When I say: Australian wines...what automatically comes to mind? BIG knock-em-outta-the-park-blockbuster Shiraz red wines.  Right?  There are so many Shirazes to choose from and most of us have our favorites, that at a recent Sommelier led wine tasting I hosted featuring wines from Australia, I chose 3 very different Shiraz wines.

And if a bottle or two of these wines don't tempt your tastebuds to book a flight to Australia, then come with me to Taste your way around Australia - a 23 day food & wine tour in March 2013.  Get ready to pack your bags!

Campbell Winery Shiraz Durif

Victoria, Australia
$16.95 - on sale (regular $18.95)
VINTAGES 243592, 14.0% Alcohol

The Campbells are one of 12 family-owned wineries that make up Australia’s prestigious First Families of Wine. Together, this distinguished group represent 16 regions across 4 states with a combined working experience of more than 1200 years.

Today, two brothers Malcolm and Colin are the fourth generation to carry on the Campbell tradition started by their great grandfather John Campbell in the renowned region of Rutherglen in 1870. Malcolm as viticulturist while Colin is the winemaker.

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: What is Durif? You might know it as Petit Syrah. Blended in to weave in the dark inky colour, earth & spice notes to the Shiraz characteristics of black cherry, blackberry & plums.  It is well balanced with good tannins, chocolate & black licorice finish. Durif is grown & used for blending primarily in Rutherglen wine region.

Suggested Food Pairings: This wine is begging a BBQ steak or lamb.

Ladies who Shoot their Lunch Shiraz

Victoria, Australia
$34.95
VINTAGES 243592, 14.0% Alcohol
If the name doesn’t grab you the outstanding taste will!  The Fowles family are committed to living off their land – farming & hunting the property. The previous vintage of this wine won the distinguished Great Australia Shiraz Challenge – setting this wine as a benchmark for all of Australia.

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: This premium wine is crafted with 96% Shiraz & 4% Viognier grapes matured in 100+ year old 5000 litre casks. It is notably lighter than most Shiraz wines. Deep garnet in colour with pepper, black cherry & plum with warm spices laced into light acidity & tannins that carries into a long finish.

Suggested food pairings: Serve with game of course!

Jip Jip Rocks Sparkling Shiraz

Australia
$16.90
LCBO 212472, 13.0% Alcohol
Sparkling red wine makes a striking impression when poured into a glass. It has become an Australian classic. Located in South Australia, the Bryson family have had this winery since 1851.

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Dry & medium bodied, this charming sparkler has lovely aromas of sweet dark fruit (black cherry, plum & fig) with a thread of cinnamon & toffee. The violet coloured mousse has a lively texture with some toasty, chocolaty notes. Hints of spice & cocoa linger on the very finish that is reminiscent of wild blackberry & raspberry.

Suggested food pairings: Flavourful & fun, this is a great wine to enjoy by the barbeque on a warm summer day or with a rich chocolate dessert!

This weekend, the shelves at LCBO Vintages will be overflowing with light whites, dry rosés & bold red wines.  With Canada Day quickly approaching (is it July already?!?!?), there is a selection of wines from Niagara and British Columbia to toast our national holiday.  Also Canadians can raise a glass to toast the passing of Bill C-311 in Parliament that will soon make wines from coast to coast more accessible to all of us.

At this time of year, picnics and outdoor gatherings are on our mind (and our social calendars!), so we offer some wine recommendations that are crowd pleasers. Here are my wine recommendations that won’t break bank…and some extras worth considering as summertime sippers.

Cheers & Enjoy!

Debbie

Featherstone Gewurztraminer VQA 2011, Ontario

LCBO#64592
$19.95
Winemaker David Johnson, nicknames this ‘G Wine’.  It is a refreshing white wine with aromas & tastes of stone fruit (think pear, peach, apricot) along with some pineapple too.  Nice on its own or with spicy Mexican or Thai food.

Vrede en lust White Mischief, South Africa

LCBO#280156
$16.95
A unique blend of 5 different grapes – Chenin Blanc, Semillion, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc & Viognier, create an easy drinking dry white wine that’s loaded with white grapefruit & cantaloupe aromas & tastes. The zippy acidity makes this an impressive wine from South Africa.  Enjoy with seafood, picnics or sip on its own.

Quail’s Gate Rosé VQA 2011, British Columbia

LCBO#275842
$17.95
The light pink colour of this wine resembles a sunset in your glass. Light bodied with crisp, refreshing aromas & tastes of rhubarb, pink grapefruit with a kick of lime & mint.  As an easy drinking wine, don’t be surprised how quickly you’ll finish the bottle!

Alta Vista Premium Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Argentina

LCBO#129957
$14.95
Fire up the BBQ! This BIG bold wine will accompany anything off the grill - steak, burgers, sausages, tenderloin & grilled veggies -  Loaded with pronounced aromas of vanilla, black licorice, black cherries & dark chocolate with light tannins that smooth out with each bite of food. And with this price tag, why not make it your house wine this summer?

Chateau Tanunda Barossa Tower Shiraz/Primitivo, Australia

LCBO#281048
$18.95
The fact that this wine is from a chateau in Australia, will undoubtedly make it a conversation piece as soon as the bottle is placed on the table. Declared as Australian Producer of the Year in 2010, this wine is outstanding. Everything about this wine is black - almost black in colour with overripe blackberry, black plums, figs aromas & tastes with warm spices of black pepper, cinnamon and balsamic.  This wine won’t disappoint. Great with anything off the grill.

Like Australia wines?  Join us for 'Unwind Downunder' wine tasting featuring Australian wines.  Email us to be the first to receive an invitation.  Stay tuned as the event details are finalized!

 GRAND TOTAL: $88.75

Other wines worth the splurge:

Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d’Asti, Italy

LCBO#942888
$16.95
When a bottle of Moscato d’Asti is popped (it’s cork is not mushroom shaped like sparkling wine, but it does pop!) it is always one of my sure signs that summer has arrived.  At 5% alcohol, this refreshing medium bodied wine has light mousse (winespeak: bubbles) with aromas and tastes of honey, daisy and citrus.  A great wine to serve with brunch, as an aperitif or to relax with after a meal.

Nessa Albariño 2010, Spain

LCBO#282558
$15.95
Looking for a different refreshing white wine? This one won’t disappoint.   Albariño wines are a signature of the Rías Baixas region of southern Spain.  From time to time, you will find one on the Vintages shelves.  Usually priced less than $20,  this style of wine is worth experimenting with.  Super light with lemon/lime, honeydew & fresh gingerroot aromas that continues into the taste.  The zippy acidity makes it perfect to serve with a picnic.

Lucien Albretch Reserve Pinot Gris 2010, Alsace France 

LCBO#281394
$17.95
Not your typical pinot gris wine.  Light to medium bodied with beeswax aromas that turns into tastes of honey and floral with an edgy finish that smooths out and lingers forever.  Great with grilled shrimp or a big bowl of steamed mussles.

Zonte’s Footsteps Baron Von Nemesis Shiraz, Australia

LCBO #212936
$17.95
This wine needs no food, just sit back & relax.  Notes of cherry pie filling, blueberry jam, a well balanced & easy drinking red wine.

When people select, drink and enjoy wines these days, the concept of 'style' plays a big role in the character, profile and experience of wine. It is a way of familiarizing the unknown. There are many ways of referencing style with wine as there is referencing style with people. One can talk about style with winemaking or growing or marketing or bottling or flavour...  just like you can with art or clothing or behaviour. Often, the concept of 'New' and 'Old' World styles run through discussions and pleasures that are a part of the wine experience too. There is no well-defined identity for one or the other, particularly now that vines and winemakers and techniques move from traditional Old World regions to New World regions and back again.

There is still value in referencing these styles because it helps to uncover the identities and assets of wines we might not be familiar with. In a way it is like discovering a tasting profile for wines. Here are some ideas that might clarify 'Old' from 'New' and "open up" some wines for you.

Old World:  These wines are usually wines that have a long, documented history and are primarily found in Europe and around the Mediterranean. Here the traditions of winemaking are very important to the production of wine. "Terroir" (the impact of soil, weather, nutrients, sunlight, agricultural method, etc.) also plays a large role in the way wine is made.

Austria, Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland are wine regions with a long history of growing grapes for wine that would qualify as "Old World".

New World: These wines are grown outside of the traditional wine regions of Europe. Each of these countries has its own history with wine that often is about the importation of vines in many cases ( often by the Church for various rituals). The growers brought their grape growing and winemaking traditions with them, but had to modify some of their procedures (like irrigation) to accommodate the conditions and resources of their new sites.

Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico and the United States are the more notale examples.

Style: Knowing this information is helpful.

Old World wines because of their reliance on tradition and terroir will display more of the characteristics of the soils and climates they are in like the foods grown right along side them. Much Old World wine, to oversimplify, is intended as a food partner, a wine whose crop yields, alcohol levels, acid levels, aging processes and geographical boundaries are highly regulated. Filtering of many of these wines is done with natural products like clay or egg whites so sediment levels tend to be higher and the wines tend to absorb rather than reflect light. These wines often show a minerality, an earthiness and a flavour profile that leans towards barrel flavours like vanilla and smoke or wood and they show tannic characteristics more readily. Intended to be food partners, Old World often improves its impact with local fare as an accompaniment.

New World, on the other hand, is more winemaker driven. It is intended to be more a "cocktail" experience. It is designed for the consumer with its fruit forward, high sugar and alcohol profile. These wines are grown to be drunk now. Longer growing seasons, less regulations, controlled irrigation and fertilization render bountiful crops and copious supplies of wine that is brilliantly reflective because of the .005 gauge screening it goes through when it is filtered. Drinking wine on its own suits the New World very well.

That is not to say that these are hard and fast rules for "Old" and "New". Many is the Old World vintage that is tasty and sweet all by itself. Many is the New World vintage that marries very well with food. A lot of Old World wineries have New World winemakers and vice versa, but these characteristics are helpful in recognizing New and Old World 'Styles' of wine which may help you share your wine experiences with someone else or choose the right wine for someone you know. 

Cheers and Salute!
- Wayne

Do you have more ideas about styles of wine, New or Old World? Email me as I would like to hear from you.