When I finally found a wine I liked I was stuck with that until I got sooo sick of it, and had no choice but to go through that horrible phase again of trying out new wines (mostly not so good).
Well! Those days are OVER!!! And if you've been suffering the same fate, you're going to love this! Because Australia has some amaaaazing wine! And you don't have to pay a fortune for a good drop. For me, the answer has been Wine Selectors. They deliver to your door, and every single wine I've had from them has been wonderful. Some you love more than others, of course, but you get your money back anyway if you don't like it! Not that I have ever had to do that.
And now that I know a lot more about Australian wine and what's good and not, I can also pick up some real bargains on Grays Online (auction). Beware though, there's a lot of crap there too... I use Grays mostly to get my hands on bargain bottles from wineries I've already tried several bottles of, and know make good wine. Also, the bidding price is not the final price. There's a buyers premium on Grays, so read up on the sales-conditions etc. before you purchase.
I'm linking to the wineries as well, but remember that cellar door is usually quite expensive. You can normally get the wine cheaper through sites such as Wine Selectors, or sometimes get a good deal from Dan Murphy's or Vintage Cellars (usually a bit on the pricey end though, but a really good selection).
Anyway, let's get to the good stuff!
Sparkling
Sparkling is my absolute favourite. I love champagne, especially Moet, but that's more for special occasions. Some of the wineries below produce equally beautiful sparkling at a fraction of the price. Seriously. It's amazing. Try them! NOW!
Blue Pyrenees Midnight Cuvee 2010 ($25-$35)
This one won the best Australian Sparkling in the World 2014. If you can get your hands on it, get it!
My favourite blend, if in doubt - go for Chadonnay Pinot Noir blends. They're beautiful. Nice and fruity, but dry and not too sweet.
One of my favourite wineries in Tasmania. There's so much good wine being produced there at the moment! And this one is just incredible!!! I had to order more. If you love your sparkling, you just have to try it. They do some beautiful, light but full flavoured Pinot Noir as well.
Petersons Sparkling White ($16-25)
Petersons in the Hunter Valley are known for their sparkling wines. I always know it's going to be a good drop, nice and dry, beautiful tight beads and creamy finish. Yummy! And what a price!!!
Their 2010 Sparkling Cuvee is really beautiful as well, but try to get it elsewhere than the cellar door if you can. And have a look at the Peterson Sparkling House. I want to live there!
This is a beautiful wine, and an absolute bargain at the price. It's a bit expensive at Cellar Door, but I've seen it for $15 at Wine Selectors and Dan Murphy's. Keep an eye out for it!
Current Grays Bargain: Borgo Bello Prosecco Extra Dry
I absolutely love a nice, dry prosecco! The beads are so tight and it's soooo creamy. If you can still get your hands on this beauty, it's well worth the money (at least twice of what I paid). I got a case of 6 for $39 (plus buyer's premium and delivery), but when I went back to get more I had to pay $44 and I've seen it go as high as $94.
Other wineries you want to have a look at for amazing Australian Sparkling are: Katnook Estate, Wicks Estate, Cassegrain, Josef Chromy and Pipers Brook.
Whites
My favourite whites at the moment are Riesling, Pinot Gris and Semillon. I'm a bit over Sauvignon Blanc so it would have to be pretty incredible for me to choose that over one of the other varieties. Chardonnay is not my style, unless it's crazy expensive (strange how I always seem to enjoy those). I guess I just can't get past a good Chablis and am disappointed with anything else on the Chardonnay front. So I have to go to Vintage Cellars, and pay a bit extra, for my imported Chablis.
Claymore Wines, SAClaymore Joshua Tree Riesling, 2013
Wow! This is so nice! Dry, crisp, elegant, well balanced. If you enjoy a good Riesling, this is a bargain! They're doing a Dark Side of The Moon Shiraz 2012 as well that is sooo fruity and full bodied. Yum!
The Little Wine Company, NSWIan Parmenter Gewurtzrameiner 2012
This is the wine that really opened my eyes on what an Australian riesling could be like. Absolute YUM! I already knew The Little Wine Company does some awesom stuff (try their Verdelho!), but this is sensational. Nice and dry, fruity and zesty. The Pinot Noir from Josef Chromy, TAS in this series is sensational as well. The best I've ever had!
Tulloch Wines, NSW
Tulloch Vineyard Selection Semillon 2011/2012 ($17-25)
The Hunter Valley is well known for their Semillon and this is a very good example of that! I love the zesty finish, fruit and balance of this wine.
Devil's Corner, TAS
Devil's Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2013
Devil's Corner, TASDevil's Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2013
I predict these wines are going to go up up up in price the coming years, so snag your bottles now! I told you it would have to be an incredible Sauvignon Blanc to make my list - and this one is just beautiful. Nice and light, fruity, but crisp. Perfect summer wine! They do some pretty awesome Pinot Noir too!
Current Grays bargain: Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provance Rose 2013
Not exactly white, but it had to be in here. Sooooo good! It's light, but elegant, full of fruit and I love the taste of sour cherries in the finish. You have to keep your head cool to get this at a good price, I got it for $64 (6 bottles), but have seen it go for between $44-124.
Reds
Apart from Sparkling, reds are where my heart truly lie. I especially love Cabernet Sauvignon, or blends, but have really been getting into my Pinot Noir lately as well. A spicy Shiraz during winter is never wrong either!
Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, SA ($15-40)
There are so many beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon from the Coonawarra Region in South Australia, that I am putting this under one heading.
My favourite winery all time is Zema Estate. Their Family Selection is their premium range (the 2006 ($40+) is to die for!), but I've been enjoying the Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 ($25-40) immensely. I also managed to snag a few bottles of the 2004 on Grays recently and they're drinking very well (huge smiley face). Keep an eye out for good bargains on wine from this winery!
Other favourites for Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra are Rymill ($16-24), Leconfield ($27-40) and Katnook Estate,($17-25). All super smooth, fruity and crying for you to match with cheese.
My favourite winery all time is Zema Estate. Their Family Selection is their premium range (the 2006 ($40+) is to die for!), but I've been enjoying the Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 ($25-40) immensely. I also managed to snag a few bottles of the 2004 on Grays recently and they're drinking very well (huge smiley face). Keep an eye out for good bargains on wine from this winery!Other favourites for Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra are Rymill ($16-24), Leconfield ($27-40) and Katnook Estate,($17-25). All super smooth, fruity and crying for you to match with cheese.
D'Arenberg, SAThe king of blends, known for high quality wines and a stunning vineyard. Their Dead Arm Shiraz is usually crazy expensive (for a reason), but try their GSM blend The Shepherd's Clock ($20-30)! I love it! Nice and smooth, spicy, fruity, perfect.
Irvine Springhill Merlot, 2012
I'm not usually a big fan of Merlot, but this particular one is to die for. It's so full bodied, got a bit of a bite, but soooooo smooth. And fruity. And beautiful. You will love this wine regardless of which type of red you usually prefer. They also do a very good sparkling!
Henschke, SA
It's expensive. It's beautiful. It's elegant. I especially enjoy their Lenswood Giles Pinot Noir. And got a 2004 at Grays for an incredible price. It's so beautiful! Usually ranging the $40 mark and up up up, keep an eye out for something special.
Current Grays bargain: Peos Estate Classic Dry Red, 2011I managed to get a case of 12 bottles of this amazing wine - for $39!!! It drinks like a $20-30 bottle and I found myself preferring it to other, more expensive bottles I had at home. I already knew that Peos Estate produces beautiful wine so it was worth the gamle, and I'm delighted it paid off! If there are still any left - go for it (there are two versions of it, though, so if the label is different I haven't tried that one)!
This is just a handful of wines that I have been enjoying lately and would highly recommend. There are so many beautiful wineyards in Australia! Generally I tend to go South Australian when it comes to my reds, and cool climate for my sparkling and whites. But that's just a general rule and it's broken regularly.
Have you found your favourite Australian wine producers? I would love to know about them!
Have you found your favourite Australian wine producers? I would love to know about them!
