Australian Wine - A World of Variation

By Angela Mount

It’s never easy knowing how much, or how little information wine drinkers want to know about the wines they’re buying; it can be confusing for many. The  incredible success of Australian wine is in someways a double-edged sword – the big brands did a great job, back in the 90s, of bringing Australian wines to the forefront of our wine drinking choices; however they simultaneously eroded much of the individuality and widely varying characteristics of this multi-faceted wine country, during the building of ‘Brand Australia’, at the expense of regionality.

I’m not criticizing the brands; there are some great ones out there, that build on their heritage and location – however, it’s fair to say that for many  wine consumers, there is little knowledge of the different styles and regions, due to cross regional blending, and that the majority of wine drinkers know far more about the differences between Loire and Rhone wines, than they do about the variations between the hot, sun-soaked Barossa and  the wind and rain-swept coasts of Mornington Peninsula.

So, I’m taking a quick virtual tour of some of Great Western Wines’ best Aussie producers, to highlight a few differences, and showcase the uniqueness of each one – every single one a shining star, but very individual, and very different.

A good place to start is with GLAETZER wines; This world-famous, small family winery, headed up by award-winning winemaker Ben Glaetzer is situated in the hot, dry Barossa Valley, less than 2 hours drive north of Adelaide.  It’s one of the hottest wine regions in Australia, geared to powerful, rich  reds. The Glaetzer wines fit in this mould, but their super-premium styles set them apart from the pack.  All their wines are produced from tiny yields off very old vines, from a small estate in the tiny Ebenezer Valley, at the northern edge of the Barossa – hotter, yet more humid than most areas in the Barossa, the style of Glaetzer wines is intense, complex and multi-faceted, with long-lasting power and concentration, from the plush, sumptuous WALLACE , to the pinnacle of the range AMON-RA.

Ben Glaetzer also makes wines for the HEARTLAND range, produced in the cooler regions of Limestone Coast and Langhorne Creek, south and east of Adelaide, closer to the coast, and benefitting from a fresher climate, which means that the reds will be both softer, but also finely-grained, and elegant, and the vineyards more suited to white wines, such as the HEARTLAND PINOT GRIS; it is here that he produces HEARTLAND DIRECTORS CUT SHIRAZ, plush, complex, finely-honed, with opulence, yet restraint.

One of the most fascinating aspects of wines from South Australia, is their diversity, within a relatively small area ( for Australia!).  Situated very close to the sun-baked Barossa is Eden Valley, home of one of Australia’s most iconic wineries, HENSCHKE – the wines here are very different; high up in the hills, the climate is very different, with proper winters, and cold nights, perfect for slow-ripening of the grapes, and the production of dreamy, beautiful aromatic whites such as HENSCHKE JULIUS RIESLING, and other delicate spicy styles – Eden Valley produces arguably the finest Riesling in Australia, but also many exquisitely crafted reds, more reined-in, elegant, and restrained in style than the Barossa style, with a poised opulence – the epitome of this, is one of the most sought-after and revered wines in the world HENSCHKE HILL OF GRACE.

Clare Valley, the most northern of South Australia’s wine regions, and home to SKILLOGALEE, is another high altitude premium wine region, and here fresh, aromatic, vibrant, yet restrained styles of wine shine, showing the impact of hot sunny days, and cold nights, in the sassy, edgy, charismatic styles of the wines , from the classic restraint of SKILLOGALEE TREVARICK RIESLING, to the plushness of SKILLOGALEE THE CABERNETS. See my interview with Diana Palmer, Skillogalee Owner.

Moving south eastwards, from South Australia, the wines of Victoria offer a completely different style, once again.  One of the most diverse wine regions in Australia, it’s also the most southern, situated close to Melbourne, which is glorious on a summer’s day, but achingly cold on a winter’s one; so a far more continental climate, which naturally lends itself to fresher, brighter, lighter styles of wine. Yarra Valley, one of the best known areas, just north of Melbourne, and high up in the hills, is the home of YERING STATION, who are producing some of the freshest Chardonnays around, such as the poised YERING STATION CHARDONNAY as well as great quality, juicy, spicy Pinot Noir and the ripe, juicy, vibrant Rhone style YERING STATION SHIRAZ VIOGNIER; the wines here are softer, and have a stylish creaminess and gentle warmth.

One of the jewels in the crown of gems that forms the Great Western Wine range is undoubtedly KOOYONG, a widely-acclaimed winery and estate, situated in the most southern part of Victoria, way south of Melbourne, the revered Mornington Peninsula. It’s about as far south as you can go in Australia in terms of wine – clinging to the hills, overlooking the ocean, it’s at the mercy of the bitter winds and cold weather storming straight up from the Antarctic – forget deserts and heatwaves, in winter, this is more like the Dorset coast being battered by rain and wind. Yet this region, and Kooyong in particular, produce some of the most superb, finely-crafted wines that Australia has to offer. Owner and winemaker Sandro Mosele has created true magic on this estate, hand-crafting fine Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, which enchant the world, and stand shoulder to shoulder with the very best of Burgundies, yet, with their own unique style, from the complexity and minerality of KOOYONG CLONALE CHARDONNAY, to the ethereal elegance, and world class style of KOOYONG THE HAVEN PINOT NOIR.

This is just dipping a toe into the wealth and breadth of Australian wines on the list… I hear that new arrivals from far-flung Western Australia are imminent… and that’s a whole other story, yet again.