A Wine Intelligence survey, released at the London International Wine Fair in May, reveals that wine drinkers in the USA and the UK – our two biggest markets – show little awareness of Australian or New Zealand wine regions. Even after a decade of dominance by Australian wine imports in both countries, just 38 per … Continue reading Light up a Marlborough — the trouble with wine regions
While shiraz and chardonnay slug it out for top spot (we produced 436 thousand and 445 thousand tonnes respectively in 2008), cabernet holds confidently to its less publicised third position at 254 thousand tonnes. Like shiraz, it works in a variety of regions, if not as easily, producing robust, pleasing flavours – albeit with a … Continue reading Aussie, French, US and Chilean cabernets reviewed
In December last year Australia and Europe tied off a loose end that had been dangling since March 1994. But who’s going to tell grandma that the agreement spells the end of Australian ‘sherry’ (the name at least, if not the drink)? We’d committed to dropping European wine names from our labels under a wine … Continue reading Who’ll tell grandma?
There’s a saying going around the industry that you can always tell a Foster’s wine executive – but you can’t tell them much. It shows in every part of their faltering wine empire, and even in a recent press release announcing the launch in Australia of wine in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles. It’s an … Continue reading Will wine in plastic bottles succeed in Australia?
Ask any retailer and they’ll tell you Hunter shiraz is a hard sell. In the past it’s been described as tasting of sweaty saddles, old boots and even a gypsy’s nether regions. Like its white cellar mate, semillon, Hunter shiraz remains an intensely loved, niche wine style with tremendous ageing ability. The best are profound … Continue reading A yummy Hunter shiraz tasting
McWilliam’s Hanwood Chardonnay 2007 $9–$13 This is the story of the cheeky ocker wine that took on posh champs from around the world and won! In the Chardonnay du Monde competition, Burgundy, in March, humble Hanwood earned a gold medal and a top-10 placing. It’s not an unusual achievement for a cheaper Australian wine. And … Continue reading Wine tasting — McWilliams Hanwood and Crittenden Estate
Until recently Australia’s vignerons had – or thought they had – about 150 hectares of albarino in the ground. But DNA testing initiated by the CSIRO in January found that our albarino was, in fact, savagnin blanc (not related to the popular variety sauvignon blanc, and also known as traminer). The discovery opens a can … Continue reading Albarino mix-up spreads to Spain
Peter Gago presented the soon-to-be-released Grange 2004 and other top-end Penfolds wines in Canberra recently. What a contrast I noted between these confident, beautiful, unique, world-class wines and the dour attitude of Foster’s (Penfolds’ parent company) towards its suffering wine division. The survival of the Penfolds culture across decades of rationalisation, culminating in Foster’s disastrous … Continue reading Gago keeps the Penfolds flame burning
Mitchell’s of Clare have made extraordinarily good wines consistently since 1975, when Jane and Andrew Mitchell kicked off the venture. I first tasted the wines in the late seventies and have enjoyed them every year since – on the tasting bench, with meals and on all-too-rare visits to the winery. It’s a sustained and impressive … Continue reading Mitchell — a great Clare Estate
Chateau Shanahan’s in the grip of a severe riesling addiction. Our pleasure comes reliably and economically. And it’s a direct result of Australia’s dramatic switch from cork to screwcap – precipitated in 1999 by a group of determined Clare Valley riesling makers. Thanks to winemaker Jeffrey Grosset and his Clare Valley mates we’re all enjoying … Continue reading A decade of screwcaps pays off for riesling drinkers