An Aussie invasion

Australian wine is a favourite with Irish drinkers, and its makers have been visiting our shores, writes JOHN WILSON

AROUND THIS TIME of year, with the harvest out of the way, many Australian winemakers make an annual pilgrimage to Europe. I caught up with four very different individuals, three belonging to First Families of Australia, a group of traditional, family-owned companies. Despite pressure from a rising dollar, Australia remains the source of our favourite glass of wine. The 2011 vintage has been challenging, with some areas receiving heavy rain at harvest. This may have replenished critically low levels of water, but it also led to outbreaks of rot in many regions, and decreased yields.

D’Arenberg – Chester Osborn

You wouldn’t miss Chester in a crowded tasting room, with his long, curly, golden red locks and loud floral shirts. In person, he is highly intelligent, with a great sense of humour. More importantly, he is a great winemaker, producing an amazing range of wines made from just about every available grape variety.

Of the 45 wines d’Arenberg produces, it is only the Cabernet that I find less than very impressive. The whites are textured, with plenty of fruit, light on the oak, and show true varietal character. The reds are alive with smooth, ripe fruits, and are ready to drink as soon as they are bottled, although they last very well, too. D’Arenberg seem to epitomise the best of Australian wines; brimful of fruit, plenty of character, and dangerously easy to drink.

McGuigan – Neil McGuigan

We certainly like McGuigan wines in this country – we are currently drinking around 2,400,000 bottles each year, more per capita than any other country in the world. The McGuigan philosophy is simple: make wines that consumers want to drink and at affordable prices. As Neil McGuigan put it: “We read the market; we make wines that are generous, flavoursome and light.”

The McGuigan roots are in the wine business (and yes, they do have an Irish connection). Their grandfather was a grower in the Hunter Valley, and their father worked as a winemaker before founding his own business, Wyndham Estate, in 1966. This was taken over by a French company, so twin brothers Brian and Neil, both qualified winemakers, set up McGuigan in 1992. Within 20 years they have grown to be the second-largest vineyard owner in Australia, with five strategically located wineries around the country.

With their Hunter Valley background, it is no coincidence that their latest campaign is to get us drinking Semillon, a variety that has so-far failed to gain appeal among wine drinkers. It will be called the Semillon Blanc, and made in a style that will certainly appeal to those who enjoy Sauvignon Blanc. Expect this, and other new McGuigan wines to appear in this country over the next few months.

Tahbilk – Alister Purbrick

The Tahbilk Marsanne featured in my first ever article for this newspaper, and it remains a firm personal favourite. Tahbilk is in Victoria, some 120km north of Melbourne. It is a large estate, responsible for some of the great maverick wines.

In 1860 a group of Melbourne businessmen created the estate with an ambitious plan to plant a million vines. The site chosen was known as “tabilk-tabilk” or “place of many waterholes” by the Aborigines. The first winery, constructed from mud-stone and hand-made bricks, was finished in 1860, and the first vintage released in 1861. The winery has been through its ups and downs, but is now recognised as one of the finest producers in Australia.

Tahbilk has been owned by the Purbrick family since the 1920s. Alister Purbrick, the current chief executive, presented a small part of his range to Irish Times readers in Ely CHQ recently. The red wines of Tahbilk are legendary – they last forever, with plenty of solid tannins and a dry mineral streak. Enjoyed with food, or allowed a little ageing, they metamorphose into something quite special.

McWilliams – Phil Ryan

In the tough, fast-moving Australian wine business, few family-owned companies survive. The successful ones get swallowed up by larger enterprises; the rest tend to go to the wall. McWilliams is unique in that it is family-owned (admittedly by 150 members of the family) and has been so since its foundation in 1868.

Samuel McWilliams was born in Ireland in 1830, and emigrated at the age of 27. The company is now is a large operation with six wineries scattered around the country. Their home is in the Riverina, a hot, fertile region that provides much of Australia’s bulk wine. In fact it was McWilliams who pioneered this region back in 1913. But they have many more strings to their bow, and own vineyards in classic regions such as Coonawarra and the Hunter Valley, alongside more recent high-quality areas such as the Yerra valley, Western Australia and Hilltops. The jewel in the crown is in the Hunter Valley, where they produce a range of legendary red wines and classic Hunter Valley Semillon.

Phil Ryan, who has been making wine for McWilliams for 46 years, visited Dublin last month to launch a range of McWilliams wines to be stocked by Tesco. The Semillon below is not to be missed, but if you fancy trying something really special, look out for the Lovedale Semillon, arriving shortly.

WINES OF THE WEEK

Tahbilk Shiraz 2006, Central Victoria, 14%, €15.15I adore the Reserve Shiraz, not currently available here, but this is a wine certainly worth trying out. It has lovely smooth, dark berry fruits, dry supporting tannins and a lovely earthy, spicy touch. Try it with red meats. Stockist: Wines Direct, winesdirect.ie

Tahbilk Marsanne 2008, Central Victoria, 13.5%, €12This wine is well-known to all in the know, and remains one of the best-value white wines available in this country. Ripe melon fruits, with a lovely mineral streak on the dry finish. Stockist: Wines Direct, winesdirect.ie

D'Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne 2008, McLaren Vale/Adelaide Hills, 13.5%, €16.95This is a blend of two Rhône varieties that works very well. The wine is rich and broad, but never overpowering, with delicious textured peaches and melon fruits. Perfect with white meats and richer fish dishes. Stockists: Superquinn; O'Briens

D'Arenberg d'Arry's Original 2007, McLaren Vale, 14.5%, €19.25A very serious wine, with a lovely fragrant nose and big, rich, concentrated fruits. The Grenache shows through with some sweet strawberry notes, given real backbone with firm, dark, damson fruits. A class act. Stockists: Superquinn; O'Briens

Two under €12

McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2005, Hunter Valley, 12%, €9.99 (down from €19.99)A warning – this wine may be difficult to find if you live in south Dublin, as most of my fellow wine scribes scour every branch of Tesco to buy up whatever they can find. I can see why. This is light and zippy, showing a lovely touch of mature fruit. An outstanding bargain, and well worth buying in quantity. Stockist: Tesco

McGuigan Black Label Shiraz 2010, 14%, €9.99 (often on offer at €7)The Cabernet Merlot is the most popular of the Black Label Range, but I find it a little too oaky. The Shiraz, the best-selling red wine in Australia, is a very decent drop, with soft, ripe plum fruits, and a rounded easy finish. Stockists: Dunnes Stores, Tesco, SuperValu, and many independents