An update from the Barrys

Deep within the Jim Barry wines meat works lies some very sinister yet delicious things... I was lucky enough to be given an escorted tour through the facility to see how their WISS entries come together... These are the only surviving pictures after Barry security forces destroyed all evidence of my visit....

This is Princess Diana. Yes, it really is. Meanwhile, it is also the mother to all the crispy skinned, fatty bellied delicious younglings that are taken to pieces by the Barrys. She is pregnant again at the time of photo, gestating more BBQ pork for the ever-burning, roasting fires powered by the Barry family. 

Atrocities happen here. Delicious atrocities. Note the cool, clinical feel to the butchery. A hook swings idly in the brisk, still air. A sluice bucket a reminder of butchery past. Chilling. Deliciously chilling. 

Pete Barry and his 'friend'. His smile says it all... 

The photographer thought this was the roasted pig's best angle... Reminiscent of The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover: 'try the anus, we hear it's a delicacy'... 

And to the WISS entries. Maturing for our tasting pleasures. 

A big thanks for the hospitality at the Barry home! 

Final judge update.

WISS HQ received a quick email from Richard 'The Only Judge With Credibility' Cornish saying that his 'image was very important to his career' and supplied an actual photograph of himself rather than the likeness we posted earlier. His sombrero adds much needed gravitas too... 

What's this about legs and pulling? 

Freeze. Or the meat gets it...

The competition heats up...

First Drop - Stop Press

Today marks First Drop's smallgoods making fiesta and an urgent email has landed in the WISS inbox. The alarm bells rang, fireworks shot out of someone's ears and lazer beams came out of a dog's mouth.

Email Subject: Sausage Mince Heaven

Email: John's [Retsas] in his "happy place"

Image attached: (see below)

You know what they do to chopped liver at boarding schools, right? ... Hmm... 

Cirillo - pleased to meat you

If only someone could bottle Marco Cirillo's enthusiasm for stuff... You could call it Cirillo Cetchup, or Excitement Sauce, or Marco's Ballistic Hullabaloo Exhilaration Passion Fervour Condiment. Or something like that. Bring it on Marco, bring it on!

He's run me through a couple of details about the smallgoods process, but a picture tells a thousand lies, can be used as a marital aid or assist with making ugly people look prettier. Here are a couple of flicks from Marco's butchering day anyway.

Witness the cutting up of pigs. The Cirillo's take to the beast en masse. 

An unlikely looking goat. Why is it naked? Haw haw. 

Meanwhile, witness the miracle of the Cirillo's making one goat... become two...

Whoa! Double vision... 

Moondarra Meats

Neil Prentice of Moondarra does two things very well; wine, fancy Wagyu Tajima beef and talk heaps. That might be three things, but we're a little dazzled by a genuine fancy cow entry into WISS. This ups the stakes a lot for us. It heralds a coming of age for the fledgling competition, especially because Neil has a picture with Matt Preston from Masterchef enjoying his smallgoods with him. [edit - that is John Lethlean enjoying smallgoods, not Neil. A bad angle of John, or a good one of Neil (thanks Max Allen for picking it up)].

Sure, Matt Preston might be holding grissini, but that is beside the point. Meanwhile, the quality is all in the meat... There's more marbling in this piece of meat than marbled varicose veins in a retirement village... 

The Moondarra gear is genuinely anticipated though. Neil talks passionately about his cattle and is a thoughtful smallgoods maker. Here are some details about his meats:

Our early experiments included a “sobrasada” style sausage made with the help of Frank Camorra and his father.

Since then our range has evolved to include traditional Bressaola, Cacciatore, Salami and 100 gram packets of sliced salami.

Bring on the meats... 

Mitchell Harris Meat

So we have another Victorian in the mince now. Mitchell Harris Wines have a pig thing going on and aren't afraid to use a mincer and some sausage casings. Pretty excited about their entry into WISS actually - and hoping they submit a bottle of their Bandol-esque Rose for good measure. And to aid peristalsis.

Grindin'... 

Tubular... 

De Bortoli

The 19th of June could be the WISS 'Ides of March' for many... The date announced the De Borts crew's annual meat making event and we are eager to see the results in the competition. Wine scribe Max Allen was there to check out the activities and took some ripper pics which he has offered to share with the WISS faithful. See below for more...

Watch as humans manipulate the shredded animal parts. 

Leanne De Bortoli puts her palate to the test.

Joy as animal parts become one. Shazam! And cotechino is born... 

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. 

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...