A local drop of Balinese cheer
By Debe Campbell
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): The Balinese have brewed wine from rice and palm juice for centuries, but recently grapes have entered the recipe in a big way.
Increasing duties and taxes on imported wine have pushed it off many a wine-lover's table. Even if they do pop for a bottle, swillers often find the wine was transported under improper conditions and has oxidized or is ruined.
So it was, over an off-bottle of wine, that some Australian visitors began kicking around the idea of squeezing locally grown grapes into an affordable, enjoyable Balinese vintage.
A natural partnership was struck with Australian ideas and viniculture and Balinese experience, found at the Fa Udiyana Bali Brem Rice Wine factory, owned by the Gotama family. Thus, Hatten Wine was born.
Processing equipment, grape presses, crushers and filter systems were imported. Storage tanks were locally fabricated. And French winemaker Vincent Desplat relocated from Australia to get down to business.
Grape winemaking is not really new in Bali. Several cottage industries among the north coast vineyards brew a rough, red wine. And several newcomers, such as Indigo, are turning up the competition.
Bali's Alphonse Lavallee table grapes were not intended for wine.
They came to North Bali with settlers, probably brought from the highlands of Probolingo, East Java. Singaraja has since been the island's grape-growing center. Irrigated with fresh mountain water, the vineyards cover 500 hectares, grown in pergolas to protect them from the sun and rain.
Tropical conditions allow 2.5 crops of grapes a year, which means the fruit is available almost all year round. Hatten originally envisioned one vintage yearly. Rose is a young summer wine, made to drink, not to cellar or save. So it made more sense to bottle frequently.
Thus, the winery works seven days a week, processing several smaller vintages throughout the year. Served well-chilled, Hatten has a light, refreshing taste and light rose tint, derived from the black grape skin.
Hatten targeted tourists from the outset and positioned itself to compete with imported wine. Since imported wines are not consistently available and are always pricey, Hatten guarantees availability and reasonable cost. Since its launch in mid-1994, Hatten continues to gain increasing acceptance on the local market. It now is available in hotels throughout Bali, Java and Sulawesi.
As you sample all the delights that Bali has to offer, add a sip of Bali's first homegrown commercial wine to round out the list. Cheers!