What you pay for is what you get
If you respond to an advertisement for “a guy and a van”, then that’s probably all you’ll get. The cost of moving house can vary, but the key things to consider when evaluating quotes/researching companies include:

- Does the company appear professional? Look at the staff, vehicles and service attitude.

- Is the company real? Do they have premises, does the staff wear uniforms, and does the company logo appear on the removal vehicles? All of these things can be signs that you are dealing with a professional removals company rather than people just trying to pick up extra cash here and there.

- Generally a removalist company will not have been in business for a long time if they aren’t delivering the goods so to speak. So check to see how long the company has been operating.

- Always ask for recommendations/testimonials from past customers.

Word of mouth
Word of mouth is your best recommendation when it comes to hiring a removalist. Ask family, friends and co-workers for companies they have used in the past and you’ll soon gather a list of trustworthy and efficient operators. You can also obtain a list of qualified removalists in your area from Australian Furniture Removals Association http://www.afra.com.au/

Get it in writing
AFRA advises that it is unwise to proceed with any removal if you do not have a contract. Your best bet is to obtain a no-obligation, written quote after a survey of your home and contents. Make sure all the details are correct and as discussed. You will be quoted on either an hourly rate or by cubic volume depending on the arrangements made (and this should be clearly stated on your documentation).

Ensure the terms and conditions of the contract are clear and that the method and timing of payment is satisfactory. Are all costs covered by the written quote? The last thing you want is to be hit with loads of extra expenses at the end of your moving day.

Cover yourself
Under Australian law, removal companies do not have to carry insurance and in most cases, because your goods have not been packed by the removalist, they take no responsibility for your contents in the event of damages. You’ll need to check to see if your current contents insurance policy covers your belongings in transit or storage. If not, you might want to consider taking out transit insurance. This will cover your goods while they are being transferred between locations or kept in storage. A good removalist will be able to offer you this option.

Precious cargo
Be sure to ask questions regarding items that concern you. If you have lots of antiques, artworks or valuable objects to be moved, go with a removalist who has experience in handling such items or consider hiring a specialist to transport those pieces. It might seem a lot of expense upfront but think about the damage (and cost) that could be saved in the long run should an accident occur. In a lot of cases, removalist will not move plants. Check with your chosen company.

Extra services
Good removalist companies will also offer extras like insurance (as discussed above), packing and unpacking services, cleaning, storage options, and packing materials.

A further note from Kennards Self Storage
If you’re moving your goods into Storage, call our Customer Care Centre on 1300 KEEP IT (Aus.) or 0800 53 37 48 (NZ) to discuss Kennards moving services. From our recommended removalist to our free trailer, we will find a way to make your move as simple as possible.
For more information visit us at www.kss.com.au or www.kennards.co.nz

Article featured on:
 http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/pfproperty/sellingandmoving/8125180/tips-for-choosing-the-right-removalist

Author: Lynda Walsh, Operations Manager NSW, Kennards Self Storage

Where do corks come from?
Cork bottle stoppers are made from the bark of cork oaks. The tree is not cut down, and only up to half of the bark is removed at any one time. This is a highly skilled, labor intensive process, with special tools and complicated logistics. Imagine peeling the delicate bark off of a massive tree, cutting it into uniform sheets, and transporting it to the processing plant without breaking it. These are reasons why cork closures are more expensive, and why there is some pressure to move to alternative closures.

Sustainability
Plastic is forever and aluminum takes a ton of energy to make. Cork is by no means a perfect product, but it has stood up very well to synthetic closures in terms of sustainability and environmental impact. 50% of northern Portugal’s economy is based on cork, and they have taken a huge hit from the use of synthetic corks and aluminum caps. Centuries old cork forests have been cut down to make room for new industries, which is endangering certain animals and setting the production of cork back decades. Cork trees need to be 25-30 years old before their bark can be harvested.

Role call! Know Your Corks:

100% Natural Cork Stoppers
This is what you think of when I say cork. It’s one piece, comes in grades (based on surface, water content, porosity, and visual inspection) and is the best choice in most cases. This is the only cork stopper you should trust for aging wine much beyond 5 years or so, because its spongy flexibility keeps its seal viable the longest.

Colmated Corks
Take the cork from above and fill its pores with glue and cork dust. These corks look smoother, glide out of the bottle when you pull them, and are still good for medium aging.

Multi-Piece Corks
Two or more large cork pieces glued together. These are denser than single piece corks, and are a way the cork manufacturers can use up their scraps. These are also the only way to make giant corks for giant bottles (remember, corks come from a sheet of bark, so there is an inherent size limit). They should also not be trusted for prolonged aging.

Agglomerated Corks
The particle board of corks; basically these are a plug made of cork dust and glue. Cheaper, pretty dense, and not to be trusted to seal your wine beyond 1 year or so.

Technical Corks
I call these liar corks! They are agglomerated corks with full cork discs on either end. There are reasons to do this: like with sparkling wine where they want a larger cork diameter to contain the pressure. It is also a way to ensure your cork is uniformly dense throughout while improving the seal made by simple agglomerated corks. It still feels like a sneaky way to make the cork look solid from the outside of the bottle though.

DIY Cork Crafts
These are promoted as a way to recycle corks. I’d just like to point out 100% natural corks will biodegrade, which might be a less ugly proposition. Good for you, though!

http://winefolly.com/tutorial/how-wine-corks-affect-aging-wine/#!prettyPhoto

Not all wines become fairy tales after years in the cellar. Two months ago a friend brought over a 1975 Chianti. We poured it and instead of its normal crimson colour it was burnt orange. Another friend opened a 1985 Beaujolais Nouveau for Christmas dinner. Beaujolais Nouveau is a wine that is sold less than two months after the harvest and all over France people with purple teeth revel in the streets as if it were New Year’s Eve. The wine isn’t supposed to be kept long after this celebration, let alone for 20 years. I tasted it just for fun, and it had ventured far beyond the vinegar stage to the just-plain-bad stage.

Keeping a wine too long is one problem, but opening a wine too soon is another. Last week I opened a bottle of Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Washington County 2003 – the fruits were tart and tightly woven, meaning it needed at least a couple of years before they would develop into the expressive, delicious flavours we love about Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs.

Wine is a living and breathing thing, and like a person it goes through stages of infancy, maturity and old age. Some wines reach maturity very quickly while others are heartier and need a decade or two for each facet of the wine to join together in harmony. Drinking wines that are a touch young can still be enjoyable, but sometimes you’ll realize that they had potential to be so much more.

To Cellar or Not to Cellar

Almost every wine available at the grocery store is designed for early consumption. Fruit forward wines from Australia, New Zealand, North and South America and South Africa typically need to be consumed within 2-3 years. Many European wines also lack the structure necessary to help a wine age gracefully. In fact, there are many variables used to determine a wine’s age worthiness, including a wine’s vintage, varietal, quality, and winemaking techniques used. But sometimes it’s difficult to determine a wine’s aging potential without tasting a barrel sample or popping a cork shortly after the wine is bottled.

Young wines that tend to age the best display pronounced tannins, acidity or sugar, all of which are natural preservatives. Big reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo, have the best aging potential because of their intense tannins. White Burgundies and Rieslings from Germany and Aslace make up for their lack of tannins with high acidity levels. Meanwhile, dessert wines like Sauternes and German Beerenausleses contain high amounts of sugar that help them age gracefully. But these wines also require vivacious fruit and a firm structure that will stick around until the tannins and acidity soften.

Until you start to become more serious about collecting wine or start purchasing bottles priced over $25, don’t worry about trying to age the wine you purchase. But if you’re looking to shed your newbie status and don a pair of spectacles, one of the quickest ways is to start a wine cellar with plenty of age-worthy wines. Here is a quick list of regions and varietals that tend to age the best:

• Alsace, France – Gewürztraminers and Rieslings
• Bordeaux, France – reds and whites from Cru Producers.
• Bugrundy, France – reds and whites labeled Grand Cru or Premier Cru
• Champagne, France – vintage Champagnes
• Germany and Austria – fine Rieslings
• Italy – robust reds such as Barbaresco, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Taurasi
• Portugal – vintage Ports
• Spain – reds from the Rioja and Priorato regions
• United States – Cabernet Sauvignon made by notable California producers

Keep in mind this is a general guideline. The wine could age better or worse depending on variables such as the vintage or the winemaker’s techniques. For example, 1997 and 1999 red wines from Bordeaux should be consumed young, while the same wines grown in 1998 or 2000 could use some time in the cellar. Be sure to check out our wine database for drinking recommendations on individual wines, or drop a line in the discussion board if you have any questions or concerns.

Author: Ryan Snyder
http://www.winegeeks.com/articles/28

In all we tasted 38 wines, the last 11 during a sumptuous dinner at the end of the day. The other 28 wines directly or indirectly covered the bloodlines of the new releases, including a couple of wines new to the portfolio and mini-verticals, spanning 1953 to 2011.

At the time, and even more in retrospect, the planning that lay behind the structure of the event was utterly exceptional. By the time we had finished the dinner we had been treated to Penfolds’ all-time great wines, anchored by the reds, but with support from its more recent chardonnays.

Buried in all of this was an “aw shucks” line-up of ’66, ’76, ’86, ’96, ’06 and ’09 Bin 389, the ’09 not as great a vintage (in general) as those which preceded it, but very good, and sitting comfortably with its predecessors. More wines followed, and finally it was the turn of the ’07 Grange to show its wares. In a reprise of the 389 line-up we had ’77, ’87 and ’97 Granges to set the scene, modest wines with auction prices that tell the tale; however, they made the ’07 look as good as possible.

If there were any second thoughts, they were lost in the dinner that followed. All 11 wines served were great, but the flight of ’53, ’71 and ’76 Grange yielded only to the ’62 Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet Kalimna Shiraz – a glorious bottle of the all-time greatest Australian red wine. If you decide to buy it at auction, be aware that Penfolds is buying back all bottles (in good condition) for $15,000 a pop.

2007 Penfolds Grange

Full crimson, with a purple rim; a blend of 98% shiraz, 2% cabernet sauvignon that exudes power and authority; the bouquet is already complex, the American oak making an impact in its youth, the palate with multiple layers of mainly black fruits; the tannins, like the oak, need to soften and will do so well before the fruit starts to fade. Follows the Grange pattern with 21 months in the 100% new American oak in which it finished its fermentation.
14.5% alc; cork 95 points; drink to 2030 

2008 Penfolds Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

The wine spent 18 months in new French oak and is fundamentally different to the Bin 707. Deep purple-crimson in colour, it has exceptional focus, intensity and length, cedary notes of French oak precisely woven through the vibrant blackcurrant fruit, reaching a crescendo on the finish. It follows in the footsteps of a one-off Coonawarra Cabernet from the 1973 vintage, also given the Bin 169 tag.
14.5% alc; screwcap 97 points; drink to 2038

2011 Penfolds Bin 311 Henty Chardonnay

Bin 311 has previously come from Tumbarumba, but this year the vineyard established by Seppelt in the ’60s produced outstanding grapes, hence the move. Fermented and matured for seven months in 18% new French oak; the bouquet is aromatic, with grapefruit blossom and the merest whisper of oak; the palate has intense grapefruit and white peach flavours, tensioned and lengthened by lingering, minerally acidity.
12% alc; screwcap 96 points; drink to 2022

By James Haliday

http://www.winecompanion.com.au/sitecore/content/wine-companion/articles/news-articles/2012/may/at-home-with-the-grange

The new centre will be the company’s 71st location, and first in the Illawarra.

Local residents and businesses will enjoy the modern facility equipped with all the company’s innovative and customer friendly features.

Twenty Four Hour Access is to be available for all customers without a surcharge. All units will be individually alarmed, controlled through the sophisticated access control system.

Businesses find Kennards an ideal business incubator. Using a space or min-warehouse is flexible and economical, with no Lease, no Bond and no Legals to arrange.

In addition, Kennards offer meeting rooms and free WiFi too!

The property will boast 385 storage spaces in the first stage, with ultimate plans to grow to over 700 spaces. In addition, there will be a large area for secure boat, vehicle and caravan storage.

The new Kennards centre is located at 98 Gipps Street, North Wollongong – near the Bunnings. The centre should be open in September this year.   

Author: Sam Kennard, Managing Director, Kennards Self Storage

This installation compliments the wide range of storage solutions to meet everyone’s needs.

The deposit boxes are securely located in a dedicated vault room fitted with an extensive range of security features including: CCTV monitoring, back to base monitoring, alarms and individual PIN Code access controls.

After entering your unique PIN Code, the vault can be accessed. It has been comfortably appointed to allow customers to attend to their personal belongings with a chair and desk.

At Kennards you have the added convenience with simple payment terms, no bonds and no fixed contracts.

Kennards Self Storage
813-851 South Dowling Street, Moore Park, NSW 2021
Email: moorepark@kss.com.au
Phone: 02 9319 0297
Web: www.kss.com.au

Author: Tony Voung, NSW Operations Manager. Kennards Self Storage

The 7,300 square metre site is on North East Road Klemzig, 8km from the Adelaide CBD. It was formally the home of the Trading Post call centre. The internet has made the weekly publication of the Trading Post obsolete, making this property surplus to its needs.

The first stage of construction will recycle the existing building – formerly a supermarket and then a call centre. This will start with approximately 400 spaces, but ultimately Kennards plan is to build 800 spaces.

Construction will commence in May.

The storage centre will offer customers access 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. It will be equipped with alarms on every single space, which is linked to the sophisticated access control system. Additional security is provided with a comprehensive digital camera surveillance system.
The property is located at 308 North East Road.

Kennards Self Storage have another 2 Adelaide locations – in the south on Goodwood Road, Panorama and west of the CBD at Port Road Thebarton.

Author: Sam Kennard, Managing Director, Kennards Self Storage 

We have the location network and business systems that enable multi-site business customers a compelling solution to operate their business. The increasing tolls on roads and worsening congestion mean centralised operations come with a heavy price. Using Kennards as a regional depot or drop point can save businesses enormous amounts of time.

The Kennards National Corporate Solutions provides large business customers with a single contact, single invoice, pricing simplicity and pricing advantages.

In addition, it is economical to start with no Lease, no Bond and no Legals. This means establishment costs are minimised and leakage to lawyers and similar incidental expenses are non-existent.

Full flexibility – upsize or downsize at any time according to seasons, stock volumes and demand. Plus there is no lock-in period – customers can leave at any time without penalty.

Kennards also offer meetings rooms and complimentary Wi Fi.

If your business needs more space in several locations call our National Corporate Solutions Specialist (Fiona Harding) on 0433 215 739 or email Fiona@kss.com.au

Author: Sam Kennard, Managing Director, Kennards Self Storage

What are the characteristics of wines that age well versus wines that don’t? What does a wine expert look for when they believe a wine will age well?

Determining if a wine will last is not an exact science. Most wine experts use deductive reasoning based on their past experiences to determine what wines age well. There are however, 4 characteristics that most wine people agree on when tasting a wine to see if it will last. Keep in mind that a wine that ages well for 12 years, will most likely not taste as delicious in the first few years of it’s life. The 4 traits we wine geeks look for in and age-worthy wine are high acidity, tannin structure, low alcohol level, and residual sugar.

Acidity

Wines with higher acidity tend to last longer. As a wine ages it slowly loses its acids and flattens out. A wine that starts it’s existence with lower acidity will probably not make it in the long haul. Basically, a wine with higher acid has a longer runway as it ages.

Tannin

Tannin acts as a structural component and red wines with higher tannins tend to age better than lower tannin red wines. Tannins come from contact of the pips and skins of the grapes during wine making and also from oak aging. A wine with well balanced tannins (where there is a balance between ‘grape tannin’ and ‘wood tannin’) will slowly “smooth out” over time as the tannins break down. Despite the fact that tannins can help make a wine age well, if the wine is not well balanced to begin with it will never improve over time. There are many long lived white wines and white wines do not need tannin to age well.

Alcohol Level

Alcohol is volatile in non-fortified wines and causes wines to turn to vinegar more quickly. Generally speaking, the lower the alcohol level in a non-fortified wine the longer it will last. There are of course exceptions to the rule, however, this is the case for many dry red and white wines. When seeking out a wine for aging I check the alcohol level and hope for an ABV below 13.5%. Despite the fact that high alcohol ruins normal still wines, fortified wines are perhaps the longest lived of all wines with 17-20% ABV.

Residual Sugar

This component of a wine is often overlooked because of the popularity of aging dry wines. As it turns out, the longest lived wines tend to be sweet wines including port, sherry, Sauternes and riesling.

 Source: WineFolly

So he did, setting up a store only a few hundred metres away.

Dan immediately began doing things differently. He bought in bulk and sourced many of his wines directly from overseas. He wrote stories and reviews about his wines, he held social functions and started a wine club. Dan Murphy’s retail concept was simple: offer the most extensive range at the lowest prices possible; add a passionate enthusiasm for what you sell; and you’ve got an unbeatable offer.

Their History

As far back as 1878, the Murphy name had been synonymous with liquor retailing in Victoria. Now it is a name known for revolutionising the way liquor is sold in Australia.

Dan Murphy’s passion for wine was all consuming. His many roles in the wine industry included wine journalist, vigneron and founder of Australia’s earliest wine club. Mr Murphy was one of the first importers of wine to Australia and a great supporter of our growing wine industry. He was also a friend to many industry figures who have now assumed legendary status such as Maurice O’Shea and Max Schubert, the father of Grange.

Experienced Customer Service Team Members to help you select your wines

With such a large wine range it is imperative to have people who are extremely well versed in the whole range of liquor categories with a special emphasis on regional knowledge, food and wine matching, and cellaring. That’s why Dan Murphy’s has very knowledgeable team in every store many with professional winemaking experience, selected for their passion and expertise.

In every store you will also find an experienced Fine Wine Manager, ably supported with dedicated staff, all with knowledge that they love to share. They are ready to help you find the perfect wine for every occasion and suited to your budget.

There must be many of Dan Murphy’s carefully selected wines cellared safely in one of our 15 Kennards Wine Cellars!

Author: Lynda Walsh. Wine Cellaring Business Development Manager, Operations Manager NSW, Kennards Self Storage

Source: Dan Murphy’s Online Store