McHenry Hohnen

'It helps having a father-in-law who is a pig farmer...'

So says Ryan Walsh of McHenry Hohnen. So true though, it's much better than a father-in-law who is into home nudism and squat thrusts. Meanwhile, what does Ryan say?

'I think smallgoods are great. Basically before vintage, I get the guys in, we kill a pig and break it down. This year we made two hams, 20 kilograms of sausages, pancetta, dried chorizo and with the ugly bits we made rillettes. We platter up through vintage and have food throughout the harvest period. It's rich wholesome food and we grab a glass of wine and talk about them both. We learn a bit more about how food and wine integrate this way. We're into the whole nose to tail philosophy, which translates to the vineyard - we work our soil, then our vines and we get the best out of our grapes in the winery, but we consider it a total process'.

Wise words from the young man, no doubt.

Here piggy piggy piggy... pic from thewinedetective.co.uk

Tiger Country? More like pig country...

Syrahmi Salami Part 2 - Revenge of Zoro the Croatian smallgoods maker

These are the only know photographs of Zoro the Croatian smallgoods maker. And while appearing calm... 

Watch as he becomes... 

...UNHINGED! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! 

Syrahmi Salami

Hey look it's Adam Foster from Syrahmi and Foster e Rocco wines. He loves handling meat. You can tell by the glint in his eye. Interesting story though, before taking on the winemaking and sommelier lifestyle, Adam was once a chef, so he kind of knows his way around foodstuffs. His Syrahmi salami brings together his chef nous, a slightly off-kilter Croatian smallgoods maker named Zoro and about 16 bottles of Syrahmi Shiraz. The wine goes in the meat mix, Zoro oversees with draconian force and a sprinkle of secret spice and Adam works the meat the way he likes it. Adam reckons the wine brings a little touch of Heathcote (bayleaf, thyme, paprika in the spice mix, in the wine, in Heathcote's 'terroir') too.  

 

Be terrified as Adam minces meat. 

Spy cam at the D'Anna meat works

WISS has managed to slip another spy camera into the D'Anna/Mondo Imports sausage making facility and can reveal these exclusive photos of the production process. 

Note the incline of the meat, essential in quality production. 

Here, a strange pouring of liquids onto the meat. The substance was unidentifiable at the time of photography. 

WISS assumes this is some kind of addictive powder, perhaps of narcotic origin, which may be scrutinised at  time of judging. At no point are illegal drugs to be included in the meat making process, unless kept separately and sent discreetly to the judges... 

A strange ritual involving the fisting of the meat. Compelling and unusual activity; let's hope it improves the flavours of the final products. 

Zema Estate steps up to the plate

Great to see our Coonawarran brethren getting involved in WISS. Karen Ronning has been issuing some serious challenges in the past week or so, and has provided the WISS scrutineers with photo evidence of last year's Zema Estate 'meat harvest'. Very well hung indeed. 

Piggery

Nice work Krystina Menegazzo. Krystina worked in the winery and vineyard at Shadowfax, and has done vintages with Hoddles Creek Estate, La Spinetta (Piemonte), Henschke, Giorgio Meletti-Cavallari in Bolgheri, Domaine Chandon and Winemaking Tasmania. As she says 'I got around'. 

Here she has supplied us with some pre-cured imagery of her pork products. ... oink oink... 

A picture says a thousand words...

Think deeply on this... 

Stop Press! New judge announced: Nick Ryan joins WISS panel

Nick Ryan greets fans in an urban supermarket as he carries his esky of 'benchmarking' smallgoods. 

Tasmanian meat

Great to see the Tasmanian contingent stepping up to the plate. Pete Caldwell is a very tall, very attractive man who keeps both hands on the tiller at Dalrymple winery in the cool, undulating hills and dales of Pipers River. Pete says 'Tassie winters produce best smallgoods' and 'I have made one from the north east Tas farm creatures. Not telling what'... the thought that this sausage is made out of thylacine or Tasmanian Devil or a mix of both is concerning, but we will judge the meat on its flavour and not its origination...

Something something Rod Stewart in small underpants something something meat

Salami makes us happy...

Security for WISS

We're taking your entries really seriously. All smallgoods will be under guard until the competition day. Don't mess with WISS security... 

D'Annas on the assault

Although all their meat stuffs aren't actually on deck yet, it's a two pronged D'Anna assault on the Wine Industry Smallgoods Smackdown. With Mondo Imports samples already recieved, these images snuck into the #WISS inbox of a covert salami operation. Shady characters gather around 175kg of salt... This is called 'the rolling of pancetta'... but we cant reveal more about this clandestine technique... 

Then there is a convivial gathering of men. Some secret rite must be taking place as they manhandle the sausage. With only one guy doing any work here, they kind of end up looking like a bunch of council workers, albeit jovial ethnic ones. 

And finally... pancetta is born... 

The first entry... Mondo Imports

Big love to the first entry through the door. The aptly named New Gen Wog Council smallgoods form a small bounty of salumi and salsicce for the competition. Disappointing not to see the full length and girth of the meat, but the neatly sliced packages are making it easy to keep track of this first entry. Thanks to 'our favourite' d'Anna from Mondo Imports in Melbourne for getting in early... 

Meat Greeting

Welcome to the online communication hub for the inaugural Wine Industry Smallgoods Smackdown. As our brief bio states, this is the premier competition for smallgoods production in the wine industry, and a chance to showcase meaty intent and smallgood competency, in a combative arena. The competition is born from a love of meat products, but also an understanding that many winemakers harbour a bloodlust for farmyard friends that results in hand-crafted deliciousness. This is a forum to showcase wares and to aim for the highest of peer accolades - it will be a spectacular showing of meat to which even Sydney's Mardi Gras may only lust for.

Smallgoods will be judged in a variety of categories, and all produce is welcomed to the competition. Smallgoods can be produced this year or a previous year, must be sent cryovac sealed, with details of some of the production and meat source. Here are two communications as sent to our media partner, TWTW (Australia's Wine Business Magazine):

“Seems that a lot of potential entrants are pleading for a stay of execution, of sorts, for their meat products – therefore we’ve decided to shift back the judging date to allow for those who have popped through vintage, have nothing to do and in boredom have begun eyeing off their kids’ petting zoo as potential dinner companions. Hence, we’re looking at late August/early September now for judging dates to allow for last farewells to beloved farmyard friends. An additional update, Artisans of the Barossa cellar door has kindly offered us some space to do the judging (when we lock in the date) and we will hope to show off the leftovers to interested parties following the verdicts. 

“We’ve had a great response so far with entrants from the Wild West (McHenry Hohnen – Ryan Walsh), the land of the two headed pig (Pete Caldwell – Dalrymple, Tasmania) and of course a genuine family feud is set to erupt between the D’Anna (Boccaccio, Hoddles Creek) brothers who are all entering separately – you’d think they would all be packing pretty similar meat. Likewise we’ve had a show of interest from your neighbours at Longview and threats from the Land of the Attractive Sheep of strapping smallgoods ‘Midnight Express’ style to Duncan Forsyth (Mt Edwar – Central Otago) – though only on the promise that if he gets busted at customs he won’t have to go through that awkward shower scene in the Turkish prison. 

“There are plenty more who have stepped up to the plate to say they are committing their meat to inspection, including Torzi, First Drop, Shobbrook, de Bortoli and Pizzini (and Fred is rounding up some of the King Valley ‘family’ to enter too). We’re keen to get more on board, especially considering the extension of the deadline for entries. Again, all meat to be cryovac sealed for freshness (and to preserve salmonella) and please email for more details. David Brookes is on the ground in the Barossa for those needing a shoulder to cry on when their beloved Porky gets quartered.”



And... 


"if you think you have the wine industry’s best sausage, you’ll be stimulated to know that scribe Mike Bennie has launched the Wine Industry Smallgoods Smackdown, a sausage/salami judging contest open to winemakers who produce smallgoods. The timing is immaculate with TV images of the state-of-the-art Indonesian abattoirs going to air just days ago. Mike will judge the sticks and sausages with Dave Brookes from Teusner and Nick Ryan. “As verified experts in all things small good we feel we represent the best cross-section of the wine industry to sort the wheat from the chaff of winemaker salami,” Mike said. “People have already voiced their intention to showcase their salami – the D’Anna brothers are keen to show us theirs, De Bortoli have thrown their weight around regarding the quality of their salumi, John Retsas says his sausage is the best and Adam Foster says though his is small its taste will win us over. But a word of warning – if your produce gives the judges runny bottoms or kills them or both, you will be disqualified.”


Thanks to TWTW for their support... more to follow...