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Australia rides high in the
wine volume sales chart in Ireland, but they’re not happy! It seems we’re
ignoring their better stuff. Most of what we buy is sub €10 shiraz or
chardonnay from ‘South Eastern Australia.’ Martin discusses what the Oz
industry calls their ‘Regional Heroes’ with Sean Moncreiff on the Afternoon
Show this Friday 19/10/07 on Newstalk 106-108FM.
The affordable, popular big
brands clearly do a job. They’re cheap, cheerful, reliable sunshine in a glass
and they apparently satisfy the average drinker’s every need, as most don’t
bother to discover Australia’s true gems.
The Aussie gripe is that at
the weekend, if consumers are thinking of buying something a bit more special
for dinner or if we are handed a wine list in a restaurant, the tendency seems
to be to revert to the French classics. Chablis, Sancerre and Bordeaux rule when
spending it we spend more than €15 in a wine store or €30 in a restaurant.
Well the Australians would
like you to think again. They are promoting something they call regional heroes.
These are wines that have a clear association between a region and a grape
variety or wine style. It’s an old story in Europe and the basis of
the wine laws on this side of the world. pinot noir and chardonnay are
specialities of Burgundy, syrah in the Northern Rhone and Sangiovese in Chianti.
Europe’s combinations of
grape and place have developed over centuries and while they haven’t been
making wine anywhere near as long in Australia, even so certain combos have
proven to be winners. All of these listed below are worth trying and are far
more interesting than the wines sold as ‘Produce of S.E. Australia’.
Lovers of crisp whites should
seek out Hunter Valley semillons or rieslings from Clare Valley or Eden Valley
(but there are lots of other regions making fine rieslings too such as
Tasmania). Sauvignon lovers should try examples from the Adelaide Hills or if
you can find them from Pemberton in Western Australia. Western Australia is also
making a lot of exciting semillon/sauvignon blanc blends too. Not surprisingly
chardonnay is grown from coast to coast and it’s hard to say one place is
best. The most interesting seem to come form the cooler areas like the Adelaide
Hills, the Morning ton Peninsula, Margaret River and higher altitude regions in
North East Vicroia or Southern NSW like Beechworth or Tumbarumba.
Shiraz, like chardonnay is
omnipresent and makes a variety of styles from the light almost elegant ion Mt
Barker in the west to the gutsy full blown in Barossa. The point is to try one
from somewhere specific. Cabernet lovers should try examples from Coonawarra or
Margaret River in particular. The latter can be particularly elegant, almost
European in style. That said I’ve had some fabulous cabernets from Mclaren
Vale this year too although it’s an area best known for shiraz and GSM blends
or grenache, syrah and mourvèdre. These blends are Australia’s answer to
Chateauneuf du-pape and have a really satisfying soft richness. The world’s
trickiest grape is the pinot noir and it has a poor track record down under but
it is improving. Cooler areas do best, with several spots in Victoria giving
exciting results. Pinot lovers should look in particular to Yarra Valley,
Geelong, Mornington Peninsular and Beechworth. Tasmania is starting to do the
business too.
The point is to try a wine,
from somewhere specific and expect to pay €15-25. Yes it seems a lot, but it
just may amaze you and compare it to the €20-25 you might pay for very simple
house wine in a Dublin restaurant and it might seem like a deal. And whatever
you do, try and track down a sensational stickie Rutherglen Muscat and have it
with chocolate mouse.
Wines tasted on the show will
be:
Yering
Station Pinot Noir 2003, Yarra Valley €17.99 (89/100) and available
from Obriens stores, Jayne’s Wines in Enis, Daly’s in Boyle
2nd wine was Tim
Adams Aberfeldy Shiraz 2004, Clare Valley €35, (95/100), made from
100 year old vines and available from Tescos revamped Fine Wine range. Lastly Rosemount
Show Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet 2002 €21.99 (89/100) and widely
available from independent off licences.
If
you still need convincing take yourself off to one of the Ely Wine Bars in
Dublin where they are running a ‘Regional Heroes promotion and offer a dozen
styles by the glass. They also have weekly prize draws to win a case of the 12
on tasting and the one lucky winner will get a trip down under.
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