In 1997 when BRL Hardy Ltd (now Hardy Wine Company, a division of US-based Constellation Brands) announced ambitious plans for Canberra, the local industry, then twenty-six years old, produced about thirty thousand cases of wine annually from about 400 tonnes of grapes. It was a time of great optimism for the Australian wine industry. Surging … Continue reading Canberra wine region consolidates
What’s the connection between Olivia Newton John and two buck Chuck? Yes, there is one. And it’s in some blue coloured wine bottles sold through Woolworth’s BWS chain a few weeks back. But before we discover the connection, let’s meet two buck Chuck. A couple of years ago American retailer Trader Joe’s released the Charles … Continue reading Two buck Chuck’s Aussie debut
Yalumba Eden Valley Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2005 $16 to $18 I’ve mentioned before the ‘trickle down effect’, where wineries spend decades developing their top wines at great expense and how this learning trickles down to lift the quality of cheaper wines. This is unquestionably the case with this wine – a junior sibling to Yalumba … Continue reading Wine review — Yalumba, Saltram & Wither Hills
Last year I promised to come back with an extended shopping list of 2005 vintage Australian rieslings. As a group these present an extraordinary buying opportunity because they offer exceptional drinking and, in most cases, can be found at discounted prices in Australia’s extraordinarily competitive market. Australia — and especially South Australia — has an … Continue reading Wine review — a feast of Aussie 2005 rieslings
Bay of Fires Tasmania Pinot Gris 2005 $27 Bay of Fires is the premium Tasmanian brand of The Hardy Wine Company, made in Tasmania by Fran Austin. Fran’s pinot gris – sourced from the Coal River Valley near Hobart and from the Tamar River, north of Launceston – possesses some of the underlying textural richness … Continue reading Wine review — Bay of Fires, Majura Vineyard & Pewsey Vale
Turn your back on a pinot noir vine and it’s likely to mutate. No kidding. Not that it has much chance to these days because, like all grape vines, they’re bred pure from cuttings — avoiding natural reproduction and the mutation that does with it. Thankfully French monks maintained pinot’s purity through the Middle Ages. … Continue reading Pinot grigio, pinot gris — call it what you like, it’s still grey
Surrounded by cries of doom and gloom and real pain being suffered by many winemakers and grape growers, it’s easy to overlook the huge and continuing success of Australia’s wine industry. In many ways it’s a model, market-focused, export-driven agricultural industry, delivering, in the main, highly-value-added exports – totalling $2.8 billion dollars in the year … Continue reading Exporting our way out of surplus
Yalumba ‘Y’ Series South Australia Riesling 2005 $9 to $12 Despite the humble price, ‘Y’ comes from the Barossa and the Eden Valley, key riesling areas. And in the hands of the Yalumba team, you can always count on the flavour and freshness being there. With 52 points out of 60 and a silver medal … Continue reading Wine review — Yalumba, Helm & Peter Lehmann
The sheer delicious pleasure of drinking riesling, young or old, and the efficacy of screw caps for both early drinking and cellaring wines came through at the recent National Wine Show exhibitors’ tasting. Faced with 1400 wines and just four hours’ tasting time, quick forays into chardonnay, cabernet and shiraz turned to a dedicated look … Continue reading Riesling sizzles at the National Wine Show
Domaine Day Eden Valley Garganega 2005, $19.95 Former Chief Winemaker of Orlando, Robin Day, believes he is the first in Australia to plant garganega, the white grape of Soave, in Italy’s Veneto region. I had to visit Wellington, New Zealand, to taste the wine but have since enjoyed it twice in Australia, most recently at … Continue reading Wine review — Domaine Day, Glug & McWilliams Hanwood