Quote:
Originally Posted by orbsycli
why are your wines so good?
there's a distinct difference between yours and ours (cali coast)
|
Good question, though I have not tried Californian wines
Partly is is a matter of immigration & multiculturalism.
The Barossa Valley (SA)was settled by Germans and their Rieslings and even reds are suburb. I have never had a bad wine from there. In fact I learnt to drink there as a student in the 60s. I have had 20 year old Rieslings from there were were the nectar of the Gods ( no corks, screw top)
Areas around Rutherglen (Vic/NSW) 100 -150 years ago mainly did Port and Sherry for the British market. Phyloxera and changing tastes killed the market until the sixties. If you want a REALLY FULL BODIED red this is the place to go. It may take a bit of getting used to as their reds are unique hearty and
very full bodied. Their Merlo and Blue Imperial are outstanding and can be cellared for eons. So too the stickies and Muscats and Ports. The Muscats are a well kept secret. A good bottle of Rosewood Muscat will set you back $AUD65.00. It is worth every penny.But you can still pick up lovely stuff for $10-20. When I first started my cellar from Rutherglen wine was 75c a bottle sigh. . .
A lot of "Sea Change" doctors and Stockbrokers and other wealthy folk have also yearned to have their own little vineyard in the country. So there are hundreds of small vineyards. We seem to be blessed with a number of good "noses" or blenders. One famous one was a doctor Len Evans. If you can pick up a second-hand copy of his book on smell grab it.
Contrary to what most people think Australia has a huge range of Climates and soils which give a multitude of tastes. From Mediterranean (Tasmania and SA) to the semi-tropical, coastal Cassigrain at Port Macquarie ( a French family). Western Australia too is Mediterranean but has quite a different flavour /feeling to the wines. I love WA whites.
Victoria has a heap of climates and the Yarra valley is carving out a niche for itself. I love its Pino Noirs. Fantastic chilled on a hot summers day with basil and ripe tomatoes (i'm hungry)
The closest wine-making area to me is the Hunter Valley. I have not explored this area as much as i should I drink a lot less wine these days , but i find their reds very dry and 'flinty' probably a bit like some French wines. However there are many new wineries especially in the upper hunter experimenting with some nice drops.
Also Australian wine-makers have not been slow to experiment and take chances. The education of vintners is also world class. Many young Oz wine-makers are working in France and many French companies are buying up wineries here.
Australians are not hidebound to tradition so can try new methods and techniques.
Too we have never suffered from prohibition as the USA has.
Australians drink a lot of wine and beer. I think Americans tend to drink more spirits. It s unlikely that you would ever be offered a "martini" here.
I doubt if you see the best wines O/S as most is produced (80%) by one company. Most of the small wineries sell a lot of their stock at the cellar door or by subscription.
I was appalled by cheap wine in France. Here you can buy something drinkable from $AUD3.00 up with good stuff around $15-20+. Italian cheap wine was a lot better than French cheap wine.
The drought will mean that the $3 bottle will probably not be here next year.
Griffith is a big Italian grape growing area and they have
NO water.
I am told the quality and intensity of flavour of what remains is great.
We just hope it rains enough to keep 100 year old vines alive.
It is not as if we can move them to the tropics.
Re: Australia
