Shiraz

Syrah and Shiraz are the same dark skinned grape variety, although one name refers to the old world expression (Syrah) and the other is the type grown in the new world (Shiraz). Originally planted in Iran around 25000BC, Shiraz tends to be a little sweeter and fruit-driven – often making big wines that are referred to as ‘Blockbusters’.

Shiraz is the most commonly planted red grape varietal in Australia, which now has some of the oldest syrah/ shiraz vines in the world. The Barossa Valley is the spiritual home of Shiraz.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay has enormous popularity because its easy to grow adapring to a variety of climates and is a maleable grape that can change its flavour profile. There can be a polarised view on people who love it and those that form part of the ABC club (Anything But Charonnary) . We love it becuase it is one of the grapes that goes in Champagne. In Australia it has long been associated with a deep, oily, buttery style that experiences full malolactic fermentation and excessive amounts of oak treatment, that has since gone out of fashion nationwide. Australia's cooler wine regions, especially the Yarra Valley, are leading the charge on leaner, acid-driven styles of Chardonnay, more closely aligned with Burgundy, with winemakers reducing or entirely preventing malic acid conversion and reducing both the duration of oak maturation and the percentage of new oak used. Oakridge Wines is a leading proponent of this style.

Pinot Gris

This is a high acidity racey wine full of flavour, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grapes can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance. Pinot gris is grown around the globe with the "spicy" full-bodied Alsatian and lighter-bodied, more acidic Italian styles being most widely recognized. Alsace makes both lighter, dry styles (think apricot and peach with a hint of smoke and well-balanced acidity) and richer, more opulent 'late-harvest' styles. Australians like a full bodied spicey Pinot Gris.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Widly Planted with a plump body this is a popular black grape. While many grape varieties are known for their friendly fruit aromas, cabernet sauvignon's success as a fine wine lies in its complex flavours that have the potential to develop deliciously in bottle over time. This grape ages really well and on its own its a winner but it also goes well in the worlds favouritely blended wines - Bordeaux or in Australia the Shiraz. AUSTRALIAN CAB SAV: Margaret River, in Western Australia, enjoys a comparatively cool, maritime-influenced climate, not unlike Bordeaux and produces elegant and age-worthy wines. The combination of finesse, acidity, freshness, alcoholic strength and red fruit flavours gives a complex and vibrant wine, particularly so in a country renowned for its high temperatures. South Australia is the heavyweight wine state, producing most of the country's wine and boasting some of its oldest vines. The dry, hot climate ripens grapes fully, making bold, dense and concentrated wines. The Barossa Valley has a rich viticultural history with patches of bush-trained vines, many more than 100 years old. The style of cabernet produced here contrasts greatly with that of Margaret River, with higher alcohol wines that are bold, full-bodied and rich in red and black fruits. Coonawarra is one of the country's leading cabernet regions. The terra rossa soil is famed for producing wines with an intense flavour and structure. The best wines are typically fragrant and fresh, with tobacco aromas and ripe cassis fruit.

Merlot

Merlot is very versatile, you find it in your favourite everyday reds as well as in some of the most expensive wines in the world. It has seen significant growth in a relatively short lifespan, becoming a red that is favoured across the globe. It has a plush texture , full and smooth and is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. "Merlau" was a term used to describe blackbirds in the Bordeaux region. It was likely adopted to describe Merlot due to the grapes’ dark skin or possibly due to the blackbird's fondness for eating the grapes straight from the vine. It's another French varietal that's being championed in Australia with local winemakers applying a unique spin , the most sophisticated examples come from the cooler regions in Western Australia, such as Margaret River.

Riesling

This is a grape that has become a popuar collectable and a versatile wine. Colours range from a pale straw to a deep rich yellow. It is generally not used for blending and can be enchanting , flowerly almost perfumed, but when its aged it takes on a petroleum / diesel aroma. It can be grown anywhere but tends to like cooler climates for producing elegant examples. Traditionally, most Riesling wines are on the sweeter end of the spectrum, Riesling is for those who prefer a leaner-tasting wine. In Australia on the whole the heat is too intense for the floral aromatics of riesling and the variety can really only find sanctuary in Western Australia (Great Southern in particular), and in the valleys of South Australia; Eden Valley and Clare Valley. Their cooler climates result in an intense fruit aroma.the Clare Valley celebrates a dry Riesling with fresh citrus and apple chracteristics.

Malbec

Malbec is often associated with Argentina , but is actually from the South of France where most of it was wiped out in the severe frost in 1956. It is naturally high in alcohol and tannins.Malbec’s synergy with cabernet sauvignon is excellent, but it can stand proud as a 100 per cent varietal wine, and in either form, it makes a plush, rich winter wine looking for some flame-grilled beef. In Australia you can find this grape grown in Clare Valley, Margaret River and most notably Langhorne Creek.

Grenache

Deliciously, round, fruity and heartwarming, grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine variety grapes in the world. Interestingly stats show that it is a favourite amoung male wine drinkers. It ripens late so it likes hot and dry conditions. \ Expect plump, red fruits, black cherry, baking spice flavours and a hit of white pepper, developing into jammier, stewed fruit flavours in hotter regions. In Australia Sun-loving grenache which is well-suited to being bush trained was an obvious candidate for the warmth of South Australia - in particular the wine regions of McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley - where bush-vines of up to 100 years-old produce fruit of outstanding quality.

Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc is a white grape from loire Valley of France. Its a very versatile grape with high acidity that can be used to create a number of different styles of white wine, from Sparkling to dessert wines. It is best known in three guises: bone dry, sparkling or lusciously sweet. Chenin has not been widely adopted in the new world, with South Africa being the only place to really embrace the grape. In western australia the Swan Valley excels in producing this grape .

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most popular white wine varieties and has done extremely well where it is grown in a number of countries excelling in the cool climate of Marborough New Zealand. The key to quality sauvignon blanc from Australia is temperature; the cooler the better. Western Australia provides just such conditions in Margaret River in particular. Here the cooling influence of the southern Indian Ocean tempers the heat creating a climate not too dissimilar to that of Bordeaux.