By Jamie Drummond

It was an early rise, with the symposium starting at around 8am at the Hastings opera house.  Despite the mild pain of having to get up at so early an hour it was quite delightful to have a light breakfast overlooking the following vista:

Morning view from The Homestead

And then it was time for me to get my serious geek on…

New Zealand Syrah Symposium – Hawkes Bay Opera House, Hastings

8.20am New Zealand Case Study and Tasting – Rod Easthope (Craggy Range)

Click below to listen:

[Audio http://goodfoodmedia.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/rob-easthope-from-craggy-range.mp3]

2008 Bilianca Syrah/Viognier

2008 Church Road “Reserve” Syrah

2008 Coopers Creek “Single Vineyard Hawkes Bay Chalk Hill” Syrah

2008 Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Syrah

2008 Mudbrick “Reserve” Syrah

2008 Te Mata Estate “Bullnose” Syrah

James Halliday

9.50am The Importance of Vine Vigour Variability to Syrah Wine Quality on the Gimblett Gravels – Dr Petra King (Eastern Institute of Technology)

10.25am Colour Dynamics and Co-Ferments – Rod Chittenden (Eastern Institute of Technology)

Click below to listen:

[Audio http://goodfoodmedia.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/rod-chittendon-on-colour-dynamics-and-co-ferments.mp3]

10.45am Australia Case Study and Tasting – Dan Buckle (Mount Langi Ghiran Wines)

Click below to listen:

[Audio http://goodfoodmedia.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dan-buckle-of-mount-langi-ghiran.mp3]

2008 Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier

2007 Shaw and Smith Shiraz

2007 Paringa Estate “Reserve” Shiraz

2004 Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz

2006 Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz

2008 Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz

11.45am Syrah and Pepper Aroma Compound – Associate Professor Markus Herderich (Australian Wine Research Insitute)

1.00pm The Rhone – Featured Speaker and Tasting – Jason Yapp (Yapp Brothers, UK)

2007 Alain Graillot Crozes Hermitage

2006 Yves Cuilleron “L’Amarybelle” St. Joseph

2005 E. Guigal “Chateau d’Ampuis” Cote Rotie

1999 Patrick Jasmin Cote Rotie

2004 Auguste, Pierre and Olivier Clape Cornas

2001 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage

2.15pm – A Sommelier’s Perspective – Evan Goldstein MS

3.00pm – World Styles – Featured Speaker and Tasting – Tim Atkin MW

2007 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah Franschhoek South Africa

2006 Collezione de Marchi Syrah Toscana Italy

2007 Craggy Range “Le Sol” Syrah Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay NZ

2007 Finca Sandoval Manchuela Spain

2006 Gramercy Cellars “John Lewis” Walla Walla Valley Syrah

3008 Man O’ War “Dreadnought” Syrah Waiheke Island NZ

2007 Matetic Vineyards “EQ”San Antonio Chile

2006 Quinta do Monte d’Oiro “Reserva” Estramadura Portugal

2007 Saintsbury “Rodger’s Creek” Syrah Carneros California

2004 Yarden “Ortal Vineyard” Syrah Galilee Israel

4.40pm – Panel Discussion

A little selection of beers

Beer Tasting until the wee small hours with Associate Professor Markus Herderich (Australian Wine Research Insitute) and Dan Buckle (Mount Langi Ghiran Wines)

Dan, Curtis, Jamie and Marcus

DB Bitter Aukland (3.5%)

Monteith’s Radler Bier Aukland (5%)

Monteith’s Golden Lager Aukland (5%)

Mac’s Brewery “Hop Rocker” Pilsner Wellington (5%)

Tuatara Hefe Bottle Conditioned Reikorangi (5%)

Tuatara Ardennes Strong Golden Ale Reikorangi (6.5%)

Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… and occasionally whilst travelling he simply doesn’t have enough time to input full tasting notes. So there.