Love of Intense, Rich, Rhone-like Flavours Brings Best of Both Worlds, Old and New to Bali's West Coast

Alila Villas Soori partners with Torbreck Vintners for special wine dinner on October, 21 at Cotta restaurant. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) September 17, 2011 - Alila Villas Soori once again proudly presents an exceptional treat for its guests with a special wine dinner, scheduled to take place on October 21. The luxury villa resort in Bali (http://www.alilahotels.com/soori) partners with Torbreck Vintners for the occasion, and flies in its founder and winemaker, David Powell, to present the best selections from its heritage in Barossa Valley viticulture to privileged guests.

Torbreck Vintners was founded by David Powell in 1994. The roots go back to 1992 when Dave, who was then working at Rockford in the Barossa Valley, began to discover and clean up a few sections of dry-grown old vines. The Barossa Valley is a major wine-producing region and tourist destination of South Australia, located 60km northeast of Adelaide.

He nurtured them back to health and was rewarded with small parcels of fruit that he made into wine. Dave was able to secure a contract for the supply of grapes from a run-down but ancient Shiraz vineyard.

He managed to raise enough money to share-farm the vineyard, a practice which involves paying the owner a percentage of the market rate for his grapes in return for totally managing the vineyard.

This share-farming principle has enabled Torbreck to use fruit from the very best vineyards in the Barossa Valley, which is home to some of the most precious old vines in the world.

In 1995 Dave crushed three tonnes of grapes and fermented them into wine in a shed on his 12-hectare Marananga property. He named his wine 'Torbreck' after a forest in Scotland and "Woodcutters" for Torbreck wine family Shiraz and Semillon, names inspired where he worked as a lumberjack in Scotland.

The Torbreck endeavour is based around the classic Barossa Valley varietals of Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro, and a love for the wines of France's Rhone Valley.

Dave loves the intense, rich, Rhone-like flavours that come from old-vines and the fact that Shiraz and Grenache are the mainstay red grapes of the Northern and Southern Rhone often draws comparison.

Torbreck also has Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne planted in its winery block which has been blended to make white wine for the last two years.

It can be said that the Torbreck portfolio offers the best of both worlds, old and new. David Powell is a passionate believer in the Barossa Valley and its viticultural heritage. His approach to grape-growing and winemaking melds the region's terroir with its traditional winemaking practises. In so doing he has achieved a style that fuses his love for the Barossa with his admiration for the Northern and Southern Rhône valleys.

This month, after being flown into the island, Dave will be at Alila Villas Soori's Cotta Restaurant to personally present the exquisite wines below at the special wine pairing. And to match the fine liquid indulgence of Torbreck Wines, Chef Ashton Hall presents his culinary wizardry through sumptuous delicacies with handpicked ingredients to balance the powerful taste of the wines, including foie gras, Wagyu beef, Jerusalem artichoke and truffle.

The Torbreck Vintners pairing will feature the exquisite line-up:
Torbreck WOODCUTTERS SHIRAZ 2009
Shiraz
Torbreck WOODCUTTERS SEMILLON 2008
Semilion
Torbreck THE STEADING 2007
Grenache, Mataro, Syrah
Torbreck THE STRUIE 2007
Syrah (Eden & Barossa)
Torbreck THE FACTOR 2007
Shiraz

The Woodcutter's Shiraz name is inspired by Dave's years spent in the Scottish Highlands as a lumberjack in the Torbreck forest. Similarly inspired, the Semillon exhibits more complex aromas of smoked almonds and honeysuckle as well as buttery textures from the natural malolactic fermentation. The Steading is perhaps the most important wine within the Torbreck portfolio, the one that best exemplifies what Torbreck is all about, sourced from vines that survived the vine-pull scheme in the early 1980s, cultivated on their own roots that were unaffected by phylloxera.

The Steading's generous and supple flavours combined with its silken texture are a rewarding and very versatile choice with all types of cuisine. The Struie is a blend of 44-year old Eden Valley Shiraz vines and 80-year old Barossa Shiraz, aged for 18 months in a combination of old and new French oak barriques prior to bottling. The Factor, a homage to the great old Shiraz vines of the Barossa Valley and the growers who painstakingly tend and nurture them each year, displays the concentration and fruit purity that only the most meticulous farming can achieve, with delicate scents of wild blackberries, pipe smoke and pepper are supported by a dark core of espresso roast, black currants and coal.

Don't miss out on this rare and lavish opportunity - and the exciting trip for the palate! Get ready for yet another Alila Bali journey of tastes and pleasure on the island's west coast. Alila Villas Soori features some of the best luxury villas in Bali (http://www.alilahotels.com/soori) with stunning views and features so... Book your seat now!

For further information and reservations, please call : +62 361 894 6388 or email : soori ( @ ) alilahotels dot com

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