Wine on the Radio - May 31, 2004

Australian Wine Labels

All together now . . . let's give a cheer and say thanks to Australia.  Why?   Well for we wine folks they literally spell it out for us.  

You see the Australians not only put the type of grape in the bottle on the label, they put any combination there too.  And anything that takes the mystery out of wine buying makes it easier for all of us!  

When you look at the label the grape mentioned first is the majority of the blend inside.   For example, cabernet - Shiraz means its more cabernet sauvignon than Shiraz.  

This tells us right away that we can expect the firmer, cedary, black currant flavor of the cab to be more prominent than the smoky, more peppery Shiraz. and that the combination should be full bodied and big on flavor.

It's a straightforward, fresh approach from Australians who look at wine like we do, as a fun part of food and friends - not some snooty, mysterious beverage for just a few.  

So thanks, Mates!  

Pop the cork™.

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