How to Pick Out a Good Australian Wine – What to Look For & Avoid
Sometimes we can’t be an expert in everything, especially wines from different regions, but if you’re confused about what makes a good Australian wine, wine experts Jane Lopes and Jonathan Ross have 3 great tips for you to try. They are authors of the book How to Drink Australian An Essential Modern Wine Book .
Jane Lopes and Jonathan Ross: There’s never been a more exciting time to drink Australian wine. The country most known for cheap critter wines and bold shiraz is actually the country to go to for quality wines in just about every style and price-point. Australia has reached an amazing confluence of generational knowledge, old-vine material, and a spirit of innovation that, combined, is creating some of the world’s greatest wines.
So how to you pick out a good bottle?
- Be willing to try something new. There are world-class wines made from the most popular and frequently consumed grapes: chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, and merlot. But, when grown at scale to achieve easy prices, they fall short almost everywhere. If you venture further afield to try, say, an Australian nero d’avola, grenache or riesling, there’s a better chance that you’ll find something made and selected with care, rather than something manufactured to meet the demand of the market.
- Look for a region on the bottle. There are plenty of great Australian wines that say ‘South Eastern Australia’ on the back (a catch-all appellation for the wine regions of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Queensland) – take, for example, Penfolds Grange: Australia’s most prized and expensive wine! But often you can find wines made at an estate vineyard when there is a more specific wine region on the label: something like Heathcote, Barossa Valley, Yarra Valley, Beechworth, Tasmania, Margaret River, etc. The list is long!
- Find a wine shop you trust. This is the best piece of advice in all matters wine! Wine shops that spend lots of energy and time selecting bottles for you are going to come up with the best bottles. And small, independently owned wine shops will often be able to work with the smaller production wines that grocery stores and national chains won’t. So find your local wine merchant, and get to know them. They’ll get to know you – your pallet, your budget, your tastes – and will help you find the best bottle.
ABOUT Jane Lopes and Jonathan Ross
Jane Lopes is a sommelier, author, and importer, having worked at New York’s Eleven Madison Park, Nashville’s The Catbird Seat, Chicago’s The Violet Hour, and most recently as the wine director at Melbourne’s Attica, before passing the prestigious master sommelier exam in 2018. Lopes published her first book, Vignette: Stories of Life and Wine in 100 Bottles, in 2019. In 2020, Lopes co-founded Legend, an Australian wine imports company, with husband Jonathan Ross, to help bring the great wines they’d experienced in Australia to the US. She is now based in Nashville. She is the co-author of How To Drink Australian: An Essential Modern Wine Book (Murdoch Books / September 2023 / $60).
Jonathan Ross is a sommelier and wine importer whose career in restaurants has included posts at New York’s Eleven Madison Park, Oceana and Anthos, and as the beverage director for Australia’s Rockpool Dining Group. Ross passed the prestigious master sommelier exam in 2017, has curated wine offerings for Qantas Airlines, and founded the boutique wine label Micro Wines. In 2020, Ross returned to the US, eager to spread the word of the world-class wine he’d worked with in Australia, and co-founded Legend Imports in 2020 with his wife Jane Lopes. He is the co-author of How To Drink Australian: An Essential Modern Wine Book (Murdoch Books / September 2023 / $60).
Gucci x Loulou Ramatuelle Collab a Popup Restaurant on the Beach in St. Tropez
If you were going to do a fashion and lifestyle popup that included great French food, and you could do it anywhere that you choose, where would you?
It doesn’t really matter, because the House of Gucci already wisely chose St. Tropez, and we are there for it!
Revealing a popup space on the Côte d’Azur, Gucci designed a chic and stylish place to be seen and to eat well in Loulou Ramatuelle’s lounge area that features a curated selection of exclusive summer pieces. Plus food and drink.
So now you just have to get that coveted reservation.
Celebrity Chef Jose Andrés restaurants start using Loliware’s sustainable Seaweed Straws
Loliware, the pioneering seaweed-resin company, has announced a significant partnership with Celebrity Chef Jose Andrés’ “José Andrés Group“ (JAG), the internationally renowned restaurateur’s network of establishments. This collaboration aims to enhance JAG’s purpose-driven practices by introducing Loliware’s innovative seaweed products in their North American restaurants.
Loliware’s seaweed-resin straws and utensils are designed to resemble and function like plastic but can fully compost within 50 days. This is a significant step toward combating the environmental impact of single-use plastics, as it is estimated by National Geographic Magazine and other sources that over 100 million plastic utensils are used daily in the U.S., contributing to pollution on beaches and in oceans worldwide. Loliware’s mission goes beyond waste elimination to encompass responsible ocean aquaculture and fair trade practices.
Manufactured in Missouri, Loliware’s seaweed-based forks, knives, and spoons are the world’s first of their kind. They provide a sustainable alternative to limit the accumulation of single-use plastics in landfills and oceans.
The partnership kicks off in Chicago, where Loliware straws are introduced at Bar Mar, Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, and Jaleo. The plan is to expand the use of Loliware products to JAG properties in DC and eventually across the entire country.
In addition to featuring Loliware’s ocean-friendly products, JAG’s Research & Development team will work closely with Loliware to create unique and customized serveware. This partnership aims to showcase the synergy between José Andrés’ award-winning creativity and the shared commitment to purpose-driven dining.
Sam Bakhshandehpour, President of José Andrés Group, emphasized the importance of considering not just the food itself but also the sustainability of the service ware, including the plates, forks, and straws. He expressed excitement about collaborating with Loliware to bring innovation to their restaurants and push the boundaries of service ware.
Loliware is a woman-owned tech company that aims to replace single-use plastics with products that naturally disappear. Through partnerships with experts in regenerative aquaculture worldwide, Loliware utilizes its proprietary SEATech resins and products to contribute to the expansion of the “blue economy.” Their compostable seaweed-based Blue Ocean straws have already gained popularity among famous chefs, restaurant chains, and eco-conscious hotels. Loliware’s SEATech resins are now available for licensing globally, driving the planet toward a plastic-free and decarbonized future.
Loliware CEO Sea F. Briganti expressed their enthusiasm for partnering with José Andrés Group, acknowledging the iconic status of the group and their leader’s contributions to culinary innovation and humanitarian relief efforts. Briganti believes this partnership speaks to the transformative potential of Loliware’s SEATech resins.
José Andrés Group (JAG), led by Chef and Founder José Andrés and President Sam Bakhshandehpour, is a creative team behind renowned dining concepts and a dynamic media company. With a mission to change the world through food, JAG operates over 30 restaurant concepts across various cities and countries. From food trucks to Michelin-starred tasting menus, JAG offers diverse culinary experiences. In addition to their restaurants, JAG’s media company, formed in 2021, focuses on sharing food-related stories through television series, books, podcasts, and digital content. José Andrés, an internationally recognized culinary innovator, humanitarian, and bestselling author, has received numerous accolades for his contributions to the industry and his philanthropic efforts.