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?

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. 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).

6 Great Red Wines Under $50 That Make Tasty Gifts Any Time of Year

Looking for great red wine options but have a budget between $30 and $50? You can’t go wrong with these 6 releases that will leave you and your fellow wine tasters giddy for more, and your wallet not feeling empty.

Herzog Variations Be-Leaf 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

The 2019 Herzog Cab is not only Kosher, it’s also certified organic and made with no added sulfites. It’s a lighter Cab, which suits many tastes for a less robust red.

Drink it any time of day, and definitely not just for the holidays

Find it Here

 

Avaline Red Wine

Celebrity wines are getting better and better, probably because the celebrities who make them now are actual Wine lovers who want to drink their own vintages. Avaline comes from a partnership between Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power

The red wine is a blend of Grenache and Syrah. Made with handpicked organic grapes from Europe, and is vegan friendly, with no added artificial ingredients or sugars.

We love the taste!

Find it Here

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by AVALINE (@avaline)

 

San Simeon Vineyards 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

The 2017 San Simeon Cab benefited from a long growing season, with the vineyards situated on California’s Central Coast in the Paso Robles appellation of San Luis Obispo County. Aged in Oak Barrels, and mixed with a bit of Petit Verdot, this Cabernet is robust yet velvety. We consider it like comfort food in the form of wine.

Find it Here

 

Alder Springs Vineyard, 2013 Kinesis

Alder Springs Vineyard, 2013 Syrah

Alder Springs has been making wine for about 30 years, since Stu Bewley bought a former 6,000 acre cattle operation in northern Mendocino County and started growing grapes instead.

If you love deep reds, you’ll find both their 2013 Kinesis and 2013 Syrah attractive additions to your tasting palate. The Kinesis is a blend of 49% Grenache 32% Counoise 19% Mourvédre. A choice that goes well with meats and smoked foods, but it is also quite versatile whatever the dish. The Syrah is made from 100% Syrah at an elevation of 2600 feet, and contains tantalizing notes of leather and dark fruits.

Find it Here

San Simeon 2017 Pinot Noir Monterey

This Monterey Pinot Noir is a blend of grapes sourced from the Riboli Family farms estate vineyards in Monterey and the Loma Vista and Sarmento Vineyards. Well-priced and well structured, any Pinot lover would find this a fun tasting experience.

Find it Here.

 

Underwood Nouveau’s version of Beaujolais Nouveau now in Bottles & Cans

If you are a fan of not just tasting the Nouveau Beaujolais, but also of going to all of the celebrations around it, then you might have a quieter time this year. But that does not mean you can’t try something new and fun.

Union Wine Co. has recently released their vision of Nouveau Beaujolais in bottles and cans. It is called “Underwood Nouveau.”

The label design tells you a lot of what you need to know about the concept. It is influenced by the French school of Art Nouveau, which honors the elegant natural lines and curves found in plants and animals. Underwood Nouveau uses the peacock’s specifically, which one can say also adds a bit of luxury to the packaging and experience.

One thing to remember about Nouveau Beaujolais is the word “Nouveau.” This means “new,” and in the case of Nouveau Beaujolais it also means ‘brand new.’ As in ‘young.’ This wine is young and not usually aged for very long. Underwood has gone one step further and created their version to be super fresh. As they explain, “our Nouveau takes just over a month — from pick to sip.” The resulting wine is light, fruity and vibrant with 13% ABV.

Union Wine also explains about their choice of grapes. “Our Underwood Nouveau is a riff on a Beaujolais Nouveau, which is traditionally made from Gamay grapes (also called, Gamay noir à Jus blanc grape) in the Beaujolais region of France. Always looking for an Oregon angle, we decided to use our Pinot Noir grapes in the Underwood Nouveau for a fresh take on our traditional Pinot noir. The Gamay grape is actually a cousin of the Pinot Noir grape and flourishes in very similar climates.”

Interested in trying it for a Nouveau celebration? Find out more here for cans or here for bottles.

#PINKIESDOWN

WINE PICK: Union Wine Company is Leading the Way for Premium Canned Wines

Canned wines continue to grow as a hot product category that people more and more want to discover, and to drink. Union Wine Company is the group behind the Underwood line of canned wines, which was one of the earliest successful pioneers in bringing canned wines to stores across the world. Union was able to beat several of the challenges involving canned wine, such as creating the right packaging, eliminating various elements that can affect the taste of the wine in cans, and of course, changing consumer perspectives on canned wine’s quality.

It is very likely that you have already seen Underwood’s Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris in the wine section of your local grocery. If you haven’t tried their new line of flavored wines, such as the Mei Wine and the Strawberry Cooler, then definitely add those to your list. Our tasters were quite pleased with them, especially when you are looking for something light and unique.

Today we speak with Ryan Harms, founder and owner of the Union Wine Company, and Joan Olbrantz, marketing operations manager, on what they did right, and why you will love their vintages.

 

Interview with Union Wine Company and Underwood Wines

 

Winery Name: Union Wine Company

Owner: Ryan Harms

Winemaker(s): JP Caldcleugh

Established: 2005

Canned wine has a very high growth rate. Why is it becoming so popular?

Ryan Harms: From a business standpoint, canned wine is a popular choice because it costs approximately 40% less to package compared to the equivalent 9 liter case of wine in glass bottles. Putting wine in a can opens up the wine drinking experience to places where it had previously been difficult, such as outdoor events or when portability is needed. People are certainly seeing the lifestyle applications for the cans in their lives. The outdoor and active sport community has certainly embraced the cans, and we are also seeing folks in big cities purchase them for the portion size for home or outings around town.

From a consumer standpoint, we think this is a timing thing, culturally. There was a “winification” of beer trend going on with the craft beer craze, and we’re at the forefront of a new trend: the “beerification” of wine. Consumers are signaling an acceptance and we believe they are demanding brands to be innovative to connect to their needs. The eco-elements of the can are appealing and culturally relevant as well.

You have your own proprietary tech for canning wine. What makes it different?

Ryan Harms: Union Wine Company has the fastest and most automated bottling and canning facility in Oregon. California has faster more sophisticated production facilities, but there’s nothing like this in Oregon, especially for wine. From a canning perspective, this facility is unprecedented in the canned wine industry.

 

What is the inspiration for your newest wine releases, esp. the fruit flavors?

Ryan Harms: We look at our wine coolers as alternatives to both wine or beer. We don’t see this as an either/or proposition, rather, a traditional beer drinker might like an alternative on a warm sunny day, and same with a wine drinker – looking for something a bit more crisp and refreshing (with less alcohol content).

The Riesling Radler is our own spin on the traditional beer beverage that includes a refreshing blend of Oregon Riesling, hops and grapefruit.

The Strawberry Cooler is a fresh take on a retro classic wine cooler. We make it with the same great Underwood Pinot Noir we put in our bottles, a splash of fresh strawberries and a hint of lime.

Mei Wine is a product collaboration with Chef Mei Lin. Mei is the Season 12 winner of Bravo TV’s Top Chef, and we worked with her to blend her signature culinary flavors into our wine to create a tropical, bold-yet-reassuring wine cooler.

What the most exciting attributes about these wines?

Ryan Harms: Union Wine Company (and the Underwood brand) was created to bring great, affordable Oregon wines to everyone, not just one audience in particular. Whether they’re a seasoned wine enthusiast or a beer drinker just now entering the world of wine – Underwood cans make it approachable, accessible and fun. For instance, Underwood wine in a can is ideal for the adventurer, as a way to bring wine outdoors without the weight. However, the single-serving option the can provides is also convenient for a night in as the perfect solution for consumers who don’t want to commit to opening an entire bottle. Each can is equivalent to half a bottle of wine which makes it easy to enjoy on your own or share.

Are there any elements of terroir that the drinker of your Pinot Noir and Gris should notice?

Joan Olbrantz: Underwood Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are Oregon wines, made with Oregon grapes. That all by itself is noteworthy as Oregon produces some of the best Pinot grapes in the world.

What’s next for Union Wine Company?

Joan Olbrantz: Union Wine Company will release the 2020 Underwood Nouveau this November in both bottles and cans. Last year we put the wine in a beautifully designed can inspired by Art Nouveau and it turned out so well we decided to extend this year’s offering by creating a bottle label that is similarly designed. In November 2020 consumers will have the option of enjoying Underwood Nouveau in either a 357 milliliter can or a 750 milliliter bottle.

How is business being affected by COVID?

Joan Olbrantz: Our online business is doing well during this time as could be expected. We also aren’t as heavy into on premise sales as we are at regular retail, so that has been an advantage for us during this time as well.

 

Find them at https://unionwinecompany.com/

 

 

WINE PICK: Anaba Wines 2017 Sonoma Pinot Noir & Chardonnay

Today’s pick is Anaba Wines. Although initially unfamiliar with them, the TasteTV wine reviewers recommend each one that we have tasted, and believe you will want to have them around for yourself, your friends, and for special occasions.

In addition to the new wine vintages, Anaba recently opened their new Anaba Vintners House in October, 2019. It is a reflection of the Sweazey family’s belief in gracious and uncomplicated hospitality. Broad windows look out over the estate vineyards, drawing the eye to the distant hills, while private seating areas allow for leisurely personalized wine exploration. The color palette takes inspiration from nature – evoking fog, water, earth and even the Anabatic winds that give the winery its name. Beyond the landscaped courtyard, paddle tennis and bocce ball offer an unexpected chance to engage in a bit of competition.

We talk with General Manager John Michael Sweazey to find out a bit more about this winery, and why they admire their 2017 Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.

Winery Name: Anaba Wines

Owner: John T. Sweazey and John Michael Sweazey

Winemaker(s): Katy Wilson

Established: 2009

Interview with John Michael Sweazey

Anaba Wines

 

Why did you decide to make your Pinots in this style?

It’s hard to describe our wine as any one particular style. Originally, we were inspired by the red wines of Burgundy in the early 70s. But, we are not in Burgundy, and we can’t make Burgundian Pinot. Instead, we make a number of different Sonoma Pinots, and the aim is always to let the fruit speak for itself. For the Sonoma Coast Pinot in particular, the goal was universal appeal. From first-time wine tasters to certified sommeliers, we wanted to make a well-integrated wine that was indicative of what the Sonoma Coast should be.

Are there any elements of terroir that the drinker of your Pinot Noir should notice?

Yes, showcasing the terroir is a priority, and so there are many different elements. For the Sonoma Coast Pinot, you will notice a lot of red, bright fruit notes that are common to the AVA. The wine has the energy and vibrancy one would expect from a classic Pinot made in Sonoma.

What are the most noticeable elements in your Chardonnay?

For our Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, the wet stone/flint and minerality, accompanied by citrus and stone fruit notes show through and are an expression of the land from which the fruit is sourced.

What is the inspiration for your newest wine releases?

Our WestLands Chardonnay comes mostly from a higher elevation vineyard, located in northwest Sonoma and very close to the coast. The cooler climate shares some commonalities with northern Burgundy, and if we had to choose one place as the inspiration, it would be Chablis. The wine is nuanced, with depth from a touch new oak and the grape itself, but the high acid levels keep it crisp. Also, it is distinct from the wines of Chablis, but it is our representation of the possibilities of the fruit grown in the western-most parts of Sonoma Coast.

What are the most exciting attributes about these wines?

In short, you might notice the subtle oak expression. Or that one can enjoy upon release, but can also let the wines age for several years. This is a hard balance to obtain. They can also pair with many foods, or can be enjoyed alone.

With which foods do you recommend this pairs?

Pork or duck with the Pinot. Halibut, oysters, chicken with the Chardonnay.

Is this wine better outdoors on a picnic or indoors for a dinner?

Anytime is a good time for Anaba (as long as the wine stays below 65 degrees). It really depends on your situation, but we know the wines are dynamic and can meet criteria for any number of occasions.

What’s next for Anaba Wines?

We are planning to plant Picpoul Blanc at our property, and we are working with three new vineyards throughout Sonoma to produce a number of Rhone varieties.

 

 

TasteTV WINE RATINGS

  • 4.00 out of 5 Stars: 2017 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
  • 4.25 out of 5 Stars: 2017 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Find them at www.anabawines.com

 

Photos courtesy of TasteTV, Rocco Ceselin, and Los Heffernans Photography

 

WINE PICKS: 3 Chardonnays that are Perfect to Drink Right Now

On a hot sunny day or in cool stormy weather, if you’ve closed a big deal or just sitting down to relax, these 3 Chardonnays are perfect for any situation or climate.

Tolosa 2018 1772 Chardonnay, Eden Ranch Edna Valley

Fermentation: French oak barrels

Aging: 9 months in French oak barrels, with 20% of them being new

Vineyard: Edna Ranch

Alcohol: 13.4%

Tolosa has a wine series they call “1772”. The series is named for the founding year of the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, and honors the local terroir and winemaking history of the cooler and Pacific Ocean-influenced climate and limestone sediment of the Edna Valley. The 1772 Chardonnay from 2018 is priced around $58 a bottle. Tolosa calls this their classic Chardonnay, and says that it truly captures the essence of the estate. The 2018 Tolosa Chardonnay has an appealing hint of bright acidity, with notes of the minerality of the Edna Valley, as well aromas of fresh fruits and herbs. This Chardonnay was aged for 9 months in French oak barrels.

Find here.

Anaba 2017 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

Vineyards: Tolay Vista, Dutton (Shop Block and Mill Station), J McK Estate

Alcohol: 13.2%

Fermentation: Hand-sorted and whole cluster pressed. Barrel fermented (75% malolactic fermentation, 25% retained natural malic acid). Aged 17 months sur lie in French oak barrels, 25% of which were new.

Cooperage: Damy, Cavin, Taransaud, François Frères Cases Produced: 738

This Sonoma Coast Chardonnay comes from distinct areas within the Sonoma Coast AV. Some of these areas were impacted by the 2017 North Bay fires, however the fruit was picked before those events took place so they were not affected. In general, the regions from which they come are cooler or foggier than some other Chardonnays, giving this 2017 vintage a great year.

The Anaba Chardonnay’s fruit tends towards the citrus and vanilla bouquet, with a bit of minerality and a very subtle palate. The alcohol content is in the European-style of 13.2%. Only 738 cases were produced, and it was aged 17 months in French oak barrels.

Find here.

Sangiacomo 2018 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

Alcohol: 14.3%

Production: 280 cases

The Sangiacomo family has been farming in Sonoma County for three generations and almost 100 years. The Vineyard is 100% certified sustainable, and it produces California Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Sangiacomo Sonoma Coast Chardonnay has aromas that bring in tea-like flavors, including nutmeg and chai, as well as the French oak in which it rested. You might also enjoy some aromas that remind us a bit of a delicious pear cobbler. It’s very rich, and was aged in the aforementioned French oak for about 10 months. The alcohol content is medium-level 14.3%, and the retail price is a reasonable $55. Only 280 cases however were produced by James MacPhail the winemaker.

Find here