Weekend Wine
Newcastle Herald
Saturday August 14, 2004
DAVID and Wizz O'Dea bought the Windowrie property at Canowindra in 1959 and grew broad-acre cereal crops there for 28 years before they noted the success of wine-grape growing in nearby Cowra.
David, who gained a degree in agriculture at Hawkesbury college, believed his land's high altitude (300 to 400 metres above sea level), good soil and excellent underground water supplies made it ideal for vines and planted his first small vineyard in 1987.Since then Windowrie has grown into a big family enterprise employing up to 75 casuals and 15 full-timers. The business involves David and Wizz and their four children, boasts a modern 6000-tonne capacity winery and 231 hectares of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, verdelho, semillon, cabernet sauvignon, grenache, cabernet franc, sangiovese, shiraz, merlot, pinot noir and petit verdot vineyard either owned or under O'Dea management.To give Windowrie a showcase in Cowra, the O'Deas bought a historic old mill in the town centre and painstakingly restored it as a cellar door, function centre, deli cafe and outlet for regional cheese, preserves and produce.I think Windowrie has made a particular success of the petit verdot grape variety. The Windowrie 2002 The Mill Petit Verdot was excellent and the current-release 2003 The Mill Petit Verdot ($13 to $15) should be almost as good with a little more bottle age.It has scents of raspberry and violets and has ripe cherry flavours overlaid with spice, spearmint and coconutty oak characters. Just the thing with steak and mushroom pie, tandoori lamb kebabs or chicken cacciatore.
© 2004 Newcastle Herald