Australian Wine

How do I find a wine I like? How do I find the winners?.. because budget wines are hitting a quality level that is worth seeking!

By in Australian Wine, California Wine, Chile Wines, French Wine, German Wines, Italian Wine, New Zealand Wine, Spain Wine, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Chatter and Blather

Over the past 15 years at least a couple of major things have changed. A lot more people are enjoying wine and budget price wines have been improving over the years. Technology has a lot to do with it; but so does the fact that winemakers have been replanting vineyards with grapes that make better wine. Just like plant breeders go all-out to offer more robust, more fragrant roses for gardeners, grape scholars and scientists have helped winemakers improve their vines.

So basically winegrowers are learning how to get more flavor from the grapes they grow by careful timing of watering and pruning. Money matters too. When wines cost $7 or $8 a bottle and above, winemakers can afford to use the better-quality grapes than they used too.

These changes probably mean that today’s under $10 wines would have cost $15 five years ago. Or your $15 wines are hitting a quality level that is worth seeking.Then apply that to a $20 bottle and so on.

Just to think that the price for a high quality Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon or French Bordeaux is roughly $50.

But we are talking the budget wines here… and their advancements!

When you walk down the wine aisle will you will see dozens upon dozens of sensibly priced wines on the shelves, yet picking one amongst the often-whacky labels—including everything from funky monkeys to long-tailed eagles—can be a royal pain. In regards to the style or the appeal of the wines in the bottle can be night and day.

So how in the heck do I find a wine I like?!? How do I find the winners?!?

Here are a few tips to follow to find a really decent wine of good quality.

Choose a grape you previously tasted but this time from a country you’ve never tried. For example some of the best budget or value wines have recently come from Argentina (try Chardonnay or a Malbec) , Chile (try its Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay too). In Spain lower-priced wines from Rioja make good-value (usually the classic Tempranillo grape). Also, South Africa (Chenin Blanc, also known as ‘Steen’ sometimes) are a great opportunity to enjoy.

In the same way; try up-and-coming grapes and wine styles now before they take off in appreciation and reputation (and price). If you enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon style, try a Malbec—those again from Argentina are good values. Vinho Verde is a light, refreshing white wine from Portugal that’s famously inexpensive.

Also, just because it’s pink does not mean it is White Zinfandel.

Don’t pass over rows of massively unrecognized and underpriced rosé wines—many of that are enjoyably dry and crisp. Just so you know…this wine generally goes really great with lightly seasoned fish or chicken dishes.

Riesling, too, is so under-appreciated and that the price remains low for many of these well-designed and delicious wines. Riesling is very versatile. It can be bone dry, semi-sweet or very sweet. So have fun with that.  Remember hot and spicy food goes great with Riesling

By the way…A quick very basic food pairing hint…match ‘Power with Power’
You can’t really judge a quality of a wine by its label, but the label might tell you a bit about the style of wine inside If you see a wine label with a beautiful pastel collage of flowers on it, it’s not going to be a big, heavy concentrated red wine…but you never know… Likewise, a wine with a huge red or dirty old truck on it is unlikely to be anything too light-bodied or sweet.

Look, If you see the brand..Barefoot, Robert Mondavi, Jacob’s Creek, Lindeman’s, Beringer, Kendall Jackson, Echo Domani, Chateau St, Michelle, Yellow Tail, Concha Y Toro, Gallo…even Joseph Drouhin brand is in the budget price game now. Those wines are standardized uniform and consistent, regular- even unvarying.

While it’s tempting to stick to your “same old same old,” usual’s… it’s worth rolling the diceto find a new favorite at a low price. It’s great to know that with all the good wines out there at this price range, the odds are now better than ever that you’ll find winners.

 

Is terroir still central to winemaking? Doesn’t it seem that the New World wines lower its significance…

By in Australian Wine, California Wine, French Wine, Wine Chatter and Blather

Is terroir still central to winemaking?  Doesn’t it seem that New World wines and new world winemakers on the face of it give a lower profile to its significance? Is that really happening?

A lot of wine drinkers say terroir and the ‘sense of place’ is the most important necessity in the wines they most enjoy drinking.

Why is that?

The crux of the issue is that there’s this acceptance that establishing the appearance of prestige for a wine and those who drink it is very important… and to the French this is no alien concept. They are so very good at this

The French market prestige very successfully, particularly in Bordeaux and Burgundy which has exaggeratedly increased the value of the wine in those areas; it’s almost guaranteed that with every vintage there’s recognition that the wines constantly have a place at the uppermost of the wine industry.

In roughly all cases, it practically doesn’t matter what chateau or domaine produced the wine, as the brand is so powerfully tied to the region.

But let’s be clear… the history of accomplishment that has permitted this occurrence to happen, has taken a lot of time and a lot of money and Bordeaux and Burgundy has some of the worlds very best wines.

But can the same tactic be used effectively in the new world?

Napa Valley has as near to a terroir-like approach. Does it matter?

…and yes Napa Valley has established an almost unusual success among wine drinkers, especially with cult cabs and the spotlight on certain AVA’s… But has this truly furthered the region in total?

It’s not so easy to pinpoint because of the regions and sub-regions.

A lot of the new world areas are so much more infinite than their equivalents in the old world. So there will be some degree of comparison. But sometimes not. Let’s take the Barossa Valley of Australia as an example; there are some thirty different soil types while in to contrast in Bordeaux France there are about six.

So how much specificity can one find with the amazing amount of variableness. Probably not very much all the time.

Does modern wine making in new world vineyards make the perception of terroir irrelevant?

Right now the many regions and sub-regions of the new world are virtually unknown outside the local community. It’s changing but not at an accelerated pace. That’s where marketing can come into play and poses a conundrum.

Considering prestige of areas like Bordeaux and Burgundy; the effect is that new world wine makers are pushing the regions that are known and that leads to the new world winemakers knowing that they can do better by leveraging the areas that are known. This leads to more and more oversimplification which is without question the opposite of what terroir is really all about.

What’s really happening is that as more new world producers start to take an interest in terroir, the scientists are staying on top of it and are becoming more concerned in defining terroir and describing its effects on wines. Because there is no denying that where grapes are grown impart unique characteristics into those grapes, which are singular to their region of the world.

 

There is nothing like a great BBQ American Burger and a glass of big red California Zinfandel!

By in Australian Wine, BBQ and Wine, California Wine, French Wine, Wine and Food Pairings

I like all kinds of burgers beef, pork, turkey, lamb, fish and falafel(veggie burgers are awesome)…

 All go great with wine!

But, to me there is nothing like a great grilled American Burger and a glass of big red California Zinfandel.

Surely BBQ goes great with a lot of varietals such as Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or a juicy Barbera. But, there’s something about the lively cherry and that bramble! The Blackberry, even Raspberry character…Which is what a lot of California Cabernet has as well, It has spice  and some volcanic smokiness. There can be a lot of heat too because of the alcohol as well. For BBQ’s its a Zin that says “Drink me”!

This is the rule I go by in BBQ. Go ‘Power with Power’ which means the spice in your burger can go with the spice in your wine. Unless you want to go way on the other end of the scale with a very acidic wine. That’s why weirdly enough sometimes a Sancerre wine or an Italian Barbera does the trick. Just think…Why does Port wine go so well with Blue cheese?… Same thing!

I digress…Now by American Burger I mean ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, plenty of garlic, salt, freshly ground pepper American cheese(optional). It can be Wisconsin cheddar… and of course buns…and any garnishes or condiments that you like.

OK, in searching for balance with wine, chuck works best with a burger because it has a good fat vs lean ratio. You need around 20-25% fat on your meat or you may end up with a dry burger…unless you prefer it that way.

Light your charcoal to preheat and let the coals burn down to a medium hot temperature.

Make sure your grill surface is hot and oil to take advantage of the sealing in the flavors and get some of that grill mark taste.  Cook the burgers 3-4 minutes on each side depending on your level of doneness. Put it on your bun, garnish it and enjoy!

Remember these things…

Don’t push down on the burgers, you will squeeze out the juices and lose flavor. Sometimes you see your neighborhood burger guy do it. They do it for speed nothing else. You are trading off flavor for speed of getting your burger quicker.

The FDA says to 160 degrees; but if you like mediun rare it’s around 145 to 150 degrees. You need to decide what you like and your level of risk of course.

A big Juicy Zinfandel such as a Cline Ancient Vines, Ridge Three Valleys(a lot of choices in Ridge wines), Ravenswood Lodi (same here), The Rancho Zabaco’s Heritage too…just to name a few. Oh and the Sancerre (white!!!), try one from Kermit Lynch, the acidity will cut through the fat of the burger and bring out the fruit in the wine.

My day with Australian Barrossa and some fine tasty sausages

By in Australian Wine, Tastings, Wine and Food Pairings

I was having something called a Metty sausage that I bought with some kangaroo burgers(which I bought in a specialty market) that I haven’t tried yet. The Metty sausage is full of meat – not fatty. almost none it seems!… and lots of flavor, smokey bacon, tangy brandy…

I paired it with The Barossa Peter Lehman 2007, Penfolds Bin 28 2007. Both wines which I like a lot; year in and year out.

All this made me reflect…

I think Syrah from the Barrossa are exceptional and diverse and often provide great value. In the early 2000’s Australian Barrossa was a revelation. Big black fruit jammy opulent wines, rich with pepper and smoke, which I like. But later in the decade became a little homogeneous from folks cashing in on the craze of this wine hitting its stride. But now appears to be back on track.

To dig a little deeper…Syrah style changes depending on the climate, region and of course the winemaker. The aromas and flavors from most Syrah include pepper, blackberry and leather or smoke. Australian Shiraz and Central or Southern California Syrah are usually more thick in fruit flavors, some quite jammy even chewy and in the warm environments leads to riper fruit. On the other hand, in France the Northern Rhone style of Syrah classically shows more pepper and leather notes, with a lot less upfront fruit. The other place that makes a knockout Syrah is Washington state .

Getting back to the Barrossa, I think one of the prominent reasons for it being one of the world’s best wine regions is it’s home to some of the oldest vineyards in the world and with this history, and the soil that is low in fertility, which makes for intense wine, and the age of these vines bring a lot to the table.

The region is renowned for its Shiraz, but the Barossa is much more than Shiraz. Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mataro (also known as Mourvedre), Merlot and also Semillon are in ample supply and the wine styles include the well-known GSM Rhone style blends. They are marketed as such!

A lot to ponder, especially while having a snack of sausages…and now for that kangaroo!

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