Shiraz is the Antipodean name for Syrah, a famous grape from the North Rhone in France. In Australia, Shiraz typically produces very powerful, rich and full bodied red wines. Winemakers like Shiraz for its vigorous growth and capacity to deal with wet weather near harvest better than most varieties – just about every Australian vineyard produces a shiraz, accounting for the more than 750 different Shiraz wines recorded in the www.verymuchgrape.com.au wine database.
Shiraz produced in different parts of Australia produces quite different wine styles – grapes grown in the cooler southern areas (e.g. Coonawarra, Barossa Valley in South Australia) tend to produce a spicier, more full bodied result than grapes grown further north (e.g. Hunter Valley in NSW). Whilst it is hard to generalise accurately, a typical Hunter shiraz could be expected to be relatively lighter with a distinctive earthy feel. Regardless, a good Shiraz will typically benefit from some bottle age to soften the tannins usually associated with these wines.
Australia’s most famous Shiraz is Penfolds Grange – developed by wine pioneer Max Schubert, current vintages sell for several hundred dollars for a single bottle. A well cellared Grange from one of the wines best vintages (e.g. 1955) would sell at auction for many thousands of dollars – yes, for just one bottle!
Many would argue that Cabernet Sauvignon is the key ingredient (whether blended with another grape or as a straight varietal) in many of the world’s finest dry red wines. Certainly the residents of Bordeaux would not disagree – Cabernet Sauvignon being a key ingredient in their famous red wines.
While Cabernet is grown throughout Australia, it is with South Australia’s Coonawarra region that these grapes are most closely associated. Some of Australia’s best Cabernets come out of this area including the well known Wynn’s wines. Other highly regarded Cabernet regions include the Barossa (South Australia), Margaret River (Western Australia) and Hunter Valley (NSW).
Rich, dark purple in colour, Cabernet provides a strong blackberry fruit flavor and a bouquet which some liken to the smell of crushed eucalyptus leaves. High in acid and tannins, the wines are full bodied and mature slowly, but retain their quality for many years. A good one will amply reward careful cellaring. You will often find Cabernet blended with other grapes (this might be done, for instance, to provide consistent length of palate or roundness of flavour). Cabernet blends well with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz and Malbec to produce beautiful complex, often softer wines.
The classic German grape variety. Its name has been stolen by a number of other varieties (e.g. Emerald Riesling, Riesling Italico, Welschriesling, Cape Riesling) that have little to do with true Riesling – you always need to be alert to this when buying. Note: an Australian wine labeled as Rhine Riesling will nearly always be a true Riesling.
In Australia and New Zealand, the best Rieslings tend to come from grapes grown in the cooler areas e.g. Clare Valley and Barossa in South Australia where the grapes ripen more slowly and have time to develop the more subtle, attractive aspects of the style.
In comparison to say Chardonnay, Riesling produces a prominent, fruity aroma and flavor which in the best examples is balanced by a crisp, fresh finish, brought about by comparatively high levels of acidity. A further attraction of Riesling is its capacity to age well, potentially gaining complexity for many years in the bottle. In addition, the hardiness of the Riesling grape on the vine makes it a prime candidate for Late Harvest or Noble Rot style wines – delicious sweet wines.
This white grape produces wines that are popular around the world. Sometimes known simply as “Sauvignon” these grapes have been a fantastic success story for New Zealand vineyards.
Sauvignon Blanc is famous for its aroma – descriptions range from gooseberries and nettles to cats-pee! New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs tend to smell particularly “grassy”. Wines from the South Island, particularly Marlborough now dominate the Sauvignon Blanc market with their crisp, dry Sauvignon Blancs.
In France these grapes are grown extensively in the upper Loire with the Sancerre appellation a famous example. They are also a component (together with Semillon) of the famous French Sauternes. In California, Sauvignon is usually called Fume Blanc and produces a more full-bodied (often oaked) result than its Australasian cousin.
As a general rule, Sauvignon does not improve significantly with time in the bottle – it is generally a wine drunk for its fresh, vibrant nature – not for subtlety (although I am sure many would disagree).
Chardonnay
Probably the most well known grape variety – and one of the most popular – in the world.
Vineyards like Chardonnay for its strong growth and capacity to do well across a wide range of climatic ranges and for its ability to remain high in acid even as it matures. It is also generally regarded as a winemakers wine i.e. one where the winemaker’s actions in the cellar will impart much more to the finished result than the efforts of the grape grower.
Although unoaked Chardonnay seems to be quite fashionable at the moment, “Oak” and “Chardonnay” have in the past been two words that were inseparable. Oak is used in various guises (everything from expensive French oak barrels to oak chips) primarily to add flavour, colour and tannins. A good exercise is to compare an oaked Chardonnay and an unoaked one just to see (as is very often the case) if what you enjoy about Chardonnay is in fact the taste of oak rather than the taste of the Chardonnay grapes themselves! “Buttery” is an adjective you will often hear applied to Chardonnay – often this is produced by a process called malolatic fermentation. Under this process, heat and special bacteria are added to the wine after the initial fermentation in order to soften and stabilise the wine – and in so doing add buttery tones which some people like more than others (something else to look for in your tastings).
Good Chardonnays come with plenty of acid and so will generally benefit from a few years in the bottle for the fruit flavours to develop and balance the acid impact of the wine.
Despite the fame of their Sauvignon Blancs, New Zealand still produces more Chardonnay than anything else. Likewise, Chardonnay provides the raw ingredient for more wines than any other in Australia.
Pinot Noir is inextricably linked with the red wines of Burgundy. Until very recently it was generally regarded as impossible to produce a decent Pinot Noir outside Burgundy (and I am sure that many would contend that this is still the case). It is regarded as a difficult grape to grow well – it ripens relatively early which means that in a warm setting it may not have sufficient time to develop its full range of flavours. However, grown in a cooler environment, the grapes are at risk of rot – there are relatively few areas where the grapes can be grown reliably. Just to add to the problems, in order to avoid producing a thin, washed out wine, Pinot Noir must generally be grown to produce a low yield per vine. In Australia and New Zealand it does best in cooler areas such as Tasmania (Pipers Brook being a famous example) and Martinborough (at the bottom of New Zealand’s North Island.)
Pinot Noir produces a much lighter red wine (in colour, not flavour) than say Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. Young Pinot Noirs typically show raspberry, cherry, strawberry, plum aromas and flavours. Aged Pinots have more gamey, mushroom and truffle like characters.
According to the verymuchgrape wine database, there are over 1,500 different Chardonnay’s produced in Australia and New Zealand every year. If you add to this Australasia’s Shiraz production you end up with approximately 2,500 different wines to try – every year. No doubt in an attempt to stand out from this crowded market (as well as to take advantage of various unique climatic and geographical factors) some vineyards are turning to newer varieties – one of these is Pinotage.
As you might guess, there is a Pinot Noir connection to the Pinotage grape - it is a cross between the Pinot Noir and Cinsault varieties and was created in South Africa in 1925. It has maintained a close association with South Africa but is now developing a strong following in New Zealand.
In a good Pinotage you should expect good depth of flavour (some say tasting vaguely of banana) in a fruity, refreshing and easy drinking package. Whilst often displaying good levels of alcohol, Pinotage is not generally regarded as a wine to be cellared for extended periods – generally these wines are ready to drink when released. However, if you buy good Pinotage and can manage to keep your hands off these delicious wines for a few years you can anticipate ending up with a lovely, dark and mellow wine, perfect with roast dinners or simply to savour on their own.
So if you are looking for something a little different, keep an eye out for Pinotage.
