Pinot noir loves a cool climate – which makes it a natural fit for the ultra-chilly Macedon Ranges region. Is this Australia’s pinot promised land – or does the difficulty of growing grapes here mean it will never make the mainstream? Inside: the full backstory, plus the top wines to emerge from our blind tasting panel.
When it comes to chardonnay, few regions make the argument that quality doesn’t equal quantity quite as eloquently as the Macedon Ranges. This extra-cool region turns out tiny quantities of some of Australia’s best – wines that marry big flavour and driving acidity with impressive elegance. Inside: the full backstory, plus the top wines to emerge from our blind tasting panel.
Where did sulphur in wine actually come from? Why did a small group of French growers turn its absence into a philosophy? And why do the terms ‘no added sulphur’, ‘natural wine’ and ‘preservative free’ – three related but genuinely different things – keep getting sold as one? Inside: the full backstory, plus the top wines to emerge from our blind tasting panel.
Not all wines are built to last – but those made from cabernet sauvignon and its fellow Bordeaux varieties can age very gracefully indeed. Australia’s cabernets are no exception, and many of our makers have already done the heavy lifting for their customers by ageing them in the winery. Inside: the full backstory, plus the top wines to emerge from our blind tasting panel.
‘Syrah’ is simply the French name for shiraz, just as ‘shiraz’ is Australia’s preferred name for syrah. So what does it mean when an Australian winemaker choses to label their wine as a syrah instead of a shiraz? Is it a distinction without a difference, or does it the choice of name tell us something meaningful about what’s inside the bottle? Inside: the full backstory, plus the top wines to emerge from our blind tasting panel.
Field blends emerged as agricultural necessity – but now that they’re hot property on wine lists, the term has stretched to encompass practically anything a winemaker or marketer wants it to mean. Will the real field blend please stand up? Inside: the full backstory, plus the top wines to emerge from our blind tasting panel.
Touriga nacional is arguably Portugal’s most treasured variety – but what does it look like in an Australian context, and is it as well-suited to the extremes of our climate as we’d like to think? Inside: the full backstory, plus the top wines to emerge from our blind tasting panel.
Saperavi hails from Georgia – the very cradle of winegrowing and making – and its genetics make it supremely adaptable to a wide range of Australian climate conditions. What role will this ancient variety play in Australian wine’s future? Inside: the full backstory, plus the top wines to emerge from our blind tasting panel.
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