Yellow Tail is readily available at your local grocer and is perhaps the most recognized wine brand from Down Under. The bottles sport a whimsical label of a yellow-footed Rock Wallaby (relative to the kangaroo), each a different color to designate the type of wine. They typically retail for under $10. This Australian wine has become "the number-one imported wine in America and the fastest-growing imported wine in U.S. history," according to Better Living (BLGuide.com). But don't let this heavily marketed brand deter you from venturing into the unique regions of Australia and its neighbor, New Zealand, that produce some truly premium wines.

Australia and New Zealand are vast countries, and their climate and terrain vary dramatically. Because of their geographic diversity, wines become known by, and famous for, their place of origin. Efforts have been made to maintain the integrity of wine production, and there is a growing movement to classify Australian and New Zealand wine in more regional terms.

New Zealand has developed a set of industry standards, known as Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. The Australian wine industry has set forth an identifying system known as Geographic Indications.

According to the Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation, wine carrying a regional name must have 85 percent of its fruit sourced from that region. In Wine Atlas of Australia & New Zealand, James Halliday outlines the distinguishing features of 40 distinct wine-growing regions and describes the climate, soil, and grape varieties of each.

One of Australia's oldest and best-known wine regions, the Barossa Valley, is also south Australia's most visited tourist destination. The Barossa Valley is best known for its Shiraz. Some of the oldest active grape-producing vineyards are here, significant because old vines produce highly concentrated, intense, and full-bodied wines.

There are many top-notch wine producers in the Barossa Valley. One of our favorite wineries is Elderton (EldertonWines.com.au), a small, family-owned winery situated in the heart of the valley. In addition to great wine, it has become a leader within the Australian wine industry in environmental sustainability. The winery uses solar power, recycles its water, uses biodynamic farming practices, and recently gained organic certification.

Tantalus Red, from Elderton, combines the famed Shiraz grape with its Cabernet Sauvignon. It's an easy-drinking style of premium red at an everyday-drinking price (under $15). Named for a figure from Greek mythology, Tantalus offended the gods and was punished by being kept perpetually thirsty and hungry but tantalized by water and fruit he could see but not quite reach.

Farther south is the Coonawarra wine region, known for producing world-class red wines. The region possesses rich red clay over limestone that is well drained (a key element in premium-grape-growing) and has one of the longest ripening seasons in the world. Penley Estate Wines (Penley.com.au) hail from this region. The Penley Estate Gryphon Merlot expresses distinctive Coonawarra fruit, loaded with regional personality (concentrated and luscious, but seldom tannic). The Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon shows "dominance of spicy Cabernet fruit, a dense ripeness with hints of smoky oak and grape tannin. A wine made to enjoy while young, ripe but elegant, distinct Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon characters are evident."

In the relatively cool climate on the west coast of Australia lies the lesser-known yet inspiring Margaret River Wine region. A fun tale from the area is told by the wine-makers at Ringbolt. According to the company's Web site (Ringbolt.com), western Australia's rugged southwest coastline is littered with shipwrecks - the Ringbolt being one of them. The winery produces a terrific "typical of cool climate" Cabernet Sauvignon - grapes that provide a sweet core yet are "earthy."

Though considerably smaller, Australia's southeast neighbor New Zealand has 10 main wine-growing regions with greatly varying climate and terrain. The vines of Marlborough were planted just over three decades ago. The country's largest wine region - at the northern end of New Zealand's southern island - it has since become the county's best-known wine-growing area. It is famous for its Sauvignon Blanc and home to two of our favorites. Seresin Momo's organically grown grapes are picked late evening and early morning to ensure that the fruit arrives at the winery cool. The result is a richness of fruit with crisp citrus to give a long and clean finish. Allen Scott Sauvignon Blanc is light to medium-bodied, with nicely integrated acidity and tasty lime flavors with just a hint of lemon. The finish is dry and refreshing.

New Zealand also has its share of notable reds. In Marlborough, you'll find the cool Wairau and Awarere valleys. Pinot Noir, the third-most-planted grape, is grown here. Drylands Estate, "pick of Marlborough" for wine aficionados, produces a light and smooth Pinot, complemented by aging in French oak.

Another fine example is the Nick Goldschmidt Boulder Bank Pinot Noir. Light-cherry-colored with rich, dark fruit on the nose, soft tannins, and good structure, this Pinot is a terrific value.

The country's second-largest region, Hawkes Bay, produces a considerable range of wine styles. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape variety, but the long days allow for later-ripening red-grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah. Alpha Domus planted its vines on the western Heretaunga Plains in Hawke's Bay, released its first wines in 1996, and is now well-known in the U.S. and England. Alpha Domus is in the vicinity of an historic airfield. Its logo and wine names are all representative of the vintage planes that can still be seen in the sky above the vineyard. The Navigator is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. The berries are hand-picked, basket-pressed, and aged in a mixture of French and American oak, making it rich yet balanced with sweet, ripe berry fruit and spicy oak.

So have fun, explore, and discover the food-friendly and fabulous wines from Down Under.

Nancy Rosetti is co-owner of the Faithful Pilot Cafe & Spirits and the online wine store RosettiWineShop.com. The restaurant (117 North Cody Road in LeClaire) hosts monthly wine tastings, including a Down Under event on Sunday, May 31, at 3:30 p.m. For more information, call (563)355-4139 or visit FaithfulPilotCafe.com or RosettiWineShop.com.

The City of Rock Island was awarded a $150,000 brownfield grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to complete environmental assessment of the future Columbia Park development on the site of a former International Harvester manufacturing plant. Rock Island was one of nine Illinois communities and coalitions to receive funding in the 2009 grant round. The Columbia Park Master Plan, adopted by the city in 2005, incorporates parks, recreation areas, and other amenities along the Sylvan Slough. The Columbia Park redevelopment will replace the 80-acre Quad City Industrial Center site (covered almost entirely with buildings, drives, and parking lots) with a mixed-use development featuring a linear parkway and major arterials with enhanced landscaping.

"You had to live - did live, from habit that became instinct - in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized." - George Orwell, 1984

The U.S. government now has at its disposal a technological arsenal so sophisticated and invasive as to render any constitutional protections null and void. And these technologies are being used by the government to invade the privacy of the American people.

Each month on the third Thursday, the Lardner Balcony at the Putnam Museum & IMAX Theatre is used for an after-work cocktail party. At this month's Martinis to the MAX on May 21, climber Paddy Blackman will be on-hand to share her real-life experience of climbing Kilimanjaro. Tickets are required for Blackman's 7 p.m. presentation. For more information, visit Putnam.org.

The Rock Island, Davenport, and Bettendorf public libraries hosted Community Shred Days during Money Smart Week Quad Cities, April 18 through 25. The four events collected 16,596 pounds of personal paperwork - an increase of 33 percent over last year. The program was originally created to help people reduce their risk of identity theft, but the collection days also have a "green" benefit. For example, recycling those 8.3 tons of paper will save 141 trees, 58,100 gallons of water, 3,154 gallons of oil, and 672.3 cubic feet of landfill space, and will power 4.15 homes for a year.

Officials with the Quad-City Times Bix 7 have announced plans to increase the cash prize for first place for both the men and women at this year's Seven Mile USAT&F's American Championships. First place awards will be a 2009 automobile or $12,500 in cash. Previously announced was $10,000 in cash or an automobile.

Expect to see more directional signage on the Mississippi River Trail this summer. Davenport and Bettendorf were awarded an Iowa Department of Transportation grant to pay for signs. RiverWay communities in Illinois were not eligible for the Iowa funds but will purchase signs to be installed as well. River Action hosted a meeting April 3 to discuss details and the joint purchase with Illinois RiverWay communities. For more information, visit RiverAction.org.

The Figge Art Museum is recruiting individuals for its docent program. Interested individuals are required to attend an informational session. For more information, contact Ann Marie Hayes-Hawkinson at (563)326-7804 extension 7887 or ahayeshawkinson@figgeartmuseum.org.

Freedom Quest '09 is a caravan that will bring together people from across Illinois calling for freedom for people with developmental disabilities. A kick-off rally for Rock Island County will be held on Tuesday, May 19, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the i wireless Center, 1201 River Drive in Moline. For more information, call (309)797-4677 or (309)786-2362.

Rivermont Collegiate has announced senior Shravan Chintalapani has been chosen as a Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholar for the 2009-10 academic year. Students selected as Byrd Scholars must rank in the top 2 percent of their class during their junior year, score 31 or above on the ACT or a 1450 on the SAT, or have a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or above. The scholarship is renewable for four years. Next year, Shravan will be studying at the University of Miami in the honors program in medicine.

Quad Cities-area children entering third through fifth grades this fall are invited to attend Enviro-Kids, a new environmental-education program that will meet five Saturdays this summer and end with a family campout in August. The cost for Enviro-Kids is $5 per child, and children can attend one or all of the Saturday programs. Younger children can attend Enviro-Kids if accompanied by an adult. For more information, call (563)468-4218 or visit ILiveHereQC.org to download the flier and registration form.

Journalist Tony Horwitz traveled through 10 states in search of the America's fascination with the 1860s and the Civil War. His book Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War will be discussed at the Moline Public Library (3210 41st Street) on Thursday, June 11, at 6:30 p.m. To register, visit the Reference Desk or call (309)736-5737.

On Saturday, May 9, members of the local Modern Woodmen of America camp gathered at First Avenue and 20th Street in Rock Island to plant a flowering crab tree as part of the fraternal benefit society's Plant a Tree program. Introduced by Modern Woodmen in 2004, the program aims to plant thousands of trees across the United States this year.

The Rock Island Library will mark Abraham Lincoln's most important trial with a program at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, at the Main Library (401 19th Street). Part of the "Lincoln Lives at Your Library" series, "Hellgate of the Mississippi" will discuss Lincoln's role in defending the railroad company after the steamboat Effie Afton crashed into a pier of the first bridge across the river at Rock Island on May 6, 1856. Presenter Larry Riney, author of the book by the same name, will discuss the Chicago-based trial of 1857. As an extra, Riney will also lead an independent tour of related sites, including the site of the crash and the Arsenal Museum, which holds the steamboat bell. Transportation for this optional event is on your own. Participants should plan to meet on the first floor of the Main Library at 2:30 p.m. on May 6. The tour is not sponsored by the library, but those who are interested may call (309)732-7303 for more information. There is no charge.

Our 40-page spring 2009 Dining Guide can be downloaded here.

You can also search our online listings by clicking here: RiverCitiesReader.com/dining.

MidoriThe Quad City Symphony Orchestra and Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra have been awarded a week-long residency by world-famous violinist Midori in the spring of 2011. Over a period of five to seven days, Midori will participate in a wide range of activities, including concerts with both ensembles.

Black Hawk College offers free tuition for high school students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high-school class. Students must send their seventh-semester official high-school transcript to Black Hawk College and complete a BHC Application for Admission. The deadline is Friday, May 15. For more information, contact Dori Cosgrove at the college's Quad Cities campus in Moline at (309)796-5346 or cosgroved@bhc.edu, or Valerie Reading at the college's east campus near Kewanee at (309)854-1709 or readingv@bhc.edu.

Ralph Troll. Photo by Marla Neuerburg, Augustana CollegeRalph Troll spent 40 years teaching biology at Augustana College, and he only told the story there twice.

The first time was in the late 1980s, when he was asked to speak to a German class, because he was from Germany.

"It was just kind of part of the story," he said last week.

And then in the 1990s, the college asked him to give a senior-recognition talk. "I'm a biologist," he said. "They didn't want to hear about anything like that.

"I decided: This is a good day to do this. ... That's really the first time I told the whole story."

In all, Troll - who is now 77 years old and an emeritus professor at Augustana - said that he's told about his family's experiences in Germany during World War II five times, which is five more times than his mother talked to her children about her stay in a concentration camp. He'll lecture twice next week, on Sunday at Davenport's Temple Emanuel and on Monday at Augustana College.

Biodynamic farming is an organic-farming method originated by the early 20th Century Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (founder of Waldorf schools) in an attempt to balance the nature of growing without the use of chemical or artificial means. The goal of biodynamic wine-making is to view the vineyard as a complete living system. These methods help preserve the purity and character of the fruit, leading to fantastic wines that reflect an authentic sense of place. It is a viticultural method slowly gaining strength worldwide in response to the unsustainable practice of "manufacturing wine" that has exploded over the past 60 years.

(Editor's note: John Granger, the author of The Hidden Key to Harry Potter and Looking for God in Harry Potter, will present two lectures in the Quad Cities on Thursday, April 23: "From Muggle Lead to Spiritual Gold: The Literary Alchemy of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Novels" at 10:30 a.m. in Augustana College's Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue in Rock Island), and "Why Reading Matters: Good Books & the Life of Christ" at 7 p.m. at Broadway Presbyterian Church (710 23rd Street in Rock Island). What follows is the transcript of an interview of Granger by Augustana students Stephanie Grider and Ellie Ryan. For more information on Granger, visit HogwartsProfessor.com.)

Ellie Ryan: You have said that readers of the Harry Potter novels experience what you call "apotheosis," or a kind of spiritual transformation via their identification with Harry as they are reading. Please say more about that.

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