Am I the only person who hates Australian wine?

Rosemount Estate Diamond Label Shiraz/Cab

There is a world of difference between "Old World" and "New World" wines, with the former being less fruit-driven than the latter. But the fact that you like Chilean Cabs and Californian wines would seem to indicate that that isn't where your problems arise. Also, your description of what you encounter in them would tend to suggest other explanations, too. Since you appear to be in the UK, what Aussie wines have you based this conclusion on? Is it possible that you've only been exposed to their plonk and haven't yet had one of the better examples? I am not a big fan of many Aussie wines, either, because I find them too "gobby" (jammy fruit and lacking in acidity) to pair with food. However, I have enjoyed certain of Penfolds wines, especially their Bin

Good luck! Mark Lipton

Mark

More like a troll from this side of the pond.

BTW, had Penfolds RWT 2001 on Friday night. Thick as port, oaky syrah nose which was complex and subdued, huge fruit entry with tannins ++, yet very drinkable. The boss said not her kind of wine, but after an hour had opened up, spice and toothpaste, Drinking now but will try again 3 years,

I wondered about that, but didn't do the research to establish one way or another. The question seemed sincere, though.

Spice and toothpaste: what a gustatory "image." I don't know the RWT, but a recent (ca. '06) taste of the Penfolds lineup left me quite let down: across the board, too minty and/or oaky for my tastes. No St. Henri, Kamlimna or 389, though, and they are usually my favorites of the lineup.

Mark Lipton

Well, "Confused", I guess it's a matter of taste - I liked most of the Aussie wines I tried BECAUSE they were on the acidic side. As a Yank, I get American produce most of the time, but I sometimes venture into other countries' wines.

Dan-O

Monty Python's Flying Circus - "Australian Table Wines"

The Players: Eric Idle - Wine Expert; The Scene: Soft introduction music plays .....

WINE EXPERT: A lot of people in this country pooh-pooh Australian table wines. This is a pity as many fine Australian wines appeal not only to the Australian palate but also to the cognoscenti of Great Britain.

Black Stump Bordeaux is rightly praised as a peppermint flavoured Burgundy, whilst a good Sydney Syrup can rank with any of the world's best sugary wines.

Château Blue, too, has won many prizes; not least for its taste, and its lingering afterburn.

Old Smokey 1968 has been compared favourably to a Welsh claret, whilst the Australian Wino Society thoroughly recommends a 1970 Coq du Rod Laver, which, believe me, has a kick on it like a mule: eight bottles of this and you're really finished. At the opening of the Sydney Bridge Club, they were fishing them out of the main sewers every half an hour.

Of the sparkling wines, the most famous is Perth Pink. This is a bottle with a message in, and the message is 'beware'. This is not a wine for drinking, this is a wine for laying down and avoiding.

Another good fighting wine is Melbourne Old-and-Yellow, which is particularly heavy and should be used only for hand-to-hand combat.

Quite the reverse is true of Château Chunder, which is an appellation contrôlée, specially grown for those keen on regurgitation; a fine wine which really opens up the sluices at both ends.

Real emetic fans will also go for a Hobart Muddy, and a prize winning Cuivre Reserve Château Bottled Nuit San Wogga Wogga, which has a bouquet like an aborigine's armpit.

It's OK to give it another go -- another last shot; and it's OK to just drink other wines from other countries. But there are so many other countries to choose from; why waste your time on Australian wines? Price? Availability?

I've decided not to spend my money or time and energy looking for another Australian wine. I gave up that ghost a while ago. (Although I did write down Mark's recommendation, I'll probably use the money for a bottle from another country.) Dee Dee

Black Stump actually exists

The Black Stump Durif Shiraz 2005

James James Dempster

You know you've had a good night when you wake up and someone's outlining you in chalk.

It sounds like you've been drinking cork tainted wine from a bad blender. As an Aussie, I'll be the first to accept that our wine industry exports a lot of crap where it thinks it will be accepted just because of the label. Of the bulk-produced labels exported, Rosemount diamond label (already mentioned) is a good starting point for an acceptable brand. Work upwards from there! Beware of phrases on the bottle such as "Produce of South Eastern Australia". Its not a specific wine region and usually means "cobbled together from what we could buy cheap". Buy wine from well accepted specific regions, such as Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Barrossa Valley, Margaret River, Swan Valley. Don't give up because you've been conned into buying from the bottom of the barrel.

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. However, I've tried more than my share. Not all were cork tainted nor have I been connned -- as far as I know ;-)) Just don't like Australian wines that I've tried. Dee Dee

I have always found the vast majority of Aussie wines have the same "cooked" flavor that is common with wines which were produced from central California valley grapes. I have also noted the flavor in bottles that have been shown the oven in some way - maybe it is the shipping methods of the more "inexpensive" Aussie wineries.

Australia, just like other places in the world, makes fine wines and they make cheap poor wines. And others in between.

To verify this, I would suggest that you get someone to arrange a blind tasting for you of decent wines (don't choose cheap ones), in pairs--one from Australia and the other from elsewhere, each of the pair made from the same grape. See if you can pick out which of each pair is from Australia. My guess is that you will not come close to being able to do this consistently.

-- Ken Blake Please Reply to the Newsgroup

I second the motion! Try a Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley. It won't be the big jammy Shiraz style you seem to be running into and not enjoying.

I agree with you. Because my guess is that I will not come close to being able to do this with wines from Chile & Portugal; etc. etc. I applaud people that can. I've seen experts do taste testing, and I'm no expert. I appreciate your advice, tho. I hear what you're saying.

DH just came home with 11 bottles of wine from Gary's in New Jersey.

Dee

If you "hear what I'm saying," I may not need to add this comment, but my point is simply that it doesn't make much sense to say that you don't like wines from Australia (or anyplace else) if you are not able to identify that a wine is from Australia.

-- Ken Blake Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Dee Dee what were the French wines please? tonight at dinner I had a Beaune, it was superb and i don't like reds too much!!!

You win! Dee