FIFTH-generation Rutherglen winemaker Mandy Jones has perfected a party-starter in the name of her mum.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Correll is an aperitif made from fortified white wine and botanicals.
The Jones Winery co-owner and winemaker said Correll was named after her vivacious mother who embraced the wonderful tradition of aperitifs.
“She was a great lover of aperitifs and sparkling wines,” Ms Jones said.
“We also did a lot of entertaining in our home when dad was a winemaker at Seppelts in Rutherglen.”
Ms Jones said it took 12 months to refine the recipe for Correll Blanc Aperitif before its first release in November 2016.
She said the aperitif was inspired by her years of living and working in Bordeaux in France; she was chief winemaker at the Premier Cote de Bordeaux and Chateau Carsin for a decade from 1993.
“The inspiration (for Correll) was Lillet Blanc,” she said.
Dating to the 19th century, Lillet Blanc is one of the world's most popular aperitif wines.
It’s made from a blend of white wines from the Bordeaux region, mainly semillon and sauvignon blanc, as well as citrus liqueurs from orange peel.
Ms Jones said when it came to naming her aperitif – which used botanicals of orange, star anise and juniper – she wanted something feminine.
She said her own mum’s naming also had an interesting story behind it.
“When my mum was born she was the third daughter and her mum and dad had been hoping for a boy,” Ms Jones said.
“They didn’t have a name in mind and asked the nursing sister present at the birth to name her.
“She named her Correll, which may have come from a surname given the unusual spelling.”
Ms Jones said Correll was best served chilled, over ice or in a cocktail.
“It’s nice as a spritzer with soda water or with muscat as a 50/50 blend,” she said.
“We use it in a cocktail named after my father, The Bussie.”
The Bussie is made from 2 measures of Correll, 1 measure of gin, 1 measure of vodka, ice and a slice of orange.
Having worked in France for 14 years before returning to Rutherglen in 2004, Ms Jones co-owns Jones Winery and Vineyard with her brother Arthur, who manages the vineyard.
She said Correll reflected a fresh approach.
“It’s unique to us and unique to Rutherglen,” she said.
“It expands on the tradition of fortified wine-making with a new, modern twist.”
Correll is available at Jones Winery cellar door.