California dreamer

Never judge a book by its cover... and pretty much the same can be said of people and wines too. If ever you need a little convincing, a short trip to the Tamar Valley vineyard of Marion's will soon put you to rights.

Nowadays sporting grey-flecked hair as his sole concession to an age that's marked on the wrong side of the Big Four O, Levi-clad owner/winemaker Mark Semmens is very clearly a young-at-heart Baby-boomer. A Californian dreamer.

Taking in the panoramic views from his tree-top Tarzan-perch, soaking up the vibrant '60s sounds of The Beach Boys, one could be excused for looking about for tell-tale signs of a big Ford T-bird parked nearby.

Semmens is a hip guy with an attitude. Among the region's first vignerons, he and his wife Marion moved from the US and began planting their 8ha site in 1980.

The property had been loosely described as an abandoned apple orchard. In reality, it was steep bush block be-devilled by a multitude of rocky outcrops and hidden boulders. Totally transformed by the couple through many years of back-breaking effort, Marion's today is visually spectacular, arguably one of the most picturesque vineyards anywhere in Australia.

Semmens's approach to life in the 1990s is laid back and fuss-free. It's an attitude that bears encouragement. Passionate and full-on when it comes to his wine endeavours, he and Marion have been around long enough to be taken seriously by their peers in the industry.

Their vineyard is renowned for its distinctive, full flavoured dry reds and whites, built for the long haul of extended cellaring. Wines with plenty of character and personality, just like their maker.

That noted, Semmens is quick to admit that wine is made to be consumed and enjoyed. His newly-created Mark's Mates is an indulgence that's as welcome as a breath of fresh air. Its first wine is a light-bodied rosé or blush style, called Mark's Mates Afterglow. Priced around $15, it's a product of the excellent but low-yielding 1994 vintage.

The label is adorned with feminine forms from the hands of Norman Lindsay. Mark Semmens irreverently calls the ladies Esmerelda and Gertrude.

The wine itself is a clean, fresh, early-drinking Rosé, one that displays the typically varietal strawberry characters of un-oaked Pinot Noir. Definitely one for the 'naughty but nice' category, it'll probably be over-looked by the serious follower of Tasmanian wines... and that's a pity.

"It's whimsical and it's fun…and it's a delicious drink," says its winemaker.

Who can argue with that?

"It represents primary fruit characters full-on, and it tastes very much like Pinot Noir," Semmens adds.

"We've been wanting to do this for several years. We didn't want to make a white wine, we wanted to give it the blush treatment. And it's a lot bigger in size and fruit character than any white Pinots I've seen about. It's gutsy for a blush."

No doubt a large part of the wine's success is due to its rich, Tamar Valley fruit composition. Ideally situated near the river, Marion's Vineyard maximises the sun's heat energy and light reflected from the water. Little wonder then that the site consistently produces some of the best quality wine grapes harvested anywhere in the State.

Unorthodox in its packaging and style, the wine makes no reference to the word 'Rosé.' In fact, it's been carefully omitted. Rosés usually have the kiss of death put upon them in this country, its maker reckons.

But knowing Semmens' twin talents for whimsical conversation and successful cellar door merchandising, Afterglow might just become the vinous version of the hula hoop, the party wine of the '90s.

What's in a name? As Shakespeare wrote, 'That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet.'

Ain't that the truth?

First published 2 February 1995: The Advocate