| Permanent Link

This second cast is our first substantive podcast, on the Slow Food Movement. It was recorded before a live studio audience.*

We attended A Taste of Slow at the Abbotsford Convent (a beautiful old convent site just out of central Melbourne) in Melbourne on 11 September, where, as well as considerable amounts of spectacular local produce (and the most sensationally fresh oysters from Tasmania) there was plenty of wine stuff happenning. We weren't planning to podcast on the day, but we though the movement, as well as the wines we tasted, were interesting enough to deserve one. We spent a good deal of the day at the Enoteca where a wide variety of wines, both Australian and international, were available for tasting. We talk a bit about the movement itself, and then delve into some tasting notes. Whilst we set up this site to focus on Australian wines, we couldn't help but get into some fantastic French and Spanish wines at the Enoteca too, so we've also reviewed those.

The Slow Food Movement describes itself like this:

Slow Food is often described as the opposite to fast food. But it's more than that. It's about using local seasonal produce, restoring time-honoured methods of production and preparation, and sharing food at communal tables. Slow Food encourages environmentally sustainable production, ethical treatment of animals and social justice.

It's a really interesting organisation - I encourage you to check it out if you're not already familiar with it. And really, what could be more aptly described as "using local seasonal produce, restoring time-honoured methods of production and preparation, and sharing at communal tables" than wine?

Wine reviews:

2003 Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot Sam: Leam: 2001 Remondo Rioja Sam: Leam: 2003 Marechaux Cote de Blaye Sam: Leam: 2001 le Tertre Sauterne Sam: Leam:

Best in show: 2003 Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot

| Permanent Link

We're up and running folks. This first podcast is a brief introduction, with a bit about us and about Fermentaion Media (but nothing really of substance in all honesty).

Podcast # 1: An introduction to Fermentation Media

MP3 format:

AAC format:

| Permanent Link

We're nearly ready to get the ball rolling on this little project, but Leam's come down with a the flu and, well, let's just say it's not in anyone's interest to record his voice at present... *hack cough splutter* etc...

Nonetheless, we're hoping to post our introductory podcast ASAP, and our first major podcast based on our recent trip to Coonawarra, South Australia.

So, in lieu of that, here's a little bit about the two of us. We think it only fair to disclose our personal preferences in advance so you can judge our opinions fairly (and post some photos of us from this century too...)

Leam

Age: 24 Started drinking: vodka Favorite varietals: Cab sav, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, aged Chardonnay, Champagne Favorite wines: Cullen Cab-Merlot (Diana Madeline), Wynns Cab Sav, Birks Wendouree, Petaluma Coonawarra, Giaconda Chardonnay, Knappstein Enterprise Cab Sav Likes in wine: size! pepper, aged characteristics Dislikes in wine: residual sugar Most commonly heard expression while tasting: "that's your big boy!"

Sam

Age: 24 Started drinking: illegally Favorite varietals: Pinot Noir, Shiraz, aged Semillon, Riesling Favorite wines: Curly Flat Pinot Noir, Bass Philip Pinot noir, Tyrell's Vat 1, Birks Wendouree shiraz-blends, Howard Park Rielsing, Grosset Polish Hill Riesling Likes in wine: Balance Dislikes in wine: unoaked chardonnay, overoaked anything, too much alcohol, jammy fruit bombs Most commonly heard expression while tasting: "mmm...*gurgle*.... yeeessss.... *swish*... hmmm"

So, we're both relatively young, but we've both been into wine for some years now and have a fairly decent breadth of knowledge when it comes to Australian wine. But we are not, by any measure, experts, and we don't want to give the impression that we are. Sam's done a bit of tinkering with a viticulture degree (which, at it's current pace, will be finished sometime around 2032...) but really, our knowledge comes from our drinking, our research, our trips to wineries and wine regions, and most of all from our passion for wine. We're not involved in the wine industry in any way (other than as consumers!) and we have no affiliations with any particular wineries or brands. We're just part-time drinkers and full-time wine wonks who secretly harbour aspirations of escaping our professional careers and starting a winery... :)

ALSO - you should all know that Leam is a spectacular chef, and a bit of a food-wonk too, so we're going to spend a bit of time talking about food + wine as well... because really, either one would be the lesser without the other.

| Permanent Link

Welcome to Fermentation Media.

Fermentation Media is a wine podcast focusing on Australian wine and the Australian wine industry. We believe (?*) that it is the first and only podcast devoted to Australian wine. There are plenty of 'winecasts' emanating out of the US, and whilst we find them very useful from an academic perspective, as a practical tool their use is fairly limited for those of us over 12,600km from California....

SO, we determined to start our own podcast about Australian wine. It's very much aimed at the wine drinker, rather than wine maker, and we're by no-means experts, but we like to think we can dredge up enough knowledge to satisfy keen wine drinkers and enthusiastic amateurs. We're going to be focusing predominantly on stuff that's of practical use for Australian wine consumers: reviews, industry news, Leam's-patented-cleanskin-reviews (aka 'skin flicks'), but hopefully also stuff that's of interest to wine buffs from other countries. But the bulk of our wine experience relates to local wine, so we're going to focus on that. It's better anyway... :)

Our first podcast should be up soon, so stay tuned.

We'd also love to hear any feedback from people, or suggestions for casts. Just drop us an email: fermentationmedia@hotmail.com

These are the only pictures of us that are online. They're really very old, as well as very small. We may even have been students then...

Leam: he's actually not very good looking at all, this is just a lucky photo.

Sam: really, very good looking. This is just a dodgy photo.

*....and have now been corrected: http://ozwineshow.com is another new wine podcast about to be up and running focusing on Australian wine. Be sure to check it out!

Permanent Link