Wines from New Zealand and Australia
Part 1: Australia
By Jens Strecker of
Portalis Wines
Home to almost every possible climatic and soil
condition capable of supporting grape vines, Australia and New
Zealand produce a dizzying array of wines in every possible style
and color. From sweet Rieslings, rich Semillons and creamy
Chardonnays to elegant Pinot Noirs, dusty Cabernet Sauvignons and
spicy Shiraz, wines from these countries offer something for
everyone.
The History
Australia and New Zealand provided its first settlers no ready raw
material for making wine. Second-wave arrivals Down Under had to
carry their own vines all the way from Europe. The first vineyards
on the continent were planted in Sydney in 1788. It wasn’t until
1819 that a group of missionaries planted the first vines in New
Zealand.
It wasn’t until the advent of temperature-controlled fermentation
that Down Under wines began to command the attention and respect of
the world with their irresistible combination of taste and value.
Today, the numbers tell the story: From 1984 to 2000, Australian
wine export increased over 22 fold.
Having successfully dodged the last two centuries’ greatest wine
scourges (the phylloxera infestation that destroyed the great
vineyards of Europe, and the experiment with Prohibition in
America), Australia boasts some of the world’s oldest commercially
active vines.
Australia in a Bottle
Australian wines are usually looked upon as competitively priced
varietal wines, though blends are as popular as single-grape
bottlings. The style of most wines is generally quite similar to
those from California, with broad, fruit-led flavors, relatively low
acidity and liberal use of oak to ferment and/or age the wine.
Although grapevines can be found in every one of the Australian
seven states, the majority of the country’s best vineyards are
concentrated in the southeast and southwest corners, in the states
of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.
The most widely planted white grape is Chardonnay. The most
widely planted red is Shiraz.
Wine Picks
Hope Estate Shiraz 2000, Hunter Valley (Australia) $15
Shiraz, when grown in the warmish climate of Australia’s Hunter
Valley, adds the scents and savor of earth and smoked meat to the
usual suspects of black pepper, blackberries and plums. Hope
Estate’s tightly wound version boasts of all the above, plus a
complex whiff of saddle leather and tar.
Charles Cimicky “Trumps” Grenache/Shiraz 2001, Barossa Valley
(Australia) $13
Densely concentrated black berry fruits mingle with the scents and
flavors of vanilla and exotic spices in this old vines Grenache –
Shiraz blend from Charles Cimicky. Named for an illicit vineyard
hideout where the Barossa’s pioneer winemakers used to meet for
card-playing and claret, “Trumps” is as satisfying to the soul as it
is to your tongue. Try to trump this!
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