THE vineyards of Coonawarra are abuzz as vintage gets under way, the busiest time of year for the district’s world-class wine sector.
Known internationally for their cabernet, Coonawarra vignerons have been busily inspecting the vines waiting for the perfect time to harvest the bright berries.
One winery is doing things a little different this year, with the introduction of a concrete egg fermenter.
The egg is relatively new in modern winemaking and is believed to be the only one of its kind in Coonawarra.
Housed at Penley Estate, the unusual invention will be part of vintage 2019 at the winery.
Penley Estate winemaker Lauren Hansen said the new addition was about trying something a little different at the
label.
“Penley is moving into more contemporary and modern expressions of wine, so the egg will be part of seeing what different techniques we can utilise,” she said.
“We are continually trying to push the boundaries of what is ‘normal’ here and it will be exciting to see what we can come up with.
“It is just about doing things a bit differently.”
Ms Hansen said she hoped to put two batches through the egg to create experimental drops.
As it only has a capacity of around one-and-a-half tonne, the egg is the perfect size for small batch wines.
“Every year we release a couple of project once-off wines that are just a bit of experiment on our part,” Ms Hansen said.
“The egg is the perfect size for these kinds of wines, we do not want to go all out and put all of our fruit through an experimental method but we definitely want to see how it goes.
“I think we plan on putting through some shiraz and some cabernet so hopefully they can be enjoyed by this time next year.”
The egg shape has been used for many years in European wineries but has only been present in Australian winemaking for around five years.
The concrete is said to create the perfect environment for the fermentation process with the thick walls regulating temperature inside the egg and creating a natural convection.
“We are hoping we will not have to use any cooling methods on the egg as it should be able to do it itself,” Ms Hansen
said.
“The egg shape is also supposed to make a big difference so that will be interesting to see.
“Obviously it is all trial and error so we’re just waiting to see how things turn out, but our fingers
are crossed for a great outcome.”
