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Importers of Fine Wines Since 1919 | Resources for the Trade |
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Old World Laws; New World FreedomsIn the wine regions of the Old World, wine law dictates what grape varieties may be grown and where they may be grown. Crop yields and harvest dates are mandated by law. Grape growing practices and wine making practices must adhere to set precepts. Wine law prescribes the blend or lack thereof and the aging regimens too! In Australia, there are rules to be followed, but the Aussies have come up with popular, non-traditional wine blends such as Semillon-Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz that are uniquely Australian! Just like wine makers from the Old World, the Australians blend grape varieties to craft a product that is better than the sum of its parts—but the Aussies carry that philosophy one step further… The Beauty of the BlendNot only do the Australians blend grape varieties and vineyard sites—they blend wines from different regions too. This would be sacrilege to a European wine producer who markets his product based on “terroir,” or that indescribable signature of place. To an Aussie, however, the blend is second nature. Down Under, the goal is to produce the best wine possible, period. They will blend different grape varieties, the grapes from different vineyards and the grapes from different regions to craft a superior product. The Lay of the LandAustralia is divided into seven states.
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Shiraz is characterized by blackberry fruit, baked earth, mint, herb, toast, black pepper, smoke, leather and game. Cabernet Sauvignon has benchmark characteristics of black cherry, red currant, black currant, cedar, tea, mint, herbs, chocolate and vanilla bean. Grenache is known for its delicate floral perfume and strawberry fruit. Mourvédre has deep low notes of tar, twigs and spice. Chardonnay is characterized by citrus fruits, tropical fruits, nutmeg, honey, pear, apricot, and pineapple. Oak can sometimes feature prominently; butter and caramel too! Semillon is pure citrus in its youth, but morphs into a honeyed mélange of straw flower and toasted grain as it ages. Riesling is marked with a nifty core of Kaffir lime or Citron and a bracing minerality.
“Australia is the driest, flattest, hottest, most desiccated, infertile and climatically aggressive of all the inhabited continents. Only Antarctica is more hostile to life.” “Woop-Woop” is a fictitious part of remote Australia. In Australian slang, it means in the middle of nowhere. Nicknames, everybody’s got one! The people of New South Wales are called “cornstalks. Someone from the Northern Territory is known as a “top-ender.” A Queenslander is a “banana-bender.” South Australians are “pie-eaters” or “crow-eaters” or “magpies.” Tasmanians are “tassie tigers” or “mutton birds.” A Victorian is a “cabbage-patcher.” Western Australians are “sandgropers.” 
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Most of Australia irrigates its vines. They do this out of necessity. The vine needs 10-30 inches of rain a year to survive. Less than that falls from the sky on an annual basis! The Aussies do not use water to boost crop yields; they irrigate to get a crop in the first place!