| Why buy wine? In Australia, wine has become the | | | | winemakers choose to ferment in oak, others not to. |
| new beverage of choice for people in all walks of life. | | | | Using oak affects the reduction of tannins in the wine. |
| Moreover, Australia has developed an enviable | | | | Different types of oak-English, American, old-affect the |
| reputation amongst wine drinkers and appreciators the | | | | flavour and character of the wine as it matures to its |
| world over. au can help you make the right selection of | | | | nominal alcohol level. It is in the barrel that a lot of |
| wine for any occasion and to suit any taste. Listed on | | | | transformations in flavours and character occur, and a |
| our website, you will find some of the most celebrated | | | | great deal of skill is required to know exactly when to |
| labels and award winning wines and you can make a | | | | bottle the wine. Different winemakers have different |
| selection based on reviews, price and supplier, | | | | techniques and, while a good wine can't be made from |
| regardless of why you want to purchase wine. There | | | | bad grapes, it is largely the winemaker's skill that |
| are essentially three reasons that we can think of why | | | | produces a good wine. Taste One of the ways we |
| you might want to buy wine: to drink in some social | | | | can tell the quality of wine as judged by its taste, is |
| occasion, to give as a gift, or as an investment with a | | | | whether it has had successes in any of a number of |
| realisable future. Buying wine to drink Winemaker Greg | | | | wine shows held around the country. Experts from the |
| Gallagher at the Charles Sturt University, South | | | | wine industry judge wines on their quality and medal |
| Australia, says judging a good wine is simple. "It starts | | | | winners enjoy the benefits of being recognised and |
| with asking, 'do you like it?' " he says, "and finishes with | | | | written about in the main media. While not every medal |
| 'did you like it?'" When you have a list of favourite | | | | winner is a wine that suits our taste, it is as a direct |
| wines, all you need to do is find them on au, and you | | | | result of the shows and competitions that Australian |
| will find out where it's sold for the best price. But, | | | | wines have grown in popularity and quality. At au you |
| because it's not always easy remembering the name, | | | | can compare many award winning wines. What's your |
| style and vintage of the wine you enjoy, it's a good | | | | taste?Regions and style When you are shopping for |
| idea to keep a record of wines you drink that you | | | | wine, one of the first questions to answer is whether |
| really like (and those that you'd prefer to avoid), for | | | | you are choosing a red wine or a white wine. Once |
| future reference. When you're buying wine to drink, | | | | you have decided this, you can then start to narrow |
| there are a number of considerations you might like to | | | | down the different styles. Begin with the question of |
| bear in mind, the first being: what is the occasion? It | | | | whether you are seeking a dry wine or a sweet wine. |
| stands to reason that a wine for an intimate dinner | | | | Styles of wine are named after the region from which |
| with a partner might be a different choice than one for | | | | the grape originated. In the popular dark reds you have |
| a footy night with the boys. Sharing a wine with | | | | the Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot styles that |
| someone is a lot more than simply sharing the drink. It's | | | | tend to be drier wines. Lighter reds feature Beaujolais, |
| also sharing your taste, your values and your | | | | Pinot Noir and Rose styles and these tend toward |
| standards, so it pays to think carefully about the | | | | sweeter wines. Popular white wines include the |
| occasion and the company with whom you are | | | | Chablis, Riesling, Semillon, Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc and |
| sharing the wine. A second consideration might be, | | | | Chardonnay styles in dry wines, with Traminer Riesling, |
| what is accompanying the wine? Wine is often | | | | Moselle and late picked Verdelho in the sweeter styles. |
| enjoyed with a meal, but you might like to consider also | | | | Aperitifs include sweet and dry sherry and Marsala. |
| how the occasion (or meal) will develop. Matching the | | | | Dessert wines include Sauternes, Muscats and Ports. |
| perfect wine with the perfect food and mood is an | | | | Many wines are now presented as blended wines, a |
| exhilarating experience, and is often at the heart of | | | | way to offer wider variety in taste and a way to use |
| great memories. You may also want to consider the | | | | up less popular grapes and thereby minimise waste in |
| ambience of the occasion. A wine for enjoying at an | | | | the industry. Australia has more than a dozen identified |
| evening symphony concert will have a different | | | | wine growing regions that produce distinctive wines of |
| character to that enjoyed at a beach picnic. Buying | | | | the main styles. The Barossa Valley in South Australia |
| wine as a gift Wine makes an excellent gift for many | | | | is possibly the most famous region with the richest |
| reasons. It's an easy purchase; you can buy a wine to | | | | heritage, and features many labels from subregions |
| suit practically any budget. And it is a demonstration of | | | | such as Claire Valley, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek |
| your taste and standards, subtly imparted to someone | | | | and the Adelaide Hills. These regions produce some of |
| whom you may care for. However, as well as meeting | | | | the most spectacular Riesling wines, and Shiraz styles |
| your taste standards, you also need to choose a wine | | | | in the country. East of this region, near the border with |
| that will meet the tastes of the receiver. It pays to find | | | | Victoria lies the Coonawarra district (also known as |
| out what sort of wine that person enjoys, and buy | | | | Riverland), famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon. In |
| within that person's style or region preferences. A | | | | Victoria lie the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsular |
| person who enjoys sweet white wines will appreciate | | | | districts. The Goulbourn Valley lies on the border with |
| a gift that matches that personality. Buying wine as an | | | | New South Wales. The Hunter Valley in New South |
| investment Some wines make a good investment | | | | Wales produces some of Australia's finest wines, while |
| because they are rare and have an established | | | | in the West, Margaret River, t4he Swan Valley and the |
| reputation causing them to appreciate in value. Possibly | | | | Plantagenet districts all produce fine wines. Trends |
| the most famous of these in Australia is Penfolds' | | | | Recent economic conditions and consecutive years of |
| Grange Hermitage, a Shiraz style Claret that has been | | | | oversupply have changed much of Australia's wine |
| made since 1951 (a bottle of that vintage now might | | | | market. There are many small boutique wineries |
| set you back $50,000 or more if you can find one). | | | | whose products can be bought direct from the cellar |
| Although young in terms of wine heritage, Australia has | | | | door. Many of these wines are featured on au by |
| some notable wines that do and will appreciate in | | | | style and region. The wine industry is encouraging the |
| value. A good investment wine is not necessarily a | | | | buying of wines and cellaring them (storing them in a |
| guarantee of a high quality drinking wine. The | | | | cool place) for a period of time and enjoying them at a |
| investment values are arrived at by reputation. A | | | | later time. To cellar your wine, store it somewhere |
| particular vintage may have enjoyed popularity for any | | | | cool, dark, airy, and free from vibration and dampness. |
| number of reasons and become scarce because only | | | | Temperature stability is the most important factor in |
| a limited number of bottles were produced. What | | | | preserving wine in the cellar. Storing wine in an |
| results is a collectors market and wine changes hands | | | | environment where the temperature varies gradually |
| through auctions, private sales, estate dissolutions and | | | | with the seasons is better than in a room that varies |
| wine club memberships. What makes a good | | | | with the day and night. For long-term storage, the ideal |
| investment wine however, is the fact that you are able | | | | cellar temperature is 18 degrees Celsius and a relative |
| to sell the wine at some future date for a sum greater | | | | humidity of 60-75%. Warmer conditions accelerate the |
| than what you paid. Therefore the condition of the | | | | development of wines, which could mean a reduction |
| wine-or more importantly, the bottle-is of paramount | | | | in the pleasure of drinking them. The second |
| consideration. The provenance of an investment wine | | | | phenomenon to occur through oversupply is the |
| is important. Before buying, you need to establish its | | | | introduction of cleanskins, a method of selling wine |
| history of origin and previous ownership. Satisfied that | | | | without a brand label. This is presented as being |
| the bottle is in good condition, once in your possession | | | | 'money saving' because of a reduction in marketing |
| it needs to be cellared correctly in the absence of | | | | expense, however the real cost saving per bottle is |
| heat, light and movement. You should document your | | | | around 3-5 cents (the cost of printing and applying a |
| ownership and the conditions of its cellaring before | | | | label). Cleanskins enable a wine producer to present a |
| selling it to a new buyer. What makes good wine?The | | | | lower cost bottle, but this is mostly achieved by not |
| winemaking process The quality of a wine is affected | | | | having to identify the origins of the grape, or the |
| by a wide variety of factors that occur in and as a | | | | varietal blends that make up the wine. And while it is |
| result of the winemaking, cellaring and handling | | | | true that some cleanskins are eminently drinkable |
| processes. One of the key factors is the terrain and | | | | wines, evidence suggests that they are generally of a |
| climate, commonly referred to as a 'region', where the | | | | far poorer quality than branded label products. It is |
| grapes are grown. Different conditions affect different | | | | suggested that you taste the wine before purchasing |
| varieties differently. A Shiraz style from McLaren Vale | | | | any cleanskins. Wine is a high fashion product, and |
| in South Australia, for example, is a heavier and darker | | | | wine trends emerge on a regular basis. The best way |
| wine than the same style from the Swan Valley in | | | | to follow these trends is to shop using au -- comparing |
| Western Australia, which tends to be lighter and more | | | | prices and suppliers, and following medal winning labels. |
| peppery. A Chardonnay from the Hunter Valley is | | | | See All WineAndrew Gates for Australian comparison |
| more full-bodied than one from Margaret River. While | | | | online shopping service au. |
| knowing which vines are best suited to a soil type and | | | | au helps you compare the different value offers from |
| climate is one aspect, another is knowing when to pick | | | | different brands in terms of specifications and |
| the fruit for particular effect. The fruit's flavour at the | | | | accessories. You can also compare prices from |
| time of picking is a major character of the residual | | | | hundreds of different brands and vendors. |
| flavours of the wine. After initial fermentation, some | | | | |
