Drinking Aussie Wine in the US

More than any other country, Australian wine transformed the international wine scene with its clean, fruity, and affordable wines which became readily available in the 1980s. The immediacy of the wines, and the marketing that went with it, provided a challenge to traditional wine-producing countries, particularly France, which had previously held an unquestioned dominant position in the global wine industry. In the UK, Australia leads the market with appealingly fruity Shiraz and clean, easy Chardonnay. This has come with a downside, however, as the wines are often viewed as too simple and shallow; fine as an entry-level wine, but not fit for anything more.

It's been a similar story in the US, which is now Australia's biggest market by value (with exports of AU$443m). Australia's position in the US market was led by Yellow Tail ( or [yellow tail] as it's labelled), a high-volume wine designed solely for export. Launched in 2003, its success was instant and huge, but now the very simple and very cheap (around $5) wines are what many American drinkers associate Australian wine with. A further issue is that Australian wines are perceived to be a challenger to domestic wines: fruity, forward, and immediate. On the flip side, one could argue that California's difficulty in penetrating the UK market is down to Australia's more affordable, but similarly fruity, and very popular wines, which again adds to the idea that the US and Australia are inevitable competitors.  

All of this makes finding good Australian wine in the US difficult, a scarcity which makes it further harder to challenge the perception of those wines. The best Australian wines are very different from how they're mostly viewed: often sourced from cooler climates, these wines can have a surprisingly restrained, if still ripe, fruit quality; Shiraz, in particular, can be remarkably similar to its French Syrah counterpart, with an earthy, game, peppery character.

At a recent tasting in a San Francisco art gallery, I sampled a number of wines which emphasised the differences between Australian and Californian wine. It also demonstrated the determination of Australia to promote the very best of its wines and lead consumers away from the [yellow tail] trail. It's Shiraz, Australia's signature grape, rather than Cabernet which has the potential to do so. Cabernet is similarly ripe and fruity, whereas Shiraz expresses more the individuality, character, and history of its regions. 

Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 2 2010 ($90)

Yarra is a region which most immediately challenges perceptions of Australian wine. Just west of Melbourne, the temperatures are cooler than those of Bordeaux and it's become known as a great region for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Pinot Noirs especially are world class, but Yarra Yering also make this great Shiraz (blended unusually with a little bit of Mataro [Mourvèdre], Marsanne, and Viognier), which has a slightly stinky, mature nose, with restrained fruit and subtle spice notes. ✪✪✪✪✪✪

 

Kaesler Old Bastard Barossa Valley Shiraz 2012 ($190)

Australian wine does two things very well: old-vine Shiraz and striking labels. Here's the perfect example: from vines planted in 1893, with a funny cartoon label, and its hard to avoid name - who else would call a $190 wine Old Bastard? Different from the Yering Dry Red because it's defiantly Australian, with ripe, juicy, yet very pure fruits, but it's again peppery (a quality more associated with cooler climate Shiraz) and has a firm tannic structure which holds the fruity nature of the wine together. ✪✪✪✪✪✪

Yangarra Estate Ironheart Shiraz McLaren Vale 2013 ($100)

What I like about Australian Shiraz is how herbal the wines can be, and this is a good example with its mint and eucalyptus aromas. The fruits are as ripe as one would expect from Australia but with gripping tannins. And as with many of Australia's best regions, the acidity is high and lively enough to lift the wine. ✪✪✪✪✪

Shiraz, of course, is not the only quality aspect of Australian wine. The whites, particularly Chardonnay, are fragrant and fruity but with an acidity which lightens the wines (though I do suspect Australian whites are too often acidified); and Riesling can be stunning (Clare Valley's Grosset are a famous and reputable producer). The sweet wines, often called Stickies, are also some of the most individual wines in the world, and I'll be writing about them in another blog. But it's the high-quality Shiraz that will likely break Australian wine into the high-end US market, as it's familiarly fruity but with herbal earth aromas not often found in California's best wines.