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!

Welcome to eKT
Summer has arrived (although it doesn’t really feel like it!) and in between bottling my new 2009 reds - Churinga Vineyard Shiraz and my first ever Churinga Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - I’m preparing for vintage 2011.

If I’m totally honest, I’m really preparing for soaking up some rays on a beach somewhere before the harvest begins... but that’s a different preparation of sorts really!

The wet Spring we’ve enjoyed here in Watervale has meant that the vines have a lovely lush, healthy canopy and so fingers crossed Mother Nature will be kind to us for the rest of the growing season. With such a great framework in place, vintage 2011 looks like it could be a cracker. I’m really excited about now having eight different wines in my portfolio and the opportunity to be working with three fabulous vineyards and their custodians - Peglidis, Churinga and Bastian.

In celebration folks...
... of festive bibbing, for those of you looking for some fun bottles on the table for Christmas day - I’m offering a special 6 pack to fill your stockings!

christmas by KT is a special six pack
rizza by KT x 4 bottles + rosa by KT x 2 bottles

christmas by KT is a special six pack $111.00 + delivery.
For those keen for two of the special six packs
$222.00 including free delivery before the 17/12/2010

Over the festive season I’ll be catching up with all the people who’ve been my love and support, celebrating what’s been a wonderful year for wines by KT. Another year that’s made me think differently. Another vintage that’s produced weather conditions that have challenged me to create my wines in a way that best reflects the season and vineyard. I’ve learned so much and these nurtured new wine babies now have new labels as part of the creation too!

It’s been wonderful to meet all the friendly faces coming to see me at Morella in Watervale - you ‘re always welcome.. and to everyone who’s contacted me from around Australia - never underestimate how important it is for me to hear from you. I love the feedback!
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 ripper vintage 2011!
KT xxx

Welcome to eKT

It’s been blooming Riesling here in Watervale for the last few weeks and with the welcome Spring sunshine comes the release of my new single vineyard Watervale Rieslings - Peglidis and Churinga.

Two places I love for wine growing.

I’m so excited to be celebrating these great patches of dirt with my wonderful grapegrowers Bunny and Yvonne Peglidis, as well as Dean and Heather Kyros from Churinga. New Churinga vineyard manager Leon Schram is also a welcome addition to the winegrowing team. My new labels represent a new start for wines by KT, with a focus on the special part of the world they are from. I’ve included navigational coordinates on the labels so you can plug them into Google Earth and be taken directly to where my grapes spend their time. So close - but I know you’ll be able to taste the difference.

Peglidis Vineyard – 33o56'36''S 138o38'09''E – was first planted to riesling in 1973. The vines are planted on chocolate-brown loam over limestone and are dry-grown. They are 450m abs and enjoy an easterly aspect.

Churinga Vineyard – 33o56'05''S 138o38'39''E – was first planted to riesling in 1954. The vines are planted on red loam mixed with slate and are dry grown. They are 457m abs and enjoy an easterly aspect.

I’m also here to tell you about another couple of new wine babies!
2010 Melva by KT - is my riesling inspired by more of a European style. Sourced from the Peglidis Vineyard and wild fermented in older French oak barrels, I’m attempting to create a wine with more slipperiness and texture. I’m sure Melva by KT makes your hips sway!

Now when it comes to red wine, for those of you who’ve been waiting patiently, 2009 5452 by KT has also been recently released and is my tempranillo, shiraz and grenache blend. The tempranillo is grown by some other great grapegrowing friends, John and Anne Bastian, from their Bastian vineyard in the Leasingham district. This is also the vineyard used to create my Rosa by KT.

The shiraz and grenache blended in 5452 by KT are both sourced from Churinga vineyard and the blend
shows brooding, swarthy dark fruit flavours with a skeleton of fine grained tannin holding them all together.

I hope you can come up to Watervale one day and taste them with me.
Look forward to seeing you soon and thanks so much for supporting me and my wines. Cheers, KT x