Katie Spain: Tiny wine tastings to try at home
The way we taste wine is changing. This South Australian brand is thinking outside the box to bring tastings to your door.
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You’ve got to hand it to Alice. She charged toward the unknown, followed a white rabbit to Wonderland, and drank from a bottle labelled “drink me” without hesitation. Oh, the thrills that unfolded. What a bold little loner.
We could do with a bit of Alice In Wonderland chutzpah right now.
These are uncertain, isolated times and the way we live, communicate and interact is changing. The way we consume wine is, too. It has to.
The closure of cellar doors across the state means we can no longer roll up and sip the good stuff. In these COVID-19 times, creativity is key – especially for
wine brands.
Cue Jericho Family Wines, who have produced a Tasting Pack for socially isolated times. The box of diminutive 100ml bottles provides housebound consumers with a wine tasting experience – delivered to their doorstep.
It’s a great idea from the lovely little brand which launched in 2013.
Winemaker and viticulturist Neil and his wife Kaye run the business with their children Sally (marketing), Andrew (winemaker and viticulturist) and Kim (a graphic design whiz).
“This is a way to bring connection back,” Kim says. “We want to bring a little bit of normalcy to people’s lives.”
The concept is simple. The wine pack (including Jericho’s 2018 Adelaide Hills Fumé Blanc, 2019 Adelaide Hills Fiano, 2019 Adelaide Hills Tempranillo, 2019 McLaren Vale GSM, 2017 McLaren Vale ‘S3’ Shiraz and 2013 McLaren Vale Single Vineyard Shiraz) are ordered online and sent out with accompanying tasting notes.
The 100ml portions fill a glass for one (or smaller tastings for two) and the Jericho family has made videos to accompany each one.
It’s a great chance to try the otherwise difficult to find back vintage Jericho 2013 McLaren Vale Single Vineyard Shiraz ($50) which snagged the Best Shiraz trophy at the 2014 McLaren Vale Wine Show (for the $25 to $50 price range). I’m particularly partial to the seductive Jericho 2018 Adelaide Hills Fumé Blanc ($27).
The tasting box is a great way to sample before you commit to the full blown bottle experience. At $25 a pack (including delivery across South Australia), it’s great value for money. For anyone ordering from interstate, a $5 shipping fee applies.
“We’ve tried to keep the price for this as low as we can,” Kim says. “Around the price of a bottle of our wine.”
The sample packs can be purchased online or at independent bottle shops and wine merchants. Bravo to forward thinkers.