Craft & Cork >> Wine
A festival of festivals: four ways to join the celebration
Do you ever eat or drink something that takes you back to a certain moment in time? A special occasion, a memorable vacation, or maybe even a fantasy in your mind? This is what we envisioned when the RQ 2016 program was created. RQ (Restricted Quantities) is an RJS Craft Winemaking brand that focuses on a different theme each year. The wines are carefully crafted using grapes from world-renowned winemaking regions and are available for a limited period of time, typically from December to March.
This year’s theme is A Festival of Festivals – each wine is inspired by a festival celebrated in its grape growing region. The stories, images, and even bottle labels on each RQ wine allows us to experience the festivals, just by taking a sip. From Tjungu in Australia, Carrusel in Argentina, La Batalla in Spain, and Carnevale in Italy, RQ 2016 is a festival of all these festivals.
The Tjungu festival is a tribute to Australia’s Indigenous people from the small town of Yulara where the celebrations take place. The word ‘Tjungu’ means “meeting or coming together”, which is exactly what the festival does – it brings local Anangu people and tourists together to immerse themselves in music, art, dance, food, and of course, wine. Our RQ 2016 Tjungu wine embodies the spirit of the festival by bringing together three of Australia’s most celebrated grapes: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec.
Carrusel in Argentina is a grand parade, part of the week-long Fiesta de la Vendimia (Grape Harvest Festival) in Mendoza. The festival takes place each year and consists of many celebrations in honour of the grape harvest; after all, Mendoza is highly esteemed for its world-famous wines. During Carrusel, radiant princesses and queens from each district ride regal floats, flirting and showering the crowd with gifts in favour of being crowned the Grape Harvest Queen. The elegance of a true Queen is present in our RQ 2016 Carrusel wine with its graceful tropical aromas and crisp, refreshing finish.
In Spain, wine is celebrated in a unique way. La Batalla del Vino is known as “the world’s largest wine fight”, taking place atop a hillside with a beautiful view of the historic Haro region. Festival-goers start the day dressed in white equipped with buckets, jugs, water guns, and wine; then after mass and a feast, the wine fight begins! This excitement inspired our RQ 2016 La Batalla wine, which boasts richness on the nose and palate using a blend of Tempranillo, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Italy’s Carnevale is all about indulgence – in food, wine, fashion, art… everything, really. Venice’s rich culture comes to life during this festival, celebrating traditions such as wine and masquerade, which have a strong presence in the Veneto region. Masked faces and extravagant costumes fill the cobble stone roads of Venice for one last hoorah before the beginning of Lent. Our RQ 2016 Carnevale wine is enriched with aromas of melon and citrus with a soft minerality on the palate that pairs perfectly with a buttery shrimp or grilled halibut.
By now it’s evident that these four destinations don’t just make good wine, they celebrate good wine too. This year’s RQ collection gives you four ways to enjoy the festivities and travel to your favourite destination… even if it’s just a fantasy in your mind.
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