Australian Wines - Cheat Sheet

Lessons Learned or the Top 10 Things to Know about Aussie Wines (to sound like a wine geek!):

1. Australia has been producing wine since the 1800‘s, when the emphasis was more on fortified wines; however, the modern wine industry as we know it really took root in the 1970's. Despite its reputation for Shiraz, wine production in OZ is now dominated by what's known as the big three - Chardonnay, Cabernet and Shiraz.

2. In general, Aussie winemakers are focused on emphasizing the simple fruit flavor of the grapes as opposed to creating structurally complex styles. They have intense, fruity whites and soft, chocolaty, mouth-filling reds.

3. Aussie Shiraz is one of the world’s preeminent "value" wines, a reputation it is trying to shake as such a moniker is often synonymous with bland wines to be avoided. This reputation stems from wines hailing from, not surprisingly, the most productive wine regions in Australia which are known as Riverland or Riverina (sometimes just labeled as South East Australia). These areas are heavily irrigated to produce large yields and lackluster grapes. One of the secrets of great wine making is that in order to produce excellent fruit you need to stress the grapevines by depriving them of water and forcing them to find their way in rocky, inhospitable soils. These practices, along with selective pruning (bush pruning in Australian parlance), produce complex wines. Unless you are after an inexpensive, relatively palatable Tuesday night wine, you should avoid irrigated wines - dryland farming is the key!

4. Despite its reputation for producing massive amounts of low quality Shiraz, the Australian wine industry is much more complex. For one thing, practitioners are constantly focused on improving the science and technology of wine making. A center for wine education is the Adelaide Australian Wine Research Institute. Additionally, in an attempt to improve the quality of their wines, many Aussie wine makers have a high penchant for traveling overseas to get the best training. As a result there are many exciting wines being made down under from a wide variety of varietals; they are often just not brought to our American attention.

5. Additionally, it is important to note that not all wine in Australia is produced in the Barossa Valley. Indeed, there is production in all states. Most of the best wine-producing areas are essentially in the south and the west, however, Hunter Valley is a standout in the mid-north east near Sydney. The states to concentrate on are Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. The particular regions of excellence in each of those states is discussed in more depth below.

6. New South Wales - This is the northernmost, and hence the hottest and wettest, state to focus on. The main region is Hunter Valley, which is the home of Rosemount Estate. While Hunter Valley initially gained a reputation for Shiraz, it is really its Semillon that has attained a high level of excellence, while the reds churned out are of a low quality. The Semillons are generally produced un-oaked and yet still are able to age 10 to 20 years out exhibiting honeyed, buttery and nutty flavors. These wines are very hard to find outside of Oz.

7. South Australia - Home of the Barossa Valley, possibly the most well known Aussie wine region. Most of the largest wineries are based there (such as Penfolds). The wineries have chosen to focus on dry farming and bush pruning and hence produce often fabulous, inky, dark wines. Australia’s most famous wine, Grange, is produced here. This is definite Shiraz country. Other wine areas in S.A. have also come to preeminence. The McLaren Vale produces excellent wines from smaller vineyards. While Shiraz is still key, the area actually produces excellent Rhone-style Grenache and GSM blends (Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvèdre). It also produces a ton of white wine whose characteristics are dominated by the ocean. Think melony and citrus chardonnay. The last area of note is Coonawarra which is in the limestone coast. This cooler area produces excellent Cabernets.

8. Tasmania - The land down under down under is Pinot Noir country with its cool climate and moister conditions. Areas of note are Tamar River, Pipers Brook and Coal River. The majority of the Pinot Noir goes into making excellent, dry sparking wines in the champagne style. However, excellent, burgundy style reds are produced as well. This area is still taking off and it is often very difficult to find the wines outside of Aussie. Keep it on your radar though.

9. Victoria - One of the oldest wine producing regions in Australia, Victoria wineries were historically focused on Tokay or dessert wines. Actually, Australian Tokay, by way of coincidence, was matured in conditions similar to those used to produce Madeira; hence their excellence. Today, the range of wine produced is much broader. Yarra Valley is probably the most well known name in the area - it is often compared to Napa with its close proximity to Melbourne (much like San Francisco). The climate is actually cooler (even than Bordeaux) due to altitude and maritime influences. As a result, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, rather than Shiraz are the dominant varieties in the area. There is one new star on the horizon - Shiraz-Viognier. Keep an eye out for it. Finally, another important region is Heathcote. Heathcote is often not known outside of OZ, however, it produces amazing Shiraz which are deeply colored, rich and nuanced.

10. Western Australia - While you will still see mention of the Swan Valley, the big area is Margaret River. This is Cabernet country - think elegance with strength, redcurrant fruit with a seasoning of gravelly terroir. Additionally, the area produces intriguingly grassy Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as some excellent Chardonnay.