Spring, Uncorked at Market Wine Store
John Caruso learns that spring is wine’s fence-sitting season, too warm for heavy reds and not quite ready for full rosé mode. Here’s three bottles worth clearing fridge space for.
Ask ten people what to drink in spring and you’ll get eleven answers. It’s the awkward middle child of the wine calendar – the whites feel right, the reds haven’t quite left the building, and everyone’s suddenly claiming they’ve always loved Rosé. Caught between the last of the Shiraz and the first backyard barbecue, most people just give up and grab whatever’s on special, or worse, whatever’s already open.
Damien Ringrose, Beverage Manager for the Tony Kelly Restaurant Group and the man behind Market Wine Store’s two shops at Bokarina and Maroochydore, would rather you didn’t. The business has grown fast over the past few years, but the thinking behind it hasn’t shifted an inch: there should always be something worth discovering on the shelves and buying it should never feel intimidating or overly serious.
“People are becoming much more adventurous with wine,” Damien says. “They’re increasingly happy to move away from the varieties they’ve always drunk and try something different.”
The two stores split the difference nicely. Annie runs the outpost in central Maroochydore next to Market Bistro; and Rich took over Bokarina earlier this year, a few hundred metres from the sand and next to the group’s Bocca and Playa where the dress code runs to board shorts as often as loafers.
Between the two teams, Damien counts more than a century of combined hospitality experience – a figure that sounds like marketing spin until you meet the people who make it up.
Then there’s Michael, the in-house concierge and fine wine hunter, whose entire job is tracking down the bottles nobody else can find – a rare Burgundy, a producer with three cases and a long waiting list, that sort of thing. He’s a story on his own, and one most customers end up talking to far longer than they planned. That team shows up hardest at the various tastings and events, which Damien insists on keeping relaxed.
“We try to keep them entertaining rather than making them feel like a wine lecture,” Damien says.
The brief is simple: put great bottles on the table, give people access to producers they wouldn’t normally stumble across, and have a decent night in the process.
Nobody’s grading anyone on their palate. Ask Damien what’s worth opening this spring and the list arrives fast: Riesling, Fiano, good Rosé, lighter Pinot Noir and Gamay, plenty of Champagne and sparkling, and the odd small-allocation Burgundy or grower Champagne, if you know who to ask. From that list, Damien’s narrowed it down to three he’d put money on: First is Ayala Champagne, the bottle Damien reaches for when there’s no reason to celebrate beyond friends turning up on a sunny afternoon.
“It’s fresh, energetic, and ridiculously easy to drink, while still feeling special,” Damien says. Champagne, in other words, doesn’t need an excuse – just good company, a couple of glasses that fit in the freezer for ten minutes, and
a fridge cold enough to keep up with demand once word gets around.
Second is Henschke Riesling, which Damien calls close to the perfect spring wine, and it’s easy to see why once the humidity starts creeping back up.
“Bright, refreshing, and incredibly versatile,” Damien says. “It’s the sort of bottle you can open with seafood, snacks, or cheese and suddenly realise it’s disappeared.”
Third is the Mee Godard Beaujolais, a Gamay Damien pours once the weather turns and the barbecue shifts from weekend duty to nightly work.
“Give it a slight chill, put some food on the grill and you’ve got one of the easiest and most enjoyable red wines to drink with friends,” Damien says. “It’s built for backyards, not white tablecloths – no fuss, no decanting required, just a slight chill and good company.”
The spring calendar is stacked with wine events at one of the Tony Kelly Restaurant Group’s venues with the winemaker headlining as special guests, weekly tastings and more. Spots move fast, and the good ones tend to fill before the invitations officially go out.
Whichever way you take it – bubbles on the deck, Riesling with the fish, Gamay off the barbecue – nobody’s arguing once the first glass is poured. Damien’s happy to keep the debate running every weekend at both stores and won’t mind in the slightest if you turn up with a different opinion to his.
“Whatever your budget, our goal is to find you the best possible wine at the best possible price,” Damien says.
Both Market Wine Stores are open seven days with free delivery on orders over $150 from Nambour to Caloundra.
DON’T MISS
Don’t miss these great events:
Chablis Masterclass at both Market Wine Stores, 23 + 24 September.
Yarra Yering Dinner with Winemaker Sarah Crowe at Market Bistro, Maroochydore, 8 October.
Chalmers Lunch with Tennille Chalmers at Spero Greek, Mooloolaba, 15 October.
Dom Pérignon 2018 Vintage Launch black-tie dinner at Market Bistro, Maroochydore, 18 November.
Weekly Tastings in-store.
Free delivery from Nambour to Caloundra on orders over $150.
Visit www.marketwinestore.com.au to sign up to the enewsletter, shop online or for tickets.
