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Read our ‘Farming on the edge’ report
We’re delighted to confirm that Mary-Ann Ochota has been elected president of CPRE
the countryside charity with immediate effect
author and anthropologist whose passionate expertise has engaged people worldwide with landscapes
She has presented factual programmes for the BBC
Previous CPRE presidents have included Bill Bryson
Mary-Ann is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
a member of Natural England’s Landscape Advisory Panel
and a patron of the Ridgeway National Trail
which supports disadvantaged children to access outdoor adventure
a network driving better inclusion and diversity in the outdoors
Mary-Ann’s books on British archaeology include Secret Britain: Unearthing Our Mysterious Past and Hidden Histories: A Spotter’s Guide to the British Landscape
which was selected as a New Statesman Book of the Year
She is a regular contributor to the Guardian
CPRE president Mary-Ann Ochota said: ‘What an honour to be elected president of CPRE
at such a critical moment for our country and our planet
‘The countryside isn’t something “over there” – green and pleasant
The majority of us live in urban and suburban areas but the countryside should still be our concern
Because it’s the fabric that underpins everything important – energy
The countryside needs to thrive for all our sakes
‘CPRE has unique authority and expertise in advocating for the countryside – for nature
for the people who visit and the people who live and work there
Their campaigns on things like the lack of rural affordable housing
and rooftop renewables have struck a chord with many of us
‘My day job is telling stories about our heritage
I’ve seen that when people have a sense of ownership and belonging to a place or community
In this country we have such a depth of history and an astonishing range of habitats and landscapes
But many of those landscapes are under threat from climate change
a lack of affordable and social housing and underinvestment in the right infrastructure
What really excites me about working with the national team and committed network of local groups is that the solutions they’re offering are joined-up
We need urgent action to tackle biodiversity loss and climate breakdown
We need to secure a just transition for our farmers
sustainable towns and villages with quality homes in the places people want to live
championing the voices of local people and inspiring people to action
‘CPRE celebrates its 100 year anniversary in 2026
We have the chance to make change and get it right for people and for nature across the country
CPRE chair Simon Murray said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Mary-Ann as CPRE’s new president
a detailed understanding of the challenges it faces
and a striking ability to engage with people to explain why it matters for everyone
‘Mary-Ann is a powerful advocate for the countryside
its communities and the wider natural world
she will be a wonderful figurehead for CPRE’s national staff
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lighter-styled wines and becoming a cult icon to the natural wine movement
Add me to the list of wine lovers that were shocked and saddened to learn of the recent passing of Australian winemaker Taras Ochota
Ochota represented the leading edge of a winemaking revival in the Basket Range of Adelaide Hills
low-intervention wines with modest alcohol levels
made in a lighter style than most Australian wines are known for
made from organically grown grapes purchased from sites around South Australia
take their names from musical influences like Dead Kennedys and Fugazi
Ochota’s wines, mostly Syrahs and Grenaches, are aromatic, distinctive and often highlighted by a fresh acidity and pure fruit flavors. I found them exciting—and outstanding: Of the 25 Ochota wines reviewed by Wine Spectator in the past decade, 18 earned scores of 90 points or more
I’m not judgmental when it comes to alcohol percentages
but it was always remarkable to unbag them and see that they typically hovered in the 11 or 12 percent ABV range
a percentage point or two (or more) lower than their contemporaries
hitting the best surfing spots on Mexico’s west coast
that they came up with the plan to start their own winery in his home state of South Australia
He became the unofficial but articulate and passionate spokesperson for the Basket Range
and a new movement of low-intervention wine
I was lucky enough to meet Ochota and his family on a trip to Australia with my mentor, Wine Spectator emeritus Harvey Steiman
with lots of unnamed roads and hairpin turns
The rugged setting feels well-suited to his minimalist approach and personality
and there were vats of wines fermenting under bedsheets in a dimly lit winery adjacent to Ochota’s home
Classical music was being loudly piped into the cellar
Ochota played different types of music during different phases of the winemaking process
Amber served us a picnic lunch that we ate under a tree
She was excited that a beekeeping kit had just arrived in the mail
I asked Ochota how he felt about being the poster child of the Basket Range’s “natural” wine movement
“I was a bit too hardcore of using ‘natural’ as marketing,” he admitted
can we call it a ‘beautiful wine movement'?”
Ochota was careful not to put down his winemaking predecessors in Australia
He wanted to broaden the conversation of Australian wines
“I’d like to make wines that you could drink a bottle by accident and feel OK the next day.”
His recognition fueled more projects and more creativity
Ochota and business partner Charlie Lawrence opened a wood-fired pizzeria and wine lounge called Lost in a Forest in the town of Uraidla in the Adelaide Hills
Keenan and Ochota later collaborated on a blend of Adelaide Hills Grenache and Gewürztraminer, called A Sense of Compression. “We had chatted about doing an Arizona version with Verde Valley Garnacha and Albariño or Vermentino or some unheard-of combo. We both like swinging for the fence. Just never got around to it,” Keenan said. “I’m gutted.”
I’m also gutted by the loss of a talented, generous winemaker. But I think he’d want us all to listen to some loud music, drink an entire bottle of wine by accident and feel OK tomorrow.
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president of Australia’s Adelaide Hills Wine Region trade body
was among those leading tributes to Ochota Barrels cofounder Taras Ochota following news of his death this week
‘One of the most colourful and well-loved wine personalities has gone well before his time,’ said Laurie in a tribute posted on Instagram
‘Taras brought a beautiful energy and creativity that greatly influenced the wines and winemakers of our region
‘Our thoughts are with [Taras’ wife] Amber and his family at this incredibly tough time.’
Having spent several years playing bass in punk bands and following his passion for surfing
Taras Ochota graduated with an oenology degree from Adelaide University
He gained experience of winemaking in different regions around the world
notably in California but also as a European winemaking consultant for Swedish importer Oenofros
Ochota also worked at for several years as assistant winemaker at Two Hands Wines in Barossa Valley
he subsequently became best-known for the Ochota Barrels winery that he co-founded with wife Amber in Adelaide Hills – an idea that had first come to the couple during a surfing road trip in 2000
Alongside being dubbed a ‘rockstar’ winemaker by some, Ochota became a leading light of Australia’s growing minimum-intervention wine movement, as Chris Losh wrote in a profile of the winery for Decanter Premium earlier this year
[Taras] Ochota does not act like one of the Big Stories of Australian wine
Ochota told Losh that he only worked with organic vineyards
Ochota’s wines have become highly sought-after
and include a wide range of styles produced from grapes sourced across South Australia
the winery’s ‘Fugazi’ Grenache from McLaren Vale and ‘Slint’ Chardonnay from Adelaide Hills itself
High-profile admirers of Ochota wines include the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger
Two Hands Wines proprietor Michael Twelftree said on Twitter that he would ‘raise a glass to my dear friend’
a top bloke and I was so proud and happy to see what he and Amber had created.’
UK importer Indigo Wine said its team was devastated to learn Ochota had passed away
whose energy and good humour filled the room and made everyone he met feel special,’ it said on Instagram
exciting wines that challenged perceptions of Australian wine
With millennia of history hidden beneath our feet
connecting with the ancient past offers endless fascination
I watched a TV documentary about a frozen human body that had been discovered at the summit of Mount Ampato in Peru
killed in about 1450 at the age of 14 or so – the same age I was
as well as historical and anthropological knowledge
the anthropologist-archaeologist-mountaineers who discovered Juanita were able to unpick the story of her final months
I was astounded to learn that discovering and explaining such mysteries could be an actual job
and the challenge of making the strange familiar
View image in fullscreenCallanish (also known as Calanais) standing stones in Lewis
Photograph: Nigel Scott/AlamyTo prepare for university interviews
I found an archaeological dig in Cheshire that was willing to let me and my friend Helen camp for the week and help out
a lumpy field for camping and a “mess tent” with chairs
tables and a limitless supply of hot tea served in brown-stained mugs
The professional archaeologists were the coolest people I’d ever met
They looked more hobo than emeritus professor
but it was clear they were intellectual and scientific heavyweights
piecing together the story of a complex site that spanned thousands of years of human activity
I helped excavate the foundations of a medieval chapel
and the skeletons that had been buried around it
there were no obvious traces above ground – it was just a grassy field
But it had always been known as Chapel Field
and generations of farmers had avoided ploughing the area for fear of throwing up large blocks of stone
View image in fullscreenRock art carved into the Badger Stone
Photograph: David Lyons/AlamyTo the archaeologists
who could read the landscape in a way I couldn’t
and he had probably been part of the local farming community who used the chapel in the 1300s
He’d broken one of his fingers at some point and it had healed crooked
It seemed such an intimate and personal detail of someone’s life from many centuries ago
It was a reminder that this wasn’t just a skeleton
Archaeology is the study of the human past through material remains – from buildings
tools and craftwork to burial sites and human bodies
Often the things archaeologists discover are items that were thrown away or lost or buried
This “rubbish” tells the story of ancient lives
ivory-white pinArchaeologists can even study the preserved plaque on ancient teeth and the poo at the bottom of privies to see what people ate
The real value of these myriad material remains is in how they connect to each other – where the flakes of a flint tool are situated in relation to a fireplace
or how a site has been reused and reshaped by successive generations
archaeologists build a web of understanding
Television shows such as Digging for Britain and Time Team capture the wonder of discovering that past
the precision of archaeological techniques
Why do humans – through time and across cultures – do so many weird and amazing things
How did people in the past tackle the challenges of life we still grapple with today – whether that’s how to build a rainproof roof
make sense of death or keep their loved ones safe
That head-scratching curiosity is what drives my work
making TV and radio programmes and writing books about the past
Community archaeology projects are often looking for volunteers
Good digs will welcome people with physical disabilities and additional support requirements
and ensure they are given tasks and training that are comfortable
View image in fullscreenMary-Ann Ochota with the Roman pin she unearthed at Chester Farm
Photograph: Mary Ann CraigProjects need people to clean and process finds
use tech to gather and interpret data – from photographing finds and processing lidar (laser) scans to photogrammetry
which uses millions of still photographs to build a 3D model of a site or find
They need people who like talking to visitors
have a knack for presentation and creative interpretation
They also need people who don’t want to go on site at all
completing archival research and exploring other avenues of research
Then there’s the support needed for keeping websites and social media accounts busy and up to date
writing press releases and all the other back-office work that keeps the trowels turning
close to a prehistoric (and later Roman) river crossing
There’s evidence of more than 10,000 years of human activity along the riverbank and in the surrounding fields; this one site tells the story of the county
I was lucky enough to be assigned to excavate part of a perimeter ditch
but they weren’t sure how deep or wide it was
or whether there was anything interesting caught up in the ancient silt and detritus that now filled the ditch
looking out for differences in colour and texture that would denote a change in the shape of the ditch
I once sat in a cave shelter eating sandwiches
knowing that Mesolithic people had sat there eating shellfish 7,000 years earlierIt was an intact Roman hairpin made of cow bone
I was the first person to hold it for 1,800 years – the last person to have their hands on it was probably the one who dropped it
Archaeology can also be therapeutic. For a BBC radio podcast, I spent the day with Breaking Ground Heritage
which uses archaeology as a recovery pathway for serving and former military personnel
They conduct cutting-edge archaeological research and provide therapeutic support at the same time
you have to combine physical skill with mental agility
and you pay close attention to tiny details while holding the big picture in mind
And the camaraderie is second to none – if PTSD demons come at night and sleeping isn’t easy
be assured that there will be someone else in the mess tent going through it too
featured trips and local tips for your next break
as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays
View image in fullscreenCairns on Kilmartin Glen in Argyll
Photograph: Alba Tross/AlamyDartmoor’s bronze age stone rows
monoliths (standing stones) and hut circles are fabulous
You can still walk through an ancient doorway into the remains of a family home from 4,000 years ago
you can explore the mysterious rock art carved into earthfast boulders (a GPS trail leads to the finest examples)
I was perched next to Phil Harding as he trowelled back a layer of sandy soil
The cameras were elsewhere but I was happy to watch him and learn something
I couldn’t see a thing – what had he spotted
He revealed that he couldn’t see anything either
But he had felt a change in the texture of the soil through his trowel
he’d reached the edge of a wall we’d been looking for
perfectly honed in a discipline that is equal parts art and science
And a whole trenchful of satisfyingly mysterious “whys”
Mary-Ann Ochota’s books, Secret Britain: Unearthing Our Mysterious Past, and Hidden Histories: A Spotter’s Guide to the British Landscape
Each of the home nations has an online catalogue of heritage and archaeological sites:
England: Heritage GatewayWales: CofleinScotland: CanmoreNorthern Ireland: HERoNI
The Portable Antiquities Scheme has a database of more than 1.7m find made in England and Wales
You can see what items have been found in your county
read guides to help identify particular types of artefacts or coins
and get advice on how to metal detect responsibly
Explore old maps side-by-side with modern mapping and satellite imagery at the National Library of Scotland site maps.nls.uk/
Many counties are undertaking church graffiti surveys – such as the Norfolk Medieval Graffiti Survey
The Ramblers is recruiting volunteers to do historic landscape research to protect ancient paths., dontloseyourway.ramblers.org.uk/
The TimesThe new president of an influential rural charity has said the English countryside needs more homes and she will not block Labour’s housebuilding ambitions
Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have pledged to make at least three housing announcements in the first fortnight of a Labour government
including a council-led review of green belt land
formerly known as the Campaign to Protect Rural England
has traditionally been seen as one of the staunchest opponents of greenfield developments
the broadcaster and anthropologist who has been appointed CPRE president
said the charity will “absolutely” not stand in the way of Labour’s aspirations
We need homes for rural communities to thrive and for the countryside to thrive
Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF.
Walking into Wine Flowers on Pirie Street, I find a relaxed Sophie Button sitting on stools by a freshly painted half wine barrel, reading the latest CityMag – she says she was just doing her homework.
The rest of the gang trod in one by one. Amber Ochota lugging a heavy old table, Mark Warner carrying boxes of wine while he waits for Alicia Basa to, stressfully, find a city car park with more than a half an hour limit – something they’re not used to.
When we begin to chat about their latest CBD venture, Sophie tells me they were going for a relaxed Hills vibe because that’s where the team live.
“We didn’t have a business plan so I can’t imagine we’ll have a design plan,” Mark laughs.
“Well, the idea is this is not about new things. This is not about buying things. This is like, bring what you have that we can use, and we make it work,” Sophie says as a spider crawls off the table that Amber just brought to the venue.
“It’s nice. It’s different. It’s unusual. I just painted these [half wine barrels] yesterday.”
The Wine Flowers team is, nearly, ready to open up
The Renew Adelaide space aims to bring the Hills cellar door experience to the Adelaide CBD.
Every week until the end of the year, a new natural winery from the Hills will take up a week’s residency at the venue, but Commune of Buttons, which is co-owned by Sophie and her brother Jasper Button, will be pouring the whole way through to Christmas time.
The first week will highlight the winery Borachio, which is co-owned by Alicia and Mark. The second week will see Ochota Barrels, which Amber owns and the last week will see Basket Range Wine, which Phil, Mary and Sholto Broderick own.
“We do open cellar doors at our property at Commune of Buttons and we do them twice a year and I just thought that even though we do them only twice a year, it’s hard to get up there for some people,” Sophie says.
“There’s like the access to our wines, to our presence, to our individual personalities, our place – all those things don’t come to the city very often.
“And I just thought it was a really cool thing to bring the producers and a cellar door style to the city that is a little rougher on the edges, a little more exciting.”
Sophie says this venture is “about conversations” which is “what you do when you drink wine”.
“It’s just about…understanding what we do and why we do it,” Sophie says.
Subscribe for updates“I suppose, in some ways, moving away from the idea of what natural wine is – clarifying, helping through conversation, because there’s a lot more that goes into making wine and farming than a really simple conversation.”
There will be bottles from Commune of Buttons, Borachio, Ochota Barrels and Basket Range Wine on offer at Wine Flowers over the December period.
Along with the cellar door-like experience, there will be a small section of the shop dedicated to a retail space: sustainable retailer Ensemble Studios will have a range of products for purchase, while Emma Sadie Thomson of EST will also be selling plants and flowers.
“I think that was the Christmas buzz,” Sophie says.
“The idea was that you would have a Christmas party that you had to go to and so you would go and get some wines and flowers as well and always be supporting artisans.
“We’re artisans, and so we like to support other artisans who are doing similar things with their craft.
“Ensemble has always done that. They’ve always made sure that the people they’re supporting are doing things sustainably and properly and thoughtfully and consciously… Ensemble just made sense.”
As for Emma Sadie Tomson’s inclusion, Sophie says “it’s a pretty beautiful time of year for blooms”, so the team wanted to bring that into the city.
“Literally looking around at the property… and the time of year and the feeling is bright and colourful, and summer’s coming, and the energy is big,” Sophie says.
“I really felt like it’s quite a natural combination – maybe it is because we’re always surrounded by flowers and wine.
“Bringing that idea and then those lovely, normalities for us is a really nice way to present what it is that we do. It’s always more than wine.”
Wine Flowers will be closed over January as “no one’s in the city”, but Sophie says the concept will change in February, though she doesn’t know exactly what that will look like.
Subscribe for updatesWine Flowers is located at Shop 6, 189–211 Pirie Street, Adelaide and is slated to open on December 4.
InDaily South Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout South Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Known best for her work as a presenter, Mary-Ann Ochota specialises in anthropology, archaeology and social history. She co-presented Channel 4’s cult archaeology show ‘Time Team’, and recently fronted the hugely successful ‘Feral Children’ series, which explored the extraordinary survival of children living wild beyond the care of state and society.
Having graduated, Mary-Ann joined social anthropologist Jeremy Keenan as part of a research team on a groundbreaking expedition to the southern Sahara. The team traveled with the local Tuareg people, the principal indigenous inhabitants of the Saharan interior, to survey prehistoric rock art found amongst the desert’s caves.
Turning her attention closer to home, Mary-Ann began working to uncover Britain’s own prehistoric past. In 2007/08, she made a documentary for BBC4 on Wiltshire’s Neolithic monuments, Silbury Hill: The Heart of the Hill. She then worked on the series Britain’s Secret Treasures, which explored the stories behind fifty momentous archaeological discoveries made by the British public. In 2012 she joined Tony Robinson to head Channel 4’s cult archaeological show Time Team.
She was the onscreen anthropology consultant in the weekly BBC3 series Castaway: Exposed, has featured as the consultant anthropologist on BBC1's The One Show and on the expert panel of BBC2’s Identity. She also regularly blogs for the Independent.
An expert deep-sea diver and sailor, Mary-Ann continues to explore and challenge herself in her spare time. In 2012, she was part of a crew that sailed a 68’ yacht across the North Pacific, from Qingdao, China to San Francisco, USA.
Britain's Secret TreasuresITV, 2012, PresenterTime Team series XIX Channel 4, 2012, PresenterFeral Children (WT) Animal Planet, 2012, PresenterSqueamish series 2 DMAX, 2012, AnthropologistThe Truth behind King Arthur National Geographic, Presenter, 2011The One Show Feature Presenter, 2010Silbury Hill: The Heart of the Hill - BBC4, 2007/2008, PresenterIdentity - BBC2, 2007, Expert PanellistCastaway: Exposed - BBC3, 2007, Resident Anthropologist
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but still produce a liquid that tastes like wine and not avant-garde cider
Ochota pointed to the fermenters – in effect
simple giant plastic buckets – that he takes outside when it’s time to turn the grape juice into wine and which he covers in old bed sheets
from the spotless cleanliness of his winery to his focus on using the right barrels for the right varieties
It’s clear to see why this gentle and unassuming winemaker has attracted a cult following
Taras Ochota takes his winemaking far more seriously than he might appear
Earlier in the day, over lunch at Lost In A Forest, a pizza restaurant co-owned by Ochota in a converted church in the nearby village of Uraidla, he shared the limelight with some of his fellow low-intervention winemakers from the area: Gareth Belton from Gentle Folk Wines; Sholto Broderick of Basket Range Wines; and Worlds Apart Wines’ Louis Schofield
Broderick’s 2019 Magnolia – a red made like a white
with a copper orange colour from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir – is possibly the most interesting wine I’ve tasted this year
with raspberry and blackcurrant flavours combined with red apple skin texture
The Adelaide Hills crew’s story is one repeated across Australia’s cool climate regions; newer winemakers harvesting grapes from special
vineyards that would have once been lost in big-label blends
but which are now producing wines with character and a sense of place
Quirky labels and odd names flourished at the evening’s barbie
but the liquid in the bottles would still thrill the most conservative wine drinkers
It’s not just newbies who are flying the flag for modern Aussie winemaking either; two of the most venerable names in Margaret River – Cullen and Vasse Felix – presented wines that demonstrated the vibrancy of cooler climates
Vanya Cullen’s 2019 Amber Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend has all the textured tannins and lemon rind flavours it needs to find a home in a hipster bar
while Ginnie Wilcock produced a run of wild-ferment Sauvignon Blanc and fruity Malbec and Syrah single varietals that demonstrated there’s more to Western Australia’s flagship region than Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon
The final night of the tour saw Nic Peterkin, a scion of the Cullen clan and maker of LAS Vinos, gather Si Vintners’ Iwo Jakimowicz, Nick James-Martin of Wines of Merritt and Ben Gould from Blind Corner to present their bottles
their camaraderie also shone through; another hallmark of Australian’s bustling low intervention and cool climate scene
Six of Peter Ranscombe’s top cooler climate producers
Distributed in the UK by Indigo Wine
Adelaide Hills producer Taras Ochota may not take himself or the names of his labels too seriously
but he’s extremely serious when it comes to his winemaking
with clean and clear characteristics on show across his range
Troy Jones and Behn Payten are school friends living the dream in the Yarra Valley, creating wines such as their Leuconoe Sangiovese, a multi-vintage blend made in a solera system. Their new cellar door in the town of Healesville celebrates local food and drink. Handled in the UK by ABS and Alexander Wines
Consistently crowd-pleasing wines from the Yarra Valley
Look out for the deliciously savoury Wesburn chenin blanc and the delightful EB45 sparkling Pinot Meunier
Forget any Italian comparisons for the EB40 Nebbiolo
which instead ploughs its own sweet-scented path
Nic Peterkin comes from a long line of talented winemakers, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that this thirtysomething Margaret River producer is knocking it out of the park with his Cabernet Franc and his Grenache. Also worth exploring are his Albino Pinot and his Chenin Blanc, along with his Pirate Blend calling card, featuring Portuguese varieties. Liberty Wines is his UK importer
Luke Lambert
The winemaker at Denton also produces his own wines
whose bottles are distributed in the UK by Indigo Wine
and is planting his signature Italian grape variety
Sangiovese and other Italian varietals have a growing role to play
but also in South Australia’s McLaren Vale
Ruggabellus
Ruggabellus featured highly in super-somm Emma Farrelly’s masterclass for us at Post restaurant in Perth
as well as on the by-the-glass menu at the excellent Embla wine bar in Melbourne
The Barossa Valley producer’s Fluus blend of Grenache
Syrah and Cinsault was almost Pinot-like in its precision
The Buyer TVClick below to watch The Buyer's library of online debates, videos and webinars.
Remembering the rocker-turned-winemaker who helped pioneer a new age of low-intervention wine in Australia
Senior editor MaryAnn Worobiec reflects on the legacy of Taras Ochota, the Australian winemaker who helped pioneer a new age of wine with his punk-influenced, low-intervention wines from the country’s Basket Range.
Full access to our database of more than 425,000 wine ratings
Early access to reviews on our editors' favorite just-rated wines
anthropologist and author discusses her zest for getting outdoors
her rewarding rescue dog and the magic of holloways
I grew up in rural Cheshire and always felt most at home in the countryside
I keep up my connection to the countryside by exploring and writing about it – but it’s also deep inside me
The British countryside is a dynamic place
It’s been shaped by all the people who came before us – 12,000 years of permanent occupation – and it’s still evolving
The traces of those human histories are there to spot
I’m a Hillwalking Ambassador for BMC and a #GetOutside champion for the Ordnance Survey
enticing me on – that’s what makes my heart sing
scuba diving – anything that gets me outside
those sunken tracks that drop you into a hedgerow tunnel
I love the feeling of having feet planted in the earth with a canopy of green above
Some holloways are medieval – others are probably prehistoric
You’re walking in the footsteps of the ancestors
but it does a disservice to both town and country when we default to clichés
We’re a small island and I can get to incredible wilderness areas in a few hours travel from the city
The urban/rural divide is more about mindset than geography
but that shouldn’t stop them from accessing the countryside
I’d also stop people throwing litter around in the countryside
I walked some of the Yorkshire Three Peaks trail with a friend and we spent the day picking up sweet wrappers
It’s not just about the impact on the environment or how it looks – fundamentally
His extraordinary knowledge of British plants and fungi opens my eyes to details I’d miss
The exploring bug doesn’t strike by accident
Getting excited about the outdoors has to be behaviour modelled by all of us
It’s about building confidence and skills and starting small
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every child learned the essentials
We’re facing serious challenges when it comes to planning
new development and revitalising rural communities
We need to invest in skills and infrastructure
such as farming apprenticeships and high-speed broadband
so people can build businesses in rural communities
Otherwise half the country will become toxic commuter belt and the other half will decay
Retraining our rescue dog Harpo was so rewarding
It took a lot of work and tenacity from both of us
The animal/human bond can make for an incredible relationship
the mist descended and it was spooky and beautiful all at once
but it didn’t stop them charging us from the other side of the field
My Primus stove signifies freedom to go adventuring
When you’re up in the hills on your own after a glorious day’s walking
there’s nothing like a hot meal over a blue flame as the sun sets
Although I’m nowhere near as graceful in the water
Cream or jam first on a scone is a trick question
If it’s a fresh scone made with buttermilk
you don’t need to put anything on it and it’s delicious
So before you can get the lids off the pot of cream and the jam jar
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Nick Stock first met Ochota when they played ice hockey together as kids. Then they met again years later, working in the wine world, and they became lifelong friends. He pays tribute to the generous Adelaide Hills winemaker, musician, husband and father who brought people together and changed the face of Australian wine.
Words by Nick Stock· Updated on 04 Nov 2020· Published on 27 Oct 2020
the thing for which he would become world-renowned
He started the Ochota Barrels project in 2008 with his wife Amber Ochota
after a successful career as a flying winemaker in Italy and various regions of South Australia
The money he earned making “massive volumes” of wine for other people allowed them to buy a small property in Basket Range
where they set up a micro-winery and produced tiny batches of curated bottles
Ochota went on to fundamentally change the Australian wine industry
Ochota always had an eye on the moment of enjoyment
and his ability to carefully and cleverly combine the two is what made him a darling of the wine world and everyone he met
At a time when most wine was made to impress
outgun the competition and make the highest impact possible
Music played a significant role in Ochota’s life – it pervaded his psyche and inspired his work
He played bass in Adelaide punk band Kranktus
and always maintained ties with the music world
The first wine released under the Ochota Barrels label
The full list of Ochota Barrels wines reads like a discography of his most loved bands
he managed to weave music and wine together with unthinkable magic
Ochota had been introduced to Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan
who owns winery Caduceus Cellars in Arizona
Whilst touring Australia with his band Puscifer in early 2013
Keenan took a day out to visit Ochota’s home
and the two winemaking musos began a collaboration
Keenan returned later in 2013 (this time on tour with Tool)
and left Australia having made the first vintage of their McLaren Vale grenache
Ochota’s home and winery famously overflowed with great people
The Rolling Stones toured Australia in November 2014 and Mick Jagger
along with Keith Richards’s wife Patti Hansen
wanted to sample some wine on their way to lunch in the Adelaide Hills
They arrived to taste with Ochota in the late morning and famously ended up leaving early the following morning after succumbing to the wines
his generous hospitality and the beauty of his world
Hansen took home several bottles of Ochota’s Green Room grenache for Richards
and The Stones flew the Ochotas to Melbourne to be their guests at the show
and underneath that gentle demeanour was a strong
determined and courageous soul that stayed true to all he believed in
He brought so many people together and they were all better for it
He curated interactions with a sense of insight and caring that is rare
joining the dots between so many people’s lives with a clever
I first met Ochota when we played ice hockey together as 10-year-olds
He was always different – a quiet yet clever kid – and I remember his father Yari as a generous and gentle man
when we were both working in the wine game
and we remained close friends for the rest of his life
and how to live a good life in every respect
He battled two degenerative illnesses in recent years and eventually succumbed at dawn on October 13 in the loving arms of his wife Amber
17 Aussie Spots Make the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants List
with the effect of climate change increasingly apparent
Cities occupy just three per cent of the earth’s land
but account for most of the global energy consumption and carbon emissions*
Our cities are a key contributor to climate change
but they are also an integral part of the solution
Populations within cities are growing at an alarming rate
with urban growth driving environmental change
looking at the adaptation of buildings already in existence and resilience in the built environment
This oncoming age of climate breakdown alongside rapid urbanisation
means urban transformation is essential if cities are to address these challenges ahead and meet global climate and development goals
NOW LIVE > Watch our 2024 programme here: ‘Urban Evolution: Our Future Cities‘
and draw inspiration and insight from leading experts and innovators in the built environment
ITN Business has launched Urban Evolution: Our Future Cities
as part of the Net Zero Festival on 22–23 October 2024
Presented by broadcaster and anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota
the programme focuses on the organisations leading the way when it comes to:
In our 2024 programme we share powerful case study led stories and highlight the impact on the ground these innovations and solutions have on individuals and communities
Urban Evolution: Our Future Cities also features insightful interviews from industry thought leaders Business Green
UK Green Building Council and the World Green Building Council
This year’s climate summit in Dubai was fraught with frustration and controversy
with tensions running high for the entire two-week duration
But as COP28 reached its close this week — a day over schedule — unprecedented agreements were reached
a two-day event which took place this week at London’s Business Design Centre
attracted over 3,000 attendees to debate and discuss accelerating the transformation to net zero
Generating renewable energy is key to reaching net zero
but are our current networks equipped to deal with the change
Investment in renewable energy is needed more urgently than ever — for technology and innovation that will support our national…
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from bronze age burial mounds to stone rows older than the Pyramids
They may be easy to miss but look closely and you can read the story of the past in today’s countryside
the now; you’ll spot thousands of years of secret history layered and woven into the countryside around you
We’ve been tramping across the rough tussocks of Dartmoor for a couple of hours
Every now and then one of us yelps and disappears from view
If ever there were a British landscape designed for waterproof socks and hillwalker’s gaiters
But then sunlight streaks out across the rough green-brown
glinting off jewel-bright pools of standing water
The shadows of a rain-sopped morning are chased away and the landscape is wild and beautiful
and are soon in the heart of an enigmatic prehistoric landscape
Britain has been continuously occupied for around 10,000 years, and every generation has left its mark on the landscapeDrizzlecombe
is one of more than 1,000 archaeological sites scattered across the 954 square kilometres of Dartmoor national park
And although stone rows like the one in front of me are rare in other parts of the UK
there are more than 70 known examples on Dartmoor
sometimes in double- and triple-row avenues
date from the late stone age and the bronze age
erected perhaps as much as 5,500 years ago
That’s 1,000 years older than the pyramids of Egypt
We live on an island crammed with archaeology
Britain has been continuously occupied for around 10,000 years
and every generation has left its mark on the landscape – shaping the land for agriculture and settlements
to commemorate the dead and honour the living
Archaeologists describe it as a “palimpsest” where
you can read the traces of previous stories scratched underneath what’s written now
Britain’s historical stories reveal themselves at every turn
View image in fullscreenA row of ancient stones on Dartmoor
Photograph: Mary-Ann OchotaYou’ll notice details out on walks
And most of these sites that tell the story of Britain are unmarked – no heritage signs
and then ask the key questions – what am I looking at
why a bridge seems too fancy for the little village it sits in
why these fields are small and irregular but those fields are straight and square
looking for traces of ditches and boundaries
for strange stones in walls and marks on doors
and the land now under peat was fertile enough to support small communitiesTry to work out which features in the landscape came in what order
Look for natural features that have been altered – earthworks encircling a hilltop
trees that were coppiced or pollarded in medieval times to produce more timber
The earliest features you’ll spot in the landscape are monumental sites from the late stone age
a time when people were settling specific areas of land
rather than living as nomadic hunter-gatherers
round mounds of stone used to commemorate the dead in the bronze age
There are the rare doughnut-shaped “ring cairns” and stone age “long cairns”
There are stone circles and single standing stones
they appear to meander across hillsides before petering out into nothing
The double rows aren’t usually wide apart enough to act as avenues for processions
Or maybe these lines marked areas in the landscape that were taboo to the uninitiated
View image in fullscreenThese rock clusters are reminders that Dartmoor was once a busy
Photograph: Mary-Ann OchotaAt sites like Drizzlecombe
it appears that some of the features were reused much later – perhaps first erected in the stone age
with standing stones and burial cairns added more than 1,000 years later
the layers of history would not have survivedScattered across the hillside are homes – low-walled “hut circles” (look for a doorway gap on the south side)
There are larger stone enclosures that were probably animal corrals or farmyards
the boundary walls that mark the earliest field systems in Britain
Hopping between tufts of bog grass and the deep black of the peat
and the land now under peat was fertile enough to support small hard-working communities growing crops and raising cattle and sheep
The next people who tried to farm on Dartmoor were medieval peasants
and just-about-managing peasants were forced elsewhere
It’s because of these vagaries of climate that we have such a trove of amazing archaeology on Dartmoor
the layers of history would not have survived
an artificial stone-lined stream that delivered water to farmsteads and tin-works in the 18th and 19th centuries
lured by the promise of a medieval cross waiting at the next track junction
View image in fullscreenA clam bridge (single clapper bridge) over Wallabrook on Dartmoor
Photograph: AlamyThese simple stone bridges are constructed from large flat stones laid over rough dry-stone boulder supports
Sometimes the flat stones will have been washed away
but you might spot raised stonework in the middle of the watercourse
A single-slab span bridge is known as a clam bridge; Wallabrook’s clam bridge on north Dartmoor leads towards Scorhill Stone Circle
You’ll also find good examples in the Pennines and Lake District
View image in fullscreenRemains of a bronze age village at Grimspound
Photograph: AlamyDartmoor’s bronze age reaves mark out the earliest field systems in Britain
The low walls are now covered with peat (a sign of their great age) but it means they’re hard to spot close up
Look at facing hillsides to see if you can decipher traces of parallel lines
and look at online aerial photos of Mountsland Common
View image in fullscreenThe hill fort of Cadbury Castle
Photograph: AlamyThe iron age was a time of warrior tribes and regional strongholds
circuits of earth-cut ditches and banks topped with timber walls and gatehouses
Some don’t appear to have been lived in permanently; others were at the heart of tribal life
Others around the UK include Cadbury Castle in Somerset and Danebury in Hampshire
View image in fullscreenA medieval cross on Dartmoor
Photograph: Mary-Ann OchotaThere are around 150 granite crosses on Dartmoor
many along remote tracks crossing the moors
defined territorial boundaries and blessed the route
A line of crosses runs from Buckfast Abbey to Buckland Abbey
There are lots on the North York Moors too
View image in fullscreenAshey Down on the Isle of Wight
Photograph: AlamyYou’ll spot signs of medieval rabbit breeding across Dartmoor and beyond – for example
low oblong artificial burrows known as pillow mounds
You’ll also spot clues in place names – Coney
Clapery and Warren are all associated with rabbit farming
Pillow mounds can be spotted east of Brisworthy
and local place names include Brisworthy Burrows and Trowlesworthy Warren
Britain Afloat host and former Time Team presenter – all you need to knowMary-Ann Ochota
is a British broadcaster who specialises in archaeology and social history
SHE'S a familiar face featured on many documentaries
but who is Mary-Ann Ochota and what has she presented
Mary-Ann was born in Cheshire to an Indian mother and Polish father
She studied Archaeology and Anthropology at Emmanuel College
she represented her college in the University Challenge Christmas Special
She is married to the children’s author Joe Craig
Mary-Ann has reported for Channel 4's Unreported World and her first film for the series was broadcast in September 2013
She has also contributed to ITV’s archaeology show Britain’s Secret Treasures and was also a co-presenter alongside Tony Robinson for Channel 4’s Time Team
She is also known for fronting the BBC show Britain Afloat - a six part series that explores the regional distinctiveness of boat design and the floating way of life
Unreported World is a foreign affairs show broadcast by Channel 4.
So far, there have been 33 series – after the first one aired in 2000.
Reporters on the show travel to dangerous locations all over the world in an attempt to uncover stories typically ignored by the world media.
Series 34 will start on Channel 4, Friday September 29 at 7.30pm and the first episode is reporting on China's Pop Idols.
Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/
Take a wander along on of Britain's oldest roads: the Ridgeway. TV presenter, writer and archaeologist Mary-Ann Ochota is the patron of the Ridgeway National Trail
and takes host Fergus on a circular walk from the stone circle at Avebury onto mysterious Fyfield Down
They then walk along the Ridgeway to magnificent West Kennet Long barrow – where a big surprise is awaiting them in the prehistoric burial mound
This is episode 2 of season 15 of the Plodcast: Mindful Walks in Nature
Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: editor@countryfile.com
If your email or recording is read out or played on the show
you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team
Visit the Countryfile Magazine website: countryfile.com
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time
Stencil art and wine barrels at Lost in a Forest
Wine is the new cult religion in the verdant Adelaide Hills
and its place of worship is here in the appropriately named ex-church Lost in a Forest
a name which is spot on for my current state of mind because
despite growing up in the Adelaide foothills
after a trip to nearby Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary
It's a place bound to the reputation of one John Wamsley
who hated cats so much he used to wear a hat made out of feral cat fur
is quick to remind me and proclaim his love of cats
I train mine to kill anything native," he grins devilishly
before taking me on a tour of his beloved pizza restaurant-slash-cellar door
It doesn't take long for me to become a convert
Taras Ochota: "When we saw the wine glasses in the stained glass windows
Sunlight shines through stained glass windows highlighting the artwork he commissioned Japanese artist Ryota to paint
"I told him to watch 'A Forest' by The Cure
showed him the beer fridge and said "see you in three dayss," Ochota reveals
The clock's just struck midday so I'm offered a zingy margarita and a mezcal shot
in a glass lined with chilli and agave worm salt from the colourful
where bottles of spirits hang from low-slung ladders
At the same time Ochota drains a can of his favourite tinny
while declaring his aversion of craft beer
His other favourite drink is the unpretentious JD chilled neat which he jokingly calls "sulphur free orange wine"
Both beverages stick out like a sore thumb on the restaurant's drinks list
an otherwise greatest hits list of the Basket Range
Ochota is at the top of the heap of natural winemakers who are continually pushing the envelope in the Adelaide Hills
visitors are fortunate to be able to try and buy all his wines but for most of the other winemakers
you'll have to make private appointments with prior to visiting
Gareth Belton from Gentlefolk is one of them
He's spent the last few days covering his vineyard with netting as the weather has bizarrely turned to heavy rain and fog
which without the help of an organic spray programme
Belton ditched a career in marine biology to become a winemaker
as his wine too is among the best you'll find here
He's collaborated with Ochota to produce 'Father's Milk'; a pinot noir made after they both became fathers
but in his formative years he played bass for punk band Kranktus and is still a bit of a rock dog
black skinny jeans and Chuck Taylor's
he could almost be mistaken for a more spruce Tim Rogers
I'm barely there five minutes before he recites the unintentionally inappropriate lyrics to a Dead Kennedys song
Spirit bottles dangle from repurposed ladders
All of his wines are named after bands or songs close to his heart
'Weird Berries in the Woods' is the name of his gewürztraminer;
is taken from The Strangler's 'Golden Brown'
which is what this wine is all about," he explains."Like the song at the time
it was written to destabilise the punk movement which was in vogue at the time
Also the yellow label is tricky to read… Like looking at the sun."
which would ordinarily be a very stressful time but the well-connected Ochota has turned it into a fruit picking party I'd like an invitation to
Vineyards in the Adelaide Hills.Credit: Ben Goode Earth Art Photography
"Ochota Barrels is all about being relaxed
with a long lunch involving many open bottles from around the world and beer o'clock at 6pm
I'm lucky I have my wife Amber and dad Yari who is 76
Louise Scholfield (Hellbound wine bar) helps out
and then there's the dark lord Duncan Welgemoed from Africola
He helps in the winery but mainly goes berserk in the kitchen."
The Ochota brand has also caught the attention of visiting rockers the Rolling Stones
who were in the middle of an Australian tour
Efforts to keep their visit on the quiet were quashed by a neighbour
who stopped by to return something she'd borrowed and was halted by superstar's security
Their ten-month-old Sage introduced Mick to their piano and he played and sang
lay around on lawns and then danced the afternoon away
Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens in the Adelaide Hills.Credit: SATC
Maynard Keenan from US rock band Tool is also a fan
and spends time in the Basket Ranges to do a collaboration with Ochota
"We became friends after visiting each others' wineries and fitting in making a bit of vino between his touring
We are now into our seventh year of this wine
from an insane little 74-year-old block we co-ferment with frozen gewurztraminer skins," Ochota explains
You can buy their 'Sense of Compression' Grenache if you've got a spare $80 and can find it
because the label's wines sell like hit records on gold vinyl
Despite all this success and rock star association
we drive back to his house which sits on a steep slope of the idyllic Basket Range
organic vineyards are separated by gums and farmers growing anything from raspberries to cherries
selling them in an honour system by the side of the road
Belton points out some of the favourite vineyards he leases
before Ochota escorts us through his "wine studio"
a dog and two blonde headed toddlers to reach his kitchen
As we're seated around the long table
he disappears into the house and returns a few moments later carrying a large ginger cat
blissfully dozes off while we sip some of Australia's best cool climate wines
I could easily see out the rest of the afternoon here in this light filled kitchen
working our way through Ochota and Gentlefolk wines and the names of people we no doubt have in common
I've got to finally admit the Hills - and the city of Adelaide
around 20 minutes drive from here - has become a pretty cool place to be
I can finally feel proud to admit it's where I'm from
www.satc.com.au
traveller.com.au/adelaidehills
Adelaide Hills is approximately a 20 minute drive from the Adelaide CBD and Adelaide Airport
Mt Lofty House offers luxury accommodation at the top of Mt Lofty, an excellent base for exploring the region. Rooms start at $320 per night. mtloftyhouse.com.au
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It's a place bound to the reputation of one John Wamsley
It doesn't take long for me to become a convert
"I told him to watch 'A Forest' by The Cure
The clock's just struck midday so I'm offered a zingy margarita and a mezcal shot
Both beverages stick out like a sore thumb on the restaurant's drinks list
you'll have to make private appointments with prior to visiting
He's spent the last few days covering his vineyard with netting as the weather has bizarrely turned to heavy rain and fog
as his wine too is among the best you'll find here
He's collaborated with Ochota to produce 'Father's Milk'; a pinot noir made after they both became fathers
black skinny jeans and Chuck Taylor's
I'm barely there five minutes before he recites the unintentionally inappropriate lyrics to a Dead Kennedys song
'Weird Berries in the Woods' is the name of his gew\\u00FCrztraminer;
is taken from The Strangler's 'Golden Brown'
Also the yellow label is tricky to read\\u2026 Like looking at the sun."
which would ordinarily be a very stressful time but the well-connected Ochota has turned it into a fruit picking party I'd like an invitation to
with a long lunch involving many open bottles from around the world and beer o'clock at 6pm
I'm lucky I have my wife Amber and dad Yari who is 76
and then there's the dark lord Duncan Welgemoed from Africola
who stopped by to return something she'd borrowed and was halted by superstar's security
"We became friends after visiting each others' wineries and fitting in making a bit of vino between his touring
You can buy their 'Sense of Compression' Grenache if you've got a spare $80 and can find it
because the label's wines sell like hit records on gold vinyl
As we're seated around the long table
blissfully dozes off while we sip some of Australia's best cool climate wines
I've got to finally admit the Hills - and the city of Adelaide
I can finally feel proud to admit it's where I'm from
Mt Lofty House offers luxury accommodation at the top of Mt Lofty
an excellent base for exploring the region
The TimesThe organisation that looks after some of Scotland’s most famous landmarks and wild places has been confronted with the departure of one its most high profile figures
author and anthropologist says she has quit as a trustee of the John Muir Trust and claims that “serious matters were brushed over or signed off without proper scrutiny”
who also featured as a model in several adverts
is believed to have resigned as a trustee in March
but last week she took to social media to vent her frustration about governance at the trust
The John Muir Trust has suspended David Balharry, its chief executive, relating to an allegation of misconductHer anger follows the suspension in July of David Balharry
the chief executive of the leading conservation body
but a new film examines the disturbing phenomenon of the real thing
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A unique insight into the world of feral children – infants abandoned or neglected by mankind but surviving under the care of wild creatures – will be broadcast this week after one of the biggest studies to date of the phenomenon.
Feral Children, which starts tomorrow, is the result of a year of research attempting to unravel the reality of three cases of children who have grown up in the wild.
They include the tale of John Ssebunya, a Ugandan man who was a toddler when his mother died. Instead of being taken into care the boy sought sanctuary with vervet monkeys, spending more than two years learning how to search for food as well as travel.
In the late 1970s Sujit Kumar was locked up in a chicken coop under a Fijian house on the outskirts of the capital, Suva. His parents thought he was either retarded or demented, and treated him as they did the fowls that lived under their house. It wasn't until years later that Kumar was found in the middle of a road. He'd been left abandoned, clucking and flapping his distress. The film shows him now aged 40 and recovered after decades of therapy.
Also included in the three-part series is Oxana Malaya, who was discovered at the age of eight in 1991 having spent most of her time at a Soviet orphanage with dogs.
There have been more than 100 documented examples of feral children in the last 20 years. While many of these have proved to be hoaxes, the figure for genuine cases could be far higher, according to experts who believe some people's experiences go unreported.
Wolves, dogs, even ostriches are said to have helped abandoned children survive in the wild. One of the most famous cases is that of Victor of Aveyron, found in woods near Toulouse, in southern France, in 1797. Believed to be about 12, he was studied by scientists, who tried without success to teach him to speak. His story inspired François Truffaut's film, L'Enfant Sauvage, in 1970.
The British anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota, who researched and presents the documentary, believes there are still more than 100 children alive today surviving without the care of humans but in close proximity to animals. A good number of those, she believes, are incarcerated in animal pens, coops or outhouses.
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"Most of them are hidden, and will die without their plight being revealed," she said.
The documentary, which is broadcast on Animal Planet, a cable channel, is intended to show that feral children's stories can become ones of recovery and recuperation. But it also counsels caution about the phenomenon.
"Many feral cases are hoaxes, many are vastly elaborated tall tales," says Dr Ochota. Often the reality is more about child abuse and neglect, rather than incredible Mowgli- or Tarzan-style heroics.
"The fates of these feral children can reveal uncomfortable truths about how we treat people who are different to ourselves," she adds, "but they can also show how caring and compassionate we can be."
The girl who turned to dogs for warmth and friendship
Oxana Malaya was eight when she was brought to an orphanage in Ukraine.
Accounts suggest she spent her time with the orphanage dogs, even trying to smuggle them into the dormitories.
The programme shows how she began to imitate the dogs as a mental escape from the trauma of the orphanage.
They offered physical comfort and an emotional connection she couldn't get from others.
Her behaviour escalated and she was eventually referred to Makarenka Correctional Orphanage in Odessa, where she was slowly rehabilitated. She now lives in an adult care facility where the residents help run a farm.
She has mild learning disabilities and can't live independently. She says she sometimes crawls on all fours.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Home ❯ About us ❯ Who we are ❯ Meet our president and vice presidents
author and anthropologist whose expertise has engaged people worldwide with landscapes
A passionate advocate of our countryside and natural spaces
Mary-Ann was appointed as CPRE’s president in July 2024
he founded the Contrarian Prize which recognises the independence
courage and sacrifice of British public figures whose ideas challenge the status quo
He has had a deep affection for the English countryside and strongly believes in the importance of people connecting with the beauty and tranquillity of nature
He served as a CPRE trustee from 2009–2014
Dame Fiona Reynolds DBE became Master of Emmanuel College
she was Director-General of the National Trust
where she raised the profile of the trust’s work in the countryside
Fiona was previously Director of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (now Campaign to Protect Rural England) and Secretary to the Council for National Parks (now Campaign to Protect National Parks)
Fiona holds many non-Executive roles and is a Member of the Advisory Panel for the Dasgupta Review of the Economics of Biodiversity
She was also was a Panel Member for the Glover Review of Protected Landscapes and Adviser to the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission
When he passed away in October 2020 after battling illness
the loss rippled throughout the community in Australia
In 2005, Ochota completed a graduate diploma in oenology (the study of wine) from the University of Adelaide. Recently, the university launched the Taras Ochota Scholarship Fund
aimed at supporting aspiring winemakers studying viticulture
who are experiencing financial disadvantage
bands and DJs from around the country for a cause
importers and retailers including Murdoch Hill
a silent auction provides the rare opportunity to get your hands on a Sami-Odi magnum from the Barossa
and a wine experience with Mac Forbes in the Yarra Valley
the not-so-silent Byron Bay punks Mini Skirt will take to the stage and raise a glass to Taras Ochota
Tickets are on sale now.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with the University of Adelaide
Words by Katie Spain· 13 Apr 2016
The seven-course meal (on April 27) is a chance to get to know the man behind Ochota Barrels
“He’s not doing any other dinners in Adelaide
purely because the wine is already sold out,” says Apothecary 1878 owner Paola Coro
“I bought some and kept it for this kind of occasion rather than sell it.”
will be held in the venue’s downstairs cellar and restaurant
including Ochota Barrels Weird Berries in the Woods Gewürztraminer 2014; Fugazi Grenache 2015; and I Am The Owl Syrah 2015
“We tend to focus on the smaller producers,” Coro says
“Taras is part of the next wave of small producers to watch out for.”
The former punk rocker won the Young Gun of Wines award in 2013 and made premium small-batch wine A Sense of Compression with TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan that same year
His Adelaide Hills creations are found on menus at top wine bars and restaurants across the globe
“In 10 years’ time you’re going to wish you put some of his wines away to store,” says Coro
“There isn’t heaps around.” Mark Reginato from Man of Spirit is co-host
and will prepare a cocktail to accompany dessert
“There’s that serious wine element side to it
but with those two involved there’ll be fun as well,” says Coro
“I’ve been nagging Taras to do something like this for ages
and with a bit of pressure from Reggie he caved.”
Ochota Barrels Dinner is at Apothecary 1878, 118 Hindley Street, Adelaide, on April 27 at 7pm. Tickets are $195 per person. Call (08) 8212 9099 or email drink@theapothecary.com.au for bookings
apothecary1878.com.au
Katie Spain is an Adelaide-based freelance food and wine writer
She is also a former editor of Broadsheet Adelaide
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The biggest players in South Australian wine need no introduction
but there are also plenty of smaller winemakers giving the industry a new sense of purpose with innovative growing techniques
In partnership with South Australia - A New State of Mind
here are five small-scale progressive producers you should add to an itinerary through the state’s wine regions
Words by Evan Jones· Updated on 01 Feb 2023· Published on 12 Dec 2022
you’re never more than a short drive from some of the world’s most iconic wineries
independent winemakers who are lending a fresh sense of purpose to the state’s wine scene
Whether you’re keen on exploring innovative modern wines or more traditional styles
these five small producers pack a big punch when it comes to technique
Commune of Buttons
On a Basket Range site called Fernglen, siblings Jasper and Sophie Button tend to a vineyard planted by their mother. Using organic and biodynamic growing methods, the duo produces lively, drinkable wines such as nebbiolo, pinot noir and a pét-nat called Pretty Fun. While the tiny site isn’t open to visitors, you can pay a visit to the Summertown Aristologist
a wine bar and restaurant in Summertown that’s co-owned by Jasper and doubles as a cellar door for Commune of Buttons
There you’ll get the chance to taste Commune of Buttons wines alongside other celebrated
small-scale winemakers such as Lucy Margaux
Ochota Barrels
This old stone chapel with the woodfired pizza and killer Ochota Barrels wine list is the ideal place to raise a glass
Smallfry
Viticulturists-turned-winemakers Suzi Hilder and Wayne Ahrens are passionate about organic farming
natural fermentation and a light touch in the winery
preferring to let the grapes do the talking
From their two Barossa vineyards (in Eden Valley and Vine Vale)
the duo produce vibrantly coloured pet nats
chillable reds – a world away from the fulsome Barossa shiraz of yore
The small cellar door is open by appointment only
but you’ll get a personalised tour of their Angaston winery
Alpha Box & Dice
Helmed by winemaker Sam Berketa, Alpha Box & Dice is a McLaren Vale winery forging its own path. Berketa produces minimal intervention, vegan wines with little respect for tradition and “rules”, assigning each release its own letter of the alphabet. While bottles have been standard on restaurant wine lists for years, the cellar door is the best place to sample the range
In a heritage-listed barn you’ll find a rotating selection of obscure European grape varieties (ever heard of bastardo?)
easy drinkers from the Tarot range and some unusual
non-vintage selections accompanied by cheese and charcuterie platters
Koerner
Grapes and the tiniest amount of sulphur – that’s all that brothers Damon and Jono Koerner use to produce their Clare Valley vino
The duo is committed to letting their corner of the world shine through in the glass
tending the vineyard with organic practices and picking grapes early to preserve freshness
At their cellar door you’ll find classic Clare varieties such as zippy riesling and raspberry-tinged grenache alongside lesser-known European grapes like sciacarello – a light and aromatic red
You can also stay at the vineyard in the four-bedroom hilltop accommodation with its sweeping views of the spectacular Clare Valley
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with South Australia- New State of Mind
Produced by Broadsheet in partnership with South Australia – A New State of Mind. Learn more about partner content on Broadsheet
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By Katya Wachtel
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By Matheus
Lost in a Forest felt like an extension of Taras Ochota’s home
celebrated winemaker – who sadly passed away in 2020 – would serve an exclusive wine from his favourite personal barrel; whacked in a clear bottle with no added sulphur and stashed behind the bar as the standard pour
Herein lies the beauty of Lost in a Forest
The 130-year-old church is part-owned by Ochota’s surviving business partner Charlie Lawrence
He took long-service leave from a career in advertising and graphic design to transform it into a laid-back hangout
wood oven and an outdoor fire pit in June 2016
Lawrence developed an organic pizza obsession after building a wood oven in his backyard. He and third co-owner Nick Filsell (former head chef at Jamie’s Italian and Red Ochre Grill) began experimenting and came up with six organic pizzas
Many of the ingredients come from the local pine forest
dill and other ingredients are grown in 20 half barrels outside
there are natural pours from around the world
Justin Lane (founder of Alpha Box & Dice) and Gentle Folk winemaker Gareth Belton might appear from time to time
Phone: 8390 3444
Website: lostinaforest.com.au
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