Wallabies, Kangaroos and You ( The Least You Need To Know)

                                                        Getting Down (Under)

   I am going to take a wild guess here and surmise that your knowledge of Australian wines

Is less than stellar. . As my mother used to say, “ everyone is a moron, just ask the right 

question”. So , if your only foray down the  wine aisle that begins with “A “, culminates  with 

you mindlessly searching for labels that have pictures of cute animals on them, I am going to 

suggest that it might well be time to up your game. Why, you ask? Good question .The first  

answer is because Australia produces a treasure trove of very luscious , incredibly affordable,

richly  textured,  lips making wines  the second is because I am  running out of interesting things 

to talk about.. Anyway , wine production is ubiquitous (  good SAT word) in Australia with 36 

different growing regions and a half a million acres of vineyards. Our friends from under crush 2 

billion tons a year and grow over 160 varieties of grapes, with the most famous being the king, 

Shiraz. Now for those unfamiliar, Shiraz in the Australian style is a dry full bodied opaque wine 

with a velvety mouthfeel,  big black fruits and a peppery taste. It is by far  the most widely 

planted variety in Australia. There is more of this grape being grown there than in any other 

country around the globe  .But It  is in the southern regions of the continent , specifically in the 

areas of Barossa and McLaren Vale that this varietal really  finds its jam both figuratively and 

actually. The Shiraz grown in these two areas are among the best in the world. The Barossa 

Valley with its  clay rich soil, long summer days and cold nights are textbook  perfect for growing 

this variety. Barossa also lays claim to having the oldest continuing tended vines in the world 

some surviving from the mid 1800’s.These ancient survivors add a concentration and intensity 

which is impossible to duplicate by any other means. Now nothing in Australia is subtle and 

neither are their wines. Shiraz in contrast to their French identical  twin Syrah ( same grape 

different day) is much less austere , more full bodied and richer. In fact, their respective names  

have become more synonymous with the style, with Syrah being “ Old World “ and Shiraz  

being “New. “ The sophisticated Syrah of the Rhone valley are well balanced and elegant, 

whispering quietly  “we have hidden power”,  while their Aussie counterparts shout  

apologetically “ we’re  big, juicy and in  your face, mate ”. So, before I bore you into a coma, if 

I haven’t already , let's take a look at at some of my all time favorites:

Two Hands Angel Share ($29) McLaren Valley

 Full Bodied, Smooth and Rich . The name refers to that portion of wine that evaporates during 

processing.  Producers  say that it is the angels in heaven taking their share.

Two Hands Gnarly Dudes ($33)  Barossa 

Cool name , smooth , and peppery, bold but not overwhelming

Mitolo Angela Shiraz ($30) McLaren Vale

Rich and elegant with a plush feel. Great producer.

 

Glaezer The Bishop ($35) Barossa 

 From the makers of  the great Amon Ra cult winemaker.

Bramble berry tastes upfront with a long herbal finish.

Torbeck  Woodcutters Shiraz ($24) Barossa .

 A ton of plush plum and cherry fruit. Peppery and floral.

Elderton Shiraz ($29) Barossa .

 Full bodied and elegant with a lush taste.

D’Ardenberg  Dead Arm Shiraz ($69) Mc Laren Vale

Very ripe fruit, layered with flavor. Expensive but unique. 

Named for a wine disease which kills half the plant leaving

 the remainder uber rich and concentrated. Strange but interesting.

 

So Mates, when ur on ur next walkabout to the local Bottle - O grab one of  these beauts ,

throw some shrimp on the barbie and give it  a burl, I know you’ll be stoked!

Also  you can  drop me a line  if you are so inclined and let me know if you have tried any of my 

recommendations. It is good to know whether I really know anything or I am just all  full of 

myself.

 

  

 

                                              So cute