Wine a Day

I am in Australia at the moment. After some sightseeing in the more touristic areas, I have commandeered a camper van and have been visiting the wine regions of Northern Victoria. These regions are no as well known internationally as the Barossa Valley, McLarenvale or Margret River, however are producing some fantastic and very creative wines.

I was able to visit the Bendigo/Heathcote region, then up to the Rutherglen region then down to the King Valley and Yarra Valley regions. Each area has very different terroir and therefore produces different wines. The peppery complex dark red wines of Bendigo/Heathcote to the fortified wine capital of Australia which is Rutherglen to the lighter and more delicate European varieties grown in the King Valley this relatively short trip for Australia – it was around 1000 kilometers for the round trip. Over the coming weeks I will share some of the best wines with you.

Prior to setting out on this trip, I attended a dinner set up by the Cofield winery to showcase their latest products to regular customers in Melbourne and a couple of gatecrashers like me. Damien Cofield, the main winemaker at the family owned winery was on hand to describe his wines. His party piece at this dinner was to disgorge his sparkling Pinot Noir-Chardonnay. This involved dipping the neck of the bottle in liquid nitrogen which freezes the excess sugar and yeast. This makes the wine extra dry. It also makes for a spectacular way for opening a bottle of sparkling wine.

The other pre-dinner fair was the Sparkling Shiraz, which is one of (if not) the best example of this wine made in Australia. On a warm evening in Melbourne, there are very few drinks that can compare to a glass of this remarkable wine.

A few days later, I visited the winery itself and spoke to Damien at the winery in the picturesque Rutherglen region in Northern Victoria, close to the Murray River. I got a few more insights to his latest products and of course purchased a couple more bottles for my travels. Therefore this week’s Wine of the Week is the Cofield 2007 Sparkling Shiraz. Australia is famous for its big, deep and hearty Shiraz wines. It is made just about anywhere vines grown in the country. The sparkling version is still a deep purple colour and still keeps the traditional chocolate and cherry aromas. Tasting the wine provides you with the summer fruit and rich chocolaty and some spicy flavors but with freshness that the bubbles and cooler serving temperature provides. The more you drink the more you find. It has such a long finish, that if you can stop drinking it for a period – which is harder than you think, then you will find it will fill your mouth with further wonderful dryness to complement the initial fruitiness at the beginning.

It matches many foods wonderfully well. Anything from a simple steak and salad, to tomato based pasta dishes. However I think anything with a gamey taste is ideal to match with this wine. Venison, Duck, or Kangaroo if you can get your hands on it, are a delight to enjoy with this wine. That is provided you do not finish the bottle before you have finished cooking, which is a very difficult task on a warm day. So I suggest you get 2 or 3 bottles if can find the wine and you are planning a dinner with friends.

I hope you are able to find this wine where you are. It is excellent value if it is anywhere near the $28 Australian dollars it costs at the cellar door. Even if you add all the extra costs of transportation tax you will be getting a fantastic wine.