Grenache - The Grandfather of Australian Wine

The Grandfather of Australian Wine

While Shiraz is Australia’s most famous grape, it is Grenache that started the Australian red winemaking ball rolling.

Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, Sardinia, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley.

It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with relatively high alcohol content, but it needs careful control of yields for best results. It tends to lack acid, tannin and color; while it performs well on its own, it truly blossoms when blended with other varieties such as Syrah, Carignan, Tempranillo and Cinsaut.

It was introduced in Australia by a clone from Perpignan, France with James Busby in 1832. More significant was the introduction into South Australia from the South of France, by Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold in 1844. Plantings in South Australia boomed, particularly in McLaren Vale, the Barossa Valley and Clare Valley. Until the mid 20th century, Grenache was Australia's most widely planted red wine grape variety where it was vital component in the fortified "port-style" wines.

As Australian winemakers started to focus more of premium still wines, Grenache gradually fell out of favor being supplanted by Shiraz and later Cabernet Sauvignon.

The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw a revival of interest in Grenache with old vine plantings in South Australia being used to produce varietal Grenache as well as a "GSM"-Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre. Blends become popular and starting to gain popularity and high recognition.  

Varietal Grenache from the McLaren Vale is characterized by luscious richness and spicy notes while Barossa Valley Grenache is characterized by jammy, intense fruitiness.

A blended family

Grenache generally lacking the vital tannin and acid, blending allows to develop deeper and more concentrated flavor.

·         The iconic Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines of southern France are arguably the best known blends, where up to 16 varieties are added. Here, schist and granite soils provide perfect long-season growing conditions for Grenache and it stands up to the famously powerful, dry Mistral winds of Provence with ease.

·         The wines of Priorat in north-east Spain (where Grenache takes its Spanish name, Garnacha) are also popular. This region’s older vines with their rich phenolics bring darker color and intense flavors.

·         Australian blends are now gaining momentum. Grenache’s fantastic bright red color and lifted berry flavors are matched beautifully with the spice of Shiraz and elegance and structure of Mourvedre.

Pure, sweet opulence

The high sugar levels of Grenache have led to extensive use in most Australian fortified/port style wine.

Its pale skins and low acidity also enable production of excellent rosés, some of the best examples coming from the Rhone Valley and the Loire’s Anjou region in central France.

This grape’s plush red fruit produces jam flavors of raspberry, strawberries and cherries, with added nuances of fresh herbs, spice - a delightful mix that is sure to capture and hold your attention.

What to drink it with?

Grenache’s balance between full flavors and slight fruity sweetness complements an array of cuisine, including those hard-to-match foods such as spicy Indian, Thai and Chinese.

Via: Wikipedia, Danmurphy & Winemakingtalk

Verdelho - A Classy Partner Summer Wine

Verdelho is a white wine grape grown throughout Portugal, at the turn of the 20th century it was the most widely planted in Madeira.

Since 1993 any Madeira wine labeled as Verdelho must contain at least 85% of the grape after the region was badly affected by the Phylloxera plague.

Verdelho is a moderately vigorous vine that produces small bunches of small oval berries with a high skin to juice ratio. The skins of the berry can be thick and taste "hard" when eaten. The grapes ripen early but can be prone to powdery mildew. The vines can also be susceptible to frost during the spring.

The grape has been successful in the vineyards of Australia, particularly the South Burnett wine region in Queensland, Hunter Valley region, Langhorne Creek, Cowra and the Swan Valley.

Verdelho is one of Australia's niche white wine varieties. Its flavorsome palate and full-bodied nature makes it a good alternative to Chardonnay. Although usually sold as a straight varietal, it also blends well with Chardonnay and Semillon.

Verdelho most recognized for its vinification into fortified wine on the island of Madeira, producing a medium-dry style with high acidity, high alcohol and a citrus tang. However, Australia adopted the variety and produced a unique style of table wine.

The warm areas of Western Australia, Langhorne Creek and the Hunter Valley have all had success with Verdelho. However due to the wide variations in climate between these areas, very different styles of wine are produced.

Verdelho from Western Australia is fresh and fruity, sometimes with a honeysuckle vein. From Langhorne Creek, it has a soft and flavoursome palate with tropical flavours such as pineapple and guava. And from the Hunter Valley, the variety expresses a spiciness, both on the nose and the palate. In general, if the variety is picked early, it will exhibit citrus and herbaceous elements. If it is picked late, rich fruit flavours will be dominant.

The production of Verdelho varies from winery to winery. Some producers use barrel fermentation and/or ageing to add creaminess and structure to the palate whilst others prefer a more fruit-driven style. Some styles are slightly sweet, adding to the generosity of flavour and balancing the inherent acidity.

In all styles, care must be taken to avoid alcohol 'hotness' and a phenol coarseness, which can sometimes occur when the variety is allowed to get very ripe.

Foods to partner Verdelho include seafood and light meats such as chicken, pork and veal. The spicy styles go well with pesto and roasted vegetables whereas the sweeter styles work well with Asian influenced dishes. A classy partner to a long, lazy lunch, though perfectly delightful served alone.

Australia Sparkling

Australia Sparkling

Australia sparkling wine has a long and distinguished history - including the creation of Sparkling Shiraz. 

You sometime heard that Australian sparkling is trying too hard to be like Champagne, that’s all positive, I think. When people say a sparkling wine is too Champagne – like, I think it means it’s an elegant, complex, aged sparkling wine. 

Sparkling wine it is a style best drunk young and chilled. Australian sparkling wine is well worth experimenting with at the table as it is a good accompaniment to a wide range of dishes, hot and cold dishes.

Champagne vs Aussie Sparkling – what’s the deal?

Champagne vs Aussie Sparkling – what’s the deal?

When you’re itching for a hangover, so you know bubbly booze is the way to go. Champagne or sparkling wine?

Actually, in a sense, champagne is no different from sparkling wine. All champagnes are sparkling wines but not all sparkling wines are champagnes.

So when you want to celebrate any occasion with champagne but your purse isn't up to the mark to buy the genuine stuff at the exorbitant price, you can try one of these not-so-pricey and great quality sparkling wines instead of indulging in fake champagne at cheaper price. In some countries like USA, you can't even distinguish between genuine champagne and a bogus one, because these countries didn't sign the treaty that protects that name. Anyone here can label their cheap booze as 'champagne' and sell it legally.

So don't let yourself be duped – don't buy champagne unless you have substantially fat pockets and you can go for the real stuff. Try a sparkling wine instead, and your celebration will be as spectacular as ever!

IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR FOR CHOCOLATE, CHEESE AND WINES

As the calendar turns to November, the late autumn and early winter holidays aren't far behind. All the celebrations open doors to savory foods, sweets and good times with family and friends. 

“Gourmet chocolate, aged cheese, and fine Wine” all 3 are always present at holiday parties and dinners, so why not combine them into one dessert that will be sure to continue the conversation late into the night? 

Not only is this dessert idea unique and different, it’s foolproof and takes the stress away from spending hours in the kitchen trying to whip up a festive masterpiece. Most cheeses and red wines are best served at room temperature, so this platter can be made well ahead of time, before guests even arrive.

It can be overwhelming to try and perfectly pair each cheese with each chocolate and each wine; there are no right answers the key is to keep everything simple; not only for the host’s own sanity, but also to not overwhelm guests.

Pairing Wine with Asian Food

Pairing wine with Asian food

It always amazes me when people matching wine with Asian cuisines. In Asian food settings, wine is not a natural or traditional match, but it is not an impossible one. What it takes is a little more imagination.

It is a question of harmony and balance within the context of hot, sour, salty and sweet food sensations. In short contrasting testes in wine and food matching is another approach that can be used with Asian cuisines.

You may find lots of different rules on wine-food pairing, however you don’t have to be so hung up about the perfect encounter or the perfect pairing, because like with any thing in life, perfection is an illusion.