Types of Red Wine

 

Shiraz – A Versatile Wine in Australia

By Rob Hemphill
Shiraz, or Syrah as it is known in France where it originated from, is an immensely important grape variety in Australia. It is seen to be a workhorse one due to its consistent heavy cropping, but in recent years Shiraz has been used to blend with many different varieties to great effect. This has helped to give Shiraz the seal of quality it has today.

A single varietal Shiraz may be considered to be rather basic especially if grown in very hot areas. The grapes from higher yielding vines will then almost become over-ripe and taste slightly sweet and therefore lose a certain amount of concentration of fruit. This could be typical ‘hot country’ red wine that has had much of the flavor cooked out of it. But the Australians have extensive plantings of this noble grape and if anyone is going to exploit it, they will – and have!

The Hunter Valley is one area with its quality-conscious winemakers able to turn the huge amounts of Shiraz into some really serious wines. As this region has relatively poor soils, which incidentally is great for vines, combined with high temperatures, a very distinctive style of wine is produced. Shiraz is known as Hunter ‘Hermitage’ here.

If yields are kept to as little as half a tonne per acre and the weather has been right, i.e. not too hot, then the wine can develop an extraordinary unique style of its own. The wine will show a richness of an almost chocolaty character with a notable mineral tang. Shiraz is still very much the red wine grape of the area however Cabernet Sauvignon now accounts for a large proportion of the Hunter Valley vine acreage.

Perhaps the model for Australian Shiraz comes from The Barossa Valley in the form of the famous and much loved Penfolds ‘Grange’. Made entirely from local fruit, this is a wine of extraordinary dimension and power, while being richly textured and intensely concentrated it is packed with natural fruit sweetness.

Another promising style of Shiraz is being produced in the cooler south western part of the country around Coonawarra. The acid levels are kept well up producing appetizing wines with that wonderful dry peppery quality that we are so familiar with. These wines keep their color and age extremely well. It is here that the Australian wine industry showed the world what successful if unlikely partners Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon can be.

There are numerous premier Shiraz producers such as Penfolds, Hardys, Henschke, Orlando, Peter Lehmann Wines, Rosemount, Wolf Blass, Lindemans, Wynns and Yalumba as well as many other excellent wineries.

With a wide climate range throughout Australia and top class winemakers, it is no wonder that they have, and continue to discover how to work this magical old grape variety and extract so many different flavours from it.

That’s why Shiraz is such a versatile wine in Australia, and why it has withstood the test of time.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2134447

 

Red Wine and Its Varieties
By Ian Love

 

Australia is the fourth largest wine producing country in the world and boasts of great quality wines from major producers like Foster Group, Constellation wines and so on. The red grapes of Australia are their greatest asset and the most cherished wine is Shiraz. With the abundance of sunshine in Australia, the grapes ripen perfectly to give that special taste to the Australian wine. It is believed, the warmer the wine region, the better the red wine. But, the cooler areas are also well suited for the lighter and delicate red wine. There are several mild climate regions that are home to Australian specialty of sparkling red wine popularly known as “Shiraz”.

Shiraz: Shiraz produced from the same grapes as Syrah in France’s Rhone Valley were imported in Australia in 1832. It prospered in the Australian turf and became a great source of high quality wines. The versatility it displays to transform depended on the region and its growth is something special. There are several elegant styles that have emerged because of the climate, like the elegant peppery cool climate style in Heathcote, Victoria to cull out intense flavors with a spicy style of Coonawarra and Margaret River, the powerful minty one from Clare Valley, sweet and chocolaty one of McLaren Vale and muscular ripe fruited of Barossa. There is no other variety, which can match the mulberry, spicy, slightly wild flavor of Australia’s Shiraz wine.

Barbera: Barbera and Sangiovese are the most welcoming choice of Australia’s Italian variety. Barbera is best suited for the country and its desirable fruitiness and can give a great taste, when grown in areas with hot climate.

Cabernet Franc: It is a bit lighter in style than Shiraz but with a cherry and wild strawberry fruitiness and makes for a great drink for the warmer weather.

Cabernet Sauvignon: It is considered the best wine from the noblest red grapes and has found a place as an old world classic wine. Found generally in medium to cool regions, the wine is powerfully flavored and blackcurranty. In regions Margaret River and Coonawarra, it is at its minty best. Victoria’s Yarra Valley is also home to some good wine producers with a pure fruited elegance. South Australia’s McLaren Vale and Mudgee of New South Wales are popular for their berry characters with a tinge of chocolate. These wines, if stored in the cellar for one or two years can get immensely rich and well matured.

Grenache: This red grape variety of Rhone is as popular as Shiraz for juicy rose and the fiery fortified wines. With some old vines as old as first planted 150 year ago, the growers have come to realize its potential, as the most delicious cherry and raspberry filled wines. They are famous for the sweet ripeness and with a high alcohol level and low tannin would warm you to the toes.

Pinot Noir: Pinot Noir wine is known to throw a challenge to growers in any part of the world and have been highly successful in the coolest regions like Adelaide Hills, Tasmania, Yarra Valley and the Great Southern Australia. The best wines are known to be the ones produced from vines that have not been heavily harvested and from those given a gentle maturation in oak barrels.

Pink or Rose Wines: These rose style wines are popular, as they are best consumed, when chilled on a warm Aussie day. These wines are made red grapes which are pressed and some juice is left in contact with the skins for some time to give it a pink blush. They taste best, when fresh and vibrant.

There are several red wine varieties like Mourvedre, Merlot, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Zinfandel that have a cult following of their own. The wine scene changes constantly and you will find several varieties emerging and produced by Australian wineries.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2061294