Bucking a global trend, Australian wines are becoming more diverse, with wineries diversifying away from French grapes to others, including Austria’s Grüner Veltliner. That’s good news for a nation where Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate wine production, leading to fatigue for many wine consumers.
Australians have been stuck on drinking the same old wines for years but slowly, we’re broadening our tastes to include lesser-known wines, including the savoury Italian kind.
“Bordeaux dry white wine bashing” is common in France given the lack of care given to the dry white wines of the region. They often have notes of cat pee, short and sometimes over-wooded to hide flaws, says the Bordeaux Chauvinist. But that was before he bought the “Les Frangines” of Château Thieuley 2020 AOC Bordeaux white wine from Auchan for €6.95 and loved it!
One of the world’s most expensive rosés any good falls short
Australian wine exports fell to a five-year low of $2.3 billion with wine exports to China plunging 77% over the year to September 30, 2021, after steep tariffs were imposed on Australian wine in late 2020. But exports bounced in Hong Kong by 135% while the UK and the US overtook China as Australia’s biggest wine export markets.
Guest columnist for World Wine Watch, the Bordeaux Chauvinist, has tried a very expensive rosé from Provence, Garrus, and he can’t find the value. The Bordeaux Chauvinist is an anonymous sommelier who advises on good value for money wines of all regions and countries (But he remains a Bordeaux Chauvinist).
Bordeaux-Chauvinist likes a Rhone Valley cask
During an extended lockdown in Sydney over winter and spring and time to spare, I drafted this poem. I started the lockdown by popping the cork on a bottle of 2012 Pol Roger, to celebrate my birthday, and a fine wine it was. Note that when you pronounce the French words in this poem ending in ‘er’, they all end with the ‘ay’ sound, even Pol Roger and Taittinger.
Treasury Wine Estates is implementing a global response plan given huge duties being slugged on its wine by Chinese authorities and Australia’s largest wine company is confident it can sell its wine in other markets – as trade tensions between Australia and China heighten.
Australian wine brand Yellow Tail is the world’s most powerful wine brand, with Jacobs Creek coming in third place, but brand equity has been eroded during COVID-19, new research reveals.
Brand Finance differs on wine brand rankings
Abruzzo’s most famous wine is the sumptuous Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. This beautiful Italian red wine is very approachable and affordable, ideal for casual drinkers who don’t won’t to be overloaded with tannins and alcohol.
Austrian wines aren’t so well known outside the country’s border, but the nation’s wine producers and the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) are aiming to change that, as several participated in a recent trade show hosted in Sydney, Australia, hosted by Wines of Adelaide.
