Which Wines Age Well?

It is a very common belief globally that the wines of older age are better than the young ones. The belief is also that as the wines age, there is a markedly different taste and aroma imparted to it, which makes these wines more expensive than the younger ones. Many people still do not know what wines also have an expiry date and are required to be consumed within a prescribed period. 

Wines get better with aging. This argument is contended by many wine experts who believe that ageing does not necessarily make wines better. There could be a few exceptions to the rule but the fact is that the young wines from the present vineyards have high demand due to their lower prices. There is no significant difference in wine characteristics unless these age well and develop truly distinguishable characteristics over a period of time. Some Australian wines such as Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, Glaetzer Amon-Ra, Peter Lehmann Stonewell and others are well known for getting better with age. 

Rules to determine which wines shall be allowed to age are not known to people. If you do not have good knowledge of wines, you might end up consuming wines that age well in your next meal. On the other hand, the wine which shall be consumed young might end up in your refrigerator. So, how to know which wines shall be kept for aging?

Well, there are very few wines which shall be stored for aging purposes. A good thumb rule on finding these wines could be to check their prices per bottle. All those which are below a certain price range are required to be consumed young. This price range could vary from person to person. Some might prefer drinking less than $20 wines young while some others might prefer drinking $40 and below wines in next meal and keeping the pricier ones in refrigerators. So, it is the premium wines, red or white, which are generally considered good for storing for a longer time duration. However, another good idea would be to cross-check the precise wine quality using help of internet research and digging out information from books.We can help you in deciding these wines. Following are some of the wines that are good for aging:

Red Wine

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir
• Syrah / Shiraz

White Wine

• Chardonnay
• Riesling
• Sauvignon Blanc / Semillion

Dessert Wine

• Hungarian Tokaji / Tokay
• Riesling
• Semillon / Sauvignon Blanc
• Portugese Vintage Port
• Madeira

Sparkling Wine

• Prestige Cuvee Champagne

Locale Restaurant of De Bortoli Wines Yarra Valley Estate

De Bortoli is one of the foremost winemakers of Australia. Rooted to the ground and to its traditions, this First Family of Wine in Australia runs a restaurant in its Yarra Valley Estate vineyard. The restaurant has kept alive the famous dishes and cooking methods of Italy and brings the finest of Italian food to its guests. Called the Locale Restaurant, this provides all types of wines along with the delicious cuisines to the people. The restaurant is open only for lunch from 12 PM onwards from Thursday to Monday. However, it is open on Saturday both for lunch and dinner from 12 PM and 6 PM respectively. The restaurant has also won Gourmet Traveller Wine's Award for Best Cellar Door with food. The people who come here to enjoy the Italian and Australian delicacies also relish on the best Australian wine experiences. The food menu is quite elaborate and is divided into 3- a La Carte Menu, a Vegetarian Menu and a Children’s Menu. There is also a list of de bortoli wines which are offered to the guests along with the food. Quite interestingly and understandably so, the wines menu is more elaborate than any of the food menus. These are given below.

A perfect place for relaxing and going out on a welcome break from routine, the Locale provides a perfect ambiance for wine and food lovers.

Vegetarian Menu

Locale Restaurant - De Bortoli Winery- Vegetarian Menu by justwines on Scribd

The Locale Restuarant- Wine List- De Bortoli Wines by justwines on Scribd

La Carte Menu at Lacale Restaurant- De Bortoli's by justwines on Scribd

Children s Menu- De Bortoli Wines by justwines on Scribd

Best White Wines of Australia

White wines are made from grapes which have hues of yellow and are not as thick skinned as the red grapes. People consume both red and white wines but it is also a fact that red wines are consumed more than the whites. People have their own preferences and staunch brand-loyalty, the white wines have their own fan-following. Some of the best white wines of Australia which people love to consume are both cheap and premium ones. While cheaper ones have mass consumption, expensive ones are consumed by niche segments. So, which of these white wine varietals are being sold the most?

The Top 25 White Wines for 2016

1. Shelter Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Marlborough

2. Peter Lehmann Founding Stone Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2013

3. See Saw Sauvignon Blanc Orange Region

4. Yallingup Wines Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Margaret River

5. Salmon Bay Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Margaret River

6. Miranda Summer Light Sauvignon Blanc 2013

7. De Bortoli Accomplice Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

8. Cathedral Rock Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Margaret River

9. Peter Lehmann Founding Stone Chardonnay 2013

10. Mcwilliams Hanwood Estate Chardonnay South Eastern Australia

11. Wild Wood Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Margaret River

12. Mcwilliams Inheritance Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2015 New South Wales

13. Eva Moscato Sweet White 2014 Australia

14. McGuigan Bin 7000 Chardonnay 2012 Hunter Valley

15. Nut House Sauvignon Blanc 2015 South Australia

16. Heart to Heart Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Margaret River

17. Regal Manor Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Margaret River 

18. Table Talk Chardonnay Margaret River

19. Fay McGuigan Homestead Chardonnay Hunter Valley

20. Emmetts Crossing Reserve Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Margaret River

21. De Bortoli Accomplice Chardonnay 2015 Riverina

22. Queens Pinch Chardonnay 2012 Mudgee Australia

23. Emmetts Crossing Reserve Chardonnay Margaret River

24. Hastwell & Lightfoot Chardonnay 2014 McLaren Vale

25. Coldridge Estate Chardonnay 2013 Australia

From Where to Buy Wines Online?

Online businesses have distinctive advantages over the traditional types of businesses. Besides the unlimited geographical reach for gaining customers, there is considerable saving of money towards capital and overhead expenses. For online wine businesses located in Australia, this provides an opportunity for customers to shop for their favorite wines without having to visit the physical stores. They have the flexibility to buy wines online at any time, from any place and get the deliveries right at their doorsteps. However, there are many different online businesses which are selling wines online. This makes it difficult for a buyer to decide on which online wine store to buy wine from. Here are some of the different types of online retailers and also listed are respective pros and cons for buying wines online from them.

The Wineries

Wineries are the businesses primarily engaged in the wine making process. There are more than 2400 wineries in Australia. A vast of majority of these wineries do not have an online presence of their own. Very few among these have a website, much less an e-commerce store. Therefore, these are not visible to the people who search for wines online and would buy wine online. Only some big wineries have an online store front for selling their products online.

The Marketplaces

Online marketplaces are the wines portals which may not necessarily be in the process of wine-making but have inventories from the wineries or the other wine retailers. These inventories are shown on the portals. These marketplaces specialize in online marketing and have the customer-base to effect sales online. These are beneficial for all those wineries who are not yet prominent brand names. These platforms give them an equal footing to the famous brands.

Discount Sites

Other type of sites which provide one-stop shop for all deals and discounts are the coupons or discounts sites which are helpful for visitors who are looking to buy wines online at discounts. They do not have to visit numerous other sites of wineries or marketplaces to find the right deals but can use these discount sites to know about the latest deals being offered. 

Why Price Shall Not Be the Only Consideration to Buy Wines Online in Australia?

There is no denying the fact that price does play an important part in determining the buying behaviour of people. This is more so when the shopping is being done online since there is a no scope for negotiations. The prices are mentioned clearly on the websites. So, if a person does not like the prices, he or she moves on the next marketplace. This situation is different from the face to face interactions of conventional buying behaviour where a customer is more inclined to buy from a particular retailer even at a higher price due to the associated comfort level. However, buying wines online is different in that there is easy movement from one site to another. And, price is surely an important element to keep the customer on your site. Lower prices do keep attract people and make them buy online. But, it is also a fact that all marketplaces might not be able to sell at similar competitive prices due to any number of reasons. So, shall you, as a customer, always buy from the provider whose prices are the lowest?

If prices of wines on an online store are low, it does not always mean that service being provided is of top level. It has often been seen that the low prices are often because of cost cutting which affects service delivery. For customers, it means that the wine delivery would not be on time or there could be undercutting in packaging expenses putting the wine bottles at risk. Similarly, there could be lapses in service delivery and, sometimes, sufficient infrastructure and resources are not assigned to customer service. These aspects of the wine selling at cheap prices is often overlooked by the customers. Therefore, whenever you decide to buy Australian wines online, it is pertinent to look into the reputation of the company and ascertain the quality of service delivery.

So, prices shall not be the only consideration for any online wine shopper. You might spend a little more and develop a fantastic relationship with wine sellers which can produce help you avail great deals which others do not have access to. 

Red Wine Food Pairings

Red wines are a delight to consume when paired with the right kind of food. Aussie wine lovers feel incomplete without the inclusion of some kind of meat or hearty cuisine to satisfy their taste buds and overwhelm them with juicy red fruit flavours meshing harmoniously with the spice and life of heavy meats, game birds and poultry. Below is a list of various meats and the types of wine that match perfectly with them –

Beef

Barbecue

Grilled beef is counted amongst the most loved Australian dishes. Serving grilled beef with fruit-driven wine varietals like Shiraz and Zinfandel from Australia, California or France is the best course of action to take.

Curry

Beef curry needs to be paired with off-dry Rieslings, young and fresh Zinfandels or unoaked Sauvignon Blanc wines in order to experience a satisfying meal.

Roast

Roast beef can be enjoyed paired with a world-class red Bordeaux, Californian Cabernet Sauvignons or Italian Barolos.

Steak

Steak has always been a beloved red wine cuisine. Different seasonings used on the steak call for different styles of red wines, but some common pairings include red Bordeaux, Aussie Cabernet Sauvignon and Argentine Malbec.

Game Meats

Duck

Wild duck cuisines cooked spicy and sizzly taste wonderful paired with Merlot wines from Washington and Syrah wines from Rhone Valley.

Rabbit

Rabbit meat is generally mild-flavoured, which is why strong red wines can overpower the taste of the meat. Light red Burgundys or Italian Chiantis are the most preferred food pairings with rabbit meat. If cooked and marinated with mustard sauce, Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc wines might also match well.

Venison

Venison is a rich, powerful and heavy meat. Cabernet Sauvignon wines from California or Grenache wine Australia are the top choices when pairing venison cuisine with red wine.

Poultry

Chicken

Simple roast chicken is a dish that can be consumed with any kind of wine – red, white or sparkling. When seasoned with garlic or rosemary, it can be paired with Merlot or Shiraz wines from Australia. Fried chicken, on the other hand, should be matched with dry rose wines from Spain, or fruity Sauvignon Blanc from California.

Goose

Goose is rich with juicy flavour and heavy meat. Australian Shiraz, Californian Pinot Noir or Red Burgundy are the go-to wines when serving goose dishes.

Pork

Chops

Pork chops is a hearty and meaty dish that holds a special place in the hearts of Aussie wine lovers. Spicy and juicy, this meat is a great food pairing with spicy Australian Shiraz or Pinot Noir wines.

Barbecue

Barbecued pork marinated with spicy sauces makes for a lavish meal that pairs elegantly with wines like semi-dry Rieslings and chilled Zinfandels.

Food pairings are important components when throwing a party or organizing a social gathering in Australia. A lot of thought needs to be put into what food items should be served depending upon the types of wines available. Pairing juicy, spicy or full-flavoured red wines with foods that bring out their true characters and flavours can make any wine the best red wine in Australia.

Wines and Spirituality

It all began with a thought during one of my wine drinking sojourns which I never miss even for a day. This thought was about the connection of spirituality with the consumption of wines, or for any other material that can move the mind. Let me make this extremely clear (to whomsoever it may concern) that I am not a drunkard. If I were the latter, I would not have been in a position to experience all that do experience at the time of my drinks. But I do drink to the extent that my mind moves away from the daily chores to dwell deep into the realms of the unknown. Due to a very basic spiritual inclination, I keep thinking about nothing but the Lord. In order to ensure that this connection is not impeded in any way, I prefer solitude over being with friends. To that extent it is a deliberate attempt to explore the existence, or rather the non-existence, of the Almighty.

My feelings, experience and understanding of the connection between wines and spirituality was further accentuated when I found an article written stating that it is the Vatican City that has the largest per capita consumption of wines in the world. For your benefit, this can be read here. The reason given is that the people, by virtue of their tradition, drink in communities. But, my reasoning is that this is a simplistic assumption. The tradition of wine drinking is age old, and it was present even at the time of Jesus. It is said that even Jesus loved wines. Consumption of wines was one of the most cherished things during those times as well and was a part of the daily routine. Wines were consumed to be joyful.

A little more research in the history of this subject took me to Lord Shiva and Lord Indra from the Hindu mythology both of whom are well known to consume some sort of substances that take them to a different realm of thought. Hindu mythical literature mentions ‘somras’ which is the drink of the lords and is consumed in heaven. Lord Shiva also used to consume ‘bhang’ a psychotropic substance which induces state of heightened focus. Similar references can also be had from mythological literature from around the world. Wines or other alcoholic beverages have been known to aid meditation, bring joyfulness and good health. The consumption might also have been aided due to climatic conditions since the weather was a lot cooler during those times.

So, at last, there was a relief with this realization that I am not the only one to experience this connect and that it has been continuing for ages. I am just a part of this age old tradition. This realization further motivates to continue to buy wines and consume these with delight. May be we turn into better human beings!!