You don’t need to fly halfway across the world to taste wine as delicious as European wine. According to Andrew Corrigan (who is one of just 418 Masters of Wine in the world) there are plenty of comparable drops here in Australia…
Whilst Aussie wines have achieved great popularity in export destinations, when Brits, Americans and Asian consumers wish to select a classic wine, they stick to well-known European names.
Such names are readily available in Australia too, although they’re often expensive. Do your own comparison – match a European classic to an Aussie wine and taste the difference (or rather, the similarities) yourself.
Here’s a quick list of pairs to match up.
Champagne
Champagne is a region in northern France famous for its sparkling wine. Australia, too, makes great sparkling wine that is comparable – just make sure you select sparkling wines made of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (sometimes a third grape Pinot Meunier is included).
Often the label will state ‘Traditional Method’ or ‘Fermented in This Bottle’ to denote that the wine was made in the classical method, as distinct from tank fermented methods such as Prosecco. Look for the following Aussie wines:
- Blue Pyrenees Midnight Cuvee (Avoca, Victoria)
- Bream Creek (Bream Creek, Tasmania)
- Daosa (Piccadilly, South Australia)
- Delamere, though harder to find (Tasmania)
Chablis
Dry flinty Chardonnay whites are typified by Chablis (a region in northern France, close to Champagne) and making whites of Chardonnay. Australia offers similar styles:
- Shaw and Smith (Adelaide Hills, South Australia)
- Ross Hill (Orange, New South Wales)
- Coldstream Hills (Yarra Valley, Victoria)
- Giant Steps (Yarra Valley, Victoria)
German Riesling
Another classic white beloved by English drinkers is German Riesling. The classic style is known as ‘Hock’ – short for Hochheim, a village on the Rhine River in the Rhinegau region of Germany. This village, along with the Mosel River, is considered the home of Riesling.
Rhinegau Rieslings are dry but a little fruity in aroma. Australian Rieslings tend to be more ‘limes and lemon’ scented, but new producers in Tasmania are producing a grapier aromatic style. In Tasmania, try:
- Frogmore Creek
- Pressing Matters Stargazer
- Freycinet
And don’t forget Clare Valley Rieslings from South Australia. These are wonderful examples:
- O’Leary Walker
- Jim Barry
- Skillogalee
- Pikes
- Riesling Freak
Pinot Noir
The similarity of many Australian Pinot Noirs to Burgundy is well noted. Take the Burgundy sub-region Chambolle-Musigny, which offers a particularly soft rich fruity style that Australia does well. Look for these examples:
- Bream Creek (Tasmania)
- Delamere (Tasmania)
- Stonier, Crittenden, Moorooduc Estate (Mornington Peninsula, Victoria)
- Giant Steps (Yarra Valley, Victoria)
Elsewhere in Victoria, try Curly Flat, Hanging Rock, Bannockburn, By Farr.
Claret
Perhaps the best widely known European wine sought by Brits is ‘Claret’. This abused name properly means a red from Bordeaux, and the grapes are mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The similarity of the regions Coonawarra (in South Australia) and Margaret River (in WA) are well known. Look for these wines from Coonawarra:
- Bowen Estate
- Punters Corner
- Wynns
- Balnaves
- Zema Estate
- Katnook
And these from Western Australia’s Margaret River region:
- Vasse Felix
- Leeuwin Estate
- Cullen
- Cape Mentelle
- Voyager
Click here for scout’s guide to the Margaret River wine region
The Granite Belt region
The maturing of Queensland’s Granite Belt has seen some classic comparisons emerge.
Vermentino hails from Sardinia, the Italian island, and is known for its fresh lemon inspired white taste. Try Golden Grove and Storm King from the Granite Belt.
The white grape of the northern Rhone Valley (also home of Shiraz/Syrah – different names for the same grape variety) is Viognier, and Condrieu is the famous classic region there. Try Hidden Creek Viognier as a worthy comparison.
By Andrew Corrigan MW
Disclaimer: Andrew is a part owner of Hidden Creek Winery.