Friends of Jimbour Newsletter

Welcome to the latest Friends of Jimbour e-newsletter.

In this issue:

• Weddings and Functions at Jimbour
• From our Master of Wine
• Jimbour on the List
• Jimbour Gardens 
• In the Vineyard-with Bert Biggs
• Friends of Jimbour - Special Offer
• New website - jimbour.com

Weddings and Functions at Jimbour 

The gardens and backdrop of heritage-listed Jimbour House are beginning to prove a very
popular venue for weddings as well as a range of corporate and private functions.

The setting captures the elegance and charm of yesteryear, creating a memorable experience for all. Some couples are choosing a wedding package that provides for a ceremony on the spacious lawns within the gardens or an intimate service in Jimbourfs historic chapel built 140 years ago .

There are many picturesque settings for wedding photographs in the surrounds of Jimbour
House, with pre-dinner drinks and savouries served in the formal rose garden.

The silk-lined Grand Marquee (pictured) is also available for wedding receptions with catering
for up to 150 guests provided through the Jimbour Cellar Door.

In addition to a comprehensive range of wedding packages, Jimbourfs Cellar Door has
expanded its facilities with a permanent Marquee adjacent to the old Water Tower (circa
1870). The additional space (pictured) provides a choice of seating options for visitors dining
at Cellar Door and also caters for a range of functions and corporate events with seating for
up to 80 guests.

From our Master of Wine  

Well vintage 2008 is just over.

The last grapes from Jimbour were delivered to the winery on May 20 - the summer pruned shiraz. The grape season began normally. The vine buds burst during the first two weeks of September.

Despite a brief hot spell in late September (one day we hit 31oC) Spring was mild, and characterised by maximum temperatures 0.5o-2oC lower than long term.

Spring rain totalled 162 mm at the vineyard met station. December started and remained
mild with half the month cloud covered and showery (there was flooding in the far west-channel country). After 109 mm of rain all the grape varieties commenced softening (veraison)
by monthfs end.

At this time, and for the next six weeks, the vineyard was under the influence of a rain depression in the Coral Sea. This kept conditions cloudy, typified by wind gusts of 40-60 km/hr
assisting humidity reduction but playing havoc with manager Bert Biggsfs spray programs.

The vines grew strongly and produced moderate disease-free crops. Grapes were ripening two
weeks later than the heatwave affected 2006 and 2007 harvests and commenced with
chardonnay on 16th January.

The largest crop picked soon after was verdelho, including recently grafted vines which
exceeded yield expectations. As the major varietal product of the company, verdelho performed very well under the cool and cloudy ripening conditions. Red grape varieties - merlot, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon were harvested in early February with outstanding flavour and ripeness. All three red varietals are of high drinking quality.

In 2007, a summer pruning trial of shiraz commenced (grapes are usually pruned in winter).
Later ripening conditions alter the shiraz fruit flavours of a normal February harvest. The
cooler April/May ripening expressions produce subtle spice and blueberry flavours. So thatfs why we are picking shiraz so late and expect some very fine wine.

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

Congratulations to Chris Moyle, Director of Product Sales and Marketing. After months of work by Chris and his team, two of Jimbourfs most popular wines - Jimbour Station Verdelho and Jimbour Station Cabernet Sauvignon - have been accepted for inclusion on the wine list of the Coles Hotel Group which operates 79 hotels across
Queensland.

In latest news, Chris now has two new faces on his sales team, Gary Forest and Brian Madden - welcome aboard and keep up the good work

Open daily 10am to 4.30pm

Jimbour's Head Gardener, Darryl Morris, and his team have worked tirelessly to ensure the Jimbour grounds and gardens are a delight to visitors.

There is much to see as part of the garden experience in addition to the formal plantings and landscaping that have been part of the surrounds to the House since the last century. Depending on the season, Darryl's culinary garden skills can display a wide variety of produce such as moon and stars and criss-cross watermelons, giant Atlantic pumpkins, Turkish turban, jack be little, butternut, delicate mini sweet and trombone gramma pumpkins.

Also on the list are noir des carnes, hales best, rockmelon, zucchini, squash, cucumbers and brilliant displays of sunflower and corn varieties.

Admission for public entry to the gardens applies.

Adults 5.50
Children 3.00
Students 4.00
F amily 2+2 12.00
F amily 2+3 15.00
FOJ (Friends of Jimbour )FREE

Walk through Living History

Jacarandas in full bloom in  November will mark the completion of the new self guided walk that will take visitors through the gardens and historic attractions of Jimbour Station.

Interpretive plaques have been positioned throughout the grounds to help visitors enjoy the
"living history" experience Jimbour provides. On arrival at the Cellar Door visitors can pick
up the self-guide walk brochure, pay a small entrance fee and proceed to the gardens and
attractions that surround Jimbour House.

There are 14 separate points of interest along the walking trail map ranging from the original
Water Tower (1870's), Chapel  (1868), the Jacaranda Avenue, Jimbour House (1877), the rose garden, Millicent Russell Kitchen Garden, the bull stalls and stables historic displays, the Bluestone building (1870) and plaques depicting past events at Jimbour including the Transit of Venus historic display and the expeditions by explorer Ludwig Leichhardt.

Head Gardener Darryl Morris and his team have excelled with plantings and landscape designs that will delight visitors. Ensure a camera is an essential companion throughout the walk.

At the last Friends of Jimbour newsletter we were midway through the harvest. Despite the cooler, cloudy and windy conditions we are very pleased with the red harvest too. Most concluded in February although we had a very late pick of second-pruned shiraz more recently.

The best news is that our verdelho harvest was up in quantity, in fact three fold as the crop from the grafted part of the vineyard takes hold.

Over the last two seasons we have lopped petit verdot and cabernet and converted to
verdelho. Verdelho is a big and popular product for Jimbour Wines. And we will continue to grow more of it.

The station reds look fearsome, our winemaker tells me. They are deep in colour, full in flavour and very powerful wines. Thatfs merlot, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon.

Basically winemaker Peter is happy because we have good control of the crop levels in
this vineyard and, provided crop control is there, the job in the winery becomes much
easier.

All the dams on the property were full by March, for the first time in over ten years. So
we have swung over to using natural rainwater for irrigation and given the bore a deserved
rest.

This season produced a record harvest and, with the conditions so far, we expect a great entry
into Spring 2008 with ample water and healthy vines.

Bert Biggs
Vineyard Manager

Friends of Jimbour - Special Offer

We would like to reward you for being a gFriends of Jimbourh member with a special offer that will be hard to resist!

Any member purchasing 12 bottles of our Jimbour Station Range at the gFriends of Jimbourf pricing of $13.50 per bottle will receive a free bonus bottle of our 2003 Jimbour Icon Shiraz -
Queenslandfs First Ever Super- Premium Wine (RRP $59.99).

The Icon Shiraz was launched by then Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, in 2005 and was described by Courier Mail columnist Des Houghton as gthe best bottle of wine ever made in Queenslandh.

To register as a gFriends of Jimbourh member and take advantage of this special offer, log onto our website, www.jimbourwines.com.au and record your details before purchasing your case of Jimbour Wines.

To place your order please :

• email foj@jimbourwines.com.au, or
• fax this downloadable order form to 07 3236 0110, or
• phone Trisha on 07 3236 2100 or
• place your order on our website

New website - www.jimbour.com

Jimbour has a new easy- to-navigate website which will assist and encourage visitors to explore its history, keep up-to-date with coming events and link to a sister site for online wine purchases.

The site contains updated information on the "Living History Walk" which takes visitors back in time through the gardens and colourful pioneer past of Jimbour House and its associated settlement where once 200 people lived and worked as part of the operations of the vast pastoral holding. The site traces the history of the historic property, its families and its distinguished visitors, including explorer Ludwig Leichhardt who set out from Jimbour in 1844 on his epic and dangerous journey of discovery covering 5,000 kilometers to Port Essington near Darwin.

>> visit the Jimbour website