All About Wine

The Magnificent Seven
Australian wines are popular; statistics have shown they are now more popular than beer. Consumers, whether they are in the cities, the beaches or on the farm are interested in wine, but in most cases they’re knowledge is limited to having heard about “Grange”. Times are a changing; it’s becoming almost embarrassing if you don’t know about Wine. This is where I introduce “The Magnificent Seven”, the Seven Classic Grape Varieties and a guideline to assess quality.
Number one is Semillon; English Master of Wine, Jancis Robinson has labeled Semillon from the Hunter Valley a “Classic Wine Style”. There are examples of Hunter Semillon that have been consumed after more than twenty years in a cellar, but it’s also a great young wine particularly with fresh Aussie Seafood. The consumer can purchase any Hunter Semillon with confidence that when young, its wonderfully zesty acidity will complement the most delicate dishes, Semillon and Scallops is my favourite. An old Semillon is a grand experience where we carefully pull the cork and sniff lemon butter on toast aromas, and still be amazed by the fresh tingly acid that makes Semillon our most engaging food Wine. Semillon is Classic in the Lower Hunter with wines going back to the early 70’s that prove this, but Mudgee, Tenterfield, the Granite Belt and South Burnett in Queensland produce good wine in the same style, while the Barossa and West Australia have there own unique style.
Number two is Riesling. Australia led the world with Clare Valley Riesling under screw cap, reason being that the Winemakers of the Clare are so convinced of the quality of their Riesling that they wanted it protected. In the same way as German and Alsace Wines are unique so are Clare and Eden Valley Rieslings. Young wine drinkers should buy a Jim Barry, Neagles Rock or Kilikanoon Riesling today as they are still very affordable and by the time their, 40 (with the right sort of cellaring) they will be able to enjoy another Australian Classic Wine Style. Rieslings unique lime zest character is perfect with Thai or Spicy Asian (anything with chili) food which today is almost a world wide preoccupation. Rieslings from Margaret River, Tasmania and the Canberra Region are unctuous fruit driven wines.
Number three is Chardonnay, the newcomer that within twenty years of being grown in Australia, took over as the largest planted grape variety and the largest produced wine in a 750ml bottle.
Chardonnay is a matter of preference whether you prefer the cool climate styles of Margaret River and Victoria, or the warmer climate styles of the Hunter and Barossa. The standard of wine produced from Chardonnay grapes is on a steep upward curve. The number of Chardonnay based Wines achieving medals at National and Regional shows has been growing for the past several years and the evidence in the vineyards indicates that as Chardonnay vines reach maturity the quality of the fruit improves and becomes more consistent. Chardonnay from Robert Channon’s Granite Belt Vineyard in Queensland has been recognized along with Wines from Hungerford Hill’s Tumburumba Vineyard, Peter Logan’s property in Orange and David Madew Wines from Lake George near Canberra.
Top shelf Chardonnay is being produced all over Australia and the best is yet to come. When buying Chardonnay I generally advise consumers to buy on reputation and recommendation and to enjoy them frequently.
Magnificent Seven number four is Sauvignon Blanc, a wonderful wine to drink in a climate like Australia. I’ve always had the belief that warm climate Regions produce Wines that are best enjoyed in the coldest climates, like sipping a Classic Rutherglen Muscat in Hobart on a frosty windy August evening, while a Sauvignon Blanc produced at Moorilla Estate at Berridale near Hobart would be best enjoyed with deep fried prawn cutlets on Hamilton Island.
The Classic Region for Sauvignon Blanc is of course our neighbours off the East Coast of Australia in New Zealand where the fish and chips taste so much better with a cool crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Australia does produce excellent Sauvignon Blanc particularly in the cooler high altitude regions of Australia, Adelaide Hills, Margaret River, New South Wales Central Ranges, anywhere is Tasmania, Macedon Ranges, King Valley and Mansfield in Victoria have all produced top quality Sauvignon Blanc. This delightful summer wine will make even fried chicken taste good. The crisp acidity will cut through the grease to allow the delicate characters in the wine to enhance any food flavours. I drink Sauvignon Blanc as soon as I buy it, when it’s warm, with food or without.
Number five is the Prince of Wines, the grape Variety that is the Holy Grail of every Australian Winemaker, Pinot Noir. It can’t be done everywhere successfully but I think they’ve all tried. Pinot Noir is a favourite with Melbournians and the dress circles vineyards around Melbourne produce some splendid examples. Australian Pinot Noir can be very different from Burgundy. There are many different styles of Pinot Noir and Wines from anywhere in Tasmania, lots of spots South of Perth and several of the cooler regions of South Australia produce good Pinot Noir. We have a little while before a definitive Australian Pinot Noir is recognized but in the meantime there are some interesting wines to taste and enjoy with a Duck Breast or a richly flavoured Tuna steak and its certainly cheaper than Red Burgundy.
Number six is Cabernet Sauvignon, if Pinot Noir is the Prince of Wines, Cabernet Sauvignon and its regal qualities make it King. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are the smallest of all wine grapes so the ratio of skin to juice is high producing more tannin and colour. Classic Cabernet Sauvignon is an elegant regal wine style which has a long history in Australia, evidence that Busby & Macarthur both brought cuttings to Australia. Since the modern Wine boom of the 60’s Coonawarra has established itself as the home of classic Cabernet Sauvignon. The 10 year old annual Barrell Auction of Coonawarra Cabernet is a testament to the quality and importance of the variety in the region; Mudgee produces rich Cabernet, very good wines that have great longevity. Margaret River, Barossa, McLaren Vale and Clare have generous Aussie styles that will always please the consumer, while cooler climate Cabernet Sauvignon can have a more savory, earthy, olive and roasted capskim character. Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are more widely produced in Victoria and the Wines named “Cabernets” are generally styles that have great cellaring potential. Older examples of “Cabernets” can be confidently chosen from the wine list.
Magnificent number seven is the Wine that Australia is best known for, ‘Shiraz’. A McLaren Vale Shiraz is what I missed the most when traveling in Europe for five weeks. I missed the sunshine in a glass which is an Australian Shiraz. Barossa, or just about anywhere in mainland Australia produces good Shiraz. I would generally suggest that the inexperienced consumer could feel proud when consuming Shiraz with any group of friends, clients, visitors or family. A good Shiraz can be cellared with confidence, shown to international visitors and its easy to buy a good one.
To identify a “Good Wine”, regardless of Grape variety or style, I use another Magnificent Seven.
A good wine has;
(1) Subtlety
(2) Wonderful fruit Intensity
(3) Complexity of fruit, oak and savory characters
(4) Gentle fine grained tannins and fruit generosity for Structure
(5) Balanced flavours and mouthful regardless of age
(6) Freshness and
(7) A lingering concentration
These seven characteristics are the seven guidelines of Quality. The young consumers can look at a wine bearing in mind these guidelines. He or she can asses the wine to determine how much they want to buy to take home, or whether it’s the next wine they will order when out to lunch with the new client.