By Sam Wendt
Once in a while, a product comes along that really grabs your attention. Just recently that happened to me.
Having been involved in all facets of the wine industry for many years, finding an inspiring and exceptional wine doesn’t happen every day.
But last month I came across ‘Rieslingfreak – Reverence of Riesling’.
If you’ve never tried a Riesling or if you’re just after something a little different and more exciting than an SSB, you have to try this wine.
The delightfully named Rieslingfreak has been given its title by a man who’s passion for this grape variety knows no bounds – hence the freak!
With a combination of traditional and new world winemaking methods, John Hughes has created exceptional wines targeting not only the Riesling ‘freaks’, but lovers of wines in general.
Recently John shot to fame on the smash hit show ‘Masterchef’, where he made the top 50 amateur cooks in the country. The striking difference between John and his masterchef competitors was that they matched their wines to their food, whereas John matched his food to his wines.
When John writes a menu, he chooses his wines first, and then decides what will go best with them. This interesting take on food and wine pairing make the wine the ‘hero’ of the dish. And that’s what John is all about – seriously good wine.
John grew up in a family vineyard from where Australia’s finest Rieslings hail – South Australia’s Clare Valley. His father before him was dedicated to producing quality aged Reislings, so John has been exposed over time to some exceptional drops, which gave him the appreciation of this revered grape.
Creating a top Australian wine requires passion and a dedication to excellence that can only be found in someone who has a lifelong dream to strive for the ‘perfect’ wine. John has found a niche that he loves, and he’s sticking to it.
Rieslingfreak No.3 to me is such a refreshing, beautiful wine, with wonderful citrus tones and an exquisitely dry finish that has you craving another sip. It has a complexity that has the palate asking questions, which is exactly how a great wine should be.
Recent reviews prove that Rieslingfreak will be the coolest Riesling on Australian shelves this summer, and yes, I confess, I now prefer it over SSB! Enjoy…..
Check out the Rieslingfreak tasting notes.
