Naturally. There are a number of climatic differences all over Australia . But to equate the variance in Australia with the variance between the Eastern and Western US is misleading - Western Australia and the area around Melbourne both have Mediterranean climates and much of Victoria is Cfb (an oceanic climate, with lower summer temps and light rainfall year-round). In this sense, the populated parts of Australia south of Queensland have less climate variance than France, regardless of Australia’s much larger geographic spread.
The similarity in temperate climates throughout the Southern Hemisphere, particularly once you take out high altitude locations, is a global feature and is caused by the absence of large mountain ranges in the temperate and, particularly, sub-polar latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. If you want to be really reductive about it, you can thank the Rockies for most of the world’s great wine.
So first off, there are some areas where the climate (not including humidity) are similar on the east and west coasts of AU…You could say the same for the US…but who is specifically comparing the East and West coast of AU? Compare Tasmania to New South Wales or Western Australia. Even within those states the climate is vastly different… This doesn’t even get into all the little microclimates, etc…
I know people know better than to think everywhere in AU is just like the Barossa…That is like saying everywhere in the US is just like Dallas Texas…but for whatever reason when people talk about AU Wine they become geographically challenged…
I cannot explain the cause with any degree of certainty, but I have recently noticed that the auction prices of Australian wines in the 10 to 15-year-old category seem to have collapsed. I suspect that there is no single reason for the reduction in sales of “premium” Australian wines.
Not geographically challenged, just opposed to exceptionalism that everyone’s favorite nation-state is a special flower with tons of diversity and terroir. Australia’s climate is unusually homogenous, particularly in places where wine is grown. It’s just how it is - blame the gods of plate tectonics and the laws of fluid dynamics. I’m sure there are lovely microclimates, but, then again, there are microclimates everywhere. Ask the folks up in Chamonix if they care that France generally has an oceanic or Mediterranean climate, or the folks in the thumb of Michigan about the high precipitation in the Eastern US.
I’m sorry you feel that way. I actually have posted positive things about Hunter Valley Shiraz - “Aziza’s 2012” - ksoher winery, about 12% IIRC. To quote myself -" I’ll try to get a more detailed note together, but it has the unique Shiraz flavors of Australia without any of the bombast or jam. If Australia produces more wine like this one, I will drink a lot more Australian wine…"
I won’t claim to be the be-all, end-all of Australian wine, of course, and there may well be wines that are genuine dead ringers for the North Rhone that I have never seen. You may not see the comparison, but I have - so we’ll simply have to live out our different experiences, but I personally have encountered people trying to sell me on Margaret River that way. The same holds true of some cooler climate Gimbrel Gravels Syrah from NZ. This is the reality of how non-ooze Shiraz gets pitched by the U.S. trade.
You’re also attacking a . At no point have I said anything about the climate of the West being identical to the climate of Barossa - if I am, am I talking about Eden Valley, or another part? Nor have I said the wines are identical and indistinguishable.
What I am actually saying is that my experience with Shiraz across many regions is that there is often (I’ll refrain from being so definitive) a distinctive black and blue fruit profile to them that, regardless of whether they carry 12% or 16%, gives them something unique and Australian and is thoroughly unlike anything else, Syrah or otherwise - and that should be a net positive (except see my last point about Syrah’s struggles).
I don’t know whether you’ve done a lot of comparison tastings involving multiple regions of California vs. say, Oregon, New Zealand and Burgundy they way I have, so I’ll do you the courtesy of not calling you “ignorant,” but particularly in California, the difference in flavor and texture between the Anderson Valley and Carneros/RRV is often less pronounced than they are given credit for. One would think they are extreme, because one might be 12.5% vs. 14.8%, but they often have more in common with each other than (IMO) than a 13.5% Burgundy and a 13.5% Central Otago Pinot. I suspect that if someone were to blind me on that Hunter Valley Shiraz above (perhaps its not representative, in which case I suppose I would have to search out a different example, but the energetic winemaker seemed like he and his ideals would be right at home in a Parisian natural wine bar) in a flight with a well-made McClaren Vale Shiraz and a Saint-Joseph and/or Cote-Rotie, it wouldn’t be too hard to guess countries.
It has also been my experience that there are many contrarian American wine professionals who are trying to introduce the reality of a more complicated wine culture from Australia. Actually, I try to do my little part! For whatever reason, it has not taken with the with the public they serve, at least not yet. I hope that changes.
An Australian winemaker friend has brought everything from Tasmanian Riesling to ancient McClaren Vale Shiraz and Coonawarra Cab to well-aged Hunter Valley Semillon to a bi-yearly dinner. They are fascinating wines. I would love to believe there is an ocean of AFWE wine waiting to be discovered, but at the same time, every other significant wine country in the world has done a credible job of getting those wines to the U.S. Yet Australian exports are plummeting. Where are those wines and exporters/importers to go after the market. Are these wines just consumed in-country?
One last point to make, which may clarify something I was trying to get across earlier. Syrah from anywhere is a more challenging sell. In a way, it reminds me of Riesling, in that the people who love it love the wide variety of styles, while still being comforted by its essential “Riesling-ness” and ability to reflect a place. People who love Riesling often think that it’s moment of acceptance by the wider public is just waiting around the corner - and I think the same holds true of Syrah/Shiraz. Australia was grubbing of Shiraz in the 80s at an alarming rate. I’m glad so many great vineyards were saved, but the later doubling down on the grape has its risks, and I wonder how much of that accounts for export struggles?
If you read my post, I actually didn’t say you compared climates…Climates were talked about in a different post. You compared Margaret River to the Barossa…I’m sure you’ll find some similarities…but they’re quite different…Maybe I’m reading what you’re saying wrong. I can believe someone has pitched MR to you as Northern Rhone…as an attempt to separate itself from what people normally see…but as you pointed out, it is nothing like Northern Rhone…I agree with you that a lot of the areas in CA are more alike than they are different but that is like saying the Barossa and McLaren Vale are more alike than different…and they are…they’re relatively close together…Is Central Coast like Finger Lakes?
There are definitely a lot of dark fruited Shiraz…but most things out of the Hunter will not be that way…Canberra, Tasmania…Yarra/Geelong will have more of a mix as will WA (which actually has vastly different areas). I’m not saying everything will satisfy a AFWE person…
As far as comparative tastings…You might pick where it is from…but if you’ve had any reasonable amount of wine from the Hunter would you call it anything close to McLaren Vale? Not if you had a halfway decent palate (which I’m going to guess you do). Here’s a basic description: lower alcohol, high acid, red fruits, leather, earth, poop…does that sound more like Northern Rhone or Barossa? What I described would be a typical Hunter Shiraz…
In any case, I think I just get tired of seeing everyone lump Australia as basically one region…or knowing there are different regions but not considering them to be VERY different from each other when in fact, they could just as easily be different countries…If that isn’t what you were implying, my apologies…
If you’re wondering why these wines aren’t making it to the US easily…I think this has been talked about a lot…the high AUD makes it very difficult to compete…and when people aren’t giving AU Shiraz a chance (both because it is Shiraz and because it is AU) then would someone risk bringing it in when it isn’t really great value? It is a tough sell…So that combined with years of just bringing in the same junk every year has, IMO, made it a real uphill battle for them. I think if the AUD drops quite a bit more then you’ll likely see more things come in…the price point will be better…If someone doesn’t eventually do that, I’ll consider bringing it in myself…
You have the trees perspective (and a good one, I might add). I might have the forest one, with regards to the U.S. market.
My experience with Hunter Valley Shiraz is limited, though I do look for them, as I do the Semillons. In my limited experience, I would describe the Shiraz tasted from there as having “Australian” flavors with a texture and profile that I really like - I don’t think they are in any way the midnight black motor oil some Barossa wines can be, but they also don’t bear that much resemblance to any North Rhone wine I have had, and the North is one of my favorite wine regions. Again, this is speaking from limited experience, though I did begin to explore the wines before the Grateful Palate and Mollydooker era here. John Larchet’s old portfolio had a very different and what seemed classical profile.
I agree there are differences between the regions, just as there are differences between the various California Pinot regions. I have a lot more experience there, so I can nail regions blind semi-regularly. That said, they exist on a spectrum where a Burgundian outlier or Central Otago outlier will drew out their similarities more and emphasize the differences less.
I would argue that U.S. Syrah is also similar to Australian Shiraz in a way - warm regions in Paso produce wines with some bombast, while cooler parts of the U.S. like the Sonoma Coast produce might lighter, brighter examples, but at the same time its exceedingly rare they remind me of North Rhone or Australian versions of the same grape.
Speaking of various regions, I am trying to pull in a Shiraz-based blend from Geelong from a project called Between Five Bells. That was my other standout Australian wine from the past few months. Great stuff!
The Hunter will be very un-Australian to most…Definitely not Australian flavors you see from any other Shiraz in AU…Or texture wise either…it will be quite different. Again, not saying you’ll think they’re from the Northern Rhone but certainly flavor and texture wise it’ll be closer to that than the Barossa…
Big respect if you’re working w/ Ray and bringing in Between Five Bells and hopefully Lethbridge…They are a great example of someone doing what they want in the style they want and introducing something different. Not sure price wise they’ll be able to compete with the high AUD but they’re different than what most in AU are doing…and that is nice to see…
What’s still lost in the discussion is, what can Australia do that other wine regions can’t do? Obviously they have a competitive advantage in making oceans of cheap, ripe wine because of their climate… and that’s why stuff like Yellow Tail continues to be successful. But above $5 a bottle, what is a consumer getting from an Australian wine that he can’t get from elsewhere at the same cost? Aside from the top Shiraz names we all know, and whose best examples continue to sell out? If there’s an answer to this question, I’ve yet to drink it.
Nick,
You pose an interesting question, and as with all wine, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I have been a bit disenchanted with many of the wines being produced in Australia, many of which became me too oozemonsters, seemingly hell bent on chasing ripeness and points. I receive a lot of samples and many become sink fodder.
I curate a wine list that boasta round 500 Australian selections and my mantra is to choose wines that are more elegant and food friendly. That task is getting much easier.
Recently I was taken on a tour of by Wine Australia with four other restaranteurs, visiting Wrattonbully, Langhorne Creek, Adelaide Hills in SA and King Valley, Rutherglen and Yarra Valley.
Sure, the red carpet was rolled out, but I was blown away by what felt like a new breed of winemakers, who are ultra focussed on site, clonal selections, seeking flavours at low baume, experimenting with wild ferments, new varieties, focussing on texture etc etc.
I saw a number of wines that really had me searching for superlatives, none of which were spoofilated or cookie cutter Aussie.
I think the industry has a bright future, but there have been serious headwinds in the last decade , namely:-
Strong $A
Flat domestic consumption
High alcohol styles
Increased competition from South America and the new old world.
Over supply caused by Managed Investment Schemes/ Govt tax regimes encouraging poor site selection.
Overly bullish projections from Industry bodies.
Domestic off premise market driven by retail duopoly
Are the outstanding wines better than any comparatively priced wines in the world?
I don’t know, but I did have some fantastic King Valley Nebbiolo, amazing Shiraz from 100yr old vines in Langhorne Creek, world class Yarra Valley Chardonnay from high altitude sites and many more wines that I would be very happy to put up against most wines in the world.
Of couse a decade ago these wines may not have been around, but then they would have been half of today’s price in the EU and US, due to the weaker $A prevalent then.
Nick’s questions sum up so much about the conundrum of wine globalisation. Most people here know that Australia offers a far more diverse and interesting selection of wines than the representation available in the US, but so what?
I often wonder why I’m drinking a relatively simple, no-nonsense wine from a tiny European region when something that will offer basically the same experience is made up the road. The same thing is said when you look for US wine in Oz, regardless of the price point.
Ultimately, (for a period of time), people thought a certain type of Barossa Shiraz was a unique and attractive style. Whether the Rieslings, cool-site Shiraz or Chardonnay, fortifieds or age-worthy Semilions of Australia, (of which there are many), ever do the same in the US is anyone’s guess. (A lower AU dollar would at least give it a chance).
As exists here with wines like Scholium or Dirty & Rowdy, fiercely dedicated importers are bringing some of the best “edgy” wines into the US. Whether or not they, or more traditional Oz wines, provide something to you is indeed in the “eye of the beholder”.
Haven’t read the whole thread…
But a big issue in the UK and France is changing drinking and cooking habits where wine is used in cooking. The later is a big issue in France and which has led to far lower sales of certain wines in recent years. But the old tradition of drinking wine regularly with meals is fading.
I think Australia and Tasmania are producing some of the most exciting wines in the world right now.
Folks like BK Wines, Ochota Barrels, Brash Higgins, Bindi, Meyer, d’meure, etc… They are not easy to find (but are available) - like their US counterparts, they are not “cheap” but provide some kick ass juice that is unique and compelling.
There are a lot of parallels between wine shifts in CA and Australia- with some saying Australia is a few years ahead of the curve.
Good to see you posting, Andy. Could you expand a bit on your comments? I’m particularly not familiar with the changing cooking habits you’re referring to.
For example, France was the single largest buyer in the world of cheap basic Port. They use it in cooking, a lot. However, a shift in cooking and eating habits over the years has seen a huge drop in sales for these basic cheap Ports. It has caused some issues in overall sales for many a Port company. To which they are trying to shift their sales tactics to try and offset the large loss from these “commodity Ports.”
In the UK it used to be customary to buy your kids, grandkids, etc a case of Port to lay down for when they get older. This is not as prominent as it has before. UK universities also used buy large amount of VP’s to lay down for the future. In recent years they have sold off a large amount of stocks of these older VP’s from their cellars and are no longer buying large quantities of current release upper end wines. A shift in drinking habits (cultural changes with the younger generation) is to be blamed.
So there really are more things beyond what most of us think of which is leading to the decline in certain sales of wine, beyond the “wine from XX location is no longer in vogue.”
For those that ask this question, I would strongly suggest people try some of the classic regional styles of Australia. The following styles are fairly unique to Australia and very distinctive, firmly in the category of wines other regions can’t/don’t do:
Hunter Semillon
Rutherglen Fortifieds
Sparkling Shiraz (especially the old school ones like Seppelts)
Old Vine Shiraz (Australia must have the lions share of the world’s old vine shiraz)
Clare Riesling
Just to name some of the most distinctive.
I absolutely agree that Australia did shoot itself in the foot with its overall wine business strategy. On the high end (especially in the US) there were too many very warm climate reds picked very late given lots of oak and mostly unpleasant to drink and even worse to age. Note, many of these wines were “designed” for the export market, especially the US thanks to Parker’s praise of them.
On the low end (which is by far and away the bulk of their exports) the focus was on critter labels from dry desolate irrigated riverlands taking water from the already in trouble murray river that tasted like wines made in dry irrigated flatlands anywhere in the world. Once Spain and Chile (among others) got their act together, the ship[ping costs along made these wines uncompetitive.
That said, from what i understand their is a vibrant progressive wine scene in Australia. I guess most of it doesn’t make it to export markets (in fact I couldn’t find most of it in Australia when i was last there) but i keep hearing about new producers everyday who are pushing the envelope. I think many of them have found a market for their wine. I would love to see an book on these the equivalent of “New California Wine”.
Great visual post Kyle.
Since I love data and to really drive home the point of how diverse the climate can be, here are a few summaries of climate in Australia’s wine regions as compared to other wine regions.
. At no point have I said anything about the climate of the West being identical to the climate of Barossa - if I am, am I talking about Eden Valley, or another part? Nor have I said the wines are identical and indistinguishable.
