In the Cellar Door, we are often asked:How can I age wine?What wines should I age? Let’s answer some of your questions about aging wines. Wine is constantly changing and evolving in the bottle; if you are catch a wine at the perfect place on its journey, you’ll experience flavours you never imagined. Invest Wisely,…
What wine taste best with fish? Matching wines with fish Picture this: a table adorned with the freshest catch of the day, from delicate sea bass to succulent salmon, each dish meticulously prepared to perfection. Now, imagine complementing these delectable seafood delights with the perfect glass of wine. So grab a seat at the table,…
I’m thrilled to offer you an exclusive insight into the intricate process of crafting our red wines. At Upper Reach, we believe that wine is not merely a beverage but a culmination of artistry and tradition, spanning over 8000 years of history. Step 1: Cultivating Excellence in the VineyardThe journey begins in our meticulously tended…
Why does wine get aged in oak barrels? The Historical Reason for Oak Aging: Before the advent of glass bottles in the 1600s, wine found its home in wooden barrels—a testament to the historical roots of oak aging. While modern technology offers lots of storage and transport options, the allure of oak persists, enriching red…
The 2024 vintage has been our earliest ever! The first pick was on 4 January 2024 as opposed to 21 January in 2023, by Australia Day we’d done all the white wines and were half way through the red grapes…2023 we were on our third pick. Talk about Fast & Furious!You couldn’t have two more…
It feels like Christmas 2023 was just a blink ago, right? The holiday cheer is in the air, but the hassle of shopping, crowded malls, and potential Covid make it a bit overwhelming. How about a solution? Picture this: strolling through the Swan Valley, sipping wine, and finding unique gifts for even the most challenging…
Pairing Wine with Christmas Fare: Turkey: For the classic Christmas centerpiece pair it with the Triple Trophy winning 2022 Grenache or the 2022 Reserve Chardonnay. These wines have this sneaky way of teaming up with the rich flavors of turkey, making them sing together in perfect harmony. It’s like they’re the best buddies at a holiday dinner party. Roast…
We’ve all seen those glitzy gold stickers on wine bottles, right? They promise quality, but do they always deliver? At Upper Reach, our family-owned Swan Valley winery, we’re uncorking the truth about wine show medals, the history behind them, and whether they’re a true measure of wine excellence. So, grab a glass, and let’s find out…
Well what a vintage 2023 was! We must have done something right to have had such amazing conditions. After a ridiculously wet winter, the Swan River broke its banks again and completely flooded the lower part of our vineyard. This was followed by a beautiful mild spring, which turned into a relatively mild summer for the Swan.This gave us…
We’re asked about ‘alternative grape varieites’ at our Cellar Door and I read heaps of wine articles about them…perhaps because journos are always looking for ‘something new’ to fill their column? For many people Verdelho & Chenin Blanc are ‘alternative varietals’, they are both classic grape varieties, with a history of making world class, age-able…
Have you ever been to a winery, looked at the tasting notes and wondered if you’d stepped into your local fruit & veggie shop by mistake? Where do flavours of grapefruit, peach, rockmelon, lime, tobacco and dark chocolate come from? Does the winemaker squeeze the juice out of all this fruit and add it to…
It’s always the perfect time to look at a couple of guilty (or not so guilty) pleasures. Wine and chocolate. We know about wine and food pairings … it’s generally said that white wine goes well with seafood and red wine with rich meats. But what wine matches with chocolate: All you really need to know…