Torbreck Australian Wine Tasting

We are all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine.
Eduardo Galeano

It seems just a short time ago that Australian wines were exploding on the scene here in the US and we had a plethora of great small producers being imported by companies like Old Bridge Cellars, The Grateful Palate and Epicurian Wines.  Then the bottom dropped out of the market after the recession of 2008 and only a few brands survived here in the US market, but we are glad that Torbreck is one of them.
Torbreck got started when a lot of smaller brands began to come to the US in the mid 1990’s and there was tremendous interest in wines from the land down under at that time.  The market for these wines crashed overnight in 2008 and many of the smaller wineries from Australia fall off the map.  The high end of the market was the worst hit and very few brands survived that were in the $100+ per bottle price range.  Of course the legends like Penfolds Grange survived but only a few others and Torbreck’s Run Rig was one of them.  Fast forward 15 years and Torbreck is still turning out one 99 point score after another.  They have not only weathered the storm but Torbreck has a worldwide demand today and several of their tiny production wines have scored nearly perfect numbers from various members of the wine press.
We have hosted several events over the years with this winery with the founder David Powell, then MS Matt Lane did a stint there as GM and now we are glad to welcome Sacha Timaeus, the export director for Torbreck Winery to South Florida, we have our first visitor from the land down under in three years!
Join us as we taste through a dozen different wines from this landmark winery along with a special five course tasting menu prepared by Chef Toni Lampasone and yes all this for around the price of one bottle of the current release of Run Rig!   This event is limited to 16 people and the fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $250 per person + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

Torbreck Australian Wine Tasting with Special Guest
Export Director Sacha Timaeus
Friday, June 17th
7:30pm

2020 TORBRECK WOODCUTTERS SEMILLON BAROSSA
2019 TORBRECK SHIRAZ WOODCUTTERS BAROSSA
2017 TORBRECK JUVENILES BAROSSA
2017 TORBRECK HILLSIDE GRENACHE BAROSSA
2019 TORBRECK VINTNERS “THE STRUIE” BAROSSA EDEN VALLEY SHIRAZ
2019 TORBRECK VINTNERS “THE STRUIE” BAROSSA EDEN VALLEY SHIRAZ
2017 TORBRECK VINTNERS THE STEADING GSM BAROSSA
2018 TORBRECK THE STEADING BAROSSA
2016 TORBRECK DESCENDANT BAROSSA
2018 TORBRECK VINTNERS “THE FACTOR” SHIRAZ  BAROSSA
2018 TORBRECK SHIRAZ RUN RIG Barossa
2004 TORBRECK SHIRAZ RUN RIG BAROSSA

Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Wahoo Carpaccio with Yuzu, Candied Lemon and Lavender Aioli
Lasagna Bolognese with Bechamel Sauce
Baby Lamb Chops with Moroccan BBQ and Sweet Potato Mash
Chocolate Covered Bacon with Berries

A bit about Torbreck Winery

Torbreck Vintners was founded by David Powell in 1994. The roots go back to 1992 when David, who was then working at Rockford, began to discover and clean up a few sections of dry-grown old vines.

Near lifeless, he nurtured them back to health and was rewarded with small parcels of fruit that he made into wine. David was able to secure a contract for the supply of grapes from a run-down but ancient Shiraz vineyard.

He managed to raise enough money to share-farm the vineyard, a practice which involves paying the owner a percentage of the market rate for his grapes in return for totally managing the vineyard.

This share-farming principle has enabled Torbreck to use fruit from the very best vineyards in the Barossa Valley, which is home to some of the most precious old vines in the world.

In 1995 David crushed three tonnes of grapes and fermented them into wine in a shed on his 12-hectare Marananga property. He named his wine 'Torbreck' after a forest in Scotland where he worked as a lumberjack.

The Torbreck endeavour is based around the classic Barossa Valley varietals of Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro, and a love for the wines of France's Rhone Valley.

Torbreck doesn't only make red wines though, they have Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne planted on their winery block which they have blended to make a white wine.

In July 2002 the historic Hillside property was acquired by Torbreck. Situated in Lyndoch, it is one of the original Barossa properties. Vast and picturesque it contains some magnificent old and ancient vineyards that will further their source of premium quality fruit. The Hillside property contains a wonderful native ecosystem that supports a myriad of flora and fauna. Plans are underway to restore Hillside to it's former glory and create wines to reflect the history and significance of this grand old property.

In June 2003 at the finish of vintage, Torbreck opened their cellar-door for sales.   An original settlers hut, it has been lovingly restored and provides a personal touch and some Barossa warmth whilst you taste these incredible wines. It is open daily and the Australians as some of the most warm and welcoming of any wine country that I have vistied.

A new winery and administration facility was completed in 2008 on land acquired from a next door neighbour. This enables Tourbreck's grapes to be made into wine using the best available equipment and then bottled 'on the estate' using their own bottling line. Tourbreck now has complete control of all aspects of production that sees a new benchmark of wine quality established by this now iconic winery from the Barossa Valley.

In 2008 Torbreck Vintners was acquired by Pete Kight. Pete has wine interests in both the U.S. and Australia and is committed to ensuring the ongoing excellence of Torbreck wines. He truly believes that Torbreck's best wines are yet to come.

A bit about our Special Guest:

SACHA TIMAEUS – EXPORT MANAGER, TORBRECK
Sacha’s involvement in wine began long before he was born, when his dad invested in a bottle of Quinta  do Noval 1970 vintage Port to be laid down to enjoy together as father and son. Majoring in languages at college took him to France, Spain, Chile and Argentina where his love of wine and gastronomy were cemented (and his desired career path confirmed!). After a few years working for an esteemed wine  merchant in the U.K. he completed a Masters of Business in the wine trade at the École Supérieure de  Commerce de Dijon in France (now the Burgundy School of Business) before relocating to the Barossa  Valley in South Australia.
Totaling almost ten years in the wine trade, prior to joining Torbreck as Export Manager Sacha was managing global sales for a suite of Australian fine wineries including Kaesler and Yarra Yering. Having himself been exported (so to speak) from the Old World to the New, Sacha loves the export business.
Being able to passionately promote Torbreck on the international stage allows him to prove how Australia makes some of the best wines on the planet. At just under 2 metres (6’6”) tall he is a walking stereotype in that he does indeed play basketball.  Otherwise when not travelling you will find Sacha at his home in the Barossa cooking in the kitchen with a glass of wine or at the cinema.