Welcome to week two of our Australian wine series. This week we are discovering wines from the state of Victoria.
map of Australia with the state of Victoria in red. Photo via Wiki Commons
In this episode we discuss:
- Victoria’s has a lot of wine diversity and a lot of wineries
- A little wine history
- Lots of wine zones/regions and a few facts about each area
Wine Recommendation (yes we didn’t talk about Shiraz, don’t hate on me)
Frisk Prickly Riesling 2017 – priced around $12. This actually a blend of 85% Riesling, 10% Muscat Gordo, and 5% Gewurztraminer. This wine has aromas of pear, white lilies, lemon and wax or lanolin. It’s slightly fizzy, off dry with medium acidity and flavors are more citrus driven versus on the nose we thought the pear and flowers were more intense. All the flavor in this wine are in balance with each other. It has 10% ABV, it’s right on the cusp for pairing with spicy food. We really enjoyed this wine with Mexican food that had green bell peppers and jalapenos which can often be difficult in pairing with wine. I would describe this wine as soft and lovely which is not what people expect from Australian wine.
You can purchase this wine here
The Verdict Shinas Estate 2014 – priced around $25. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine has a medium intense nose of juicy black fruit – blackberries, black plum and black currants, with dusty earth and a herbal quality like fresh fennel. It’s dry, with medium plus acidity, medium tannins and flavors of those black fruits but a savory undercurrent of soy sauce and mushrooms with a dried herb finish like bay leaves. If you are a California cab person you will really enjoy this wine – it’s big, bold with lots of juicy fruit flavors. A very affordable option, we thought it was better than a lot of cabs we have had at some higher prices so a great value.
You can purchase this wine here!
Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Rutherglen Muscat NV – priced around $18. Produced from Muscat a Petit Grains, or Brown Muscat as it’s commonly known, this wine has aromas of dried apricots and paypa. It’s sweet, with flavors of golden raisins, honey, dried apricots and pecans almost praline like. This wine is dessert by itself and it has 18% ABV but doesn’t taste boozy so be aware and consume responsibly.
Have you had wines from Victoria? We would love to know your favorites or any gems you’ve found. Leave us a comment below!
Sources:
- Wikipedia
- Wine Australia
- Visit Victoria
- Wine Folly
- The Wine Atlas
- Oxford Wine Companion
- The Wine Bible