Happs Margaret River

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In this Issue

Winter Wine Adventure
Three Hills Update
Cellar Notes
Vintage Report
Coming Events
Staff Profile - Leonie Ladhams
News from the Pottery

Welcome ...

Welcome to Happs Winter 2005 newsletter. To help us make your newsletter as interesting and useful as possible please let us know what kinds of information and stories you would like to see in future issues. For example; the value of preservative free wines, which red to pull from the cellar this year and next, our slant on the cork versus screw-cap issue, an unbiased opinion on which of our competitors wines is looking just great and so on. Click here to send your feedback, we want to hear from you.

Erl's Snippet

Greetings,

Ros and I spent all of June traversing China. Jacquie Happs mother Jane Cummins, proprietor of the luxurious B and B 'Martin Fields' was born and educated in Shanghai, speaks several dialects and was indispensable at every turn, purchasing food, negotiating transport or closing a deal.

China is an exciting place, rapidly catching up with the Western World. We found the people very friendly, very efficient, very curious and eager to practice their English. Outside the bustling coastal cities the Australian dollar goes six times as far as it does at home. The food is great. Practice your chopstick technique and feel at home. When in Rome etc.

We were fascinated with China's traditional arts, weaving, paper cutting, calligraphy, carving and painting. Tradition is strong. The civilization is ancient yet yearning for modernisation and improvement via the adoption of Western technology. Giant strides are being taken in road and railway construction. Air traffic is intense, the planes always full and fares are low. Even in smaller underdeveloped cities like Changsha in Hunan Province a plane with four hundred people aboard takes off every five minutes. China's influence on the world in the next 50 years will be immense. The giant is awakening.

Erl Happ
Vigneron and Winemaker, Happs Margaret River
erl@happs.com.au

	Winter Wine Adventure As the vines shed their leaves and Winter sets in our thoughts turn to a crackling fire and a glass of red. From our Three Hills range we suggest the Malbec 2001, Cabernet Franc 2001 Grenache 2002 and the Nebbiolo 2001. From the Happs range we would add the Merlot 2001, Cabernets 2001, Cabernet Merlot 2002, Shiraz 2002, and the Tintanello 2002. The Happs Pinot 2002 is, we humbly suggest, the best Pinot Noir ever to emerge from Margaret River taking out the top medal in the 'Blends and others class', albeit a silver, at the 2004 Margaret River wine show and an equal top silver at Mount Barker. Our PF Red is, you may be surprised to discover, our single most popular red wine. A bottle of each of these (11 in total) will cost just $251 delivered. To sweeten the deal and fill the case we add a complimentary bottle of Very Special Old Muscat. For this dozen telephone +61 8 9755 3300 now or email sales@happs.com.au. This offer is EXCLUSIVE to our newsletter customers only. If you want to make your own choice go to: Secure Order Online or Download Order Form
	Three Hills Update There really is Gold in them thar Hills! We are pleased to report excellent reviews and some stunning show results for the following: New Releases from Australia- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 2002 Three Hills Shiraz Margaret River 91 ($55) Deep, saturated ruby. Flashy oak spice from the get-go, with aromas of licorice, ripe blackberry, espresso, olive tapenade and peat. Fat and rich on the palate, showing lush, smoky flavors of berry, dark chocolate, tarry oak and clove, with a suggestion of exotic blood orange. Very ripe and concentrated shiraz, finishing powerful but also well focused - Epicurean Wines, Seattle WA. Three Hills Shiraz '02 - Alex Hudak This wine has a dense purple colour and a tightly packed, concentrated nose of black fruits, regional mint, spicy plum pudding and some earthy notes. The palate is quite lush and velvety, yet not overly heavy. The persistent berry flavour is richly concentrated, with a layered smooth texture and fine integrated tannins all cloaked in subtlety used oak. West Coast Magazine SHIRAZAMATAZZ - January "Gold winner at this year's Sheraton, this is absolutely perfect. Big, gutsy intense and concentrated with a silky mouthfeel and lovely pepper and spices and soft sweet fruit. Bravo!" Given the top five glass rating, the best, regardless of price. A wine to seek out for its excellence in fruit quality and winemaking skill. The Panel: Paul Murray, Rod Properjohn, Paul Conti and Ron Spencer. Three Hills Charles Andreas '02 - Alex Hudak This has started to evolve bottle-aged complexity, giving it some Bordeaux like traits that will please those with a taste for the classic wine style. The bouquet has touches of mint, mulberry, plums, earth, black olives and undertones of cedary oak. The flavours are all still primary, rich plum and black berries, a cabernet backbone gives the wine power of fruit, its full bodied, long flavoured with fine tannins. Gold Medal Winner of this year's Qantas wine show at Mt Barker and trophy for the Best Cabernet Sauvignon in Show. Three Hills Charles Andreas 2002 Winestate Magazine has awarded the 2002 vintage of Charles Andreas equal top in the National Cabernet and Blends tasting results. This is a five star rating and details will appear in September/October issue of Winestate Magazine. top
	Cellar Notes From Leonie Ladhams Winter in the cellar is always a time of preparation. As the summer crowds dwindle slightly we take the time to unpack our winter woolies; warm jackets, fleecy jumpers and fortified wines to keep the chills at bay. Recently released and available for those long winter nights are our Garnet and Very Special Old Muscat. For those of you who are familiar with these favourites, no more need be said, for those who are not, think rose petals and brandy. Late Picked Semillon has also been welcomed to our wine list, replacing Anne Coralie as our sweet Semillon. With the southern winter upon us, lots of rain and thunder storms brewing, now's the perfect time to venture down south. Gaze across the green hills, see the vines sleeping and take advantage of the quiet curled up with a book and enjoying a glass of your favourite Happs wine ... look forward to your next visit. top
	Vintage Report From Erl Happ The Vintage of the Decade that turned into the Vintage from Hell We are all told that the climate is getting warmer and there will be hell to pay. Since 1997 I have been electronically recording temperatures on the hour. I believe that temperatures higher than about 22C erode grape flavour. So a temperature of 28C counts as 6. These figures are added to get a statistic I call degree hours. You can think of it as a measure of heat work applied to the ripening fruit. Ripening fruit does not need heat. It needs cold. The diagram above tells the story for recent vintages in Karridale. In 2005 we had the coolest February on record. There was one warmish day on the 15th when the temperature rose to 33C. The early varieties that came in prior to the middle of March came in with excellent flavour. That includes Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Verdelho, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscat a petit grains. I started thinking about the 'vintage of the decade' because of the magnificent flavours. In mid to late March it got hot. On the 23d the thermometer hit 38C. This is bad for flavour and bad for fruit condition. Let's keep it in context however. Anything less than 550 degree hours in March is tolerable and quite consistent with the production of top flight wines. March exceeded the limit at about 640 hours, not as warm as in 2003 but still pretty warm. Looking elsewhere the north of Margaret River can experience 1000 degree hours over 22C and the Swan over 2000 degree hours greater than 22C. What we did not realise at the time was that the skins on the berries that took the afternoon sun on the 23d were critically damaged. That gives an entree for Botrytis which is always present in the vineyard ready to pounce. The situation is not disastrous unless we get rain, morning dews, high humidity, still air and consistent warm temperatures above 20C to promote the growth of the fungus. It loves moderate warmth and plenty of moisture. On the 31st of March it started to rain and it kept going steadily for three days while we accumulated 67 mls. All the reds with the exception of the Pinot Noir were still out there. However, it was cold during the rain and for several days afterwards. By the 5th April midday temperatures were up above 20C. A further 9ml of rain fell on the 9th April and it became obvious that it would be a race between the botrytis and the pickers. 'The Vintage of the Decade' turned into the 'Vintage from Hell'. What saved us: Our open canopies that enabled the fruit to dry off soon after rain. Others lost everything. We lost a little. Thirty five hard working pickers including some from Dunsborough who made the 1 hour drive to Karridale and back each day. Our dedicated permanent crew led by Andrew Drayton who worked long hours picking, moving the fruit out of the vineyard, weighing it and getting it onto the truck. Then they would remove the nets as the sun went down for the next days pick. Picking 18 tons each day is a huge effort. The cool cloudy weather helped us to work long hours. Vasse Transport who got their semi to us each day. Our winery crew Mark, Erl, Richard and Bill that crushed late into the night. The verdict: The reds are light bodied but appear to be aromatic, elegant and refined. There is very little green flavour. There is no evidence of spoilage. There is plenty of acid and we are waiting for the malolactic to soften them. Then, it will be time to take stock. The whites look excellent. top
	Coming Events Big Night on the Bay - Saturday August 6th 7.30pm - 1.30am Big Night on the Bay is an event initiated and organised by Myles and Jacquie for the first time in 2003. It is now one of the highlights of the southwest social calendar. This year's entertainment features Busselton's Sweet Adeline group and pulls through with the hip swinging, toe tapping Stevedores Jazz band. There will be a few surprises. Dress is nothing short of 'glamorous'. Local wineries donate wine that is available $15 per bottle for white and $20 for red. The wine list includes Amberley, Clairault, Vasse Felix, Deep Woods, Rivendell, AbbeyVale, Palandri, Forester Estate and Happs. There is plenty of sparkling too. The celebration assists community fund raising. A commission is given to community groups and schools for selling the tickets. Other community groups provide support and service for the event in return for a donation. The business community is extremely supportive with truck and toilet hire, accommodation for the band and more. Ticket price of $55 includes sparkling wine on arrival, a souvenir glass, and gourmet morsels supplied by local cafes and restaurants headed by Rhys Passmore from the Goose. For further information email jacquie@happs.com.au or call 041 222 1117 top
	Capes Long Lunch - Sunday August 28th What better way to spend a wintry Sunday afternoon than wining and dining your way around five of the best wineries in the northern part of the Margaret River Wine Region? Relax and enjoy a glass of wine at five wineries with an extra glass at your favourite, try two taste plates and a dessert from a sumptuous menu , all at a pace of your own, and without having to drive! The Capes Long Lunch features taste plates from Lamonts, Amberley Estate, and Wills Domain, with complimentary nibbles from Deep Woods Estate and Happs. Happs will be serving delicious Thai Pumpkin Soup with coriander pesto served in our own pottery ramekins throughout the day. This dish is perfect with our acclaimed Dry Verdelho or delicious Chardonnay. Your $90 ticket includes collection at points from Busselton to Dunsborough & Yallingup and on the circuit between the wineries, souvenir glass, six glasses of wine, two taste plates nibbles and soup and delicious dessert. A Skippers Ticket is available for $79 and includes two glasses of wine, two taste plates, dessert, souvenir glass and bus transport. Weekend packages are available at Quay West Resort Bunker Bay. For more information and bookings, please call Jacquie 041 222 1117 or email jacquie@happs.com.au for booking form. top
	Staff Profile - Leonie Ladhams Role: Happs Cellar Door Manager Everyone who has visited our Cellar Door over the past 2 years would have probably had the pleasure of being greeted by Leonie and has since experienced her warm personality, wicked sense of humour and easy conversation. We are delighted that Leonie has come to us with her extensive knowledge of both wines and the local wine industry. She has been working in the Margaret River wine region for over 20 years starting out with Mike Peterkin at Pierro, she cut her wine teeth on Pierro Chardonnay and honed her palate over the ensuing years in Sydney and Perth as a wine rep. Many people may have spotted her as the wine and cheese matching expert as facilitator of TMG's Wine Lovers classes at Flutes and the Margaret River Hotel. What you may not know about our "Loney" is she is a student of human behaviour, currently undertaking a course of study in Neuro Linguistics. "Understanding what makes people tick, what inspires them, how they feel is all important to creating an inviting and comfortable environment." You may have noticed that in our Cellar Door, customers are encouraged to stay, explore the range of wines and other attractions at their leisure, and take time out for a chat. Leonie is happy to talk about the wine of course, and her extensive knowledge and palate often finds her matching it with the buffs. But don't be surprised if you find yourself chatting about the children, your visit to a dream therapist or the meaning of life itself before you head out the door, case of Cabernet Merlot tucked under the arm. Astrological Star Sign: Aries Pisceas cusp Chinese sign: Goat top
	News from the Pottery Potting Around It has been a pretty busy time at Happs Pottery since January. The big break through has been the exciting new "Bunker Bay" green glaze on the shelves at the moment and disappearing just as quickly! Some of the shapes you'll find are one and two litre jugs, two section dip plates, oven dishes and trays. We will definitely be growing the range over time! The Bunker Bay glaze has been a work in progress for nearly two years. On and off over that time, Myles Happ and David Thomson have been testing various glaze recipes and have found one that fits our kilns. While potters freely trade and swap glaze recipes, they do so comfortable in the knowledge that it may well not work in the receivers' kiln! Definitely more not than will. It is up to the receiving potter to tweak the recipe by a little adding here and subtracting there - testing it and then voila! You have something that may work consistently in your kiln! As visitors to Happs know, we often show guests through to the studio to explain how our glazes are applied. The application of a glaze is one of the things that sets us apart from other production studios and this new glaze has been a long but very satisfying process. Some recipes are easier to come by, and one of these happens to be a new glaze we have called Sunset. It's a fantastic red and jacaranda combination. Check it out next time you come down. This winter Happs Pottery is joined by the delightful Alison Brown, who moved to Dunsborough last year. While she continues to set up her own studio, we very much look forward to her anticipated contribution with a unique range of tea-pots! David it very excited about some new shapes like good sized oil pourers with great clay decorations on the sides, and his large square presentation bowls are moving very quickly - because aside from being a good size for a substantial fruit bowl, they are beautiful table centrepieces. Perfect wedding presents to sit on a lovely jarrah table. Kim has some huge casserole pots in the bisque currently. If you are visiting over the next few months take one home for a winter casserole! And Myles is busying glazing currently, with a real concentration of jugs. He's pretty excited about an impending trip to New Zealand to check out some potteries on the North Island. Don't forget to pick up your free copy of the Margaret River Artisan Map when you come down! top