Commentary: Is McLaren Vale the Next Barossa Valley?

Dean Aslin looks at disruption in the Australian wine scene.

When it comes to new world Shiraz few have the reputation that Australia’s Barossa Valley does but recently its southern neighbour has been grabbing the attention and deservedly so.

McLaren Vale lies to the South East of South Australia’s capital city, Adelaide, and it is a much cooler climate than the Barossa with sea breezes on most afternoons. Whilst there has never been any doubt about the high standard of wines coming from the region it is now getting a lot of attention because of the awards and accolades it is receiving for their exceptional Shiraz.

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Australian Wine to China on The Rise

Last year, China become the third largest destination for Australian wine with sales shooting up to $201.5 million in 2011, behind only the major markets of the United States and the United Kingdom.

Wine sales to China and Hong Kong helped prevent a larger decline in Australian wine exports which fell to $1.89 billion last year as exports to the US and UK went into reverse.
 
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The Next Big White Wine: Verdelho

Instead of ordering a Sauvignon Blanc, order a glass of Verdelho.

If you’re tired of drinking Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, we’d like to suggest ordering a glass of Verdelho instead. At a recent tasting of Tulloch Wines from Hunter Valley, we were blown away by the beauty of the Tulloch Verdelho.

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Australian Wine Celebrity James Halliday to Host Tasting and Gala Dinner

Bringing together the very best in Australian Wines.

In celebration of the new edition to his No.1 selling book, The Australian Wine Companion, the world-renowned wine critic James Halliday will host a tasting of some of Australia’s finest wines including a gala dinner of who’s who on the Oz wine scene.

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Lunch at Uno Mas with Sidewood Estate Owners Owen and Cassandra Inglis

Adelaide Hill’s best kept secret is out in Hong Kong.

We met with the owners of Sidewood Estate at Uno Mas this week to discuss their wines and trends in the Australian wine market and how they are doing in the Hong Kong market.

Sidewood Estate is a privately owned vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, the heart of Australian cool climate wine. Owen and Cassandra Inglis purchased the estate in 2004. They do a lot of business selling their grapes to other large winemakers in Australia but they also make a few themselves led by internationally acclaimed winemaker, Natasha Mooney – who won a place in our heart with the 2008 Chardonnay and 2008 Syrah.

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