Ball Buster - is this any way to talk about a good woman or a good wine?

“We will be restocking with the Tait (love this wine). Should be in stock early next week” is what Ryan, the helpful store manager at S&V Liquors emailed in response to my quest for my new favorite wine – Tait’s The Ball Buster.  Yeah, ball buster. While conjuring up images less than flattering, the name attracted my attention on the wine list at Catablu - Tait “The Ball Buster” Shiraz, Barossa, 2009 - by the glass $10; bottle $36. My companion and I were there to try something new and the kindly bartender gave us a taste of a few wines to aid in our selection. One tiny sip of The Ball Buster and I (feminist sensibilities be damned) had my pick.

Before you label the winemaker a misogynist, let me explain that Bruno Tait created the wine to honor his wife Michelle but felt the original name “Michelle’s Block” didn’t do the wine justice and had little appeal. After all, marketing is the name of the game. According to the story on their website www.taitwines.com, they sat “down with our neighbors, a thesaurus and the wine in our glasses, we brainstormed many ideas for the wine.”  They admit to having reservations about the name, however “we wanted this wine to make a statement; we wanted to break the wine snob barrier; we wanted to make great tasting wine at an affordable price; wine that people could enjoy and have a laugh about.” In my opinion, they did it!

The 2009 Ball Buster is a blend of 73% Shiraz, 15% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. I also read that the combination is 80% Shiraz, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot. And, at 15.5% alcohol, it beats the average for wine which is 10-15% alcohol. The 2007 Ball Buster is composed of 72% Shiraz, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Merlot. Both were aged for 12 months in seasoned French and American oak. Robert Parker rates this at 91.

I give you the percentages because winemaking is an art. Winemaking is of course about the grapes – the raw ingredients, but great wine is about the winemaker. A pound of butter or a clove of garlic begin the same but end up in very different places when in the hands of Bobby Flay versus Rachel Ray, or myself.

The Tait family tradition of winemaking began in South Australia, the Barossa Valley, in 1957 when Giovanni Tait migrated from Italy. He was a cooper, a barrel maker, and worked for winemakers. Giovanni wanted a traditional winery where the old methods of winemaking would be used to produce full-flavored handcrafted wines. Today, those methods are still in use. All the grapes are grown by Bruno or his brother Michael or growers that follow their philosophy. Southern Starz, the South Australia wine marketing group, calls Tait “the epitome of the boutique winery.” The “basket pressed” Cabernet Sauvignon is made in Giovanni’s honor.

Contrast that to Kendall-Jackson which had to create the term “Grand Reserve” to distinguish their best wines as they already use “Vintner’s Reserve” on every bottle they produce. Their 11,000 acres of grapes can only be toured by helicopter.

Meet The Winemaker:  Bruno Tait

Excerpt from Southern Starz, Inc. “Turning the Wine World Upside Down”

5 minutes with...

Bruno Tait - Tait, Barossa Valley

What do you believe is the best thing about Australia’s Wine Industry?

The youthfulness and eagerness of the individuals within the industry

What do you love most about your wine region?

The sun, soil and the individual characters of the region.

What is the most important thing one could learn in your position?

Be true to your own style.

What is your most amusing wine experience?

In hindsight, The 03 Ball Buster tanker experience

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given regarding your job/career?

Listen to your creativity

If you had to take one wine to lunch with a hot date, what would it be?

The Ball Buster !!!!!!!!!!!!! The name says it all.