Riesling
Australia’s young wine regions in the news: New England in NSW
A few years ago it was decided that it was fundamental to the organisation and development of the Australian wine industry to create wine zones, wine regions and sub-regions throughout the country. Following the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, Australia has its vineyards spread throughout a total of 62 designated wine regions totaling 170,000 hectares.
Cool climate vineyard
Internationally known are the classic wine regions such as the Barossa and Yarra Valley or McLaren Vale. Our aim here at downunderwines is to introduce to you a number of smaller and mostly newer regions over the coming months. Let us start with a region that was officially established on 23 January 2008 – the New England Wine Region.
This region is an inland district in northern New South Wales, situated at the top of the Great Dividing Range. It has a mild alpine climate and four distinct seasons. The winemakers are still trying to find out, which varieties will be most successful, however, the typical cool climate varieties seem to be doing well, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Noir as well as Riesling.
Although officially only a bit more than a year old, the area is in fact a re-emerging wine region as early settlers planted their own wine already in the 1850s. Between 1870 and 1920 wines from New England won quite a few awards at wine shows in Sydney, London, the US and France.
What is fascinating is the climate of this large region, obviously strongly influenced by its elevation. It ranges from 404m in and around Tamworth to the New England Plateau where vineyards grow at 900m around Glenn Innes in the Great Dividing Range. High altitude, cooler nights, snow in winter and still only two hours inland from the sub-tropical north coast of NSW.
It will be interesting to see, how winemakers in these new areas will try to distinguish themselves from the bigger and better known regions. One of the suggested differentiators will be the use of new, almost unique varieties such as Arneis, Gewurztraminer or Tempranillo.
This week we have tried a wine from Topper’s Mountain Wines – a winery with first plantings from 2000 and 2002. They are trying out quite a few new varieties and we opted for the 2005 topper’s Mountain Traminer – a Gewurztraminer following a truly traditional German style. Typical for this style is the toastal floral aroma of Jasmine. The scent of Turkish Delight makes Michael think of his home country Germany, the wine itself lacks a bit in length which shows that this is a wine that will need a few more years of work.
Gewurztraminer is a difficult variety but has the potential to be outstanding in a few years time and therefore become a good differentiation for Topper Mountain Wines. And this is what wine from Australia is also about: having a go at new varieties in new regions.
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Downunderwines bringt ihnen in den kommenden Monaten Berichte zu den weniger bekannten Weinregionen Australiens. Wir beginnen mit der Region New England, die erst seit Januar 2008 eine der 62 offiziell anerkannten Weinregionen hier Down Under ist. Wichtiges Differenzierungskriterium fuer die neuen Weingegenden ist die Verwendung unbekannterer Weinreben, wir haben in dieser Woche einen Gewurztraminer aus dem Jahr 2005 getestet.
A ‘Ladies only’ release of wine
What a shame: I am not invited! Tertini Wines from one of Australia’s upcoming wine regions Southern Highlands is surprising me with a ‘Ladies only’ Launch of the 2008 Tertini Wines Noble Riesling tonight. They will even serve Italian soft cheeses and Italian desserts to accompany this dessert wine.
I decided to send my wife and buy a bottle for me to try later tonight. More info about where to head for this event here.
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Eine wirklich ausgefallene Einladung erreichte mich heute von Tertini Wines aus den Southern Highlands. Sie laden zum Launch ihres Noble Riesling, grossartige Sache, doch leider mit einem Haken: Ladies only.
Ihr Michael Brecht
Wine tasting at a Cellar Door and Business Networking
I enjoy the combination of the above, meeting new business people and tasting new wines at the same time. On invitation of ZaaBiz, Australia’s largest business network and Tertini Wines from the Southern Highlands, business people form the Highlands, Wollongong, Sydney and even Melbourne met at Tertini’s cellar door last night for this purpose.
We tried the 2005 and 2006 Riesling, the 2005 and 2008 Arneis – a highly difficult variety from the North-West of Italy, two Pinot Noirs and the Tertini Cabernet Sauvignon on the night.
The crowd was also volunteered to taste a selection of Italian cheeses, picking out the ones that tasted well with the various wines. All in all it was a great event, Tertini’s Sales Manager Robert Kay guided us through the evening and gave insights into the wine making techniques of this young winery from the Southern Highlands. Tertini has won 89 medals in the last three years at various wine shows across the country, not bad for a small Boutique Winery.
I thoroughly enjoyed this wine tasting and met some great new business people from the area.
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Das australische Business Netzwerk ZaaBiz hatte gestern zu seinem event in den Southern Highlands geladen. Neben diversen networking sessions gab es ausreichend Gelegenheit, die Weine von Tertini Wines zu testen. Mein Favorit: der 2008er Tertini Arneis, eine Traube aus dem Nordwesten Italiens die hier in Down Under von lediglich 15 Winzern bearbeitet wird. Mehr zu diesem Wein in einem gesonderten Bericht.
Ihr Michael Brecht
Weine fuer Schnaeppchenjaeger: die besten Weine fuer nicht mehr als 9 und 13 EURO
Als einer der absoluten Klassiker erweist sich jedes Jahr die Kategorie ‘Schnaeppchen’ bei der von Macquarie Bank gesponsorten Sydney Royal Wine Show.
Ich verfolge deren Ergebnisse seit Jahren mit grossem Interesse, denn hier finden sich meist erstklassige Tropfen zu absolut guenstigen Preisen, so auch dieses Jahr:
In der Kategorie Rotweine unter 13 EURO (ca. 20 Australische Dollar, daher dieser etwas sonderbare EURO-betrag) gewann dieses Jahr der Wyndham Estate George Wyndham Shiraz Grenache Jahrgang 2005. Hier gewinnt also ein Wein, der durch das Hinzufuegen von Grenache die vermeintliche Ueberfuelle eines Shiraz abfaengt, die Preisrichter lobten den soften, nach Himbeere und Kirsche schmeckenden Grundton des Weines. Ich verspreche Ihnen, sobald ich eine Flasche davon in die Hand bekomme, werde ich einen Testbericht schreiben.
Bei den besten weissen Weinen unter 9 EURO gewann in diesem Jahr ein Riesling, der Hardy’s Siegersdorf Riesling 2006. Ich sehe mich bestaetigt in dem Auftrag, alsbald einen gesonderten Rieslingtest fuer downunderwines durchzufuehren. Denn Riesling ist hier in Australien stark im Kommen, und ich verspreche Ihnen bereits an dieser Stelle, dass die Top-Rieslings sehr wohl mit den deutschen oder oesterreichischen Rieslings mithalten koennen. Hardy’s Siegersdorf Riesling habe ich vergangene Woche in einem Winetasting probieren duerfen, er gefaellt mir aufgrund seiner klaren Linie und ist ein hervorragender Vertreter seiner Zunft, auch wenn er nicht einmal 8 EURO kostet.
Was bleibt ansonsten von den diesjaehrigen Gewinnern im Schnaeppchenwettbewerb: es sind die Weine mit ‘gemischten’ Trauben, die zu guenstigsten Konditionen zu haben sind, d.h. neben dem roten Gewinner Shiraz Grenache gab es eine Reihe exzellenter Grenache Blends, Shiraz Viognier, Shiraz Cabernet oder eben die weniger bekannten Petit Verdot, die in diesem Jahr vorne lagen.
Ihr Michael Brecht
