"Australia
is still holding on to the hearts, minds and purse strings of the
wine buying public in the UK and Ireland, where Australian winemakers
command about a quarter of both off-trade markets, although less in
the on-trade. This is largely due to the long-term success of popular
brands, easy-going fruit-laden styles and a seemingly laid-back
approach to wine marketing and culture in general. The Australian
wine industry is trying to move on from cliched images of “Aussie
Chardy or Cab Sauv with a barbie” via a campaign (called A+
Australia) highlighting its more premium wines, varied and distinct
wine subregions and lesser-known grape varieties. This 'new'
direction has its critics in Australia, who think this strategy is
too narrow and turns it back on the volume brands that made Aus wine
famous. But, in a continuing climate of sharp price promotions in the
supermarkets and stiff competition from other wine producing
countries, where else can Australia go?
 |
| Petaluma's Hanlin Hill Vineyard Clare Valley |
Taking
a quote from the catalogue at Wine Australia's big Dublin tasting
(back in March) serves as a handy introduction to two white
varieties, which deserve more attention and distribution: “Riesling
has
a bad reputation with wine drinkers, Semillon has no reputation!”
The standard of Australian Riesling is, however, generally pretty
high and it can deliver plenty of flavour and food-friendly
satisfaction; but it's still not easy persuading consumers to buy a
bottle. Certain
regions stand out in particular for this once-scorned variety –
e.g. Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills (both in South Australia) and Great
Southern (Western Australia) - and wineries such as Grosset,
Petaluma, Lehmann, Plantagenet, Mt Horricks and Leasingham. And
they're making wines for anyone who likes their dry whites with real
character, from zesty easier drinking now to serious styles destined
for bottle-ageing and Riesling die-hards. The catch is, inevitably,
price, as most of the ones mentioned range from around £8 to over
£20 retail; so they'd fit more comfortably in an upmarket
independent wine shop or on a restaurant list.
Coming
back to reputation-free Semillon, there was no shortage of curiosity
at a special tutored tasting of this varietal at the above-mentioned
event, which was full of eager sommeliers, wine merchants and
journalists. The dry whites (and one sweet) on show dated from
vintages 2007 to 2000, a rare enough dimension, and demonstrated what
remarkable wines can be made from 100% Semillon in Australia,
especially in the Hunter and Barossa Valleys and by certain wineries
that really have mastered a distinctive style. The problem is
perhaps, when dry, it often makes a rather uncompromisingly 'steely'
and subtle wine, austere even, which doesn't reveal much without a
few years bottle ageing bringing out complex quirky flavours. This
makes them a difficult sell without a little explanation or
endorsement, but again aged Semillon is a great food-pairing wine.
Its typical very crisp acidity comes from early picking to preserve
this age-bestowing freshness, which helps the wine blossom in bottle
and also gives lighter alcohol levels of around 11% to 12% (something
consumers are beginning to look out for). The line-up included pretty
famous and widely-stocked names too - Lehmann, McWilliams, Tyrrell
and De Bortoli – and offer better value than some Rieslings on a
similar quality level.
As
for red wines, Australia has gained a strong following for its
Shiraz/Syrah; and the current challenge is to better promote all
their different regional styles. While there's something endlessly
thrilling about those classic rich meaty Shirazes from the Barossa
Valley (St. Hallett, Two Hands Wines, Yalumba, Lehmann) or McLaren
Vale (Chateau Reynella, d'Arenberg, Mitolo, Wirra Wirra), there are
also plenty of the more restrained peppery styles around from
Australia's 'cooler' climate regions, sometimes blended with a splash
of the aromatic white variety Viognier. Areas and wineries to look
out for include Yarra Valley (Innocent Bystander, De Bortoli) and
Heathcote (Greenstone) in Victoria, Adelaide Hills (Shaw &
Smith), and Mount Barker (Plantagenet) and Frankland River
(Ferngrove) in Western Australia.
There's
also an exciting, and logical trend towards making 'Rhone' or
'Mediterranean' style red varietals and blends, with increasing
interest in planting more Spanish, Italian and Portuguese varieties
in hot regions. This isn't totally new of course, given that there's
some 100+ year-old Shiraz and Grenache in Barossa and McLaren.
Certain winemakers are getting to grips with Mourvèdre
too, also known as Mataro or Monastrell, on its own or in a blend
with Shiraz
and Grenache;
while others are experimenting with Tempranillo or Sangiovese. Tasty
examples of some of these styles are produced by Turkey Flat, John
Duval, Willunga 100 and Brown
Brothers."
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