Cabernet Shiraz

Wine lined up to be judged at yet another wine show. Some shows are taking radical steps to improve the system of awarding lucrative gold stickers for labels.

OK, so Starr was singing about something else. But he got the sentiment right: for many in the industry and the trade, wine shows are on the nose.

Close to 60 wine competitions take place each year in this country, from the Royal Agricultural Society-run capital city affairs that attract thousands of entries to small regional shows that might have only 100 exhibits. This means that at any one time, somewhere in Australia, a panel of judges is swirling, sniffing and spitting countless glasses of wine then scribbling notes, allocating points out of 20 (three for appearance, seven for aroma, 10 for taste and overall quality), then handing out medals and trophies at long, boozy awards dinners.

The problem is that wine shows in Australia have always served two masters – the professionals (the people who make the wine) and the punters (the people who buy the wine). And what is good for one group is not necessarily good for the other.

Read full article here

Winemaking is an agricultural process, so it makes sense that more and more winemakers are particularly concerned about how their work affects the environment.

I met recently with Cono Sur general manager and head winemaker Adolfo Hurtado during a recent visit he made to Ontario. He talked about what the company is doing to ensure a greener future — things like switching to lightweight bottles to reduce the carbon footprint of transporting them, implementing carbon neutral winemaking practices and adopting sustainable and eco-friendly grape growing methods.

In addition, Cono Sur is working in Canada with Clean Air Champions, a charity through which about 200 Olympic and Paralympic athletes work with community groups to promote environmental awareness and physical activity.

Hurtado and I tasted four of those wines together and I’ll share my notes on them below. In addition, there’s Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc ($13.95 for 1.5 L, code 306472), Viognier ($9.95, code 64287), Merlot Rose ($9.95, code 122481), Pinot Noir ($10.95, code 341602), Cabernet Merlot ($13.95 for 1.5 L, code 257170) and Cabernet Shiraz ($13.95 for 1.5 L, code 620674). And in Vintages there is Vision Syrah ($15.95, code 24661).

Read full article here

If you thought Mudgee was all about 'big, bold reds', taste again. This year's September Wine Festival will showcase the Region's diversity as a wine region - Mudgee is the home of organic wine in Australia, and a wave of young, up and coming winemakers are producing new varietals such as Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

From 3 to 26 September 2010 a host of events will introduce visitors to new and traditional wines - meander between 50 cellar doors, attend awards, tastings with winemakers, vineyard walks, golf days, a readers festival, and enjoy special menus with fresh regional produce.

This year's hot tickets include Go Grazing; Vine, Swine and Dine Food Affaire; the Mudgee Wine Show Dinner and Public Tasting; the Mudgee Fine Foods Awards; and Motown in Mudgee with James Morrison. Unique events include 'CO2 with a View' at Robert Stein Winery; 'Dinner with Sean Moran' at Logan Wines and a 'Wine Blending Challenge' at Bunnamagoo.

This year's hot tickets include Go Grazing; Vine, Swine and Dine Food Affaire; the Mudgee Wine Show Dinner and Public Tasting; the Mudgee Fine Foods Awards; and Motown in Mudgee with James Morrison. Unique events include 'CO2 with a View' at Robert Stein Winery; 'Dinner with Sean Moran' at Logan Wines and a 'Wine Blending Challenge' at Bunnamagoo. "Our wine industry has lots of exciting developments and new wines to offer visitors. Mudgee is the 'home of organic wine in Australia' - we have the oldest certified grower at Botobolar, award-winning Thistle Hill, and five organic wineries, which will double in the five years," said Lucy White, CEO of Mudgee Region Tourism Inc.

Read full article here

Wynns Coonawarra Estate senior winemaker, Sue Hodder, and regional vineyard manager, Allen Jenkins, today (Jul 7) hosted a media pre-release tasting of the winery’s new wines.

The new release wines include the 2010 Wynns Riesling, 2010 Wynns Chardonnay, 2009 Wynns Shiraz, 2008 Wynns V&A Lane Shiraz, 2008 Wynns V&A Lane Cabernet Shiraz, 2007 Wynns Glengyle Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2008 vintage of the iconic Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon.

The latest release Wynns wines will be available in-store from August 4, which also marks the return of Wynnsday after a more than 10 year absence.

Read full article here

Round 3 of the summer series focusing on barbecue wines, and in this corner the robust reds—maybe even some that cross over to the raunchy side of the ring. Common components: hearty, big, and bold, with lots of full-frontal flavour, a bit of edge, some spice, good fruit, and most importantly good value, with nothing over $20.

Cut ’em with ice and soda, berries and herbs, a goodly glug of vodka or something sweet, and get set to match them with your favourite (mainly meat) barbecue experiments. Gallo served us well when we surveyed whites at the start of this series; here they are again leading off this line.

A new-to-us middleweight Pinot, fresh and fruity. Give it a short chill and let it do its thing with lamb and salmon, grilled vegetables and fruit kebabs. Price is everything.

A general listing means it’s widely available at most LDB stores. Again, good fruit, a little bite to keep the burnt bits in check, hearty for ribs and burgers. In the USA section, of course.

Read full article here