Wine News – with Anne Dawson

After nearly five years as Palandri’s chief winemaker Tony Carapetis has left the Margaret River winery.

At this stage Palandri are not looking to recruit another chief winemaker.

Current senior winemaker Sarah Siddons has taken the reins in the winemaking department.

Mr Carapetis says the decision to leave Palandri is based around spending more time with his family.

“I came back from holidays and realised it was time to think about the future, I want to spend more time with my kids,” he says.

“At this stage I’m taking a short break, but I’ll be staying in the Margaret River region, this is where my home and family is based.”

Mr Carapetis says he has been speaking to a few people in the industry about options for the future but a decision about where he will go is yet to be made.

“I’m waiting for the right opportunities to develop, but I’d certainly like to go back to a winemaking job full-time,” he says.

“I feel I left Palandri in a comfortable position, and I’m happy with what I was able to achieve there.

 “They have a good base to work from.”

• • •

Oranje Tractor Wines winemaker Pam Lincoln and Great Southern culinary expert Debra Hartmann will travel to France in October following a win at the annual Vin de Champagne Awards held in Sydney recently.

Hailing from Albany, the two women competed as the Western Australian contingent in the professional and non-professional divisions of the event.

The prize, an ‘educational’ tour of France, was awarded in acknowledgement of a high level of knowledge about the production of champagne.

• • •

Ferngrove Vineyard Estate has continued its run of awards success, taking the trophy for the Best Western Australian Dry Red Table Wine at the 2004 Royal Perth Wine Show for its 2003 Majestic Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ferngrove winemaker Kim Horton says he is proud to be carrying the crown for the best red in WA, and for the Frankland River region to get one up on its Margaret River neighbours.

Keep an eye out for this one – limited quantities are due to hit shelves early 2005.