Australia
Australia made its reputation with American wine drinkers on a raft of
good-value wines, especially Chardonnay that cost less than $10. Every
year, however, a larger number of small-production, hand-crafted, highly
individual wines are reaching our shores from across the Pacific. Many
of these wines cost $20 to $30 and more. Many of them are gems waiting
to be discovered.
The Australian wine industry has worked hard to satisfy a market of Aussies
who like to drink wine and prefer to spend as little as possible on it.
The past decade has seen an explosion of interest within Australia in
wines that Americans like, too: Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. These
two types, plus Australia's red wine specialty, Shiraz, make up the bulk
of Down Under exports to the United States. Riesling is big in Australia
itself, where it has long been the quaffing white wine of choice, but
few brands bother to export the stuff in this direction.
Australia, like America, labels its best wines with varietal names. The
rules are similar, in that varietal wines are made entirely or mostly
from the single grape variety named on the front label. Often more than
one variety is named, by order of amount: Shiraz-Cabernet has more Shiraz
in it, and Cabernet-Shiraz has more Cabernet.
As anywhere else, the narrower and more prestigious the geographical
appellation, the higher the price of the wine. As a result, most value-oriented
wines carry broad appellations such as "South Eastern Australia,"
which encompasses a region nearly 600 miles wide, or simply "Australia."
Australian vineyards tend to produce grapes with prominent fruit flavors
that bring a certain charm even to lesser wines. Aussie winemakers are
also brilliant at blending wines from various regions and giving them
judicious cellar treatments to achieve a consistent style. The best Chardonnays
can hold their own against the best from Burgundy and California.
Other than Chardonnay, Sémillon is the white variety Aussies prize
most, for the herbal, tobacco and lanolin flavors that sneak in around
the fruit. At lower prices, however, we recommend their Sémillon
blended either with Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. The few Rieslings that
make it across the Pacific are worth trying, too.
Among the reds, top honors go to Shiraz, which is the Australian term
for Syrah, the prime grape variety of the Northern Rhône. Down Under
versions tend to emphasize rich, mouth-filling fruit flavors in chewy,
often sumptuous textures and structures. Penfolds Grange is the most famous
and the list of other worthy Shirazes seems to double every year.
The best red wine values are often Cabernet-Shiraz blends, which tend
to cost less than either varietal sold separately. Aussie Shirazes in
the under-$10 range tend to spill over with delicious fruit. The Cabernets
edge toward supple drinkability as well. The blends, though less distinctive,
are usually sturdy wines that should be drunk young.
Finally, don't miss the dessert wines. Australia makes some of the best
in the world, including tawny Ports that match up very well with Portuguese
bottlings at several times their prices. And the fortified Muscats may
not be fashionable, but they are delicious.
Learn more about these Wine Regions:
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