St Maur December 2022 Christmas Update

Welcome to our St Maur newsletter for December 2022. In this newsletter:

• • • • • • • • December 2022 Christmas Update

• • • • • • • • St Maur – Supporting the 4K, Supporting Our Local Community
                

• • • • • • • • Some Great Customer Feedback

• • • • • • • • In the Vineyard

• • • • • • • • What to Drink At Your Christmas or Holiday Table

• • • • • • • • Holiday Trading and Cellar Door Hours

December 2022 Christmas Update        

Can you believe it’s December and almost Christmas again? I’m here wondering where the year went and how fast it passed, and I’m hopeful for an improving year ahead. I will come back to that at the end though.

Thanks to our members and their guests that attended recent events in October 2022 where we introduced our Mara Limited Release 2018 Pinot Noir and celebrated the Bud Burst of the 2023 vintage.

It was great to see so many members turn out for the events and our Limited Release Mara received so well by all that attended. We have prepared a video of how Mara came to being and for those that are interested, I share the link to the video below. Definitely worth a few minutes to watch.

Many of you will know that I love our member events, and more specifically our Members’ Lunches, where we get to sit at the shared table in a group of twenty, and I get to know those attending a little better.

However, I have also come to enjoy our larger more informal events in the courtyard with canapes and finger foods, (and our St Maur Wines). This got me to thinking that going forward it would be great to host more of these as well as our popular Members’ Lunches.

With more informal events planned, we will take delivery of a new woodfired pizza oven in February 2023, to serve our members. We will keep you advised of its arrival and look forward to inviting members to sample the delicious woodfired pizza it will produce.

Can I also say we appreciate the patience of our members as we are rebuilding our staff and roster. It continues to be an incredibly tough market to find quality staff in, but we are hopeful that we will back in the New Year with key positions filled.

For the moment, I leave you to enjoy the rest of the newsletter…

St Maur – Supporting the 4K, Supporting Our Local Community

Over the years St Maur has been a major supporter of many local community groups and charities, and one renowned local charity we continue to support is the 4K.

The 4K started life as the Kollege of Knowledge Kommittee for Kids (KKKK) in 1989 by a group of seven locals who used to gather at the Bowral Hotel on a regular basis. These pioneers of the charity decided to do something special for the disadvantaged and disabled kids in the local area, and so the charity was born.

The work of the 4K has benefited large portions of the community in the Wingecarribee Shire, over its 33 years of operation. The 4K have assisted numerous organisations, schools, individuals, and families and the 4K has also founded and continues to fund a number of impactful community programs for young people.

Over the years, St Maur has been a major sponsor of the 4k and at their recent 32^nd Annual Gentleman’s Lunch, held at Mittagong RSL in November 2022, the 4K raised over $130,000 to “do special deeds for kids in need” in the Wingecarribee Shire. St Maur attended and supported the event helping them achieve this great result. We encourage all our members and followers to support local charities and initiatives, as we continue with our support. And well done the 4K.

Some Great Customer Feedback

Recently, one of our customers (Chris) took the time to provide some feedback on a St Maur wine they had enjoyed. It was great to hear from them – here’s what they wrote to tell us:

“Today I decanted your Lot 41 Pinot Noir from 2010. In my opinion it is the most fantastic Pinot I have ever tasted, well superior to Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and even some Burgundy that I have tasted in the region in France. A fantastic wine and one of Nerio’s finest. I bet you have none of this left…. 10 stars!”

I have to admit, we don’t have any Lot 41 2010 Pinot Noir left to buy – a few museum stock bottles perhaps. We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed our wine Chris and that it’s held up to extended cellaring so well. We give you 10 stars for your willpower to cellar it for 10 years.

We always appreciate feedback from our customers, so if you have any thoughts you would like to share, drop us a note by email to: info@stmaurwines.com.au

In the Vineyard

After a wet start to the 2023 Vintage, that was on top of rains from the first half of 2022, the last months have seen the vineyard start to dry – thankfully. We are little behind with the maintenance of the vines, but hope to catch up over the holidays and into the New Year.

As we prepare for January and beyond, we are hopeful that we will see long days with good sunshine, to encourage the fruit to develop. Our fingers are crossed for favourable weather to continue and improve. The vines are looking promising with good quality fruit in development and the potential for a strong yield.

With the previous vintages affected greatly by smoke taint in 2020, an average to good 2021, and the soggy feet of 2022, we could turn the corner this year. If the conditions continue to be favourable and sun and rain combine at the right time, in the right ratio, we may have the best vintage in many years. Cautiously optimistic? Let’s not tempt fate – but here’s hoping. We will keep you posted.

What to Drink At Your Christmas or Holiday Table

Whether you are gathering family and friends for a formal lunch or dinner, or have your nearest and dearest around the BBQ for an outdoor informal meal, here are some food and wine pairing suggestions to enjoy with some of our St Maur wines.

Cooked or Grilled Prawns – go well with our St Maur Lot 41 2021 Pinot Gris. The granny smith apple and nashi pear notes of this medium style white are perfect with fresh cooked prawns with aioli or chargrilled prawns with parsley, garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

Poached or Oven Baked Salmon – try these with our St Maur Lot 41 2019 Chardonnay. The fuller bodied white with melon and stone fruit on the nose will pair well with the more distinctive flavour of poached or oven baked salmon.

Pasta, Salads, Roast Chicken – we think you should drink our St Maur Lot 41 2022 Pinot Noir Rosé with any meal. Pair the clean crisp palate and cherry and strawberry nose with salads or your roast chook. Or even a store bough BBQ chook with buttered fresh rolls.

Roast or Pan Seared Duck or Slow Cooked Lamb – are the perfect dishes to pair with our signature St Maur Lot 41 2019 Pinot Noir. This medium bodied wine with blackberry, plum and cherry on the nose will complement any duck or lamb you serve this year.

Roast Beef or Beef Wellington – if you are serving more traditional fare, then you can’t go past the St Maur Lot 41 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon or St Maur Shed No.2 2016 Shiraz. Both are great full bodied wines that have great palates and noses, perfect with beef.

Spiced Mustard Glazed Ham and Roast Turkey With Stuffing – these favourites pair well with a few suggestions. Try both with St Maur Lot 41 2022 Pinot Noir Rosé, the St Maur Lot 41 2019 Pinot Noir with your ham, or turkey with St Maur Lot 41 2021 Pinot Gris.

If you would like to order any wines, check below for cellar door hours or order by phone on (02) 4883 4401, by email info@stmaurwines.com.au or online at www.stmaurwines.com.au

Holiday Trading and Cellar Door Hours

If you’re looking to stock the cellar up for the festive season, St Maur’s Cellar Door will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm in December. Please note our holiday trading is as follows:

Open    – Friday 23^rd December 2022

Open    – Saturday 24^th December 2022

Closed  – Sunday 25^th December 2022 to Sunday 1^st January 2023  (no pick up or deliveries)

Open    – Monday 2nd January 2023

After these dates the Cellar Door we will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm in January unless advised otherwise.And if you cant make it to the cellar door, order by phone on (02) 4883 4401, by email info@stmaurwines.com.au or online at www.stmaurwines.com.au

In the last weeks the weather in the highlands has been true to form. We have had some good sunshine and some days close to 30 degrees. This was followed by a few brisk days (feels like 3 degrees) that had me reaching for the heavy jacket, a little rain and some very strong winds.

I can’t guess what will be thrown at us over the holidays, but I am hoping for some rain at some key points and more sunshine to bring on the fruit. Regardless of the weather, lets always find the rays of sunshine in our lives that warm our souls, especially at Christmas.

Thanks to all our members again for their ongoing support throughout the year. I hope that you all have a safe and enjoyable Christmas and holiday break, and I wish you and your families all the very best the 2023 New Year.

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo,

Marco

This post was written by St Maur Wines