Celebrate. Australian wine

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1 food&wine Australian wine Celebrate The theme of this year s Aussie Wine Month is Regional Heroes. Wine writer Winsor Dobbin presents this guide to sampling some of the country s best. AUSSIE WINE MONTH runs from May 1 31, and is a celebration of all that is great about Australian wine, with more than 100 events held across the country. Yarra Valley, Victoria Just an hour s drive from Melbourne s CBD, the Yarra Valley is home to some of the most influential winemakers in Australia and is driving the trend towards more elegant, drink-now wine styles. Known for its sparkling wines, stellar chardonnays and outstanding pinot noirs, the Yarra Valley was first planted with grapes back in It was in the 1960s and 70s, however, that the region blossomed, thanks to a range of climatic influences. Today, the Yarra Valley offers a country wine experience with a dash of city sophistication there are plenty of top-notch places to eat, trendy craft breweries and cellar door tastings. The major producers include Coldstream Hills, Oakridge, Domaine Chandon, De Bortoli Yarra Valley, Innocent Bystander, Punt Road, TarraWarra Estate and Yering Station; boutique producers also thrive, including more recent arrivals such as Hoddles Creek and Soumah. What s new: The Upper Yarra is producing cool-climate wines of considerable elegance, while shiraz and cabernet sauvignon both thrive in the warmer pockets. Alternative grape varieties pinot blanc, roussanne, viognier and savagnin have also proved successful. Key destinations: De Bortoli Yarra Valley boasts tasting facilities, its own cheese maturation room and the popular Locale restaurant. Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander in Healesville encompasses a stylish cellar door, café, restaurant, coffee roaster and bakery and serves super pizzas. TarraWarra Estate combines wine tastings with an impressive art gallery the TarraWarra Museum of Art and an excellent restaurant. Oakridge recently completed a cellar door/restaurant rebuild and offers stunning chardonnays and pinot noirs, as well as magnificent views and fine dining. Yarra Valley 18

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4 food&wine Margaret River, WA A three-hour drive south of Perth, Margaret River is one of Australia s most stunning wine regions both visually and because of the quality of wine produced in a climate similar to that of France s Bordeaux. The overall production may be small, but Margaret River accounts for more than 15 per cent of Australia s premium wines. Chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon are the star performers and sauvignon blanc/semillon blends have become the region s signature. The big names include Voyager Estate, Leeuwin Estate, Vasse Felix, Cullen, Cape Mentelle, Howard Park, Devil s Lair, Moss Wood, Pierro, Stella Bella, Brookland Valley and Xanadu; noteworthy boutique operations are McHenry Hohnen, Edwards, Flametree, Mantra/Wine by Brad, Woodlands and Fraser Gallop Estate. With dozens of cellar doors worth visiting, make time for leisurely exploration. The vineyards extend 60 kilometres to the north of the Margaret River township and 40 kilometres to the south. There s a laidback ambience and many surf beaches and national parks to enjoy. Boutique breweries are also extremely popular. What s new: The region is the venue for one of Australia s newest food and wine festivals, the Margaret River Gourmet Escape, which attracts top chefs and wine experts from around the globe. Stormflower Vineyard is a new producer at Wilyabrup; star eatery Gnarabar has started serving lunches daily at the Evans & Tate cellar door; and Palmer Wines is now open for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Key destinations: Vasse Felix, the first commercial vineyard and winery in the region, has a cellar door, restaurant and art gallery in a lovely setting. Voyager Estate, with its breathtaking Cape Dutch architecture, overlooks vines, rose gardens and sweeping lawns. Cullen has a lovely dining room that looks out over the vines and the dishes are all either organic or biodynamic. Leeuwin Estate is a venue for regular concerts and is home to a topnotch restaurant. Barossa Valley, SA The Barossa Valley is arguably the bestknown New World wine region on the globe. Home to world-renowned producers Penfolds, Henschke and Jacob s Creek, Margaret River it has been named on The New York Times list of must-see destinations in Australia and it s just an hour north of Adelaide. The entire Barossa Valley region, which also takes in the cooler Eden Valley, is a gourmet s delight with its gutsy wines, hearty food and German heritage. The warm Barossa Valley is synonymous with big red wines, usually made from shiraz and grenache, while the Eden Valley is best known for rieslings. The Barossa Valley was established in the 1800s by Germanspeaking families, and many of today s winemakers can trace their heritage back six generations. Some of the vines here are among the oldest in the world. Leading wineries include Penfolds, Wolf Blass, Yalumba, Jacob s Creek, Henschke, St Hallett, Peter Lehmann and Grant Burge; smaller producers include Elderton, Turkey Flat, Charles Melton, Schild Estate and Torbreck. Barossa Valley What s new: While grape varieties such as shiraz and grenache continue to dominate, many Barossa growers are experimenting with Italian, Spanish and Portuguese grape varieties, including sangiovese and tempranillo, which are proving highly popular. Also check out the new Six Southern Steps touring trail launched by six boutique wineries and the new Italian cooking school at Casa Carboni. Key destinations: Artisans of Barossa is a new tasting facility shared by some of the region s smaller winemakers. The historic Penfolds winery and cellar door at Nuriootpa allows guests to blend their own wine, which is then bottled for them to take home with their name on the label as assistant winemaker. The Jacob s Creek Visitor Centre has a vineyard featuring rows of several grape varieties and an interpretative gallery, while iconic Seppeltsfield Estate at Marananga has a collection of fortified 21

5 food&wine FAST FACT Australia has commercial wineries in every state and territory (except NT) and is the world s seventh-biggest wine producer after France, Italy, Spain, the US, China and Argentina. In Australia the ratio of red grape plantings to white is 60:40. Hunter Valley wines dating back to It offers several different tasting options, including a new one featuring six different fortified wines matched with canapés. Hunter Valley, NSW Two hours north of Sydney, the Hunter Valley is one of Australia s busiest wine regions and is in a constant state of activity with its many festivals and tasting events. It boasts more than 60 cafés and restaurants and close to 120 cellar doors. Hope Estate, Tempus Two and Bimbadgen Estate all host regular music concerts, often featuring major international stars. In this region that has been making wine since 1828, the best-known cellar doors include Tyrrell s, McWilliam s Mount Pleasant, Hungerford Hill, Tulloch, Drayton s, Brokenwood, Wyndham Estate, Tempus Two and Lindeman s, but there are also dozens of family-owned boutique wine producers. The region is renowned for its age-worthy semillon and shiraz, but varieties such as verdelho and chardonnay also thrive here. What s new: After one of the earliest vintages on record, chardonnays, semillons and verdelhos from the 2014 vintage should be available at the cellar door by the time you read this. Grapes were picked as early as the second week of January and winemakers were delighted with the fruit quality. Key destinations: The Small Winemakers Centre offers the opportunity to sample regional star wines by the glass. It pays to take some of the Hunter Valley s roads less travelled to explore slower-paced sub-regions, such as Lovedale, and Broke- Fordwich, where you ll find outstanding producer Margan and biodynamic pioneer Krinklewood. Muse at Hungerford Hill, Bistro Molines and Margan are excellent options for food-and-wine matching. Tasmania Tasmania has been described as the new champagne region. With cool-climate wines in vogue, Australia s island state is producing world-class wines made mainly from pinot noir and chardonnay. Varieties such as sauvignon blanc, riesling, pinot gris and even shiraz and cabernet sauvignon also shine. 22

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7 food&wine Tasmania Leading sparkling wine producers include House of Arras/Bay of Fires, Jansz, Clover Hill and Kreglinger and the majority of grapes are grown in the north of this dramatically beautiful destination. Tamar and Pipers River stand-outs include Pipers Brook, Jansz, Dalrymple, Delamere and rising stars Sinapius, Holm Oak, Stoney Rise, Moores Hill, Goaty Hill, Velo and Tamar Ridge. On the east coast, check out Freycinet, Milton and Spring Vale. The capital of Hobart is surrounded by three wine-producing valleys: the Derwent Valley to the north, Coal River Valley to the east and the Huon Valley to the south. What s new: The Huon Valley has become something of a wine hotspot with new cellar doors opening at Elsewhere Vineyard and Two Bud Spur to join longtime favourites Home Hill, Hartzview and Panorama. New cider tasting rooms include Willie Smith s, Frank s and Pagan. Key destinations: Josef Chromy has an excellent cellar door and restaurant complex overlooking a lake. Moorilla Estate is part of the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) complex and is also home to fine-diner The Source, a wine bar and microbrewery. The Coterie is a new tasting facility and wine industry hangout at Coal Valley Vineyard near Cambridge. topsoil on a white limestone base. Grapes have been grown here since the 1890s and there s a busy calendar of festivals, events and wine tastings throughout the year. You ll find some of the biggest names in Australian wine here, including Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Yalumba The Menzies, Katnook Estate and Brands Laira, as well as smaller stars such as Balnaves, Majella, Bowen Estate, Leconfield and Zema Estate. What s new: Penola, the major town in the district, has a new meeting place in Penola Station restaurant, which specialises in food-and-wine matching, while the Majella cellar door has a new look, and Parker Coonawarra Estate is being spruced up after a change of ownership. Key destinations: Wynns Coonawarra Estate has an interpretative centre that takes visitors on an interactive wine journey. Pipers of Penola is run by a member of one of the district s most famous winemaking families, while Katnook Estate has a historic but beautifully restored tasting facility, along with some rarities on offer, including aged sauvignon blancs. Coonawarra Coonawarra, SA Located on the Limestone Coast of SA, Coonawarra may be one of Australia s most remote wine-producing districts but it punches well above its weight. Magnificent cabernet and shiraz and some pretty decent white wines, too are the result of a unique terroir that has fertile red-brown 24

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