Australian Wine

Australian Wine

Prepare to be thoroughly taken aback, or at least a touch startled, at Australia's refreshing wine-and-food pairings. From the wineries of northeast Victoria, an area known for its full-bodied reds, come some truly remarkable fortified Tokays and muscats, all with a delicious, wild, untamed quality that is so rich and sticky you don't know whether to drink them or spread them. Among the more-notable varieties are the All Saints Classic Rutherglen Tokay, Campbell's Liquid Gold Tokay, and Bailey's Old Muscat. Believe it or not, these are perfect with Australia's distinctive farmhouse cheeses, such as Milawa Gold (northeast Victoria), Yarra Valley Dairy's Persian Feta, and Meredith Blue (from Victoria's Western District).

Practically unknown beyond these shores is what was once affectionately but euphemistically known as sparkling burgundy, an effervescent red made mainly from shiraz grapes using the traditional méthode champenoise. A dense yet lively wine with fresh, fruity tones, it's suited to game and turkey and is now an integral part of a festive Australian Christmas dinner. Look for labels such as Seppelt, Yalumba, and Peter Lehmann's Black Queen.

Then there are the classic Rieslings of South Australia's Barossa region and Clare Valley, first introduced by German and Silesian settlers. Today wines such as Heggies Riesling, Petaluma Riesling, and Wirra Wirra Hand Picked Riesling are as much at home with Middle Eastern merguez sausage and couscous as they are with knockwurst and sauerkraut.

Also very Australian in style are the big, oaky semillons of the Hunter Valley (try Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon and Lindeman's Hunter Valley Semillon) and the powerful steak-and-braised-meat-loving cabernets from the rich, red "terra rossa" soil of the Coonawarra district in South Australia. These wines, including Petaluma Coonawarra, Lindeman's Pyrus, and Hollick cabernet sauvignon, will knock first-timers' socks off.

As a breed, the Australian shiraz style has delicious pepper-berry characteristics and food-friendly companionability. A clutch of worthy labels includes Penfolds' Bins 128 and 389, Elderton Shiraz from the Barossa Region, Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard from the Hunter Valley, and Seppelts Great Western Shiraz from the Grampians in Victoria.

Shiraz is very much at home with modern Australian cooking, working beautifully with Moroccan-inspired lamb, Mediterranean roasted goat, pasta, and yes, even kangaroo with beetroot. Also worth a mention are the elegant, berry-laden pinot noirs of Tasmania and Victoria's Mornington Peninsula (perfect with Peking duck); the fresh, bright-tasting unwooded chardonnays of South Australia (fabulous with fish); and the fragrant sauvignon blancs of Margaret River (excellent with Sydney Rock oysters).

So there you have it. If you are about to embark on your own personal discovery of Australian wine and food pairing, get ready to be amazed, astonished, and shocked -- into having another glass.