I just got back from a most amazing trip of Australia. I hadn’t been in four years and I had never spent a serious trip looking at the wines. Don’t let my extraordinary hosts, the folks from Pernod Ricard (they own Jacob’s Creek and Wyndham Estate), know that I hadn’t always been a fan of these wines. But I did gain a better understanding of how to differentiate my palate from others’ and understand what people love and embrace about these wines (and this country).
A lot of the draw with Australia is how much the two countries seem to get on. We speak English. We are straight shooters. Our wine labels are in our native language and focused on grape varieties we know well. And the Aussies are amazing folks (and hosts). And they are admirable drinkers (but that’s part of their charm). And the country is rugged, charming and relatively safe. The biggest risk we came across was the potential vineyard encounter with the poisonous brown snake, and I never saw one.
So I learned that simple Australian sparkling wines can be wonderful (stay away from sparkling Shiraz if you don’t want a blast of sugar). Jacob’s Creek non-vintage rose sparkler is a beauty and only costs $12. I also found out that simple Shiraz, for my palate, doesn’t age well so enjoy it young and fruity. I also learned that they are easy-going Cabernet Sauvignons that work well with food. Again Jacob’s Creek 2004 in screw-cap was wonderful.
If you can survive the hellish flight (14 direct from San Francisco) there are lots of beautiful things to see in this country (’roos, koalas, dolphins, miles of beaches surrounding Sydney). It’s functional, safe, clean and hospitable. And it has a similiar multiethnic history like our own (and a great immigration museum in Melbourne). Unfortunately traveling in Australia is more expensive than ever, with our dollar trading almost 1 to 1 with theirs.
Ironically quite a few of their high-end wines are actually even more affordable on our market (that’s even another reason to experiment).
G’day Mates,
Liza the Wine Chick
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