Overly-extracted; irritatingly bold, excessively alcoholic; are these your go-to Australian descriptors? Wine descriptors. Wine. When it comes to wine, these aren’t the terms you’re looking for, to coin a phrase; but, Australian wine has changed, mate, so sit up. While you’ll still come across your brash, white-noise Aussie wines, more and more of the Lucky Country’s winemakers are taking it back a notch, while making the most of the exceptional vine age they’re graced with.
A massive wine glut, a need to compete for exports, a new generation of winemakers lovingly nurturing a different point of view; all of these things have had an impact. Many of those Next-Genners have travelled and then returned home with new ways of thinking, resulting in some very clever and accomplished winemakers currently plying their art across the ditch that are more than worthy of your attention.
Much like venturing into the gobsmacking New Releases section of your digital music platform, the challenge is that when you’re standing in front of the shelves, you just don’t know what you’re looking at. To aid you in this venture and help you navigate, we’ve ditched the variety- region-winery-type designations and divided the wines into ‘how they taste’ categories. You’re welcome. So climb down from your high horse, cobber, and come in for a cool, refreshing tipple. No worries, mate.
Bold and Opulent
A wee nod to the Old School styles, though not as derogatory as the previously stated descriptors. Looking for the tried and true? These are bold, full bodied and may benefit from a little cellaring.
Fragrantly Fruity
Displaying a lighter touch, with the focus on the fruit, often exhibiting a European sensibility. Can tend to the biodynamic. Vibrancy, fragrance, fruitiness are the key words here.
Lusciously Sweet
Sweet is sweet; what can we say? Your dessert wines obviously fall into this camp, and so do ports. They do this stuff well in Australia, and these are great examples. Smelly cheese, anyone?
Light and Spicy
Not all Grenache, but almost. These wines step lightly, with a bracing hit of spice and plenty of finesse. The Shiraz expressions in this category lean more towards the Syrah camp.
Lush and Generous
These are the wines that are good to go; they’re early drinkers, come-over-and-shake-your-hand-friendly, no cellaring required, invariably light on your wallet and excellent value. With their soft tannins and juicy fruit, these are ideal for those functions and partays where you’re catering for a small crowd.
View wines here – https://www.glengarrywines.co.nz/wine/australia
