Most wine enthusiasts think that Australia’s total output originates from warm or hot climate regions. In reality the continent has many cool climate wine producing regions, located between 35 – 41 latitude south, close to the south pole, and which vint acid-driven, refreshing and light wines.
In addition to latitude, altitude also plays an important role in the acidity, texture, and flavor of the wine.
Believe it or not, there are Australian grape growers and estates who worry about snow, cold weather, dormant vines, frost in the spring, and excessive humidity.
In these regions sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling and even shiraz, in the hands of caring winemakers yield completely Old World style varietal wines that are not only delicious but also reasonably priced.
Tasmania, located approximately on 40 latitude south happens to enjoy a cool climate where pinot noir, riesling, chardonnay, and even sauvignon blanc result in delightfully fragrant still and sparkling wines. The pinot noir wines are closer in both colour and aromas to their New Zealand counterparts.
Yarra Valley, a 30-minute drive from Melbourne, has gained an excellent reputation amongst connoisseurs for its fine and delicate pinot noirs and chardonnays.
Geelong, west of Melbourne, and Macedon Ranges north of it, are well known for their light and aromatic wines.
Adelaide Hills in South Australia has been producing super cool climate wines for a few decades now.
The Barossa Valley north of Adelaide is well known for its hot climate, but McLaren Vale, and Eden Valley just north of the world-famous valley enjoy a cool enough climate, due to their altitude, to produce riesling that can compete favourably with those from Alsace and Germany.
Orange and Cowra, both south and southwest of Sydney, are also known for their cool climates due their.
Recently wine writers had an opportunity to taste fien cool climate and warm region Australian wines, which will be released by Vintages division of the L C B O in the coming months. Some are already released.
The following wines are highly recommended:

Reserve Chardonnay, 2004, Evans and Tate, Western Australia
Pale golden in colour, aromas of pear/apple, balanced and well extracted.
92/100
Available at L C B O’s on-line program
$ 29.95

Riesling, 2008, Skillogalee, Clare Valley, South Australia
From the Clare Valley, an excellent effort by this family winery. The wine is light, with typical petrol smells intermingling with exotic fruit. Excellent to sip or enjoy with poached or pan-fried trout.
92/100
Available at L C B O’s online programme
$ 19.00

Sauvignon Blanc, 2006, Shaw and Smith
Elegant, full-bodied, restrained gooseberry aromas, and a long aftertaste.
90/100
Vintages release October 24
$ 24.95

Devil`s Corner Riesling, 2008, Tamar Ridge Winery, Tasmania
Tasmania is the up and coming cool wine region of Australia. This wine is fragrant, light, elegant and appealing
91/100
October 24
$ 29.30

Chardonnay, 2007, Stonier
The Mornington Peninsula is one the southernmost wine growing regions of Australia. This excellent chardonnay displays superb intensity, elegance, power, balance and offers ample fruitiness.
91/100
October 28
$ 24.95

Shiraz/Viognier, 2006, Kangarilla Road
Brilliant, dark red, stone fruit aromas, smooth, rich and powerful. Excellent value.
91/100
$ 24.95

The Holly Trinity GSM, 2004, G.Burge, Barossa Valley, South Australia
G.Burge is one the best Barossa wineries. This effort composed of grenache, shiraz, and mourvedre is balanced, powerful, and smooth with an excellent mouth feel and long aftertaste.
92/100
Available now at Vintages
$ 29.95

Kayena Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2007, Tamar Ridge Winery, Tasmania
From Tasmania’s oldest pinot noir vineyard, this effort proves how delicate and elegant this grape can be even on Australian terroir.
Aromas of strawberries abound. The mouth feel is perceptible but not heavy. Long aftertaste.
91/100
Available October 24 $ 28.90

Shotfire Shiraz, 2008, Thorn Clarke
Dark, powerful, fruity, well extracted and balanced. Superb value. Can be enjoyed now or cellared for two to four years for extra smoothness and evolution.
91/100
Available October 24
$ 24.95

Uncut Shiraz, 2007, Gemteree Vineyards
Many of Australian shiraz wines are blended with a little viognier or other grape varieties. This is pure shiraz offers explosive fruit, full body, and excellent mouth feel.
91/100
Available October 24
$ 24.95

Founder’s Reserve Shiraz Cuvee de Maitre, 2005, Wyndham Estate
This, and another bottle (shiraz/tempranillo) evaluated next, is a package no wine lover should miss.
The shiraz is typical South Australia with gobs of fruit, powerful, high-octane, and flavorful. The finish is long. Created by the cellar master in honour of the founder of the winery.
90/100

Shiraz/Tempranillo, 2005) ditto winery
Superbly balanced, full-bodied, deeply flavored and easy to enjoy with beef stews, roasted beef, and game dishes.
91/100
Available November 1
$ 39.95 for the package

Vision Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008, Nugan Estates,
Dark red, aromas of berries, tobacco, and roasted coffee beans waft out of the
glass. An excellent effort at a very reasonable price.
90/100
Available January 10, 2010
$ 14.95

Jester Shiraz, 2007, Mitolo (Vintages essential always available)
Created by B. Glatzer (celebrated, young and talented winemaker) this shiraz has everything (extract, full-body, flavour, length and fruit)) a Barossa Valley shiraz should offer.
91/100
$ 19.95

Mawsons’ Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006, Yalumba
From South Australia’s Wrattonbully region, this cabernet sauvignon offers fruitiness, full-body, smoothness, high extract and balance.
91/100
Available November 21
$ 19.95

Bishop Shiraz, 2007,
The grapes for this wine come from Ebenezer, a village famous for its peppery shiraz. It is elegant, powerful, well extracted, peppery and balanced wine, that is bound to tantalize your palate.
91/100
$ 29.95

Director’s Cut Shiraz, 2007, Heartland
From low-yielding vines (four tons per hectare), this flagship of Heartland Wines is created from the finest selection of shiraz grapes each season. Cassis and rich mocha flavours are followed by spices and licorice. Perfectly balanced and powerful. B.Glaetzer who is the winemaker here and at his own small quality-oriented winery Ben Glaetzer created it.
92/100
Available October 24
$ 31.95

Wallace Shiraz/Grenache, 2007, B.Glatezer
Wallace is a blend of 70 per cent shiraz and 30 grenache from the northern Barossa Valley village Ebenezer. Offers berry flavours and spice, fleshy richness, full-body, elegance and a lingering aftertaste.
An excellent effort by a talented winemaker.
91/100
October 24
$ 24.95

Anaparenna Shiraz. Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, B. Glaetzer
This is a seamless fusion of shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. An intriguing nose of chocolate, crushed herbs, cedar, blackberries and toastiness lead to an unforgettable flavour and mouth feel.
The fresh and lively flavour of this superbly structured wine will last for a long time after you swallow it.
93/100
November 21
$ 59.95

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Arguably, South America’s best wines are produced in Chile. Since the 16th century, Chile has been successful in growing grapes, first my missionaries for religious purposes, later by wineries.

Today, this narrow and long country on the Pacific Ocean stretches from the Atacama Desert in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south and is one of the most advanced in viticulture.

The total acreage under vine is approximately 110 000 hectares, of which 76 per cent are planted to red grapes and the rest to white.

There are five regions, each of which has sub-regions, zones and areas.
The regions from north to south are and stretch from latitude 31 to 39 S – Atacama, Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Central Valley and Southern Regions.

Atacama has two sub-regions, Copiapo and Huasco Valleys devoted to grape varieties suitable to pisco production, the most popular spirit in Chile.
Coquimbo consists of Elqui- and Limari Valleys, both of which produce grapes for pisco and powerful and fruit-forward red wines.

Further south on latitude 30 S, the Aconcagua, is home to three valleys: Aconcagua, Casablanca and San Antonio. Aconcagua is famous for its powerful red wines that exude ripe berry aromas, are well extracted, and high in alcohol. Casablanca, on the other hand, further south and close to the Pacify Ocean, is more suitable for white grapes (Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc).San Antonio Valley produces both red and white wines.

The Central Valley that stretches in all directions of Santiago includes four valleys – Maipo, Rapel, Curico and Maule. Cachapoal and Colchagua Valleys, within the Rapel Valley, are well known for their balanced, flavourful, and refined cabernets sauvignon based red wines. Curico incorporates Lontue- and Teno Valleys, both of which are suitable for red and white grapes yielding mid-weight wines with good acid backbones,.

Maule vomprises Claro, Loncomilla and Tutuven Valleys, and produces light red wines along with dry, fruity white wines.

The Southern Region stretching from 36 S to 39 S latitude is cool and more suitable for pinot noir, pais, riesling, and light fragrant wines. Here, Itata, Bio Bio and Malecca Valleys are well noted.

Chile’s wine industry was never affected by the dreaded phylloxera vastarix.

There are now approximately 190 wineries, and many Californian, French, Spanish and Italian wine organizations invested considerable capital and expertise in selected regions.
Quality is improving constantly and along with that prices are increasing.

Large Chilean wineries are now marketing their top-of-the-line wines in the United Kingdom, Europe, the U S A, Japan and Canada in an attempt to upgrade their image.
For a long time and even now most wineries produce vareital wines. Of late however some large quality–oriented and boutique wineries started to market blended wines of very high quality.

In Chile the main the most preferred red grape varieties are: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, carmenere, cabernet franc, syrah, malbec and pais. A few hecters of pinot noir exist but as of yet the wines need improvement.

For white grapes growers prefer chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and moscatelle. Of late viognier is being planted with some success.

Chilean wines represent good value and reflect the `terroir` perfectly.

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Most consumers in other parts of the world hardly ever see a bottle of Savoie wine since the majority of the production is consumed by tourists from Switzerland, Germany, Benelux states, Scandinavia and locals.

This mountainous region south and west of Geneva has less than 1700 hectares of vineyards. The majority of Savoie wines (66 per cent) are white. The vineyards are widely dispersed; in the flatter more sheltered parts of the region.

Savoie wines display aromatic characteristics, are medium bodied, relatively low in alcohol and meant for food. They are acid-driven mainly because of the altitude of vineyards and cool climate.

Appellation d’origine controllee was granted in the 11940’s.
The prolific jaquere is the most popular grape variety followed by rousette (a.k.a altesse), chardonnay, and roussanne (a.k.a Bergeron).
For red wines, growers prefer pinot noire, and mondeuse, which is said to be related to refosco in northern Italy. Mondeuse goes best with local, flavourful semi-hard cheeses.

Crepy, Seyssel, Roussette de Savoie, Abymes, Apremont, Arbin, Chignin, Cruet and Montmelian are appreciated by those like to enjoy fine, nuanced and light wines.

Savoie was originally comprised of parts in Italy, and Switzerland; today treh region is within France. The history of Savoie is turbulent and goes back to the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy, int eh 10th century. After the collapse of this kingdom, Rudolph III, King of Burgundy, created the House of Savoy, in 1003. It has become the longest surviving dynasty in Europe.

It is a beautiful, rugged region and relies mostly on agriculture and tourism.

Regardless, France occupied Savoie in 1792 and again in 1815. After many small battles between Italy and France, the Treaty of 1860 was signed to annex the region to either country, pending the results of a plebiscite. France won and now administers it.

It is a tourist region in winter for skiers, and in the summer for hikers and those who enjoy the purity of mountain air.

Chambery, just south of Savoie is famous for its flavourful vermouths.
In addition to wines mentioned above, Mousseux de Savoie and Pettilant de Savoie are produced as specialties based on chardonnay.

Small amounts fo Abymes, Seyssel, ansd Crepy are exported to Switzerland, the U k, and the U S A.

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail.   Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?