How about some Aussie wines? This (now past) “tasting offers an unprecedented opportunity to learn more about the current landscape of Australian wines – discover the latest releases, explore new trends, taste special back vintages and engage with the largest group of Aussie winemakers to ever travel to the USA.”
As part of the event, Wine Australia launched two new interactive components: The “Australian Wine Discovered” lounge that gave an “up-close look at Wine Australia’s award-winning free education platform” and the “Made Our Way Theater” that showcased “Cool Climate Reds” presented by Wine Victoria and World-Class Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River presented by Margaret River Wine Association.
Sadly I missed the seminars as there was a LOT of wine to cover. Found lots of dark fruit and some spice in the Shiraz and Cab blends at price points beginning at about $20, was told that Spanish varietals from McLaren Vale worked well due to their proximity to the Gulf St. Vincent – and a tasty Nero D’Avola did just that, Sue Henderson of Schild Estate explained how important the generations of family is to their winery, and though there was a change at the helm at MollyDooker a few years back the wines are still awesome and only bottled at a certain Fruit Weight (FW) of 55% or above: “Individual wine parcels have to achieve a certain FW to go into a particular label.”
Of the list below I have noted those in bold that I enjoyed and added in parenthesis any special wines of note. As is my habit I simply cannot visit all exhibitors, so me not noting one doesn’t mean it wasn’t a winery of note! (This is a hyperlink to my public Facebook post with pics of many wines I loved.)
Participating Exhibitors
Accolade Wines, All Saints Estate, An Approach To Relaxation, Angove Family Winemakers, Austral Estates Wines (Brothers in arms 2016 Cab and 2012 Shiraz), Barossa Valley Estate, Blue Pyrenees Estate, Cabernet Corporation, Calabria Family Wines, Cape Mentelle, d’Arenberg (Coppermine Road 2015 Cab, Ironstone Pressings 2016 Grenache Shiraz and The Dead Arm 2016 Shiraz made from vines 50-130 years old), Dandelion Vineyards (March Hare of the Barossa 2015 Mataro – aka Mourvedre), De Bortoli Wines (21 Year Old Tawny Port and Nobel One Botrytis Semillon 2015), Epicurean Wines (Massena Eleventh Hour Shiraz 2016), First Drop Wines, Fowles Wine, Giant Steps, Henschke, Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard, Hill Smith Family Vineyards, Howard Park Wines, Hudson Wine Brokers, Jim Barry Wines (Lodge Hill Shiraz 2016 and The Armagh Shiraz 2013), Manser Wines, Margaret River Wine Association, McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association (Brash Higgins NDB Nero d’avolo 2016), Mollydooker Wines (All: Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz 2017, Carnival of Love Shiraz 2017, Gigglepot Cab 2017 and The Boxer Shiraz 2017), Mount Langi Ghiran, Negociants USA / Winebow, Old Bridge Cellars (Cullen Mangon Red Moon Malbec Petit Verdot Merlot 2017, John Duval Eligo Shiraz 2017, Kilikanon Oracle Shiraz 2014), Penfolds (Bin 47 Cab 2017), Penley Estate, Periscope Management Pty Ltd (Credero 5 Tales Cab Merlot 2016, Cab 2017, and Chard 2018), Peter Lehmann Wines, Pure Wine Co (Clare Cab 2015), Schild Estate Wines (Narrow Road Shiraz Cab 2016, Grenache Mourvedre Shiraz 2017, Estate Shiraz 2017 Ben Schild Shiraz 2014 and Edgar Schild Grenache 2016), Torbreck Vintners (The Factor Shiraz 2016 and The Struie Shiraz 2016), Tyrrell’s Wines (Vat 8 Shiraz Cab 2016, Shiraz 2017,Rufus Stone Heathcote Shiraz 2016 and Lunitiq Heathcote Shiraz 2014)), Vasse Felix (Margaret River Cab 2015 and Tom Cullity Cab Malbec 2015), Vinaceous Wines, Vintage Longbottom (Henry’s Drive Shiraz Cab 2017 and Shiraz 2017), Wakefield Wines (St Andrews Cab 2015 and Shiraz 2013), Wine Victoria, Wine Yarra Valley, Xanadu, Yalumba Family Winemakers 1849 (The Signature Cab Shiraz 2015 and Coonawarra Cab 2014), Yangarra Estate Vineyard (Ironheart Shiraz 2016 and King’s Wood Shiraz 2017), Yering Station.
https://www.australianwine.com/en-AU
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
Additional recognitions include Finalist, Great Value (awarded to entries with a high price/value ratio – showing that great wines don’t need to be expensive); and the Tried & True Award™, bestowed on brands that have demonstrated unfailing, consistent quality, year after year.
Doffo Winery’s 2015 Zinfandel took first place in the competition, after taking second place to Wilson Creek’s Petite Sirah at last year’s inaugural event. The 2017 second place winner was Lorimar Winery’s 2014 Syrah, and third place was taken by Thornton Winery’s 2014 Estate Syrah.
My favorites (of those tables I got to as I know I missed quite a bit) are listed below. Wineries part of the “Australia’s First Families of Wine” designation that I liked are noted as an AFF Wine.
SEMINAR – White Wines: Unique Expressions of Australian Riesling, Semillon and Chardonnay
