Despite the best efforts of the ABC [Anything But Chardonnay] crowd, Chardonnay is making somewhat of a come back on the back of new lighter oaked, fresh and frisky wines that pair beautifully with oysters on the shell.
These new style chardonnays are pushing out the older, more traditional style that is well-oaked, buttery and rich. This new style is often aged in neutral oak, crisp and mineral-like with a low percentage going through secondary, malolactic fermentation.
Single vineyard wine is an intriguing subset of wine. On the surface it seems like an odd expression - after all, wines ultimately all come from vineyards and why is there a need to insert the term “single” in front of it?
On January 26th, we will be paying our respects to the 717 convicts that survived the journey to New Holland in 1788 as part of the first fleet. Some of their stories of survival in this harsh and unforgiving land are an inspiration to us all.
With Australia Day fast approaching, we wanted to find the Australian winery that is most closely aligned with our national day. And we think we have come up trumps with Westlake Vineyards.
It turns out that they have a direct connection to Edward Westlake who was one of those 717 convicts that survived the First Fleet and whose signature adorns the front of Westlake Vineyards “717 Convicts” label.Westlake are a small, family owned and operated business committed to producing quality wines from their vineyards in the renowned Barossa Valley.
There's a growing buzz in the wine industry about wines made from so called alternative varieties. Australia alone makes wine from more than 150 different grape varieties.
You could say that history has predicted this trend, given that back in the late 1980s,Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay were all the rage. Shiraz was totally underrated and undervalued, with it generally being labelled 'Hermitage’. And Sauvignon Blanc was that slightly weird stuff Cloudy Bay made over in New Zealand.
However, Australian wine drinkers are generally a progressive mob and moving forward to the last few years, we have seen the likes of Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc become established varieties with a number of new exciting varieties snapping at their heals. Varieties such as Pinot Grigio have started to appear on the wine drinking radar of many Australians, so much so that it is no longer considered alternative.
