Australian Wines

G'day in a Glass

Think Australia and cuddly koalas and jumping kangaroos come to mind. Only when wine is mentioned does the impression of popular, budget-conscious bottles spring to mind.

To curb that notion, Australian producers, in cooperation with the Australian Wine Bureau, embarked on a three-city tour at our summer's start. Seattle, along with Los Angeles and Detroit, were treated to sample sips and chats with winemakers as the fall harvest neared completion down under.

"The success of the under $15 category is a small part of Australian wine," explains Liz O'Connell, director of trade for Southcoup, a company that bottles under the Penfolds, Rosemount, Lindemans and Wynns labels. "All of us want to educate American wine lovers, pulling the corks and putting our bottles in front of people."

Penfolds Grange, made with Shiraz grapes, is one of the premier wines of Australia, a flagship for both the brand and the country. This wine can cellar for decades. Following the May 1 release of the 1998 vintage, it sold out in one day in Australia - at A$400 a bottle. Also, Rosemount's flagship Shiraz, Balmoral Syrah, made the Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines of 2002.

The world is sitting up and taking notice. Since Australian wine got its legs in 1999, export has more than doubled, with 15 million cases being shipped to the U.S. alone, says Jan Stuebing, Director, Australian Wine Bureau, New York. Wine lovers are also discovering the different varietals and styles. The most planted grape in the primary growing region of the Yarra Valley is Pinot, with 1,700 acres. Chardonnay is number two at 1,475.

The single standout with Australian wines stems from the winemakers. Blending and innovation are the watchwords.

Blending is what has given Australian wines their great consistency year in and year out. Blending, across regions, may go against the Euro-grain but the winemakers on tour contend that using the best grapes produces the best wine.

We do not have the appellation system, as in France," Stuebing explains. "We don't put borders around a region - we plant anything where weather and soil condition will allow."

"Winemakers get a lot of joy making hand-crafted wines," says O'Connell. "The methods they use are not just because it is tradition. They are always looking for innovation and the vineyards and wineries in Australia and New Zealand are on the cutting edge of technology."

Australian winemakers on tour presented specific selections representative of the various growing regions.

Yerling Station "Reserve" Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2000, $38. According to Gordon Gebbie, International Sales Director, Yering Station, this wine compares to Burgundy wines; it is ready to drink a bit earlier, in two to three years, but the best vintage is in five years. The flavor is concentrated and complex with lovely ripe black cherry and plum flavors. Aging in French oak gives it a toasty, smoky aroma. The wine is from the Yarra Valley region, first planted to grapes in 1838. The valley is home to some of Australia's best-known producers. Despite a variation in altitude in the region, the climate is cool with average temperatures lower than Bordeaux or Burgundy.

Elderton "CSM" Barossa 1999, $35. Winery co-owner, Cameron Ashmead, of Elderton Estate, says that the healthy root stock of Australian wines gives their wines complexity similar to Northern Italy. This blend of 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 percent Shiraz, and 10 percent Merlot, spends 22 months in a combination of French and American oak. The wine is intense, delivering ripe plums, spice, and licorice notes, with chocolate and mocha nuances. The wine is ready-to-drink now, but should evolve over the next six to 10 years. The wine is from the warm climate of the Barossa region, a region with more than eight hours of sunshine a day. The area produces both red and white, but Shiraz is the most planted with over 8,000 acres, accounting for more than half of all red-wine grape acreage.

Yangarra Park "Appellation Series" McLaren Vale Shiraz 2001, $15. Winemaker at Yangarra Park, Peter Fraser, claims this to be what typifies an Australian Shiraz, fullness in the middle palate, richness and ripeness in flavors. The flavor profile reveals a rich aroma of plum and black cherry with hints of dry spice. The wine comes from McLaren Vale, a 40-minute drive south of South Australia's capital city, Adelaide. Most vineyards are less than 10 miles from the sea, but altitudes range from 160 feet to over 1,150 feet so the temperatures vary greatly. The region is relatively dry, with only seven inches of precipitation accumulating over an average growing season and 20 more in winter. Nearly 40 percent of all plantings are Shiraz. Vineyards boast 80 to 100 year-old vines.

Brookland Valley Margaret River Cabernet Merlot 1999, $30. From the southwest corner of Australia, 150 miles south of Perth, comes an area ripe with boutique producers now able to produce enough volume for export. Brookland Valley owner, Malcolm Jones, says that the blend of 87 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 13 percent Merlot is made from batch harvested fruit, picked by hand according to flavor ripeness, then aged in French oak for 20 months to present an elegant style - rich and with a good backbone. The aromas include red fruit and olives, earthiness, and spice. On the palate, the texture is soft. The Margaret River region is home to vineyards less than a mile from the Indian Ocean with cool evening breezes bringing an average mid-January (mid-summer) temperature of just 68 degrees. Cabernet is the hallmark of the region.

Appetite whet for a glass of g'day to go with the shrimp on the barbie? Many Seattle area wine shops have a selection of Aussie wines to try.

Many supermarkets and specialty food stores also carry a selection of Australian wine. Remember, if you don't find what you are looking for, or need help with your wine selection, wine specialists within the retail stores are happy to help. Like winemakers, they enjoy talking to customers about wines, wine growing regions, and growing practices.

Mina Williams/Summer 03

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