What follows is the latest update to the FAQ. All comments and
additions welcomed.

----------------------- Begin C&P --------------------------------------
3s. Australia? [last updated 8/07]
Most Australian wine regions are located within relatively short
distances from major cities. The drawback to the intrepid wine
enthusiast seeking to experience Australia in one visit is that the
major cities are spread long distances from each other - Sydney to
Melbourne is nearly 800km (by air); Melbourne to Adelaide is nearly the
same - and from Adelaide to Perth (WA) is a whopping 2,700km.
Notwithstanding the distances involved, Australia is a fascinating
country to visit. All the major cities are coastal; the Australian way
of life centres around the outdoors; European immigrants brought their
cuisine and winemaking skills; more recently new arrivals from Asia have
introduced their own special taste treats. The major wine producing
areas of Australia are New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South
Australia and Western Australia. The best known grapes of Australia are
Shiraz (Syrah) and Chardonnay, but many other quality wines are made
there from Semillon, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

NEW SOUTH WALES
If one arrives in Sydney, then the Hunter Valley is the nearest wine
region (100 miles drive to the north-west).

Hunter Valley
The Hunter Valley in New South Wales is recognised as the birthplace
of Australia's wine industry. It is a somewhat large, sprawling area,
but many of the region's best wines are found in the Lower Hunter
region,particularly around the town of Pokolbin which is two hours'
drive out of Sydney. Day trips can be easily arranged from within the
city, with a number of tour groups providing transport to the Hunter and
around the wineries. The best time to visit is March and April when
producers and the community join in celebrating the ritual of harvest
wine and entertainment.
The Hunter's best known grape is Semillon which is made in a variety
of styles around the region, but fine Shiraz, Verdelho, Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir are fairly easy to come by as well. Most cellar doors and
wineries don't usually charge tasting fees; some will have nominal fees
during the peak tourist season in summer and appointments are rarely
needed to sample wines.

Wineries:

McWilliams' Mount Pleasant - Probably the best Hunter Semillon
Tyrrell's - Another classic producer of Semillon
De Bortoli - Good wines all around from their vineyards around the
country. The 'Noble One' dessert Semillon is a must.
Brokenwood - Good Semillon, Pinot Noir, and excellent Shiraz.
Audrey Wilkinson - Great view with good whites and dessert/fortified wines.
Tempus Two - Excellent Shiraz and Botrytis Semillon
Tower Estate
Peterson Champagne House - Good sparkling wines, excellent sparkling Shiraz.

VICTORIA
Melbourne is the state capital of Victoria, and is the gateway to
Mornington (a compact region, very close to the city); the Yarra Valley
is to the city's north-east and Rutherglen, about four hours away, is a
haven for lovers of robust reds (especially the region's Durif).
However, the real treasures of Rutherglen are the wonderful muscats and
"tokays", some of the great fortified wines in the world.

Mornington
A little to the south of Melbourne, one can enjoy beach activities
with cellar door exploration - an idyllic rural setting against the
backdrop of Port Phillip Bay. Spring, summer or autumn are all great
times to visit.

Wineries:

Stonier Wines - Pinot Noir
Paringa Estate - Fine Shiraz and Chardonnay


Yarra Valley and Heathcote
Yarra Valley lies an hour's drive outside Melbourne, and in addition
to some truly breathtaking scenery, boasts some excellent Chardonnay,
Pinot Noir and sparkling wines that flourish in the (relatively) cool
climate. The Heathcote region is a couple of hours north of Melbourne,
and is known for its intense, spicy Shiraz. Some observers say that the
Heathcote is the very best place in Australia for full-blooded red wine.
Tours can be taken from the city into the Yarra, but the Heathcote is
less of a tourist attraction and would require one to drive.

Wineries:

Best's Wines - Great Western Shiraz stands out here.
De Bortoli - See comments in Hunter section.
Domaine Chandon & Green Point - Excellent sparkling wines
Yarra Yering - Eclectic and brilliant wines from Dr. Bailey Carrodus.
Yering Station - Originally planted in 1883; Pinot Noir; Shiraz/Viognier.
Heathcote Winery - Excellent Shiraz & Shiraz/Viognier blends
Hanging Rock Winery - Quality Shiraz from around the region.


Rutherglen
One does not visit Rutherglen - one makes a pilgrimage. Few wine
regions in Australia are as steeped in history - whether it be gold or
bushrangers or the Murray River bordering the area to the north. The
summer heat is extreme, while the nights are often cold. The best time
to visit is in winter (imagine a roaring fire at the stately "House St
Mount Prior" while relaxing after a tough day's tasting!!). Rutherglen
is famous for its fortifieds - magical Muscats (petit grains rouge)
and tremendous Tokay (Muscadelle) - blended via the solera system, and
aged in the heat of the Victorian summer.

Wineries:

All Saints Estate
Bullers
Campbells
Chambers
Morris
Stanton
Killeen.

TASMANIA
This island state seldom raises a blip on the wine radar - but it is
home to some wonderful examples of cool climate wines; Riesling,
Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir - and in the humble opinion of the
writer, Australia's best traditional method bubbly is made by Jansz
Tasmania Vineyard. Tasmania is a wine lover's and foodie's paradise.
Many species of fish, and shellfish (abalone, scallops, oysters, mussels
and crayfish) and farmed Atlantic Salmon are readily available - or
the intrepid angler, seeking the solace of a spot of fly fishing will
find rivers bountiful in trout. The island produces wonderful cheeses,
milk and cream and also has fine meats including farmed venison and game
- all available to those who wish to escape the mainland.


SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Today, South Australia is the state that dominates Australian wine
Production, producing about half of Australia's wine. The first
vineyards were established in the 1830's, 40's and 50's in areas and by
names that are still famous: Penfold, Jacobs Creek and Seppelt are the
basis of Aussie folklore. The Barossa Valley became the main region in
the 19th century and became complemented later by Coonawarra, Clare, and
McLaren Vale.

Barossa Valley & Eden Valley
James Halliday writes that "the Barossa Valley is, and always will be,
the womb of the Australian wine industry". It is a warm region which
produces many of Australia's best known premium reds, with names like
d'Arenberg "Dead Arm", Rockford "Basket Press", Grant Burge "Mesach" and
Jim Barry "Armagh". In the case of Henschke, "iconic" is very much the
vineyard and "Hill of Grace" and "Mt Edelstone" are legendary worldwide.

Wineries:

Penfolds - Famous producer of wines sourced from all over, their
"Grange" is arguably Australia's most famous wine
Peter Lehmann - Quality producer of many different wines
Henschke - Top-notch producer of Barossa Shiraz, most famous for "Hill
of Grace" and "Mt Edelstone" vineyards
Rockford - Worth a visit
Langmeil - Worth a visit
Charles Melton - High quality producer
Torbreck - High quality producer of distinctive Barossa wines



McLaren Vale
To the south east of Adelaide is McLaren Vale - a traditional area but
undergoing more and more expansion and becoming known for rich reds due
to the renaissance of shiraz and grenache. Andrew Garrett, Chapel Hill,
Clarendon Hills ("discovered" by Robert Parker), d'Arenberg, Fox Creek,
Geoff Merrill, Hardys Reynella, Haselgrove, Maglieri, Richard Hamilton,
Pirramimma, Rosemount (headquartered in the Hunter Valley but obtaining
their rich reds from McLaren Vale), Seaview, Tatachilla, and Wirra Wirra
are well known. One of the writer's favourites is Joe & Dina Grilli's
Primo Estate; their Moda Amarone-styled red is a standout.


Coonawarra
Coonawarra is an isolated region that will require a long drive,
either from Adelaide or from Melbourne, via one of Australia's great
drives along the coast road, in places reminiscent of Big Sur. Perhaps
the best time to visit is the annual Cabernet Celebration weekend in
October. It is known for reds and cabernet sauvignon in particular

Wineries worth a visit a

Balnaves
Hollick
Katnook Estate
Zema
Leconfield Wines.


WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Fly into Perth and grab a rental vehicle and head down the coast to
Margaret River, certainly Australia's most remote wine making region and
also the newest. Apart from the wonderful natural beauty, forest,
rugged coastline and beaches, there are winery restaurants, together
with art and craft galleries. Make the Margaret River Visitors Centre
your first stop (www.margaretriverwa.com) for advice on accommodation,
tours and cellar doors.

Margaret River
In a little over 25 years, Margaret River has established itself as
producing (arguably) Australia's best Cabernet Sauvignon. The writer
also considers Leeuwin Estate's "Art Series" Chardonnay as one of the best.

Worth a visit:

Vasse Felix
Voyager Estate
Moss Wood
Cape Mentelle.

----------------------- End C&P ---------------------------------------

Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

On Sep 17, 10:51 pm, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> What follows is the latest update to the FAQ. All comments and
> additions welcomed.

I will update the Australia section of the web site soon after you
post that it is final.

I have the present version of the site backed up on my computer and on
CD. If you want a CD copy of the site in case something happens to me,
I can send you a CD if you ask here. Your address now seems to be
bogus, and mine dumps everything that gets sent to it. I can put a
mail account up on the web site so you can say where to send the CD
and then delete it as soon as I receive the information. You might
want to wait until the Australian, and any other pending, updates are
included.

cwdjrxyz wrote:
> On Sep 17, 10:51 pm, Mark Lipton > wrote:
>
>>What follows is the latest update to the FAQ. All comments and
>>additions welcomed.
>
>
> I will update the Australia section of the web site soon after you
> post that it is final.

Given the lack of responses other than yours, I think it likely that it
is final, but I'll give it a few more days before making it official. I
decided to post this section stand alone to avoid you having to comb
through the full FAQ every time I make a change (although you'll also
find an update to the Napa section next post, reflecting the information
supplied about the French Laundry in response to its last post). I'm
also still trying to hack out a quick 'n' easy Apple Extended ASCII to
UTF-8 script so that the FAQ posts correctly with the various
diacritical marks intact. [If anyone reading happens to know of such a
script or utility already in existence, please let me know as I gain
little pleasure from writing lengthy regexps in sed]

>
> I have the present version of the site backed up on my computer and on
> CD. If you want a CD copy of the site in case something happens to me,
> I can send you a CD if you ask here. Your address now seems to be
> bogus, and mine dumps everything that gets sent to it. I can put a
> mail account up on the web site so you can say where to send the CD
> and then delete it as soon as I receive the information. You might
> want to wait until the Australian, and any other pending, updates are
> included.

That's a nice offer, and I suppose I should have a copy of the HTMLized
version. My email address is just written backwards (a "Da Vinci
cipher" as I like to think of it) as an anti-spam measure, but I'll also
point out that another alternative would be to give me ssh access to
your site with limited privileges and I could set up a cron job to grab
the HTML files every month.

Best wishes,
Mark Lipton
>


--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

"Mark Lipton" wrote ...
>
> Given the lack of responses other than yours,
> I think it likely that it is final,

And given that this unworthy NZer who penned some/most of the dialogue,
based on some semi and somewhat ancient recollections, I should mention that
for my forthcoming 60th, SWMBO and I together with a wine-friendly
accomplice will be venturing across the Tasman in a couple weeks - so I will
be able to update the Yarra / Heathcote (Victoria) and the Margaret River
(WA) sections.

Mind you - where are our esteemed Australian correspondents!!!!!!!!!!!!!

st.helier

st.helier wrote:
> "Mark Lipton" wrote ...
>> Given the lack of responses other than yours,
>> I think it likely that it is final,
>
> And given that this unworthy NZer who penned some/most of the dialogue,
> based on some semi and somewhat ancient recollections, I should mention that
> for my forthcoming 60th, SWMBO and I together with a wine-friendly
> accomplice will be venturing across the Tasman in a couple weeks - so I will
> be able to update the Yarra / Heathcote (Victoria) and the Margaret River
> (WA) sections.
>
> Mind you - where are our esteemed Australian correspondents!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Er... Australia, perhaps, milud? :P Happy travels, and let me know
when/if you have updates for that section.

Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

Mark Lipton > wrote in :

> What follows is the latest update to the FAQ. All comments and
> additions welcomed.
>
> ----------------------- Begin C&P
> -------------------------------------- 3s. Australia? [last updated
> 8/07]
> Most Australian wine regions are located within relatively short
> distances from major cities. The drawback to the intrepid wine
> enthusiast seeking to experience Australia in one visit is that the
> major cities are spread long distances from each other - Sydney to
> Melbourne is nearly 800km (by air); Melbourne to Adelaide is nearly
> the same - and from Adelaide to Perth (WA) is a whopping 2,700km.
> Notwithstanding the distances involved, Australia is a fascinating
> country to visit. All the major cities are coastal; the Australian way
> of life centres around the outdoors; European immigrants brought their
> cuisine and winemaking skills; more recently new arrivals from Asia
> have introduced their own special taste treats. The major wine
> producing areas of Australia are New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania,
> South Australia and Western Australia. The best known grapes of
> Australia are Shiraz (Syrah) and Chardonnay, but many other quality
> wines are made there from Semillon, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and
> Pinot Noir.
>
> NEW SOUTH WALES
> If one arrives in Sydney, then the Hunter Valley is the nearest wine
> region (100 miles drive to the north-west).
>
> Hunter Valley
> The Hunter Valley in New South Wales is recognised as the birthplace
> of Australia's wine industry. It is a somewhat large, sprawling area,
> but many of the region's best wines are found in the Lower Hunter
> region,particularly around the town of Pokolbin which is two hours'
> drive out of Sydney. Day trips can be easily arranged from within the
> city, with a number of tour groups providing transport to the Hunter
> and around the wineries. The best time to visit is March and April
> when producers and the community join in celebrating the ritual of
> harvest wine and entertainment.
> The Hunter's best known grape is Semillon which is made in a variety
> of styles around the region, but fine Shiraz, Verdelho, Chardonnay and
> Pinot Noir are fairly easy to come by as well. Most cellar doors and
> wineries don't usually charge tasting fees; some will have nominal
> fees during the peak tourist season in summer and appointments are
> rarely needed to sample wines.
>
> Wineries:
>
> McWilliams' Mount Pleasant - Probably the best Hunter Semillon
> Tyrrell's - Another classic producer of Semillon
> De Bortoli - Good wines all around from their vineyards around the
> country. The 'Noble One' dessert Semillon is a must.
> Brokenwood - Good Semillon, Pinot Noir, and excellent Shiraz.
> Audrey Wilkinson - Great view with good whites and dessert/fortified
> wines. Tempus Two - Excellent Shiraz and Botrytis Semillon
> Tower Estate
> Peterson Champagne House - Good sparkling wines, excellent sparkling
> Shiraz.

Hi! Just back from OZ spent some time in the Hunter Valley Need to note
that Elizabeth's Cafe at McWilliams is about as good as food gets. We
had a wine pairing lunch with three whites set to 3 separate entrees and
3 reds set to another plate of three. The duck spring roll with Pinot
Noir is still calling.
I will try to figure out what I tasted and where (about 6 different
Hunter vineries and three in the Yarra.

One Hunter that stands out is Rothvale which is to start export to the
US market soon.




--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

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