more, and trying to give winemaking a crack myself - hoping to expand my horizons & learn a lot more on these boards ...
:db

iVivid · Nov 28, 2013

Cool; sounds like you will have access to grapes! This is a great forum, welcome!
(Lots of the really on-to-it regulars in the US/Canada are having Thanksgiving; so it's all a little quiet on the wine front lol)

REDRUM · Nov 28, 2013

Thaks iVivid!
Yep I definitely have access to grapes (though, worryingly, my father-in-law is starting to talk about pulling out his vines!) so it would be downright irresponsible of me not to try to make my own wine ...
Oh yeah, Thanksgiving - probably more a time for drinking wine rather than talking about it...

pjd · Nov 28, 2013

REDRUM said:
Oh yeah, Thanksgiving - probably more a time for drinking wine rather than talking about it...

Welcome to WMT Redrum! I just finished thanksgiving dinner at a friends house. A lot of wine was consumed along with the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and Drunken Cranberries! What a meal and such great wines! Stick around this forum, when we all sober up we will be happy to have a conversation with you on wine making or really any subject you want to talk about.

sour_grapes · Nov 28, 2013

Yes, welcome aboard. I would love to know what your PhD studies are in.

And, yes, it is a slow night on the WMT boards...

ShawnDTurner · Nov 28, 2013

Welcome Mate! I am sorry I just had to say Mate. I am sure if you hang out on this board you can pick up some very simple scientific methods that you can use to dramatically improve your father -in law wine by 10 fold. All you need is some very basic tools that would be available to you being that you are right between a major wine growing region (hydrometer, PH meter, basic acid for adjustment). Cheers!