Do you love Australian wine? Did you know there is Australian wine for all occasions?
Remember, Australia is a vast and diverse wine region with more than 100 grape varieties and 65 different wine regions. This totals about 160,000 hectares; however, Australia’s wine regions are mostly located in the southern and cooler regions of the country.
Not to mention the diverse soils and over 100 different grape varieties.
So what Australian wine brands should you choose to drink with your next meal? Here’s everything you need to know.
Why New World Wines Are Great
As a New World wine region, Australia is not tied to hundreds of years of old-world wine region tradition in Europe. This allows small winemakers to experiment; push the boundaries; and, ultimately, revolutionize the way the world sees, produces, forms, and packages wine.
From the rich and velvety Barossa shiraz to the mouth-watering Marlborough sauvignon blanc, Australia and New Zealand are both New World wine-producing countries to look out for.
If you’re interested in preserving the freshness of the wine from anywhere in the world even if you don’t drink the whole bottle immediately, look into getting a wine saver.
1. Penfolds Grange
Once despised for being too “young” or “modern” for wine, now one of the most expensive reds in the world is actually produced on an Australian label: Penfolds Grange.
And while red sparkling wines date back to the Etruscan era, the style – and the sparkling Penfolds Grange in particular – is something Australia has made it’s own.
2. Sparkling Wine
The dominant sparkling wine styles in Australia are sparkling whites, Proseccos, sparkling rosés, and sparkling reds.
In Australia, sparkling white is usually made from Chardonnay grapes to produce a medium-bodied dry wine, often with fruity aromas of peach, apple, grapefruit, and melon.
The three classic champagne grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, and Pinot Meunier are also important to many sparkling rosés.
However, when making sparkling rose, many winemakers tend to use the tender red pinot noir grapes to bring out the hot pinks that make these wines so appealing, although any red wine grape can be used.
3. Wine From Warmer Regions
Many wineries sell wonderful varieties of wines from Australia, available both in individual bottles and as part of a gift set or basket. The following grape varieties can be found in Australia: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sémillon, and Pinot Noir.
Most grape varieties are grown in warm climate regions, including the Riverian, Murray valley, and Riverland wine regions. Located in southern new south wales, North-Western Victoria, and Southern Australia.
East of Barossa, one of Australia’s hottest wine regions, Riverland is known for its cheap grape varieties. But slowly, the region has reinvented itself with progressive growers focused on drought-tolerant varieties such as Montalcino, Nero d’avola, and Sangiovese.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the two most grown grape varieties in the region; however, only a small per cent of wines come from Tasmania, and due to the huge demand.
4. Aromatic Wines and Spicy Wines
There are several styles of wine, like the bottled Semillon from NSW’s hunter valley with a distinctly Australian character. These grapes produce light to medium-bodied, aromatic wines with high acidity, while Australian rieslings tend to be closer to the dry and fresh end.
Full of exotic spices, intense red fruit, velvety tannins, and beautiful bubbles, they can be made from a variety of red grape varieties including Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambord, Noir Nosh, and Durif.
While they have a wide selection of red and white wines, we recommend the sauvignon blanc Semillon, a white wine variety with a unique maritime flavor. Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc is closer to a vintage Bordeaux style, with softer acidity than a fruity Marlboro style.
Wines from the wolf blass makers project to showcase the texture and freshness of the grapes to create fun, easy-drinking styles such as pinot grigio rosa made from cultured juice and Pinot Noir made using early pressing methods. Create a soft and silky wine, rich in wild berry character.
5. Red Wines
When it comes to Australian red wine, Merlot competes with Shiraz for the title of Australia’s favorite red variety.
According to sales figures, Sauvignon Blanc was the most popular white variety among regular Australian wine drinkers, with chardonnay coming in second. Bottled red wine is a fast-growing category as one of the best Australian wine brands.
6. Pinot Noir
Wineries made famous for their pinot noir have gone off the beaten track, including Picardy in Pemberton, Western Australia; bass Phillip, in south Gippsland, Victoria; and far wines near Geelong, victoria.
With each state in Australia producing its own wine label, there are of course too many to choose from when it comes to Pinot Noir. What’s the best Australian wine? Remember all tastes remember are different, regardless of perceived quality.
Australian Wine For All Occasions
It would be impossible to include all Australian wine varieties, styles, and producers.
From the grassy flavors of Sauvignon Blanc to the intense peppery flavors of shiraz Valley, Barossa, Australia, and every wine region in between, Australian winemakers have shared their stories with the world time and time again.
The production of Australian wine improved greatly with the arrival of free settlers from across Europe. They established some of Australia’s major wine regions.
But because it’s also hot, dry, and generally Mediterranean, climate Australian wine is perfect.
For more articles like this, be sure to check out the rest of our site.
Katie writes for F and B Recipes. She lives in New York with her dog Coco. When not writing, she can be found baking (and eating) chocolate chip cookies.