Southport Magazine

Ben Glaetzer, a renowned winemaker in the Barossa Valley of Australia, with Amanda Carbonell, owner of Southport’s Uncorked by the Sea Wine Shop and Gallery. Courtesy photo

May is Aussie Wine Month in Australia—and is there ever a lot to celebrate. Australia, once known primarily for its big “fruit bomb” wines or—dare I say it, the kangaroo with the yellow tail—has come a long way in the past few decades to become a real player in the world of fine wine.

The wine industry in Australia dates back to 1788 when vine cuttings from the Cape of Good Hope were first brought to the penal colony of New South Wales. Although the attempt at winemaking from these first vines was not successful, other settlers did cultivate vines and the first Australian wine for sale domestically appeared in the 1820s. Today, wine is produced in every state with more than 60 designated wine regions. The major varieties are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sémillon, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Shiraz (also know as Syrah) was one of the original varieties brought to Australia and is certainly one of the most successful. There are still many vineyards scattered throughout the country with vines that are over 100 years old. It is grown in virtually every region in Australia and produces varying styles from cooler climate, medium-bodied and spicy wines to fuller bodied, richly flavored and textured warmer climate versions.

Shiraz partners well with several other varieties. The classic blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre in varying proportions, has a long tradition (try the 2011 Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles, $25.99) as does the Shiraz Cabernet blend. More recently, co-fermenting a small proportion of Viognier with Shiraz has led to the trendy Shiraz Viognier style (try the 2009 d’Arenberg Laughing Magpie, $28.99). There are many fantastic regions for Shiraz but the most historic area with a large repository of old vines is the Barossa Valley.

My husband, Joaquin, and I spent a week in the Barossa Valley in January, home to many of the world’s finest Shiraz. The Barossa, as it’s referred to by natives, is a laid-back area northwest of Adelaide. It reminded us of what Napa must have been 30 years ago with no crowded tasting rooms and winemakers pleased to have a couple of Americans visiting. We are big fans of Shiraz and had the pleasure of tasting it at several of our favorite wineries.

Perhaps Australia’s most famous wine is Penfolds Grange. Grange is an Australian icon and considered to be among the world’s best wine. Wine critic Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate has written that Grange “has replaced Bordeaux’s Pétrus as the world’s most exotic and concentrated wine.” While Penfolds has several affordable wines in its portfolio, Grange sells for hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. While visiting the winery, we tasted the 2004 Grange, which sells for over $500 a bottle. Not an everyday wine, for sure.

One of our best experiences was time spent with Ben Glaetzer, one of today’s star winemakers. The Glaetzer family has been making wine in The Barossa since the late 1800s. Ben has won numerous prestigious awards for his wines and was named The Wine Advocate’s Wine Personality of the Year in 2005.

Robert Parker described Ben as “showing an exquisite talent for accessing fabulous vineyards and turning out world class wines from old-vine Shiraz and Grenache. His Amon-Ra Shiraz is one of the great new wines of Australia, made with power as well as elegance. This is a serious talent who has exploded on the wine scene with a brilliant array of wines.”

The Glaetzer philosophy focuses simply on the production of small-volume, super-premium red wines. The Glaetzer range consists of four individual offerings: Wallace Shiraz Grenache, Bishop Shiraz, Anaperenna Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon and the flagship Amon-Ra Shiraz. Interestingly, Ben personally designs the graphic black and white labels for these wines.

Ben hosted a leisurely lunch for us under a spreading oak tree and brought a case of his wines for us to sample. We began with a new label he is collaborating with as winemaker called Heartland. Two of our favorites were the 2009 Heartland Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.99) and the 2010 Heartland Directors’ Cut Shiraz ($40.99). We eventually worked our way up to the 2012 Amon-Ra Shiraz ($120), made from fruit from 130-year-old vines and recently rated 97+ by The Wine Advocate.

There are dozens of great wineries to visit in South Australia. For wine lovers, it is truly a special place.

Amanda Carbonell is the owner of Uncorked by the Sea Wine Shop and Gallery, located at 602 N. Howe St. in Southport. For more info, call (910) 454-0633 or visit www.uncorkedbythesea.com. Tastings are offered every Thursday night at Uncorked for a $5 donation to a local non-profit.