GINO & Elina Garreffa’s superb, sun-ripened and naturally-dried fruits from Victoria’s lower Murray River belie the range’s simple and straightforward packaging. Gino grew up in a small village in southern Italy and emigrated to Australia in 1969. He and Elina bought their first four-hectare property in 1972. Tabletop’s grapes are grown on high pergola trellising and, after hand-picking, are naturally dried without the use of chemicals. Cluster drying, with fruit remaining on the stem, is an innovation of the business. The Garreffas also produce Australia’s only vincotto grape syrup, with its piquant and aromatic hint of almonds, for use over roasted meats, vegetables and salads. Tabletop Grapes received the 2006 excellence award at The Age Harvest Picnic at Hanging Rock, Victoria.
dried grapes 500g
sultana natural choice grade
flame seedless natural choice grade
black muscat natural choice grade
currant four crown grade
sunmuscat natural choice grade
stem clusters 250g
muscatel
sultana
sunmuscat
dried fruits
prunes 400g
savoury dried fruits
tomato 150g
chilli 100g
capsicum 100g
vincotto 375ml
A superb varietal grape syrup made from a reduction of grape must by long and gentle boiling. When the must reaches a fifth of its initial volume, it is poured into oak barrels together with vinegar mother and left to mature for several years. Vincotto has fine nutritional characteristics and can be used for therapeutic purposes because of its rich polyphenoles which aid the body’s antioxidant system. It does not contain alcohol, acid, added sugar, food dyes or preservatives and maintains its particular organoleptic properties for a long time. Vincotto is superb with roasted game and other meats, with hints of prune, spices, almond and grape.