A little taste of ...
Australia's vinous gifts to the world
By Sophie Davies
Imagine the task: choosing a selection of fine wines reflective of
Australian wine to take to France – and to fit them in your carry-on
luggage! Not unlike proffering a selection of coals to a Novocastrian or
ice cubes to an Alaskan, the task of selecting some unique and iconic
wine to represent Australia in esteemed French company has befallen me.
My selection has to be small (carry on luggage) and thus restricted to
three bottles. To add to the challenge the recipient comes from a small
town near Epernay (think Champagne), and thus has exposure to some of
the world's finest sparkling wines.
Thus I scoured my ever decreasing cellar (the joy of moving house),
skimmed the pages of some wine magazines, discussed the issue with
colleagues and recalled reactions to various wines from German friends.
This ended in the selection of three wines, a Sparkling red (Yalumba
Black 'D'), a Rutherglen Fortified (All Saints Classic Tokay) and a
full-bodied red (Hollick Cabernet Merlot).
A uniquely Australian wine and perfect Christmas tipple, sparkling red
is smooth and rich with luscious red berry characters and a soft sweet
finish. The Yalumba 'D' was chosen after a memorable Barons of Barossa
Dinner held in the Yalumba Cask Hall.
Australia produces a stunning array of fortified wines – it is what our
burgeoning industry was initially built on – wines such as Muscat and
Tokay are classics. While these are losing favour in today's market, the
true classics of Rutherglen will survive, carving an impression on a
national and international scale. Luckily I happened to have a bottle of
the Classic Tokay in my cellar.
And finally the red. I wanted a wine with some typical Australian
characters, yet also some elegance – oh and enough money left over to
enjoy my holiday. Eventually I chose the Hollick Cabernet Merlot after
enjoying it with pizza at Good Life in Adelaide. A Coonawarra classic
brand, Hollick, combined with fabulous memories I could impart upon my
friend.
Now, don't get me wrong, this list is simply my suggestion. You are only
restricted by your budget, time and previous experiences – so if you
have a better idea, let me know for next time – and in the meantime
cross your fingers that my jewels were well received by Mon Français.