Welcome to eKT
Happy New Year folks. I do hope that your festive season has been full of good cheer. I’m celebrating the start of 2012 with the release of my new wine, tinta by KT, an early (and easy) drinking Tempranillo made in a style the Spanish call ‘Joven’ (lit. youthful). The distinctive label was modelled on a tile I brought back with me from the Spanish town of Granada and it was made with beautiful grapes grown at the Bastian vineyard. I’ve loved pouring it to all of my wonderful wine friends who have visited through Watervale over the holidays. . . so thanks to everyone for including me in your travels. The KT roving tasting table has been lots of fun...

I’ve also got Riesling fever...

Summer of Riesling Program of Events*

Sunday 5th February 3-7pm Crown Lane East Sydney
Australian Riesling tasting including wines by KT

Monday 6th February 5:30-8pm Doltone House Pyrmont Sydney
Featuring as part of the Frankland Estate International Riesling Tasting, “Riesling Fever” is a tasting of Rieslings from around the world, hosted by over 40 producers where I’ll be pouring some of my Riesling babies including my unreleased 2008 Peglidis Vineyard Aged Release Riesling.

Wednesday 8th February after 6pm DeVine Food & Wine Sydney
wines by KT and DeVine join forces for a relaxed evening with Rieslings from around the world enjoyed with tasting platters. ph 0292626906 for bookings.

Thursday 9th February 5-8pm Five Way Cellars Paddington Sydney
wines by KT instore tasting including new release 2011 tinta by KT and unreleased 2010 Churinga Vineyard Shiraz and Churinga Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon..

Friday 10th February 5-8pm Australian Wine Centre The Quay Sydney
wines by KT instore tasting including new release 2011 tinta by KT and unreleased 2010 Churinga Vineyard Shiraz and Churinga Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon..

*I’m so excited about the Summer of Riesling week.. I’ll be spending time with a number of Riesling producers from around the world whose wines I really admire and more importantly love to drink! For ticket purchases and more information about these great events make sure you visit the websites. I’m looking forward to seeing you there... Cheers, KT

www.feirt.com.au | www.summerofriesling.com.au | www.fivewaycellars.com.au | www.australianwinecentre.com

Welcome to eKT
Just when everyone is starting to plan holidays, festive menus and what to pack in the esky; my dear grapegrowers are tending to my precious grape resource out in the vineyards that are growing at a rate of knots. After dodging the hail recently, the weather in Watervale has been perfect for winegrowing with soaking rains being followed by fine, sunny days... and this means the vine shoot growth is keeping us busy controlling their canopies to ensure good air flow and dappled light exposure on the precious bunches.

Years ago in my previous life as manager of Leasingham Wines I was a part of some exciting research with the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) involving the production of tannin and other phenolic compounds. Simply put, tannin in wine is responsible for the textural qualities of astringency and are predominantly contained within the seeds and skins of the berries. This is why the process of red fermentation on skins is so important because at this stage of winemaking we can change and optimise the character and structure of our wines. Timing, temperature and technique are all critical.

One of my important learnings from working with the tannin team was that when it comes to producing tannin - the vines are working at it now. If we want that tannin to be high in quantity and strong in composition, then we have to put the work in now before the berries go through the process of veraison - when they start to colour and accumulate sugar. This is generally when we all want to take holidays... Dammit!

So to make sure that vintage 2012 is the best we can make it - it looks like this season we’ll all be jolly out in the vineyards...

My birthday this year (December 21st) will be (partly) celebrated with the bottling of a new wine, tinta by KT, an early (and easy) drinking tempranillo made in a style the Spanish call ‘Joven’ (lit. youthful). It was made with beautiful grapes (see below) grown at the Bastian vineyard...I’m thinking that with it leading up to another important birthday at Christmas it can only be a good sign. For those of you who have been patient and placed orders already it’s not far away... Here’s a cheeky glimpse of the new label...

Finally folks, in celebration of Christmas... and to make sure your esky is full of cheer by KT this festive season, I’m offering a special six pack for you...

christmas by KT special six pack
2010 rizza by KT x 2 bottles + 2011 rosa by KT x 2 bottles + 2009 5452 by KT x 2 bottles 

christmas by KT is a special six pack
$117.00 + delivery.

One thing about running my business as a one gal band you realise just how much you rely on many other important people to help make wines by KT happen. The love and
support from you all is much appreciated and over these holidays I’ll be celebrating another wonderful year and making plans to make 2012 even stronger.
To everyone who has dropped by in Watervale or come along to my tastings across the country I’m so grateful... I do hope you get to enjoy some of my wine babies over the holidays so we can celebrate them together.
Thanks so much to all of you for being a part of my life and supporting my wines. Wishing you all a safe and happy festive season... and a cracker vintage in 2012! KT xxx

PS - Dear Father Christmas... a delivery bloke that can lift heavy things this year would be great.. cheers... 

Welcome to eKT
I’m so excited to say that vintage 2011 represents my fifth successive Riesling release for wines by KT and after a season that was a true test of character and judgement, I couldn’t be happier about my new wine babies in bottle. I’m really looking forward to travelling the countryside showing them to you this year.

One of the most fragile times during the winemaking creation is the bottling process. I nurture them during the harvest time, watch around the clock throughout their fermentation and cover them with inert gas at filtration and transfers. I taste and retaste - go home and return to taste again.. just to make sure they’re looking as I’d hoped. I lie awake at night thinking about how my tanks of deliciously delicate Riesling will evolve and grow leading up to their release date. I really love it but it totally stresses me out.

At bottling time my wines suddenly leave their stable home in tank and I transport them on the Churinga truck down the road to the line in Auburn, where I can guide them through. There’s no turning back. The hard work has been done and the proof is in the bottle. I’m chuffed to say that after all of the hard work, my wines this year are full of the mouthwatering juicy acidity and freshness that my Watervale vineyards are renowned for. We love being five years old...

For those of you keen to taste my three new Riesling releases - Peglidis Vineyard, Churinga Vineyard and melva by KT there will be many opportunities with tastings and dinners being organised across the country this year.
I’ll be keeping you posted.

For those of you who can’t wait, the wines are now available and for mailing list customers orders of a dozen or more are freight free until the end of September.

After happily dragging my wine trolley up and down the streets of Sydney, I’ve recently returned from a really successful promotional visit. I’m proud to say that you can enjoy my wines in some fabulous restaurants and wine bars over there.
Those of you who braved the elements to get down to see me at Cremorne Cellars should be congratulated and a really big thanks to Ron and Ann-Marie Phillips, the newly married Harrisons, Anthony Krithinakis and Justin McDonald for coming along to see me at Five Way Cellars in Paddington.
Yours and of course everyones support is really appreciated.
Look forward to seeing you sometime.
Cheers, KT xx
PS - my new website page is finally up...and is clearly still work in progress.

Welcome to eKT
Water... we complain when we don’t have enough of it... and we complain when we have too much.

Just as drought conditions present difficulties for winegrowers, excessive rainfall over the harvest period brings with it a completely new set of challenges and this vintage was a true test of character and judgement.

Rain, hail or sunshine I always hand–harvest my vineyards to make sure only the best bunches are picked, but with rain causing berry split and botrytis bunch rot issues this season, it was even more important to select vine to vine and then bunch by bunch. In fact one bunch in three was left on the vine or dropped to the ground. I’m so grateful to my growers and the picking crew for their extra care this season.

The juice from the clean fruit after pressing was in pristine condition and showed mouthwatering natural acidity. Now that the wines have finished fermentation they have retained all of the grapes freshness and delicate flavour of the juice. Our hard work and careful handling have produced great reward and I’m super excited about my new creations.

Red wine growing also presented its challenges and to be honest shiraz is probably not as exciting as the previous three vintages but there’s plenty of great material for my 5452 blend. Unexpectedly, given the vintage conditions, I also picked some deliciously spicy monastrell which will also be an exciting component.

Harvested early in the season a real highlight is my Bastian Vineyard tempranillo showing lots of vibrant fruit for rosa and savoury concentration for 5452. Keep an eye out for a new wine baby of mine which will be released later in the year - an unoaked tempranillo. Hasta luego amigos.

So in celebration of red winemaking, Winter and all things warm and comforting, I’m offering my mailing list wine family members a special six pack to enjoy in front of the fire.

winter by KT is a special six pack
2009 current release reds
5452 by KT x 4 bottles Churinga Shiraz + Churinga Cabernet $160.00 + delivery

Thanks everyone for your support. Maybe I’ll see you all out pruning...?
Cheers, KT xx
PS - my new website is not far away.. & I mean it this time!


Welcome to eKT
There’s something very special about the start of a new vintage. It’s almost a bit like a first date really. You’re filled with butterflies, full of anticipation and trying to gather some sort of poise whilst you remember how it all works! But in 2011, even before a berry will be picked, this season will be remembered for so many reasons that have nothing to do with winegrowing.

In what has been the most extraordinarily difficult of conditions for many families across the country , I have watched with admiration the strength of many and really in the scheme of things, my wine business seems less challenging. Conditions of this nature remind us that agriculture and life is indeed unpredictable and so I’m sending out lots of good vibes to all the families and growers across the country who are feeling the tough effects of the season. Regardless of your vocation. Our communities will certainly need our support this year.

I’m fortunate to be able to say that my vineyards are overall looking really strong, with the riesling in particular holding healthy canopy and clean bunches. It looks like harvest will start a little later but no doubt when the grapes are perfectly ready.

My Cotton Duck - Summer of Riesling dinner in Sydney was a great night with many wine family members (mailing list) in attendance. Thanks to the Gadd, Phillips, Cebalo, Kohn and McLeod families who supported the night. It was a real highlight to have my 2005 and 2010 melva by KT rieslings next to some of the great wines of Germany that have inspired my creative process.

After a quiet few months in bottle I’ve officially released my new 2009 reds; Churinga Vineyard Shiraz and my first ever Churinga Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - now making four wines
within my individual vineyard range. I’ve been fortunate already to have great support in the Melbourne market and so you’ll now find them on the list at places like Flower Drum, Punch Lane, The Press Club, The Court House, The Montague and Movida. Just in case you’re looking for an excuse for dinner out in Melbourne!

I’d like to say a big thanks to all of you who visited Watervale or came to my tastings over the Summer and to those who have supported the wines in restaurants around the country. I’m super chuffed to know that you’re enjoying them.

A big thanks also to Andrew Noble and Wayne and Michelle McKay up in QLD who have even influenced a sommelier or two to list the wines at their locals. You are all KT employee of the month recipients! It will be grapes a go go here shortly and so drop in and say hello - you might just be asked to pick a bunch or two, plunge a red ferment or dig out the basket press. Sounds like fun hey??!!
Here’s to a great harvest.
Cheers, KT xx
PS - my new website is not far away!