Victoria

If Australian wine began in South Australia, then Victoria is where it developed into a serious industry. The state dominated exports in the nineteenth century, mostly of fortified wine: remote Rutherglen accounted in the 1890s for a third of all exports. Unlike South Australia, Victoria was hit by phylloxera and it has been shaped by the changing fashions of the industry and consumers. The cooler regions were neglected for much of the twentieth century, as the taste for wine was for full-bodied, often fortified, styles. Now, it's a state that challenges perceptions of Australia as a uniformly warm climate and is at the vanguard of the emergence of quality Pinot Noir.

climate

Travelling through Victoria certainly shifted some of my own preconceptions, not least that Australia's climate is always easy to make wine in. Our day in Yarra Valley was spent sheltering from the persistent rain, with cool weather and clouds shadowing our weekend in Melbourne, whose climate is known as the least predictable of Australia's cities. The areas around Melbourne can in fact be cooler than Burgundy (though Burgundy summers are warmer than people often realise). The Southern Ocean brings in cool breezes from the south, and these can be reinforced by winds from the mountain ranges that surround Melbourne to the north and east. It must be noted that we've visited during a cool, wet summer, which has resulted in a growing season four weeks behind its usual schedule. Nevertheless, it's shown that Australia's climate is up-and-down and not always hot and sunny.

Yarra Yering, Yarra Valley

Pinot Noir

All this leads to the ability to produce quality Pinot Noir, not a grape Australia has been traditionally associated with. This production has been going back to the 1970s, but as Australian trends move towards lighter-bodied red wines the regions have recently been coming back into fashion. It's the area around Melbourne which is most known for Pinot Noir, and the two most popular regions are Yarra Valley to the north-east and Mornington Peninsula to the south-east. The latter is a short drive from the city and by the coast, so is extremely popular among city dwellers. Accordingly, the wines are expensive and in-demand.

Yarra Valley is not more than an hour's drive away, but feels more remote tucked away beneath the mountains. Yarra exudes confidence right now, its wines winning acclaim and fitting right in with current trends. Again, however, the climate is problematic: it can be cool, wet, and windy, yet it's also warm enough to get both Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon fully ripe, although these wines are quite restrained. Being able to grow all these grape varieties is due to location: lower Yarra is flatter, lower, and warmer, while upper Yarra is higher and cooler, producing the concentrated Pinot Noirs the region is famous for.

Joshua Cooper Pinot Noir, Macedon Ranges

Much less well known is Macedon Ranges, to the north-west of Melbourne. Growing conditions here are cool and difficult, restricting investment into the area. Pinot Noir is light, with delicate red fruit and pepper aromas, the most intense, restrained Pinots of the Melbourne area. As Australians look towards cooler climates, it will be interesting to see whether Macedon Ranges attracts more attention from both producers and consumers.

Kelvedon Estate Pinot Noir, Tasmania

We didn't get the chance to visit Tasmania, the small island south of Melbourne which was primarily used for blending in sparkling wines made in Victoria. Now it's getting the attention it deserves, due to the increased focus on cooler-climate wines such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I only got the chance to try one Tasmanian Pinot Noir and it was actually fuller-bodied, riper, and deeper-coloured than any of the wines from Yarra, Mornington Peninsula, or Macedon Ranges. This once again points to the difficulty in defining Australia's climates. For such a small island, Tasmania is very diverse and produces a range of styles. The Pinot I tried, from Kelvedon Estate, was from the east of the island, which is warmer and drier than the regions around Melbourne (to the extent that Zinfandel used to be grown). In contrast, Pipers River to the north of the island is cooler and wetter. As Tasmanian grapes were traditionally for blending, there hasn't been a proper attempt to define the island's different climates and sub-regions. As the wines become more fashionable, this may have to happen.

North-East Victoria

One of the most historic parts of Victoria is not going to suddenly start producing such styles of Pinot. Inland Rutherglen has a warm, continental climate and is most famous for its fortified wines, which I will write about in my next blog post. Due to the sad decline in the popularity of fortified wine, in Australia as elsewhere, the region is trying to redefine itself through its table wines. These wines are full-bodied, intense, and bear a striking resemblance to those of south-west France, continental Spain, and Portugal. They are made from a range of varieties once planted for Australian port. The Portuguese varieties, especially Touriga Nacional, are perhaps the most interesting, capable of producing tannic yet floral wines. Also once planted for fortified wine is Shiraz, which here is more like the robust, tannic wines of the southern rather than the northern Rhône, and Durif. In California, Durif is called Petite Sirah. Like the Californians, the local winemakers are trying to tame this big, tannic, fruity, and deep-coloured wine. They have some way to go yet, but the full, chocolate, coffee aromas suit palates inclined to robust, aggressive wines.

Rutherglen is also near to the Australian Alps, part of the Great Dividing Range, where altitude significantly cools the climate. The town of Beechworth is known for being home to Giaconda, Australia's most expensive Chardonnay, and Hunter Valley producer Brokenwood are also making some good Chardonnays there. Nearby is King Valley, which I hadn't heard of before, but I tasted two Rieslings from the high-altitude region, both from Pfeiffer, a quality Rutherglen producer. The 2016 had pleasant lime, mineral aromas with a deceptively long finish. Owner Chris Pfeiffer was generous enough to open the same wine from 2005, which had developed intense petrol, stone aromas reminiscent of the best Riesling. The last thing I expected to taste in Rutherglen was ageworthy Riesling, which goes to show one should never know what to expect from Australia.

South Australia

From the young wine regions of Western Australia, we flew direct to Adelaide to explore the older, historic regions of South Australia. Adelaide is known for being quite a sleepy city, but there are some exceptional bars (for instance, East End Cellars, La Buvette, and The Bibliotecha Bar & Book Exchange). Like Cape Town, Adelaide has many great wine regions in easy driving distance: the valleys of Barossa, Eden, and Clare to the north; McLaren Vale to the south; and Adelaide Hills to the east. And then there's the famous Penfolds, which is within the environs of the city itself. It's impossible to appreciate it all in just a few days, but we did our best.

Penfolds 

Australia has traditionally been dominated by big brands, such as Hardys, Jacob’s Creek, Lindeman's, and Penfolds. These were established in the nineteenth century, founded by immigrants in the fledging country. Penfolds is the one brand that specialises in high-end wines, not least in Grange, one of the most expensive wines in the world. The history of Penfolds parallels that of Australia's wine industry: founded in the 1840s by an English doctor who made fortified wine for medicinal purposes, the company came to dominate the fortified wine industry which defined Australian wine, both domestically and abroad, until the 1960s.

The change in Australian drinking habits was gradual, beginning after the Second World War by the changing tastes of returning soldiers. Penfolds sent one of their young winemakers, Max Schubert, to Bordeaux to research the wines those soldiers had been drinking and how they were made. The trip inspired him to make an ageable dry red wine, which he called Grange Hermitage: Grange after the on-site cottage the vines surrounded, and Hermitage as the wine was mostly from Shiraz. The family bosses of the big brand initially rejected the wine, deeming it undrinkable, and Schubert was forced to continue making it in secret before he was able to win the owners over. Since then, Grange (it changed its name from Grange Hermitage in 1990) has become one of Australia's great wines.

the change from Grange Hermitage to Grange

Penfolds is a huge name in the Australian wine industry, often resented for its dominant presence. They own vineyards all over South Australia, and there's a relentlessness to their pursuit of regional dominance. However, they make some seriously good wines. Those wines are often at their most interesting when they are a blend of different regions, sometimes hundreds of kilometres apart. This is unheard of in Europe, but such blending is an historic part of Australian winemaking.

Grange 2012 (A$800; $615) 

This is one of the iconic wines of Australia, which began the slow transition from fortified wine to quality dry table wine. It's also one of the most expensive: it is hard to justify a wine being this price, however great it is. Nevertheless, it was a once in a lifetime experience tasting the wine. Penfolds own vineyards all over South Australia, and the best are blended into the Grange, in this case from Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. It's 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon and is always aged in new American oak - a tradition begun by Max Schubert because he couldn't afford to buy French oak. Grange is also known for its volatile acidity, which when out of control can give vinegar aromas (Lebanon's Chateau Musar is another wine that has noticeable volatile acidity). Penfolds' winemakers control it more closely now, but there's still a moderate balsamic quality. It's a rich, ripe wine with aromas of dark chocolate and praline, dates, cloves, liquorice, pot pourri, and vanilla, with coconut, maple syrup, smoke, and tobacco from the American oak. A very smooth wine despite the rich complexity, although the alcohol is a little high - 14.5% compared to the 13% that it once used to be. ✪✪✪✪✪✪

Barossa & Eden Valleys 

The development of winemaking in South Australia was shaped heavily by German immigrants. From the 1840s onwards, they settled in the neighbouring valleys of Barossa and Eden, planting Riesling as well as working with Shiraz, Grenache, and other varieties already planted. This history is still noticeable in the many Lutheran churches around the valleys, although many of the place names were changed from German to English after the First and Second World Wars.

old-vine Grenache, 1940s

South Australia is still one of the few grape-growing regions anywhere that is phylloxera free and both Barossa and Eden Valleys are populated by old vines, going all the way back to the late 1850s, the oldest working vines in the world. There's plenty of old vine Grenache in Barossa Valley, the old vines giving a concentration and intensity to the wines and offsetting their rich, ripe fruitiness. In many ways, these are some of the most exciting wines being produced, but it's hard to resist Shiraz which is so indicative of the region. I was fortunate enough to visit Hill of Grace in Eden Valley, a vineyard with just over half a hectare of Shiraz vines dating back to 1860, as well as Shiraz, Mataro, and Riesling vines from the early to mid-twentieth century. Its name comes from the German Gnadensberg and it's located next to a Lutheran church built by the Henschke family who have owned the vineyard since 1891. They still make the altar wine for the church (from fortified wine from as far back as the 1940s - the kind of church I'd attend frequently!), as well as one of the great wines of Australia - or anywhere - from the vineyard's old vines.

Eden Valley and Barossa Valley both fall under the same general regional indication: Barossa. If 85% of the wine comes from one of those valleys, then it can take the name of that valley. As Barossa is such a famous name, Eden Valley can get a little lost. It's a shame, as this is a great, albeit remote, wine region, producing exceptional Riesling and Shiraz.

Eden Valley - Henschke Hill of Grace 2010 (A$750; $575) 

old-vine Shiraz, Hill of Grace, 1860

Another wine at a price that I can't imagine ever paying, but tasting this after visiting the old vines was an unforgettable experience. Made completely from Shiraz, it's a ripe, voluptuous wine but one balanced by a tannic structure and lively acidity. The ripe aromas of blackberry, mulberry, damson, cherry, and plum dominate at first, giving way to spicy aromas of cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, and star anise, with a herbal, oregano feel too. And then there's cedar, smoke, tobacco, and cigars from the oak (65% new, 95% French). Wonderfully complex and long-lived. ✪✪✪✪✪✪✪

Barossa Valley - Charles Melton Nine Popes 2013 and 2014 (A$68; $50) 

I always thought this wine was a joke reference to Châteauneuf-du-Pape but it seems Barossa winemaker Charles Melton actually thought Nine Popes was the correct translation. He's been making this wine, a Grenache-based blend, since the late 1980s. Tasting two vintages side by side shows that vintage variation certainly exists in Australia. 2013 was a warm, dry year and that's reflected in the ripe red and black fruits in the wine, balanced by a perfumed nose, herbs, and spices. ✪✪✪✪✪ 2014 also began very warm, before summer rains (it rains a lot more in Australia than I had realised) led to a cool end to the ripening season. This time the wine is more tannic and grainy, tighter and more structured than the 2013. ✪✪✪✪✪ Both great wines, with a rich, fruity core, expressive of the different growing conditions.

Clare Valley 

Clare Valley and Eden Valley are 100km apart, but both are known for Riesling. Australia is a very warm, often hot, country, but there are plenty of localised climates with cooling influences, altitude in the case of these two valleys. The German immigrants spotted the higher elevations and planted Riesling. I wonder just how well they realised this difficult, and very particular, grape variety would be suited to the two valleys.

Eden Valley Riesling has a fruity lime character, inviting and zesty. Clare Valley's Riesling is perhaps more intense, smoky, dry, and almost meaty. The wines are especially ageworthy, developing involved petrol aromas. Clare Valley is also known for restrained Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, although these are still fruity, ripe wines.

When we arrived in Clare Valley, the temperature was 41˚C; when we left two days later, it was raining. Altitude plays a key role in moderating the climate, but climate change is apparent too. Kevin Mitchell of Kilikanoon said there was 30-40% less rain in Clare Valley than in the 1970s, when vines were mostly dry-farmed. This vintage has been an unpredictable one wherever we've visited in the Southern Hemisphere, cooler with occasional showers. It will be interesting how drastically the weather changes with each future vintage.

Jim Barry Florita 2009 (A$55; $40) 

Jim Barry are one of the iconic, long-standing family producers in Clare Valley. Likewise, Florita is one of the region's best vineyards for Riesling. It's a winning combination, and this wine from 2009 demonstrates how well Clare Valley Riesling ages. It has the characteristic smoke and petrol aromas of mature Riesling, but still with a vibrant acidity and ripe stone and tropical fruits. It's rich and dry, with a spicy cinnamon, ginger texture, and a long finish. Despite its age, this wine has another twenty years in it at least. ✪✪✪✪✪✪

Kilikanoon Oracle Shiraz 2012 (A$80; $60) and 2009 

Australian producers make a vast, and often bewildering, array of wines. Kilikanoon, established twenty years ago by winemaker Kevin Mitchell, are no exception. There's excellent Riesling, meaty Rhône blends, old-vine Grenache, high-altitude Mataro, ripe Cabernet, and world-class Shiraz. The Oracle has twice been awarded world's best Shiraz by Decanter, so it was fascinating to taste two vintages side by side. The 2012 is ripe and voluptuous, though well structured with firm, ripe tannins. ✪✪✪✪✪ The complex aromas of blackberries, vanilla, violets, and liquorice are echoed in the 2009, but taken further with mushrooms, dried fruits, barbecue meat, chorizo, and paprika. ✪✪✪✪✪✪ Both wines are smooth, rich, yet clearly ageworthy.

McLaren Vale 

Adelaide used to be surrounded by vineyards, until urban sprawl in the 1970s and 80s took them over. This was a time when the Australian wine industry was seen as a failing one, with not enough demand to meet supply. Old-vine Shiraz and Grenache were ripped out in Barossa and elsewhere, while entire vineyards were replaced by housing projects that now fill the never-ending, repetitive suburbs of Adelaide.

Not all regions survived, but McLaren Vale, just a forty-five minute drive from the city, is still with us. Not only could McLaren Vale have been wiped out by the suburbs, but in the 1970s and 80s the focus was on Chardonnay which I don't think is particularly well-suited to the region. Thankfully, the Australian wine industry survived the destructive tendencies of those decades and now, as it should be, McLaren Vale's speciality is old-vine Grenache, a variety which thrives in the region's warm climate - though Mataro and, as always, Shiraz, are worth investigating.

Yangarra Old Vine Grenache (A$35; $27) 

Part of the large Kendall Jackson portfolio, Yangarra is a relatively new winery (2002) making good value wines mainly from Rhône varieties. The property has Grenache vines from 1946 which receive no irrigation - those old vines planted throughout South Australia are well enough established that they don't need watering. Grenache in McLaren Vale has a sweet ripeness, and there are juicy aromas of strawberry and raspberry as well as liquorice, with grainy tannins giving the wine backbone. ✪✪✪✪

Adelaide Hills 

We never actually visited any Adelaide Hills wineries, although we drove through the region on our way out of Adelaide on the long drive towards Melbourne. This is an area everyone we met raved about as ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, distinguishing it from the wines of the other warmer regions. We also got to taste plenty of wine from the region, as many wineries are now buying fruit from there. As the name suggests, it's hilly, stretching out away east from Adelaide and up to Eden Valley. The Pinot Noirs I tried were too fruity and big, but the Chardonnays were uniformly excellent, crisp, with enough natural acidity to undergo malolactic fermentation. Definitely a region to look out for.

Penfolds Bin 09A Chardonnay 2009 (A$90; $70)

For all the full-bodied reds I tasted at Penfolds, it was the Chardonnays that stood out. This wine shows how the best whites can stand the test of time, retaining a fresh acidity and primary stone fruit aromas while developing some mature nutty aromas. There's a smoky, almost tannic texture to the wine, with some spices too. A powerful, structured wine, but fresh and alive too, able to last another ten years. ✪✪✪✪✪✪

Coonawarra and Padthaway 

terra rossa soil

These are the only two important regions a long drive (three hours plus) from Adelaide. Padthaway is not well known, but was the focus of plantings by the big Australian brands from the 1960s onwards. It's in the middle of nowhere, vast swathes of nothingness interrupted by fields of vines used for blending. If it weren't so remote, then I feel more small producers would be inclined to invest in the region as it's capable of producing full-bodied, rich, yet balanced red wines from Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Coonawarra is no less remote, simply a main road stretching through vineyards and little more. It's a lot more famous though, due to the terra rossa soil which is a highlight of the region. It produces some of Australia's best Cabernet Sauvignon, with distinctive, pronounced aromas of mint and eucalyptus. This is one of the few regions I've seen that lacks natural beauty or appeal for tourists. To come here, you have to go a long, long way from anywhere interesting. That, however, is the essence of Australia's geography and personality.

Western Australia

After landing in Perth (and recovering for a few days from jetlag), I repeatedly listened to Nick Cave's song "More News from Nowhere." That's no concidence, as Perth is one of the most isolated cities in the world, two thousand kilometres from its nearest major Australian city, Adelaide. Adding to that tangible sense of isolation, the main wine region, Margaret River, is another three hours south of Perth, and the other quality area, Great Southern, is five hours away. Despite its far-away location, not only is some great wine made, there are some very good microbreweries and Margaret River is the centre of a vibrant tourist industry.

Margaret River 

In 1965, Australia’s leading agronomist Dr. John Gladstones published a report commissioned by Western Australia's government into which areas of the state might be best suited to grape-growing. He pinpointed Margaret River, due to its Mediterranean climate (very wet winters and dry, hot summers) and its gravelly soils, which he rightly felt made it ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. Two years later, another doctor, Tom Cullity of Perth, planted vines, laying the foundation for Vasse Felix, still one of Margaret River's premier wineries. Others followed: Cullen planted vines in 1972 and Leeuwin Estate in 1974. The elegant wines, quite different from the bold, fruity wines often made elsewhere in Australia, caught the attention of the industry on the other side of the vast island, and now there are over 150 wineries in Margaret River, receiving acclaim around the world.

wine and surf rule in Margaret River

Margaret River’s location is certainly ideal. The best vineyards are located not far from the Indian Ocean, which moderates the climate. The proximity to the ocean means that there are lots of trees planted around the vineyards, to protect the vines from strong winds. The ocean also bring in lots of rain - Margaret River receives nearly 1,200mm of rain a year, 1,000 of which fall in the winter. These heavy rains provide the vineyards with water for the growing season; some wineries irrigate rarely and there’s plenty of water in reserve if it’s needed. Despite the summer heat, Margaret River has a long growing season, ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon while also adding complexity to the white grapes.

styles of wine 

tasting room pours are excessively small

Margaret River, particularly in the northern part, is textbook Cabernet country. It's usually blended with a bit of Merlot, but the latter grape is falling out of favour. It's being replaced by Malbec, which was originally planted by Tom Cullity in 1967 when the grape was much less fashionable than now and which adds a spicy, tannic structure to the wines. The Cabernet blends are full-bodied but not too tannic or fruity or overripe.

Shiraz, despite the best efforts of local winemakers, doesn't really work here, being too thin and dilute. Instead, it was the white grapes I found most interesting. The Bordeaux influence is again important, as Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon work together very well. Semillon is too unfashionable these days to make it commercially on its own, but its waxy, full-bodied texture complements perfectly the herbaceousness and acidity of Sauvignon Blanc. These blends are fresh and lively; those without any oak ageing are quite fruity, while those with oak ageing have complex, engaging aromas of vanilla, spices, and nuts. The latter are particularly ageworthy, with enough body and acidity to last five to ten years, if not more.

Some of the greatest wines being made in Margaret River, however, have nothing to do with Bordeaux. Chardonnay here is simply superb. Clones planted in the area take a long time to ripen, gradually building up aromatic complexity (I also heard that the grapes are susceptible to leaf roll, which slows the ripening). At the same time, acidity is preserved from the cooling breezes coming in from the ocean. Just as importantly, what I most liked about Margaret River in general is that winemakers don't interfere with the wines too much. The Chardonnays are by no means overoaked: oak is used to give the wines a spicy texture and body but the fruits and acidity are still very pure.

wines 

Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2015 (A$115; $90) 

Named after the founder of one of Margaret River’s first and still most distinctive wineries (they are certified biodynamic), this is an expensive Chardonnay but as good as it gets. This a smoothy, subtly textured wine: smoke, cream, and vanilla come from the oak, and there’s a dry, stone, mineral mouthfeel, given weight from the oak and aromas of stone fruits and cinnamon and all-spice. This is a white wine I would love to taste in another ten years, or even more. ✪✪✪✪✪✪✪

Stella Bella Suckfizzle Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 2012 (A$45; $35) 

Stella Bella have some great labels and some great names: Suckfizzle is their vineyard to the south of Margaret River named after a character from Rabelais. This is a terrific example of a Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend with a little bit of maturity: a creamy vanilla texture from the oak, waxy, green, herbaceous aromas from the grapes, refreshing acidity, and a rich, round mouthfeel. Such wines are particularly food friendly - with white fish or white meat, and spicy dishes that are popular here given the proximity to south-east Asia. ✪✪✪✪✪

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Sauvignon Blanc 2015 (A$31; $24) 

Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc on its own has a crisp, refreshing acidity one would expect from the grape, but there’s also a richer texture to it than from, say, Marlborough in New Zealand. This Sauvignon Blanc is part of Leeuwin Estate’s “Art Series,” the labels of which feature a different work of art by an Australian artist each year. The most famous of the series is the Chardonnay (A$99; $75; ✪✪✪✪✪✪), one of the first wines back in the 1970s to show the potential for Chardonnay in Margaret River. The series also features Riesling, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I particularly liked this distinctive Sauvignon Blanc for its rich, dry, mineral texture, its stone and tropical fruits, and its interesting, spiky aromas of lemongrass and nettle. ✪✪✪✪✪

McHenry Hohnen Amigos White 2012 (A$28; $22) 

Due to the warm Mediterranean climate of Margaret River, there is some interest in planting Rhône and Spanish grape varieties. In theory, this should work but the old-fashioned winemaking techniques of the Rhône and Spain don’t always translate well to the New World - I tasted a few Tempranillos which were simply too clean and straightforwardly fruity. White blends are more successful, perhaps because they don’t need the long ageing. The Amigos, from the founder of New Zealand’s Cloudy Bay, is a blend of Marsanne, Chardonnay, and Roussanne and despite the presence of Chardonnay is a characteristic white Rhône blend: stone and tropical fruits, nuts, white pepper, and ginger aromas in a rich but balanced wine. ✪✪✪✪

Margaret River's first modern winery

Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (A$37; $28) 

The original Margaret River winery produces a range of three Cabernet Sauvignons, including the high-end Heytesbury ($A90; $74; ✪✪✪✪✪). I also liked the mid-tier Cabernet (with 7% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot in the blend), a range which the winery introduced in 2013 as part of an expansion programme. This has a smoky texture, with intense, concentrated black fruit aromas and chocolate, coffee beans, and a spicy peppercorn finish. A very good example of the full yet balanced Cabernet blends of the region. ✪✪✪✪✪

Si Halcyon Merlot 2015 (A$40; $31) 

Si (named after owners and winemakers Sarah and Iwo) are an eclectic winery: they are based in the south part of Margaret River, away from the renowned vineyards of the north. They make wine from their small vineyard from vines planted in 1978 and also own 5ha of land in north-east Spain, making wine from Garnacha grapes (I can’t imagine the amount of travel that must involve). They’ve also got Shiraz in Great Southern, showing the good sense to ignore the Shiraz planted in Margaret River and concentrate on the best area in Western Australia for the grape. The philosophy is minimal intervention, with little sulphur added, and lots of experimentation. This makes their wines quite distinctive, and making a quality Merlot in a region where others feel it’s too green and astringent demonstrates the couple’s obstinate but quality-orientated temperament. This is a tight, wound, tannic wine, with red plums and black cherries giving it a juicy texture, with a dry, herbal, spicy finish. ✪✪✪✪✪

Established producers such as Vasse Felix show the long-term quality of Margaret River; more experimental producers such as Si point to the potential for the region to go in different directions. It’s quite a conservative region (as is Perth itself), so don’t expect much change just yet: just be assured of consistent quality.

Great Southern 

A region with more surprises, however, is Great Southern, which unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to visit. While in Perth I got to taste a few wines from the region. Its climate is more varied than Margaret River's, becoming gradually more continental as it goes inland. Shiraz has a rich, voluptuous elegance to the wines, characteristically Australian but with a spicy, game undertone. The subregion of Mt. Barker, which has a combination of Mediterranean and continental climates, is especially good for Shiraz. Another subregion, Frankland River, inland and more continental, specialises in Riesling, the cool nights keeping the acidity high. The wines I tasted had some sweetness to them, unusual for Australia - more of a German style, but still with a lime fruitiness. Great Southern is definitely a region to keep an eye out for.

South Africa

South Africa may be the best country in the world to go wine tasting: most of the wine regions are within an hour or two's drive from the major city of Cape Town, many of them are located near the beautiful Atlantic coast, and the wine, like the food, is incredibly cheap. The low prices are in part because of the weak rand; this is great for the international consumer, but it is not particularly good for either the South African economy or the wine industry. A common complaint I heard from producers during my visit to South Africa is that the wine is "too cheap": the best wines simply do not fetch the prices that other countries can charge. Land and labour cost little, and the domestic market will not pay much more than 100 rand for a bottle. That’s about $8 right now, and I know of no other market where high quality wine is available for that price (and the mark-up in restaurants is very small).

Despite enjoying the low prices, I understand the concerns of those within the industry. In the UK, South African wine is very popular because of its affordability, but it's difficult to persuade customers to spend as much on a bottle as from, say, France or California. Meanwhile, in the US, those consumers who like to spend money on wine will choose a $100 bottle of Cabernet from Napa over a $30 bottle from Stellenbosch, even though they're the same quality - $100 sounds much more impressive than $30.

But while South African wine remains so affordable, there's no more consumer friendly wine market. I was there for just eleven days, which allowed me a short introduction to the country's diverse wine regions, and how they are fast developing.

Constantia 

South Africa's modern, international wine industry is very young, going back to the fall of apartheid in the 1990s. At the same time, winemaking dates as far back as many of Europe’s regions. Farms - as locals describe wineries - were established in the late 1500s, and the industry flourished in the late 1700s and early 1800s, before collapsing due to favourable tariffs in the UK being removed in the 1860s and the onset of phylloxera.

The wine that set the standard for South Africa two hundred years ago was the sweet white of Constantia, just south of Cape Town. It was as highly prized as any wine in Europe; no other "New World" wine, and few European wines, came close to its reputation or price. After the collapse of the wine industry and twentieth-century government protectionism, the wine had long ceased to be made before it was regenerated in the mid-1980s by Klein Constantia. This was part of a small number of conscious efforts by producers to revive the production of quality wine in South Africa, which laid the foundations for the post-apartheid boom. Now, Klein Constantia have over 75 hectares planted on the steep slopes rising up from False Bay, the winds from which make Constantia one of the coolest in South Africa.

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2013 (895 rand; $65)

Vin de Constance is mainly made from Muscat de Frontignan, harvested over the course of two months, from fresh, young grapes until the last to be picked are almost like raisins. The wine is rich and sweet, with expressive aromas of honey, marmalade, orange peel, and dried apricots, the sweetness on the palate lifted by a refreshing acidity, with a long finish of sweet spice aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. A complex wine that most likely has several decades' life left in it. ✪✪✪✪✪✪

Tulbagh 

Wine production in the twentieth century was dominated by sweet, cheap white wines. It’s hard to imagine an area as warm as Tulbagh - despite being part of the Coastal Region, it's 75km inland from the coast - but things have changed over the last twenty years, mirroring the advance in South African wine since the fall of apartheid. Instead, the focus is now on Shiraz, which suits the warm climate that's still moderated by cool breezes from the sea and the protection of the surrounding mountains.

view from Saronsberg vineyards

For all the interesting Shiraz being made, Tulbagh is also home to what I consider the country’s best Pinotage. Pierre Wahl is the winemaker at Rijk’s and makes three different Pinotages (as well as Chenin Blanc and Shiraz), under three different labels: A Touch of Oak (a terrible name, but the wines are very accessible), Private Cellar, and Reserve. The wines get better with each label, but maintain their quality throughout the range.

Pinotage has the often well-deserved reputation of being bitter, with an imbalanced combination of underripe and overripe aromas. However, all three of Rijk’s wines are quality examples of Pinotage. I asked Pierre what distinguishes the best Pinotage - i.e. his - from lesser examples, and his answer was enlightening:

• Pinotage is a high yielding grape, so yields need to be contained by planting on low quality soils and stressing the vines
• Bunches are very tightly packed and don't receive the sun evenly; to counter this, the canopy should be cut back while the berries are very small so that they can receive extra sun and load up on sugar before the bunches are fully set
• Pinotage is high in malic acid, which is why, after malolactic fermentation, it can lose a lot of its acidity and feel very flat and flabby: acidification is necessary before the MLF begins

Pierre convinced me, through his wine and his observations, that Pinotage is a grape capable of producing high-quality wine. Nevertheless, his were the only evidence of that opinion I tasted throughout the trip: the winemaker has to be fully committed to Pinotage to make memorable wine out of it.

Rijk's Reserve Pinotage 2013 (375 rand; $27)

The top range Pinotage is made from 70% bush vines, which add extra concentration. Although the wine has rich aromas of ripe red and black fruits, there's great structure, with firm tannins, a spicy finish, and a long, lingering finish. There's a subtlety to this wine that's so often lacking from the obvious chocolate, coffee aromas of most Pinotage. ✪✪✪✪✪✪

Saronsberg Full Circle 2014 (400 rand; $29)

Saronsberg produce a range of Rhône reds, and this wine brings them all together. Mainly Shiraz, with Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Viognier also in the blend, the Full Circle has ripe, spicy, smoky characteristics, attractive floral aromas from the Viogner, and ripe but firm tannins. Still a young wine, with the structure to age well. ✪✪✪✪✪

Stellenbosch 

view from Vergelegen of one of Stellenbosch's many mountains

Stellenbosch is the Napa of South Africa: full-bodied Cabernet-based wines that are more expensive than anywhere else in the country, and where the tasting room is as important as the wine. It’s a beautiful region, cooled by the nearby Atlantic coast but warm enough to get Cabernet Sauvignon grapes fully ripe. The mountains also shape the region, resulting in different climates: wind is an especial factor, blowing in from the coast and buffeted around by the many mountains. This is the one region where producers - often backed by international money - are trying to make wine that can compete internationally, both commercially and in terms of quality. In that, those wines can taste little different from other full-bodied, ripe reds from the New World, though there is slightly more of a herbaceous quality and the wines are usually not quite as extracted as, say, those of Napa.

As elsewhere in South Africa, there are good Shiraz/Syrah-based wines being made, the warm climate giving the wines an attractive voluptuousness. There are also some very good whites, and it was very pleasing to see Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc blends. This is the classic white Bordeaux blend, but it has been much neglected in recent years in favour of single-varietal Sauvignon Blanc. Again, the warm climate, together with some oak ageing, gives the wines full richness, but the acidity of both the grapes keeps the wines refreshing. These are extremely good food wines (fish, white meat), convenient given that many of Stellenbosch wineries have excellent restaurants.

De Toren Z 2013 (330 rand; $24)

It was pleasing to find a producer (from anywhere, not just South Africa) willing to take Merlot seriously. Although it's only 50% of the blend, it's the backbone of the wine and there are engaging, balanced aromas of smoke and tobacco, herbs and sweet spices, ripe but not overripe red and black fruits, with gripping, textured tannins. ✪✪✪✪✪

Waterford Kevin Arnold Shiraz 2012 (210 rand; $15)

Another Shiraz-based wine - in this case, blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre - that demonstrates the potential for the grape in South Africa's diverse climates. The wine, named after the winemaker, is full of black pepper, liquorice, earth, and blackberry aromas, but what really makes the wine stand out is the dusty tannins which make it especially reminiscent of the Rhône. ✪✪✪✪✪

Vergelegen GVB 2013 (340 rand; $24)

Taking their Bordeaux influence to an extreme, the top wine of Vergelegen (don't even try to pronounce it unless you speak Dutch or Afrikaans) is a Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend. On its own, with rich aromas of stone and tropical fruits, beeswax, vanilla, nuts, salt, and cumin, this is an interesting, powerful wine. With food, it becomes something else. We ate at the on-site Camphors restaurant and this wine paired superbly with the pork belly dish, cutting through the fat and sweetness of the pork, which in turn subdued some of the wine's intense aromas. ✪✪✪✪✪

Elgin/Walker Bay/Elim 

Very different were the wines a little further along the coast. Wind and coastal influence are so important in South Africa, and nowhere more so than the Elgin, Walker Bay, and Elim regions, which are all an hour’s drive together east from Stellenbosch. Although the sun beats down on the regions, the wind is noticeably cooling. This makes the regions great for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and, most unusually for South Africa, Pinot Noir. These wines are still full of ripe fruit aromas and not tame by any means, but the acidity is refreshing and crisp in the whites and the tannins firm and gripping in the reds that they take on a different aspect from other wines in South Africa.

Paul Cluver Estate Pinot Noir 2014 (180 rand; $13)

Travelling through the Southern Hemisphere has one disadvantage: the warm climates make it hard to find quality Pinot Noir. Elgin's cooler climate, however, is well suited to the variety and the nose of this example immediately took us away from the warm sunshine of Stellenbosch. Smoky, with aromas of wild strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, coffee, black pepper, and liquorice, and with really gripping, grainy tannins, this is one of the few New World Pinot Noirs I could confuse for Burgundy - and at a ridiculously good price. ✪✪✪✪✪

Hamilton-Russell Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnay 2016 (395 rand; $28)

It's rare to taste a wine so young that already has such deep complexity. It was bottled just three weeks before we tasted it; no surprise that the acidity was so fresh, but the aromas of stone and tropical fruits, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and a smoky texture were astonishingly developed. We immediately bought a bottle of this wine and drank it with our sandwiches while we looked over the lake next to the tasting room. Like the Paul Cluver, this was a wine that could be mistaken for Burgundy (though at a not dissimilar price) - Walker Bay and Elgin are regions to look out for. ✪✪✪✪✪✪

Hamilton-Russell, Walker Bay

As important as the cooling influence as the Atlantic Ocean is, South Africa’s climate, even by the coast, is still warm. Alcohol is high, fruits are ripe, and the wines are rich. In a climate as sunny as South Africa’s, that’s how it should be. The country, after a century of isolationism, is still learning its trade. Because of the value of its wines, it may at times struggle to be taken seriously, but take advantage of the low prices to taste some very, very good wine.

Uruguay

Through football, Uruguay is famous for its street-fighting spirit, forged from lying between the two major giants of South America, Brazil and Argentina. Essentially created as a buffer between the two, Uruguay is a small country of just 3m people which features aspects of both countries - the language has a Brazilian shush to it, while the meat-based food is similar to Argentina’s. Uruguay is, however, quite distinct from the two countries, as its wine shows.
 

view from Alto de la Ballena

the climate 

Uruguay is over 1,000km from Mendoza, and unsurprisingly its climate is quite different. Situated on the Atlantic coast, Uruguay is much wetter and more humid than neighbouring Argentina or, indeed, Pacific Chile. This has a big impact: grape varieties must be hardy enough to withstand the humid, wet, and often windy conditions; the vineyard needs a lot of attention; and the style of wine is less ripe and full-bodied. The climate is not dissimilar to Bordeaux’s and, like most of Bordeaux, it’s difficult to get Cabernet Sauvignon fully ripe.

the regions 

The historic vineyards of Uruguay are situated around Montevideo, almost in a semi-circle, where Canelones, to the east, is the most known. To the north, on the Brazilian border where the climate gets more humid, is Cerra Chapeu, where the first plantings were in the 1970s. Another recent region is Maldonado, near the ocean and subject to particularly wet, windy weather. Alto de la Ballena were the first winery here, buying their first land in just 2001. There’s a mixture of tradition and innovation, found in other South American countries, that can make Uruguay quite unpredictable.

tannat 

tannat and its large leaves

Tannat dominates plantings and it sets Uruguay apart from other wine-producing regions around the world where the variety is little planted. The grape originates from south-west France, where the main appellation is Madiran, and, like Malbec, it was brought over in the mid-nineteenth century during the wave of phylloxera-driven emigration. It can be a difficult grape to grow, requiring attention in the vineyard to manage its large leaves that can shield grapes from the sun and prevent ventilation, but it’s suited to the climate of Uruguay as its robust berries can withstand fungal pests. It’s planted all over the country, more bitter and tannic near the coast, softer and fuller bodied further inland.

In Madiran, the wines can be incredibly tannic, ready to drink only after many years ageing. This is in part due to the grape variety, but also because of long periods of extraction which make the wine very difficult to drink when young. In Uruguay, the wines are more approachable, due to less extraction and also because the grapes get riper on the vine. Even so, on its own Tannat can be quite astringent and is arguably best in a blend - either in a main or a supporting role. Back in the 1970s, wines from Tannat were often blends to soften the wine, then 100% Tannat took over as international consumers are more receptive to single-varietal wines. Blends are coming back, though; for instance, adding Merlot certainly makes the wine more immediately attractive, while still giving the wine ageing potential.

What I noted about wines from Tannat is that they have a consistent herbal quality, with aromas of fennel, oregano, and tarragon, which makes the wines quite distinctive. Although the fruits are riper than a wine from Madiran, the wines are still not forward or overly expressive. There’s a subtlety to them, with firm tannins to give the wine backbone which allows a period of oak ageing without fear of domination from the oak.

other grape varieties 

Quite a few people I met argued that, rather than Tannat, the most suitable grape for Uruguay is Merlot. Unfortunately, it’s a difficult sell, particularly abroad, but Uruguayan wines made from Merlot can be world class. The grape ripens before the autumn rains come and the small berries withstand the humid conditions. The Alto de la Ballena 2010 Merlot was as good a wine as I’ve tasted on this trip so far: smoky, intense red and black fruits, and really alive, despite some age, with high acidity and gripping tannins. It’s what high-quality Merlot tastes like, and it’s a shame that the UK and US markets are so unreceptive to Merlot that the winery is unable to export the wine.

White wines are also high quality. Uruguay’s climate is cool enough for the wines to have refreshing high acidity: Chardonnay is the most planted white grape, but Sauvignon Blanc is more interesting with a crisp, mineral drive. My favourite white wine of the trip was an Albariño, another grape whose thick skins are ideal for holding up to wet weather. From Garzon, a relatively large producer, the Albariño wasn’t quite as floral or aromatic as wines from Rías Baixas often are, but there was a wonderful crisp, stone, mineral aspect to the wine.

It will be interesting to see how Uruguay develops, and if it’s able to make its mark on the world stage in the presence of such major players as Chile and Argentina. Like its football team, the country punches above its weight and the wines are exported to Brazil, Europe, and the US. Tannat is the grape that will continue to drive Uruguay’s market, but if you're visiting look out for the white wines and reds from Merlot and, another grape with high potential, Cabernet Franc.