April 23, 2005
Enjoying the Fresh Air at Compo
Today's rainy weather did not dissuade a couple of visitors to Westport's Compo Beach from enjoying the fresh air. See another photo below. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Richard Barnett for WestportNow.com
Skimming Long Island Sound's Waters
A visitor to Westport's Compo Beach skims the surface of Long Island Sound waters today. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Richard Barnett for WestportNow.com
Sunday NY Times Spotlights Westport's Special Ed Controversy
Sunday's New York Times spotlights Westport's special education controversy, saying school board meetings often explode into shouting matches between parents and administrators over the topic.
Under the headline "Amid Affluence, a Struggle Over Special Education," the newspaper reported:
"Special education is a hot topic here, with school board meetings exploding into shouting matches over what services children are entitled to under federal law and parents spending thousands of dollars on appeals to force the school district to provide those services for their children.
"The parents say they have no choice: the district, one of the state's most affluent, is fighting just as hard to hold the line on skyrocketing special education costs."
The Times quotes special ed parent Stanley Alintoff as saying, "The sign outside Westport should say: 'Don't Move Here. We Don't Take Care of Special Ed.' "
It said he has spent more than $100,000 challenging Westport's decision to revoke special accommodations his daughter was receiving because of a digestive disorder.
The newspaper noted that with an estimated 5.7 million children in the United States qualifying for special education, similar struggles are playing out around the country.
The Times called Westport "a town of gracious homes and six- and seven-figure incomes, where both Mandarin Chinese and Latin will be taught next fall at the high school, remodeled recently at a cost of $76 million."
It reported that Westport's school district has spent more than $2 million on legal fees and settlement costs in the last six years to fight parents' complaints that special education students get short shrift.
The story appears on the first page of the newspaper's metro section. It includes photographs of two special ed parents, as well as Landon (and Board of Education Chair Mary Parmelee, who is not identified by name), and two charts -- one labeled "Special Education: A Growing Local Burden" and the other, "Westport's Track Record on Special Education."
Westport Fire Volunteers Conduct Training Drill
Westport Volunteer Fire Department members conducted training operations today at Westport fire headquarters. Volunteer Michelle Reiner goes through a hose drill. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
April 22, 2005
Police Arrest Fairfield Man for Demolishing Home Without a Permit
The fast pace of Westport teardowns was too fast for a Fairfield man. Westport police arrested him for demolishing a home without a permit.
Illegally torn down: 59 Crescent Road. (CLICK TO ENLARGE Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Christopher J. Taylor, 35, was charged Thursday with taking down a home at 59 Crescent Road without having received the proper paperwork, according to officials. He was released on his own recognizance for a court appearance May 2 and could face a maximum of a year in jail and/or a $500 fine.
The home, which sold last month for $470,000, was featured as WestportNow's teardown of the day March 15.
The house was demolished last week. Upon learning of the action, Steve Smith, Buildings Department director, filed a complaint with police.
The number of demolition permits issued in 2004 in Westport jumped 43 percent -- to 106 compared to 73 the year before, according to Building Department records.
Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Electrical Panel Fire
Westport firefighters today quickly extinguished a fire in an electrical panel at a home on Laurel Lane.
Assistant Chief Robert Kepchar said units responded to report of a structure fire at 9:14 a.m. and upon arrival the homeowner told them there was a fire in the basement.
Firefighters quickly extinguished a fire in the main electrical panel and checked for fire extension with a thermal imaging camera, he said.
The fire was contained to the panel but smoke had to be ventilated from the rest of the house, Kepchar said. No one was injured in the blaze. The last unit left the scene at 10:17 a.m. Cause of the fire is under investigation.
Seven Riverside Ave. Buildings Sold Again, This Time for $54 Million
Seven landmark office buildings on Westport's Riverside Avenue that once housed Marketing Corp. of America have changed hands again, this time for $54 million, a 46 percent jump in price over the last sale two years ago.
Sold again: seven Riverside Avenue office buildings sold for $54 millioin. WestportNow.com file photo
A filing in the Town Clerk's office showed the seller as Normandy Realty Partners of Morristown, N.J. and Lexham Private Investors of Stamford, Conn., and the buyer as New York-based Riverside Office 285 & 355, LLC and Riverside Office 321-329, LLC.
The seven-building office complex includes 285 Riverside Ave.; 321-329 Riverside Ave., which consist of five buildings; and 355 Riverside Ave. The complex totals 145,190 square feet of space and was originally constructed from 1981 to 1986.
New York-based pension fund TIAA Realty Inc., sold the properties to Normandy Realty Partners and Lexham Private Investors in April 2003 for $37 million. (See WestportNow June 15, 2003)
The space was once home to Marketing Corp. of America, whose founder and former chairman is former Westporter James McManus. The company is now based in Wilton although building tenants include a unit of Interpublic Group, which now owns Marketing Corp.
Among other tenants in the complex is Allied Domecq Spirits North America, part of Britain’s Allied Domecq PLC, which also owns Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins.
France's Pernod Ricard reached a $14.2 billion deal to take over Allied Domecq on Thursday.
The sale added almost $135,375,to the town's coffers, according to Town Clerk Patricia H. Strauss.
Police Seek Four in Westport Robbery
Police sought four persons in connection with the robbery of a Saugatuck convenience store early today.
The four -- three men and a woman described as hispanics -- robbed the Fast Stop store at 20 Saugatuck Ave. shortly before 7 a.m.
Police spokesman Jerry Shannon said the money was in a bag on a shelf and while a store employee was distracted, one of the four grabbed it and ran.
Reports said no weapon was displayed and the four made their escape in a car police believe may have been headed to I-95.
Detectives said the quartet made off with more than $1,000. Westport police alerted State Police of the robbery.
Westport Man Gets 3 ½ Years in Fatal Drunk-Driving Case
A Norwalk Superior Court judge has sentenced a Westport man to a 10-year prison term suspended after 3 ½ years in connection with a 2003 crash that killed the man's boyhood friend.
Judge John Kavanewsky Jr. sentenced Igor Bronov, 48, of 28 Hills Lane, on Thursday in connection with the death of Alexander Boyko, 46, in a crash early on April 5, 2003, on Westport Avenue in Norwalk. He died when Bronov lost control of his car and crashed into a utility pole.
The judge could have imposed a 10-year sentence suspended after any period between two and four years under a plea deal worked out last November. Bronov pleaded no contest to second-degree manslaughter and driving under the influence.
Today's Westport Teardown: 5 Ambler Road
Today's WestportNow teardown is 5 Ambler Road off Turkey Hill Road North. An application for a demolition permit is pending. The house was built in 1955. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Friday, April 22, 2005
10 a.m. - Town Hall Auditorium - Conservation Dept. Geese Management Seminar
April 21, 2005
Frost Advisory in Effect
The National Weather Service said a frost advisory is in effect tonight for the Westport area with temperatures forecast to continue to drop overnight under mostly clear skies and light winds.
Before daybreak Friday, readings are expected to be in the 30s -- especially across areas away from the immediate coast, an advisory said.
Due to the recent warm weather, many plants have shown an explosive
green-up and budding and these young plants will be especially susceptible to frost, the statement said.
A frost advisory is issued when frost is expected to develop during the growing season. Those with agricultural interests in the warned area are advised to protect tender vegetation. Also, potted plants normally left outdoors should be covered or brought inside away from the cold, the advisory said.
Fun in the Sand
The warm weather this week brought out the Staples High School volleyball players for some action in the sand at Compo Beach. Jackson Lesser (l) and Mike Smith (r) both go for a block in a late afternoon pick-up game. Both the Staples varsity and JV teams are undefeated so far this season, 6-0. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com
Preparing for New Westport Historical Society Exhibit
Preparing for a new Westport Historical Society exhibit "The Folks Back Home" are exhibit chairs Wally Woods and Mollie Donovan. The exhibit, opening May 30, honors the Westport chapter of the American Red Cross. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Andrea Maritzer Fine for WestportNow.com
Westport Volunteers Honored to Mark National Volunteer Week
To mark National Volunteer Week, the Voluntary Action Center of Mid-Fairfield tonight honored area volunteers, including seven from Westport, at a reception in Wilton. On behalf of the town, Westport Representative Town Meeting Moderator Gordon Joseloff presented certificates of appreciation to the honorees, including Sue Messervey of the Westport-based Music Theatre of Connecticut. She has been a volunteer with the group for more than 10 years, serving as parent producer, fund-raising chairman, and board member. Other Westporters honored included Geneva Bentley (Westport Health Care Center); Sally Berry (Girl Scout Council of South West Connecticut); Robert Halloran (Home Delivered Meals); Peter Silkowitz (March of Dimes); April Tome (Earthplace), and Jean Wells (Norwalk Hospital). (Editor's note: Joseloff is also editor/publisher of WestportNow). (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Volunteers Needed: Compo Playground Maintenance Day Sunday
While a new Compo Beach Playground Committee is busy preparing for design day to create a new playground at Compo Beach next April, the "original" Playground Committee headed by Jim Bennett and Rick Benson is organizing a maintenance day Sunday.
The work is needed to ensure the continued safety of the playground for the forthcoming summer season, said Benson, coordinator of the event.
"This will be a joint effort of the original playground committee, the Parks and Rec. Department, the Westport Young Women's League, and the new playground committee to provide a hands-on experience of all working together for the new generation of children in Westport," he said.
Volunteer sign up will be 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., work will be done 10 a.m. to noon, and then Joey's by the Shore will be serving lunch noon until 2 p.m.
Volunteers of all skill levels are invited to join the fun, however no children under age 10 can work, Benson said. He said all volunteers are reminded to wear work gloves and to bring eye protection.
A $5 fee will be charged for the buffet lunch. The playground will be closed to the public Sunday morning until the work is completed. For more information contact Benson at (203) 856-9792.
Spectator Sport
Several neighborhood kids watched today's demolition of a house at 17 Turkey Hill Road South in Westport. The house, WestportNow's teardown of the day on Feb. 24, 2005, sold last November for $685,000. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ron Malone for WestportNow.com
Keeping Watch
Owner/developer Chris Montanero watches as a house comes down today on his property at 17 Turkey Hill Road South. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Summer-Like Swinging Weather
A visitor enjoys swinging at the Compo Beach playground Wednesday. The summer-like weather – it got up to 84F at Bedford Middle School – had many Westporters heading to the beach (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com
Thursday, April 21, 2005
7:30 p.m. - Town Hall Auditorium - Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing
April 20, 2005
Regional Planners Discuss Changing to a Council of Government
The South Western Regional Planning Association (SWRPA) tonight discussed at its meeting in Stamford changing to a regional Council of Government, known as a COG. Eleanor Lowenstein (r, standing), chair of the Westport Planning and Zoning Commission, said her group has not discussed the plan in detail and has not taken a position. Westport First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell (c ) advocated for the change, which was opposed by most speakers at the meeting. She said "government structure should reflect reality" and a COG might be more efficient and more effective than a regional planning agency. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
More Ideas on Relocating the Y
Republican Board of Finance member Gavin Anderson (r) tonight presented his ideas about how the Westport/Weston YMCA might remain downtown. He told a Town Hall forum that his suggestion was that the Y relocate to the Jesup Green area presently occupied by the police station and that the town purchase a building adjoining fire headquarters for a new police station. He said the purchase could be funded by selling several residences on the Baron's South property. The Y has said it has explored all possible options about remaining downtown and has decided to move to its Camp Mahackeno property. Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
Westport Property Transfers April 11-15, 2005
Property transfers as reported by the Westport Town Clerk's office for the period April 11-15, 2005:
Kerry J. and Sean Wagner to Rosalyn Levine Pomeraniec, 8 St. John Place, $680,000
Jennifer E. and Eileen S. Mendez to AA Rich Partners, 72 Mills St., $625,000
Antonia Prentice to Mira Safian, 17½ Hale St., $570,000
Giancarla and Thomas Truitt to Andrew M. Fuller, 35 Washington Ave., $780,000
Axelrod Family LLC to Richard and Cynthia Sher, 10 Compo Hill Ave., $1,700,000
Philip R. and Janet H. Merriss Jr. to Susan and Martin McGuiness, 100 Hillspoint Road, $740,000
Pamela L. and David J. Driscoll to Marx G. and Natasha E. Bowens, 32 Compo Parkway, $2,500,000
Ernest Perno to Robert G. and Ekaterini P. Shaw, 22 Crooked Mile Road, $1,790,000
Krsto Mrdelja to Nickola Radman, 45 Compo Road South, $825,000
Robert G. and Ekaterini P. Shaw to Carla F. Avila Deviladoms, 4 Prospect Road, $785,000
Daniel J. and Victoria Y. Pisano to Bozena Gorski, 318 Wilton Road, $739,000
Laura J. Demayo to Great Hill Development LLC, 8 Fairport Road, $530,000
Daniel Steinberg to Wachovia Bank North America, 25 Hermit Lane, $1,600,600
Joy Palermo to Danna and Alizar Keinan, 2 Over Rock Lane, $1,860,000
Brian and Lucia Mitionr Gulbransen to Michael F. Lesch and Mary McGee, 37 Danbury Ave., $1,265,000
Carolyn M. Punzelt to Russell and Jara Negrin, 4 Apple Tree Trail, $1,743,000
Todd Cheema and Anne M. Spencer to Daniel P. Mchugh, 8 Cranbury Road, $1,390,000
State Senate Passes and Governor Signs Same-Sex Civil Union Bill
Connecticut made history today with the state Senate approving -- and Gov. M. Jodi Rell signing -- a bill that would make Connecticut the second state to recognize same-sex civil unions, and the first to do so without court pressure.
Last week, the House of Representatives passed the bill, but amended it to define marriage under Connecticut law as between one man and one woman.
Senators approved the amended bill on a 26-8 vote and sent it to Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who signed it late today.
"The vote we cast today will reverberate around the country and it will send a wave of hope to many people, to thousands of people across the country," said Sen. Andrew McDonald, co-chairman of the legislature's Judiciary Committee, and one of a few openly gay state lawmakers.
The legislation would give gay and lesbian couples the rights and privileges of marriage under Connecticut law with the exception of an actual marriage license.
Today's vote came on Catholic Day at the state Capitol. Catholics and pro-marriage activists plan a massive rally on Sunday at the Capitol to show their opposition to the bill.
"It is absolutely urgent that you contact Gov. Rell and urge her to veto this bill," read an e-mail distributed Tuesday by the Family Institute of Connecticut. The group sees civil unions as gay marriage, but with a different name.
Vermont has approved civil unions and neighboring Massachusetts has gay marriage, but those changes came about only after same-sex couples won court battles.
Last summer, seven same-sex couples filed a lawsuit in Connecticut after being denied marriage licenses. That case has not been resolved, but Connecticut legislators who back the civil unions bill claim they haven't been influenced by it. They said they acted to extend more rights to same-sex couples and their families.
"I am personally overwhelmed by the notion that the people of Connecticut have said yes to equality, and that speaks volumes about the character of this state," McDonald said. "I'm very proud to be a citizen and legislator of Connecticut today."
Brown Bag Baseball Talk
Ken Paul (l), owner of the Bridgeport Bluefish, showed up at Westport First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell's brown bag lunch today along with team mascot BB. Paul said Bluefish games are not just baseball, but affordable family entertainment with the average ticket price $8 and as high as $18; seniors are as low at $3. The Bluefish season begins next week and runs through September. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Matthew Mandell for WestportNow.com
Westport Schools Set Preschool Screening May 6
The Westport Public Schools next month wil conduct a screening to identify “at-risk” preschool children who meet federal and local Title I eligibility criteria, it was announced today.
The Title I screening looks at the child’s development in the areas of concepts, motor, and language. The current Title I program is incorporated into the Westport preschool program, “Stepping Stones."
Screening for Title I will be held at Pupil Service Administration, Staples High School, 70 North Ave., on Friday, May 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The screening will take approximately 45 minutes.
Only Westport residents are eligible for this screening. Children must be 3 years of age by June 30, 2005.
Interested parents are asked to contact Stephanie Fredericks at (203) 341-1712 to set up an appointment. Screening is by appointment only.
If you have questions about Title I or would like to learn more about the Stepping Stones Preschool, contact Gwen Goldman at (203) 341-1764.
Today's Westport Teardown: 8 Reimer Road
Today's WestportNow teardown is 8 Reimer Road off of North Avenue. An application for a demolition permit is pending. The house sold last month for $1 million. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
10:30 a.m. - Town Hall Room 102 - International Hospitality Committee
Noon - Town Hall Room 309/307 - Citizens Brown Bag Lunch
7 p.m. - Town Hall Auditorium - Conservation Commission
7:30 p.m. - Westport Fire Headquarters - RTM Public Protection Committee
7:30 p.m. - Stamford Government Center, 888 Washington Boulevard - South Western Regional Planning Agency meeting on changing to a Council of Government
7:45 p.m. - Town Hall Room 309 - RTM Finance Committee
April 19, 2005
New Staples Sign Unveiled
The new sign went up Monday on the new Staples High School. A worker (bottom) gets set for the unveiling. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photos
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
10 a.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Administrative Review Committee
4 p.m. - Town Hall Room 309 - Parks and Recreation Commission
5:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Tree Board
April 18, 2005
State Sen. Judith Freedman Walks Out of Hearing Investigating Rowland
Westport's state Sen. Senator Judith G. Freedman today walked out of a public hearing called by a legislative committee to determine the existence of any wrongdoing in the hiring of former Gov. John G. Rowland by state contractors. She called it a "witch-hunt."
Freedman, a Republican who represents the 26th district which includes Westport, is the Senate ranking member of the Government Administration and Elections Committee.
It was holding the hearing to look into consulting deals with two state contractors that paid Rowland $15,000 per month after he left office in disgrace.
"The State Attorney General and the State Ethics Commission are both looking into the former Governor's dealings with state contractors. It is their job to find out if any laws were broken," Freedman said in a statement.
"Our job as legislators is to propose and pass laws. If the Attorney General and the Ethics Commission find any wrongdoing, it is their job to take appropriate action.
"If there are any loopholes in our state laws that should be closed, it is our job, the legislature's job, to propose and pass whatever changes in state law are needed to close those loopholes.
"Calling this public hearing is inappropriate. As a matter of fact, it's a witch-hunt. That is why I am leaving the hearing, and will not return or participate in this hearing,"
The Associated Press reported that at the hearing, an attorney for Klewin Building Co. said he recommended against hiring Rowland as a consultant last year, but does not think Rowland's work for the state contractor violated Connecticut law.
Richard Ziesler, a Bridgeport attorney, told the committee: "I agree that my clients may have made a poor business judgment in retaining Mr. Rowland's services. However, such actions were not illegal."
The committee is investigating whether the contracts with Klewin and the Georgia-based National Science Center Foundation violated the state's "revolving door" statute.
That law bars former state officials from representing a company before their former agency for a year after leaving state service.
Lawmakers also want to determine if there are loopholes in ethics laws that need to be closed.
Rowland is currently serving a year at a federal prison camp in Loretto, Pa. after admitting in December to trading access to his office for more than $100,000 in vacations, charter airline trips to Las Vegas and home repairs.
"I can't believe a company would bring on a guy who was just on the verge of impeachment," said Rep. Christopher Caruso, a Bridgeport Democrat, the committee's co-chairman. "What was in their minds?"
Klewin hired Rowland in July to set up meetings on bond issues and to meet with developers for Indian casinos in upstate New York, Ziesler said. Klewin built Foxwoods Casino, and was interested in the projects.
Today's Westport Teardown: 2 Marvin Place
Today's WestportNow teardown is 2 Marvin Place off of Baker Avenue. Demolition got underway this morning. The house, built in 1972, sold last month for $900,000. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Martha Stewart's Company Gets Satellite Radio Deal
Chalk up another job for Westport homeowner Martha Stewart six weeks after being released from prison. Her media company has signed a four-year deal to start a 24-hour radio satellite channel worth $30 million to the company.
The new channel on Sirius Satellite Radio will be aimed at women and will feature Stewart's trademark cooking, gardening and entertaining programming.
For Sirius, the deal with Stewart is the most recent effort to ramp up its programming slate to compete with its much larger rival in the satellite radio business, XM Satellite Radio Holdings.
Last year Sirius signed radio host Howard Stern to a five-year, $500 million deal starting in 2006.
Earlier this month XM reported it had 3.8 million subscribers, while Sirius' most recent subscriber count was 1.2 million.
Martha Stewart Omnimedia Vice Chairman Charles Koppelman said the exclusive agreement with Sirius would be worth $30 million to his company.
Sirius will make payments of about $7.5 million each year to Martha Stewart Living.
The channel will be part of Sirius's regular service, which costs subscribers about $13 a month.
Sirius, which has been recruiting top personalities such as rapper Eminem and cyclist Lance Armstrong to compete with XM, said it expects to boost subscriber growth and advertising revenue at its fee-based service by attracting women to the channel.
"It will have a great appeal to women, who are completely underserved by terrestrial radio," said Sirius Chief Executive Mel Karmazin, who added that the channel could reap significant advertising revenue.
The companies plan to share ad revenue from the channel but declined to detail how the revenue would be split.
The channel is likely to launch later this year, after Stewart completes her sentence.
Looking Back
The Westport Historical Society Sunday celebrated the seasonal opening of its Bradley-Wheeler Barn. The unique cobblestone barn houses the Museum of Westport History, including a diorama of the town as it looked toward the end of the 19th Century. Visitors can also enjoy a dramatic and informative audio accompaniment recorded by Joanne Woodward. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Andrea Maritzer Fine for WestportNow.com
Compo Mill Postcard
Late afternoon Sunday at Westport's Compo Mill Pond. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com
African Violet Show at Earthplace
The annual show of the Silvermine African Violet Society was held over the weekend at Westport's Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center. Members exhibited their prize violets, streptocarpus and other gesneriads. Some of the members pose with two of the violets on display. New members are welcome. The group meets the third Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at Earthplace. For more information, contact Jane Sherman at (203) 226-4612 or Janesherman@optonline.net. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jane Sherman for WestportNow.com
Barbeque Express
Staples freshman Clayton Cohen found a fast way to carry his coals to Compo Sunday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Madeleine Roche for WestportNow.com
Monday, April 18, 2005
8 p.m. - Town Hall Room 309 - RTM Education Committee
April 17, 2005
Compo Road South Entrepreneurs
These entrepreneurs from the Westport's Green Acre and Dogwood Lanes area had brownies and muffins on their menu Sunday in addition to lemonade.They set up on Compo Road South. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com
Brisk Business for Compo Beach Lemonade Stand
Three Greens Farms Elementary School students did brisk business today along Soundview Drive across from Westport's Compo Beach. The temperature hit 73F during the afternoon, drawing crowds of beachgoers.. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Tax Talk
Westport Tax Collector George Underhill (l) introduced Congressman Christopher Shays at a county tax collectors meeting Friday (tax day) in Danbury. Shays spoke about the new federal bankruptcy laws. Underhill is president of the Fairfield County Tax Collectors Association. Contributed photo
Wine Talk: Wonders from Down Under
By Chris Grimm
WestportNow Contributing Editor
Writing about Australian wine in only one article is as difficult as covering all of California in a single piece. The breadth of wine produced – the varietals, terroir, and quality – is certainly comparable to that from California. 
Wine has been grown in Australia since the late 18th Century. As in the United States, improvements in the 1960s in quality, variety, and production really launched the contemporary Australian wine industry.
Most Australian wine comes from the state of South Australia (including the McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley regions). New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia all contribute significantly to the country’s wine production. Even less well-known areas like Tasmania and Kangaroo Island are producing fine wines.
My Wine of the Month is the finest Cabernet Sauvignon I’ve tasted in years – the rather cumbersomely monickered 1998 Parkers Coonawarra Estate First Growth Terra Rossa. This spectacular effort features very fine-grained tannins that give a great structure for aging, but don’t hinder current drinking. Big black currant flavors and aromas of cinnamon add to the pleasure.
This wine matched perfectly with grilled steak with a coffee-cardamom rub. While I brought my bottle in California, this wine has popped up locally at Harry’s in Fairfield. The suggested retail on this wine was $75, but Harry’s has the last few bottles on sale for $60! While this isn’t cheap, it is a relative bargain given the price of premium Cabs. This is far better than many bottles going for twice the price.
White wines make up about three-quarters of the wine production in Australia. The most widely planted fine white wine grape in Australia – no surprise – is Chardonnay. But if there is one wine grape that says “Australia,” it is the red grape Shiraz – which is known as Syrah in the United States and the French Rhone regions where it is also grown.
Surely the most storied name in Australian wine is Penfolds Grange. Made predominantly from Shiraz, Grange was created more than 50 years ago, in an attempt to produce age-worthy wines in the style of the finest wines of Bordeaux.
Today, Grange is Australia’s “First Growth” wine – comparable in quality, consistency, and reputation to Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion, or Petrus. Alas, the price is also comparable, with a bottle of Grange running upwards of $200.
Syrah has become the hot grape of the moment (at least if one excepts the “Sideways”-bounce that Pinot noir has enjoyed in the last six months). I have not always liked Syrah, often finding New World attempts to be, at worst, somewhat vegetal, and, at best, not especially showing varietal quality – just tasting like generic red wine. More recent offerings, especially at lower prices, have left me open to try more Australian (and American) shiraz/syrah.
Some of the Australian shiraz that I have most enjoyed are made in the bigger, higher-alcohol and explosive-fruit style of some California Zinfandel. An example of this style is D’Arenberg’s Dead Arm Shiraz (the 2001 and 2002 are both out now). The aromas of this wine all but jump from the glass. The dark red and black fruit flavors are almost overwhelming. This “cocktail bomb” style of wine begs for bright and bold food as an accompaniment – grilled beef with grilled peppers and sweet potatoes would be ideal. (Or, as a side, our favorite recipe of peppers stuffed with feta cheese, pine nuts, and sautéed squash.)
Great wineries make great wine. It seems obvious, right? But few large wineries consistently produce great wine at every price level. California’s Beringer Vineyards is one good example, as is Guigal from the French Rhone region. In both cases, one can hardly go wrong when choosing their wine. Other wineries consistently produce excellent wine, but few do so while producing the breadth and quality of these wineries.
The comparable Australian winery is the aforementioned D’Arenberg. While Dead Arm is their high-end Shiraz, they produce wines at a range of price points. Their bargain release are their Stump Jump red and white wines. D’Arenberg’s 2003 The Stump Jump red wine is a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mouvèdre. This is an exhuberant, medium-to-full bodied wine, offering big flavors for a bargain price of about $12 – as such, my Wine Value of the Month. It doesn’t have the tannic structure of their higher priced offerings, so should be consumed in the near-term – but for the price, you wouldn’t want to hold it, anyway.
Another winery finding its way into local shops is Clarendon Hills. Their Shiraz are also big and bold, with intense, black-fruit flavors. While not bargain-priced, they also offer fine quality – highly the terroir of the individual vineyards from which they are produced.
No write-up of Australia would complete without mention of Yellow Tail – a winery shipping more than five million cases annually to the United States. While these aren’t hand-crafted efforts, Yellow Tail wines are well-made “industrial” wines. They aren’t spectacular but they are certainly enjoyable, without obvious flaws. Packaged attractively and capped with cost-saving synthetic corks, these are very good wines for very little money – only about $6 a bottle for Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz.
Yellow Tail, like Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw (“Two Buck Chuck”) line (which is unavailable in Connecticut) reflects the benefit to consumers of the worldwide wine glut. That is to say, there is more good-quality, low-priced wine being produced now, than ever before.
More than once, I have had a host apologize for serving a value-priced wine at a party. Don’t apologize! These wines, released in large quality, are often made to better quality control standards than more expensive wines. They might not produce mind-blowing experiences, but they can certainly be served to guests without hesitation – especially at a larger gathering, where more expensive wines simply aren’t practical.
While I haven’t mentioned any white wines, I prefer the Sauvignon Blanc being produced in neighboring New Zealand. The greatest name in New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is Cloudy Bay, but Kim Crawford, Craggy Range, and many others are producing fine wines from what is the white wine grape of Bordeaux. So take that leap and unscrew a cap off of a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc!
Finally, Australia is the home of some of some of the world’s finest fortified (dessert) wines. Endearingly known in their homeland as “stickies,” these sweet wines are fantastic. I recently had a R.L. Buller Premium Fine Tokay – a sweet and luxurious wine, which would make a fine dessert in and of itself.
There are a number of stickies available in the United States. In my last article I mentioned looking for importer names on the back of bottles. In this case I’d suggest looking for the “Australian Premium Wine Collection” label of the exporter, John Larchet, on the front of the bottle. I have yet to go wrong with any of his sweet wine offerings. The wines of Elderton are just one fine example.
(Editor's Note: Chris Grimm is Contributing Editor to the James Beard Award-winning Oregon Wine Report. The opinions and accuracy of information in this article are the responsibility of the contributor.)
One-Car Accident Sends 7-Year-Old to Hospital
A one-car accident today at the intersection of Cross Highway and Bayberry Lane in Westport sent a 7-year-old girl to Norwalk Hospital. The driver, the girl's 16-year-old brother who recently received his driver's license, told police he was distracted as he went through the intersection and struck a tree. He was not seriously injured. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Police Investigate Crash
A 16-year-old driver who recently received his driver's license crashed into a tree today at the intersection of Cross Highway and Bayberry Lane. He was not seriously injured, but his 7-year-old sister who was riding with him in the front seat was transported to Norwalk Hospital by Westport EMS. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Westport Holds Fire Tanker Shuttle Drill With Neighboring Communities
Firefighters from Westport and 13 surrounding communities took part today in a tanker shuttle operations drill at Bedford Middle School and Coleytown Middle School. Here firefighters aim a master stream at a simulated fire at Bedford with water supplied from a shuttle operation of tanker trucks filling up at Coleytown. (CLICK TO ENLARGE ) WestportNow.com photo
Fill It Up
Mutual aid firefighters from Fairfield County communities oversee filling of a portable reservoir during today's fire tanker shuttle drill at Westport's Bedford Middle School. The drill was aimed at improving the speed of delivery of a water supply to a fire in areas without fire hydrants. (CLICK TO ENLARGE ) WestportNow.com photo
Early Career Decision
Hunter Serrano, 3, of Fairfield was one of the few spectators on hand for today's fire tanker operations drill at Westport's Bedford Middle School. Grandpa Ed Crowley said Hunter has already decided to make firefighting his career. (CLICK TO ENLARGE ) WestportNow.com photo
Briefing from the Deputy Chief
Westport Deputy Fire Chief Chris Ackley briefs participants at the start of today's fire tanker shuttle operations drill at Bedford Middle School. One outcome of the drill could be lowered fire insurance rates for Westport homeowners in areas north of the Merritt Parkway where fire hydrants are sparse. (CLICK TO ENLARGE ) WestportNow.com photo
Relaxing at Compo
Saturday's bright sunshine and warm temperatures brought many Westporters to Compo Beach. The forecast for today was for more of the same – mostly sunny with a high around 70F. (CLICK TO ENLARGE ) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com
Sunday, April 17, 2005
8 a.m. - Bedford Middle School and Coleytown Middle School - Westport Fire Department tanker drill with 13 other area departments
2 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - Seasonal opening of the Barn and Diorama, historic re-enactments by Staples Players
