It’s the start of 2023 and the Dhall & Nash team is looking, well, let’s say… weary, a tad disoriented and maybe even… what? No Xmas party in 2022 to blow out the cerebral cobwebs?! Obviously, it’s time for some serious rest & relaxation.

Now R&R for the D&N team actually translates to Rieslings & Reds – and where better to find the pinnacle of these two varieties, than in Australia maaate! More precisely at Knappstein winery with a cheeky sneak over to Grosset in the Clare Valley, South-Eastern Australia.

Just to get everyone on flights seemed like a total mission. Mother Nature was throwing everything at us – but we managed a very fortunate window of escape between cyclones and monsoonal levels of rain, packing our bags on the Waitangi Day long weekend. Of course, we corralled some crazy fun clients with us making it feel like we’d all won the wine holiday jackpot!

Not totally plain sailing even before take-off, thanks to an ardent account manager (one with a French accent ah-hem, Francis!) decided to bring a rather exquisite wine with him to share with our Aussie mates. NZ Customs put a stop to that generous gesture, and I suspect their Friday night Customs staff drinks were taken up a few notches thanks to Francis’ oversight.

Finally aboard, off we flew across the ditch to the wine capital of Oz, Adelaide, then on a bus to the Clare Valley, to the classy digs of the Country Club just 45 minutes north of the Barossa. This scenery is quintessential Australia – think gum trees, kangaroos, vineyards, dodgy characters (that’s not just our staff!), and country pubs in abundance. Known for its rolling hills, the Clare Valley climate is cooler than other wine-growing subregions in the vast South Australian winescape, though still with mild winters and warm dry summers. However, the elevation brings cooler summer nights, which we know makes for happy grapes with perky acidity particularly in Riesling, which the Clare has become famous for.

A full and exciting day was planned for us from learning first-hand about Knappstein’s fascinating history and terroir to a wine blending session to social Lawn Bowls that seemed to end up being quite competitive! A big shout out to D&N’s ray of sunshine, Sweetha (coolest C.O.O ever!) with a keen eye and a bit more than beginner’s luck knocking out the kitty at a crucial moment.

Hats off to the innovative founder and winemaker, Tim Knappstein, means that you won’t find a bog standard recipe or a secret winemaking formula at the Knappstein winery. Each divine drop of Knappstein wine is always created with strong historical reference and profound respect for the terroir but also thanks to genius winemakers like Michael Kane.

So, when it came to the “Let’s Get Blending” Session on Day 2, we saw and tasted just how creative the D&N teams with their clients were going to be as budding winemakers. No surprises – It got competitive again with some conflicting points of view and palate interpretation on the respective calibre of their unique blends:

After all the competitive zeal shown by the teams-on-tour meant that appetites were whet and rewarded with a stupendous spread of culinary and vinous deliciousness at the evening dinner that was held in the epic Kanppstein Enterprise Cellars. Impressive!

For our last day on tour, it was out into the vineyards to see and “feel” the land, the extraordinary pieces of Clare Valley dirt that make these sites particularly unique.

Michael explained that from the very beginning, the winemaking focus at Knappstein has always remained to showcase the quality of fruit from the individual soils and climates of the Clare vineyards. For them, it’s all about respecting the individual growing sites, to create wines with identity and personality, shown through their expression of varietal and regional attributes.

Having some of the best vineyards in the region, Knappstein is dedicated to a ‘distinguished vineyards’ philosophy. With the full control of vineyard management and their long-term commitment to these sites, they have forged the company’s reputation as one of Australia’s leading premium wine brands.

After absorbing all facets of the Knappstein terroir, we were lucky to be invited to walk on the illustrious soils of Grosset. Each year D&N receives a meagre allocation of their star wine – the Grosset Polish Hill Riesling which has super-cult status and an international following. It is undoubtedly one of the finest from the New World.

For many years it has been a benchmark wine for the Clare Valley – a true yardstick from which to measure the region’s Riesling style. It is characterised by pristine purity, intensity of flavour, and phenomenal longevity. It’s a wine that could only come from this famous site and the hands of Jeffrey Grosset, unquestionably one of Australia’s greatest winemakers. How lucky were we!

And it kept getting better and better. Next stop – Knappstein’s “Wine of Provenance” Tasting. Auckland Account managers, Tori and Alienor both brilliantly described their tasting experiences:

The Aussie hospitality wasn’t going to stop – a brilliant BBQ al fresco in the middle of the vineyard made us all gasp at the majesty of the setting, the wines, and that fabulicious food.

It’s off to the airport with tummies still full, palates still pulsating, and brains a-buzzing with fantastical happy memories and profound gratitude for an unforgettable experience in the magical vinous world of Knappstein.

Summing it up with style and deep appreciation, both our Sales GM Brandon Nash and our Design guru Aimee have (almost) the last word:

As expressed by renown wine critic Huon Hooke, in true Aussie lingo: “…the over-delivering and very approachably priced Knappstein Shiraz… ‘hmmm, that’s a beaut wine!’”

And from all of us across the ditch back in NZ – hugest thanks to team Knappstein and Jeffrey Grosset for a real BEAUT weekend!

Best Irrelevant Quote of the Knappstein trip has to go to the enigmatic Colin Hodgkinson, Dhall & Nash’s King of Deliveries:

Well, I never!