Tasting Terroir: Carribie Mineral Water on the Sensing Up Podcast

We're proud to share that Carribie Mineral Water is the subject of a recent episode of Sensing Up, the podcast hosted by Adelaide cheese specialist Valérie Henbest and media sensation from Good Cheese Week. In "Sweet Carribie" (Season 4, Episode 9), our founder Damien Smith sits down with Valérie to taste our water the way you would a fine wine: slowly, from a wine glass, paying attention to every stage of the palate.

About Sensing Up with Valérie Henbest

Sensing Up is a fortnightly podcast about slowing down and letting your senses guide you. Valérie is a French-Australian cheese specialist from Normandie and the force behind the Smelly Cheese Shop at the Adelaide Central Market. She received the French National Order of Agricultural Merit in 2023 and is a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers in Paris. Few people are better placed to judge whether a water has real character.

Why Talk About Terroir in Mineral Water?

People rarely use words like terroir or vintage for water. Those words usually belong to wine. But some sources are distinctive enough that the wine vocabulary fits, and that's the idea the episode explores.

Carribie comes from a single ancient aquifer beneath our family's remote coastal property on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula. Its taste reflects that place: the geology, the coastline, and the sea spray that carries natural minerals inland. The name Carribie comes from the local word for "where the emu drinks," a tribute to the native plants and animals of the land the water comes from.

From Champagne to Mineral Water: Damien's Story

Damien's background is in wine. His career began at Moët Hennessy Australia in the early 2000s, and years of tasting champagne and fine wine trained his palate. That palate first told him the water on his family's property was special.

Our family has now spent close to two decades learning to taste, describe and bottle that water. Damien and his wife Gretchen, who is training to become Australia's first female water sommelier, are building what we believe is the world's first terroir mineral water estate dedicated to gastronomy and wellness.

What Valérie and Damien Tasted

In the episode, Valérie and Damien taste Carribie Still and Carribie Sparkling side by side. They map each one against the front, mid and back palate structure used to assess wine and champagne. Here is what stood out:

Front palate: a gentle natural sweetness, from sodium chloride that sea spray carries onto the land.
Mid palate: a savoury, almost umami quality that gives the water real depth.

Finish: a long, slightly glycerous texture that coats the tongue rather than simply passing across it.

Tasting from a wine glass instead of a tumbler brings all of this into focus. By the end of the tasting, both agreed that a water this distinctive earns the language of terroir.

Taste It for Yourself

You can taste both waters from the episode at home:

Carribie Mineral Water Still: soft and rounded, a natural partner for delicate food and fine cheese.
[Link to: https://carribie.com/products/carribie-mineral-water-still]

Carribie Mineral Water Sparkling: lively and refreshing, with the same savoury depth and long finish.
[Link to: https://carribie.com/products/carribie-mineral-water-sparkling]

Tip: to taste the way Valérie and Damien did, pour into a wine glass at cellar temperature and take a moment to notice the front, middle and finish.

Listen to the Full Episode

"Sweet Carribie: Carribie Mineral Water with Damien Smith" is around 30 minutes long and available now.

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/sweet-carribie-carribie-mineral-water-with-damien-smith/id1702451305?i=1000787281563]

Visit the Sensing Up podcast page:
https://smellycheese.co/pages/sensing-up-podcast]

Thank you to Valérie and the Sensing Up team for having us, and for giving Carribie the same attention you give the world's great cheeses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is terroir mineral water?
Terroir mineral water is water whose taste clearly reflects the place it comes from, such as its geology, climate and surroundings. That is the same idea behind terroir in wine. Carribie comes from a single aquifer on the Yorke Peninsula, and its distinctive palate comes from that specific site.

Where does Carribie Mineral Water come from?
Carribie comes from a single ancient aquifer on our family's coastal property on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia.

What does Carribie taste like?
It opens with a gentle natural sweetness, moves into a savoury, almost umami middle, and finishes long with a soft, coating texture.

What does the name Carribie mean?
Carribie comes from the local word for "where the emu drinks," honouring the flora and fauna of the land.

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