Another good question: “We were lucky enough to be given a bottle of the Shiraz from a friend to try, and although we loved the taste, there was extremely heavy sediment in the bottom of the bottle that actually clinked the glass when dropped back in. We are concerned about the toughness and hardness of this sediment, can you advise us as to what it could be and if this is common, before we consider buying some wine ourselves. And this did detract from our full enjoyment of an otherwise tasteful wine. Thank you for your time with this matter”
Answer: “Tartrate crystals, also known as wine diamonds, potassium bitartrate crystals, or cream of tartar, occur naturally in wines that are high in tartaric acid, which is the sign of a quality grape. Tartaric acid is the primary acid found in grapes, just as citric acid is found in oranges, lemons and other citrus. In wine, the tartaric acid binds with natural potassium, forming potassium bitartrate. The crystals precipitate either to the bottom of the fermentation vat, adhere to the inside staves of the oak barrel, or form in the bottle, especially if the wine is chilled. In the bottle, the crystals are usually found just under the cork or at the bottom of the bottle, depending how it has been stored or transported. Tartrate crystals do not in any way alter the taste of the wine, but they are displeasing to the eye. If tasted, they are slightly tart but not unpleasant, just like the cream of tartar you might add to beaten egg whites to form a meringue. To avoid this, gently decant the wine to separate the wine from the crystals. You will also find a general improvement in the taste of red wine when it is decanted.
Because most Australian drinkers are not familiar with wine diamonds as they are in Europe, some Aussie wines are “cold stabilised” at the winery to remove the crystals before bottling. Chilling the wine to near freezing for a period of days accelerates the formation of the crystals, which are filtered out. Apparently the drawback to this technique is that there is the potential for oxidation of the wine since chilling makes oxygen more soluble. Our philosophy is to use the most gentle winemaking techniques possible, with minimal intervention, to maximise the wine’s individuality and structure. Therefore our reds are not cold stabilised, and we sometimes find a few harmless wine diamonds in the bottle.
I hope this is a helpful answer to your question. Its a shame I didn’t explain this to you earlier, as you may have enjoyed that wine more!”

Part two of this pertinent email question - and the topic on everyone’s mind - climate change.

I dont have an axe to grind here, but as a farmer, I know that I am part of an industry that will be VERY heavily affected by both climate change and peak oil. And agriculture is also a heavy contributor to it. It is estimated that food production, distribution and preparation contribute 30% of global greenhouse emissions. However numerous studies have shown that CO2 emissions from organic farming are 40-60% lower per hectare than for conventional farming systems.
There’s so much debate in this area that I can only point out some of the factors that may contribute to this:
1. The production of artificial chemicals and fertilisers is energy intensive. It takes as much energy to produce a tonne of fertilisers as it does to produce a tone of steel. This fact was brought to my attention by a supplier of a unique alternative to artificial fertilisers - a product called “Twin N” which is a nitrogen fixing bacteria naturally occurring in the Amazon and which has been isolated and “farmed” for use on organic and biological farms - with almost no carbon footrint. The use of compost, recycled waste and non-genetically engineered biological fertilisers is central to organic farming.
2. The killing of soil life is also the burning out of soil carbon. Organic farms by definition depend on soil carbon to remain viable. If they do not conserve organic matter and slowly build the organic carbon of the soil they will not produce crops beyond the conversion period. Our soil organic matter has triple since we have been using organic farming methods ond conserving soil, thus sequestering many tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere. Our annual organic audit takes this into account to make sure we are viable and sustainable. Burning of crop residues is also still practiced in my part of Australia - but it is not permitted in organic systems.
3. The industrialisation of farming is energy intensive. Massive sheds sull of birds under lights, or feedlots where cattle are fed grain rations for up to 500 days until they are too fat and unhealthy to stand up if they fall over… This is the style of agriculture that is both inhumane, wasteful of resources, and unhealthy for animals and consumers. It is not natural for cattle to eat grain rations carted from hundreds of kilometres away - they should be out eating pasture. My own experience with feedlot manure is that it has an aweful smell and does not compost properly - and I bet that feedlotted animals also release more methane. Feedlots are not permitted in organic farming.
4. Organic food is often over-packaged and transported excessive distances by centralised supermarket distribution systems. This is a down side which can be reduce by wise consumer decisions at point of sale. Organic standards stipulate a preference for recylclable or renewable packaging, but this is not heavily enough enforced. In the UK transport is now being considered, with most airfreighted fruit and vegetables now no longer eligible for organic status.

All the above considered, we beleive that the federal governments support of more intensive, chemical dependent and genetically engineered agriculture is a step in the wrong direction for our future climate.

Email question I received: Do you have any figures on the organic industry in NSW - how big, how fast it’s growing, how much exported, farmer income, climate benefits compared to conventional?
“Starting with the size - I have information from the Biological Farmers of Australia, the largest organic certifying organisation Australia, of which we have been members for 10 years. Global organic food and drink sales are now pushing the US$40 billion mark. In Australia the market was worth A$400 million in 2006, and the area certified was a massive 12.3 million hectares - the largest in the world. There were 2567 certified organic operators in Australia in 2006, of which 1700 were certified by Australian Certified Organic.
Consumption seems to be tied to income and education - those in the know and who can afford to be “progressive consumers” are in the rich world. Over 70% of organic exports from Australia are destined to Europe (Austrade 2003), with the Asian market growing strongly. Rosnay wine is growing steadily in its main export market, Japan.
Climate benefits… that will have to be the subject of a future post… “