Homeless Grapes Project Semillon 2019
- Textural
- Hunter Valley
The first Homeless Grapes Project started in 2015 with one little Facebook post. Jock Harvey, from Chalk Hill Wines, posted that he had a surplus block of grapes and anyone was welcome to them if they made a donation to charity. We saw an opportunity: why not make a cheeky little shiraz instead and send 100% of the profits to charity? We contacted Jock, and the rest - as they say in the biz - took loads of hard work but was totally worth it.
Profile
Three hours later, we had pickers, tractors, a winemaker, barrels, bottles and labels all lined up. The whole community came together to make the wine a reality, and the Homeless Grapes Project was born.
The Homeless Grapes Project Semillon 2019
In 2019, we’ve picked grapes and made wine in the Yarra Valley, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale and Hunter Valley - the idea being that each pick supports a local homelessness issue. All proceeds from the Hunter white will go to OzHarvest in Newcastle. OzHarvest do amazing work, collecting quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivering it directly to over 1300 charities supporting people in need across the country. They rescue over 180 tonnes of food a week, and have delivered over 100 million meals since they started in 2004! We’re stoked to be a part of such goodness.
The Partners
Though we have the absolute honour of selling the finished product, we can’t take responsibility for this vino. This is a community effort for community gain, from the winemakers doing the hard yards to our designer working on the label, to the volunteer mofos out picking grapes.
Extra special thanks go to all the makers and growers of the Hunter Valley, including Hungerford Hill, Brokenwood, Margan, David Hook and De Iuliis.
And also...
You
Yeah, you. You who jumped out of bed without much notice (hello fickle nature, we’re looking at you) and headed to a vineyard to spend some time with these homeless grapes. You who bought a case of a previous vintage and helped us do some good. You who shared that wine with friends and spread the message of Homeless Grapes. You, who upon reading this, will buy a case of this vintage and help make a difference. You, beautiful mofo, who is out there contributing to a better world.
The Wine
Tantalising, understated and evocative, like all the best Hunter Valley semillons, this is a cracking wine. You’d expect little else, with no less than five of the region’s premier wineries coming together in collaboration to make a fantastic wine for a great cause. The nose opens with the gentle perfume of lemongrass, a hint of citronella candle, and a chalky minerality. It’s clean and fresh as you could wish for. The palate is unmistakable. Mouthwatering acidity, with notes of lemon zest, talc, slatey minerality and grapefruit pith. It’s poised and elegant, restrained in spite of its youthful vibrancy. But there’s limitless promise for the future. Greatly refreshing now, it’ll be earth-shatteringly complex given time. The challenge will be trying to forget about it for a decade when you’ve got something so good staring at you every time you delve into the cellar.
We’re selling it for $25 a bottle, which is bloody good value for some delicious Hunter Valley goodness. A lot of love will go into the making of this wine, not to mention how good we’re all going to feel about being involved, as your money will be going straight to OzHarvest.
Mofo member price is always best price, 100% Happiness Guaranteed. If you find a better price to buy this wine elsewhere, contact our customer team now and we’ll beat it.
It’s cool, we get it, you want to know absolutely everything about this wine. Well here you go, go nuts.
Specs
- Region
- Hunter Valley
- Vintage
- 2019
- Cellaring
- 2022
- Preservatives
- Sulphites
- Alcohol by Vol.
- 11.5%
- Closure
- Screwcap
- Bottle Vol
- 750mL
- Blend Info
- Semillon
- Serving Temp.
- 7°C
Winemaking
Crafting
A passionate community of pickers, makers, suppliers and creatives - and you, by buying this bottle - have united towards the common goal: helping to end homelessness by turning good grapes into wine for good. All sales proceeds are donated to local charity.
Region
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Valley is one of the brightest jewels in Australia's vinous crown. Not only does the region produce some of the best Shiraz and alternative reds in the country, but it has a style of white unique in the world of wine: Hunter Semillon. This is the White Burgundy of Australia in more ways than one, and even used to be labelled as such in the early days. No other place can produce such intense, low alcohol, seemingly light Semillons that blossom with age into full-bodied, massively complex wines that can age for decades. Producers the likes of Tyrrell's and Brokenwood take Hunter to new heights, year upon year.
The rules are there ain’t no rules, but here are some foods we think will work pretty well with this wine...
Goes with
Fish and chips
Ingredients
- 5 slices wholegrain bread, crusts removed
- flour, for dusting
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
- 4 firm white fish fillets, trimmed with bones removed
- 4 medium potatoes, skin on, cut into wedges
- salt and cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup (140g) Greek yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- lemon wedges, to serve
Directions
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the bread in a food processor and process until finely crumbed. Transfer to a large plate.
- Place the flour and egg white in separate bowls. Dust the fish, one at a time, in the flour, dip into the egg white, then roll in the breadcrumbs. Place fish on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Cover and refrigerate until required.
- Meanwhile place the potato on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper and spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Toss and return to the oven until golden and cooked through.
- Combine the yoghurt, dill and parsley and refrigerate until needed.
- Place the fish on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and place in the oven with the wedges. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork in the thickest part. Serve immediately with the yoghurt dip and lemon wedges.