Has cheap and cheerful Australian wine had its day,wonders Joe Breen
The €2 billion takeover of Southcorp, the Australian wine giant, by its rival Foster's seems likely to have big repercussions on how Australian wine is marketed in Ireland. Many in the Australian wine trade have believed for some time that the discounting strategy that gained it a foothold on the shelves of British and Irish supermarkets - and brought about the image of cheep and cheerful Aussie wine - would damage the industry in the long term. Now the new Foster's group, bolstered by big Southcorp brands such as Penfolds, Lindemans, Rosemount and Wynns Coonawarra, plans to end that strategy. Lisa Keenan, Foster's director of communications, told Decanter magazine that the company would use the acquisition of such prominent brands "to show the world we're not all Bruce and Sheila".
John McDonnell, Wine Australia's Irish representative, agrees. "The Irish market is very important to Australia. However, due to our labour, land and raw material costs, it is becoming more difficult for us to compete at the lower segment of the market. We at Wine Australia, and our winemakers, are working hard to develop a reputation for the higher-quality wines that Australia produces. We want to stress the uniqueness of our different regions: Barossa, Coonawarra, Hunter Valley, Clare and Margaret River."
The two bottles of the week (see panel) represent the kind of price range and quality that the Australian wine industry wants to be known for.
Anybody doubting the quality of Australian wines at the high end would do well to check the new Langton's 2005 Classification of Australian Wine. This is the fourth edition of the list, last published five years ago, by this Australian company of wine auctioneers. It aims to place the status of top Australian wines in some context by evaluating the secondary wine market - that is, the price fine wines fetch when they are being sold at auction.
"These are Australia's top 101 wines voted not by wine judges or wine critics but by the ultra-fine-wine consumer - the many thousands of wine enthusiasts who regularly participate in buying and selling fine Australian wine at Langton's," says the company.
The list is divided into four sections, coyly termed Exceptional, Outstanding, Excellent and Distinguished. Invariably, Penfold's iconic and hugely expensive Grange tops the pile in the 11-strong Exceptional section. It is joined by Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir; Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon; Giaconda Chardonnay; Rockford Basket Press Shiraz; Henschke Hill of Grace; Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay; Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon; Mount Mary Quintet Cabernet Blend; Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon and Wendouree Shiraz.
Many of these are available in Ireland, but you would want to see your bank manager first. The same applies in very gradual descending order to the other three sections. To fuel your dreams check out www.langtons.com.au.
John McDonnell continues to do his bit to convince us that Australian is best at all levels; next month he is bringing nine of Coonawarra's leading winemakers to Dublin to host a tasting of their wines at the Radisson SAS St Helen's Hotel, in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, on September 15th, between 5.30pm and 8pm. South Australia's Coonawarra region is highly regarded for its Cabernets and Shiraz; it also produces celebrated Rieslings and Chardonnays. Tickets cost €15 from Wine Australia (065-7077264, john.mcdonnell@wineaustralia. com).
A couple of weeks ago I extolled the virtues of the Brazilian caipirinha cocktail but wondered where one might find cachaca, the key ingredient. No sooner was the question in print than John Ralph of Brinkman Beverages delivered a bottle of Cachaça 51 with the news that it can be found in specialist off-licences across Ireland for about €32. To make a caipirinha you will need two teaspoons of sugar, eight lime wedges and 75 millilitres of cachaca. In a tall glass, pummel the sugar into the lime wedges. Fill the glass with ice cubes. Pour the cachaca into the glass. Stir well. Enjoy.