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viva il stompa
Vintage Stomp 2009 was everything a harvest celebration should be - and in true Italian style. Led by Bacchus and his Bacchantes, the street parade brought to life a family day of fun, entertainment and merrymaking. Local school children were the stars of the day, showing off their skills in dance, singing, acrobatics and Italian costume design worthy of the fashion houses of Milan. Chefs from local wineries participated in a very messy pizza tossing competition and the waiters’ race was an excuse for rival restaurants to throw spaghetti at each other. The grand finale - the Celebrity Grape Stomp - saw Casanova and his wench pitting themselves against a very real-looking mafia boss and his wife, much to the hilarity of the crowds. All we can say is that love won the day, of course! 
dining with australia’s bestCongratulations to the Voyager Estate kitchen and restaurant team for being recognised for culinary excellence at the recent Restaurant and Catering Association Gala Awards for Excellence held at the Burswood Grand Ballroom in Perth on the 25th May 2009. The Voyager Estate team was extremely pleased to receive the award for “Restaurant within a Winery” for 2009. Executive Chef, Nigel Harvey, said, “We are very happy to be recognised amongst such true professionals. It is a great reward for the hard-working restaurant and kitchen crew and testament to their passion for excellence.”
georg riedel on 19 september
In the 1960s, Claus Riedel of 250-year-old glass company, Riedel, was was the first glass designer to recognise that the bouquet, taste, balance and finish of the wines are affected by the shape of the glass from which they are tasted. Voyager Estate invites you to join Georg Riedel, 10th generation Riedel family member and head of the internationally-renowned Riedel glassware company, as he conducts a wine masterclass in his first ever visit to Margaret River. Learning from the master himself, you will discover the amazing difference glassware can make to your wine experience. Enjoy Margaret River’s finest wines in a range of Riedel glasses tailor-made for each of the wine varietals followed by an exquisite three-course dinner accompanied by the best vintages of Voyager Estate wines on Saturday, 19 September 2009. The experience: $195 per person. Places strictly limited. For further details and bookings call us on (08) 9757 6354. A rare experience not to be missed. 
pressing newsAs we were about to go to print Cliff Royle, Voyager Estate’s Senior Winemaker, became the latest wine news, in a normally very quiet part of the winemaking year. After 12 years of excellent winemaking, Cliff has made the decision to move on to new opportunities outside Voyager Estate. Starting as Assistant Winemaker in 1997, Cliff became Senior Winemaker in 2000. Together with Viticulturist, Steve James, he has overseen the continual improvement of Voyager Estate wines, reflected in the personal accolades of winner, ‘Winestate’ magazine Winemaker of the Year 2002/3, and finalist in the ‘Qantas/Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine’ Winemaker of the Year award 2005. Cliff has been a mainstay of the production team and will be missed by all staff. We wish him the very best in his future endeavours.  a great wine estates experienceAt the recent Langton’s Great Wine Estates of Western Australia wine tasting and charity event in Perth, 250 people enjoyed the rare opportunity to taste some of the finest wines from Western Australia. The event raised a remarkable $44,420 to support the Busselton Population Medical Research Foundation, the WA chapter of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and the Victorian Wine Industry Bushfire Appeal. Voyager Estate donated two auction lots; a Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot vertical case comprising 3 bottles of each vintage - 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004 - and an imperial (6L bottle) of Voyager Estate 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, plus original artwork and label artwork by Allery Sandy, Winner of the Best Artwork by WA Artist at the 2008 Cossack Art Awards. Thank you to Robin Birch and Melissa Worthington for their excellent organisation of the event and most importantly to our Voyager Gold customers who helped make the evening such a success. 
out of the ashesThe devastating Victorian bushfires in February 2009 affected Australians far and wide. In amongst all the fundraising opportunities to support those affected, Voyager Estate has found a very special way to make a contribution. Mandala Wines, an up-and-coming boutique producer in the Yarra Valley, lost all of their fruit for the 2009 vintage due to fire and smoke damage. Their vineyard will recover but they have none of their own grapes for production this year. To help them out, Voyager Estate has made a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon on their behalf which they will sell under a special vintage Mandala label. Voyager Estate has donated 50% of the fruit, approximately 550 cases worth, and we are making it free of charge in our winery. Events such as these fires remind us how lucky we have been here in the West and that we must not take our luck for granted. So whilst we cannot change those terrible events in Victoria, nor buy back the lives lost and dreams shattered, it is a great honour to help part |