Just travelled through England, Scotland and Ireland. Aussie wines are around but unless a specialised wine merchant, the range is really basic. Often the brand is a generic such as Koala Ridge Shiraz etc. There are more wines from Chile, South Africa and Spain than Australia in common pubs and restaurants. The only NZ wine …
The well known Italian varieties Sangiovese and Nebbiolo are grown and produced well in other countries than Italy. A recent trend is the interest in less well known Italian varieties. Australia has a craze for Barbera, Montepulciano, Vermentino, Fiano and others. Just check out a wine list in a trendy Melbourne bistro!
Australians are keen on Champagne and famous houses are readily available – Moet&Chandon $55 (soft, a little sweet), Pol Roger $72 (citrus lemon chalky texture), Veuve Clicquot, $55 (honey creamy), Mumm Cordon Rouge, $40 (fresh floral aromas), Roederer $57 (flowers and red berry aromas, dry, full bodied), Bollinger $57 (distinctive sweet salad dressing/aldehyde aroma and …
A Sommelier (Somm) is the French term for a specialised wine waiter. They exist in Australia and mostly they are pretty good – they really do want to see a customer enjoy a wine. They can be overly enthusiastic. Plenty of customers are scared of them because they fear that their intermittent wine knowledge will …
