Sep 01 2010
Finding Excellent Aussie Wine Labels
The art of finding those special wine labels can needlessly bring on a mild anxiety attack in many inexperienced wine drinkers as they search for the best Australian wines to serve at home. I have seen it before – it is the wine drinking parallel to a fihs out of water. With so many grape varieties, numerous regions and hundreds, if not thousands of brands to choose from, it is easy to understand how wine consumers can be easily overwhelmed and potentially fearful. So how do you find that killer wine on the shelf? So, is it the vintage, the grape type or even where it’s made that makes a good wine great?
There’s a trick is to understand what a fine wine tastes like. First comes aromatic complexity illustrated by a wine that smells and tastes of something more than simply fresh fruit? Tar, roses, thyme or earth with top wines can display many layers with complex aromas and flavours. A good quality wine should have a rewarding texture and fruit length, and that is not overwhelming but rather has a long lasting flavour that’s experienced after drinking. Poor wines don’t have the fullness or lingering taste as it’s gone as soon as you swallow. Without creating a lasting impression, you will tend to forget out them shortly afterward. Alternatively, more complex, compelling wines can have long lasting flavours that sit in your mouth for several minutes.
So where can you find these diamond wines? Start your search for a reputable wine merchant – where you can find a select wine range with expert staff who are normally more than happy to assist you in defining drinking habits based on your personal taste. Merchants can be difficult to find but definitely worth the effort in seeking them out.
If all else fails, an option it to visit some favourite wine regions and trial some new wine labels. One of the magic aspects of wine is how the area where grapes for a wine are grown has a dramatic impact on how that wine tastes. All wines from any wine region will have a somewhat simliar taste, to nearby vineyards. You will find particular wine regions will be synonymous for particular grape varieties or two resulting in wonderful wines. A few examples include Chardonnay and the Adelaide Hills, Pinot Noir and Martinborough, Sangiovese and Tuscany, Tempranillo and Rioja, with many more to choose from. So, pick wines from these regions to ensure that you chance of selecting great wine is good.
Lastly, and probably least important is vintage. In countries such as Australia and New Zealand, vintage, or the year a wine is created, is much less of an issue than it might be in France or Italy where the weather is generally much more unrelaible. While there is the occasional vintage poor, red wines such as 2008 Hunter Valley or 2006 Margaret River are excellent, and do not disappoint and in their best years can be amongst Australia’s best wines.
When you next find yourself at a loss in the search for a decent wine bottle, try some trusted regions with their best suited grape and you are likely to hit a winner. Central Otago and Pinot Noir, Waiheke Island and Cabernet Sauvignon, Clare Valley and Riesling, Margaret River and Chardonnay are wine bottles that are also worth getting excited about.
