For Love or Money - Aussie Stomping Grounds

Serge Birbrair · Post by **Serge Birbrair** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:07 pm

Interesting travel notes from Americans visiting Aussie wineries:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ar ... Oct29.html

Mike M · Post by **Mike M** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 3:57 am

Nice article, and one that I can thankfully relate to. Have had the good fortune to visit Margaret River once, and then the Barossa annually over the past 3 years. I hope to take a bit of a holiday in SA later this year and will expand my horizons past the wonderful Barossa to include McLaren Vale and Claire Valley, time permitting.

The smaller, botique wineries are producing some wonderful, concentrated wines, and as the article points out, you can only find them at the cellar door. I did find a bottle of Torbreck 02 Descendant at a local wine megastore, but that was a rarity. At US$250 per case for freight from OZ to the US, I'll be selective in what I send back home, but if you want the good stuff, you gotta pay the piper. I have a mixed case of Kaesler, and hopefully tomorrow I'll be getting a mixed case of Glaymond, thanks to Gavin.

I talk up Aussie wines all the time, and that's where I usually head first at the local wine shops. Most of the time I'm disappointed because all I find is the commercial plonk, but I do keep hoping....

For any true wine lover, a visit to OZ wine areas would be a treat and a real eye opener. Friendly, knowledgeable, passionate wine people. I'd recommend it to anyone. For us Yanks, too bad it's such a long way away. For you Aussies, nice that it's a long way away, cuz then you won't be overrun with hordes of loud, obnoxious, demanding tourists asking for Yellow Tail. Keep the good stuff for yourself, but save a few bottles for those of us that know and appreciate fine Aussie drops.

Serge Birbrair · Post by **Serge Birbrair** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:16 am

Mike M,
we have an open invitation from collegues to visit Brissie and Melbourn ..one of those day we will. The acount of wine country is amazing and definatelly not to miss...I DO, though, wish it was closer than 24 hours flight from LA
;(

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 11:23 am

Serge wrote:Mike M,
we have an open invitation from collegues to visit Brissie and Melbourn ..one of those day we will. The acount of wine country is amazing and definatelly not to miss...I DO, though, wish it was closer than 24 hours flight from LA
;(

It is 14 hours from LA

707 · Post by **707** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 1:08 pm

Serge, thanks for this article, most enlightening. Just shows how much is really known about Australia and it's wines even amongst those that do a fair bit of research. Whenever I show overseas visitors around our wine regions, they always go away stunned at the quality and friendliness of producers they'd never heard of.

Isn't it amazing how eastern staters put down Adelaide, yet so many overseas visitors say it's the nicest Australian city they've visited and if they were to move to Australia, it's where they'd settle. Let's not forget it is the centre of the wine universe! Ducking for cover now even though I know I'm right.

McLaren Vale Lover · Post by **McLaren Vale Lover** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 1:36 pm

707 wrote:Serge, thanks for this article, most enlightening. Just shows how much is really known about Australia and it's wines even amongst those that do a fair bit of research. Whenever I show overseas visitors around our wine regions, they always go away stunned at the quality and friendliness of producers they'd never heard of.

Isn't it amazing how eastern staters put down Adelaide, yet so many overseas visitors say it's the nicest Australian city they've visited and if they were to move to Australia, it's where they'd settle. Let's not forget it is the centre of the wine universe! Ducking for cover now even though I know I'm right.

truer words have never been spoken!

Adair · Post by **Adair** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 1:51 pm

707 wrote:Isn't it amazing how eastern staters put down Adelaide

Steve and McLaren Vale Lover,

With all due respect, this is totally rubbish and in fact it reeks of the inferiority complex that I sometimes feel from Adelaidians when they find out that I am from Sydney, the only thing I have ever disliked about being in Adelaide.

If you feel that you have experienced "put downs" from Eastern Staters either: 1) You have not seen the humour in the comments, or 2) The person making the comments is being serious and has a mental problem themselves, something you should not worry about. It is their issue, not yours.

Personally, I would rather spend an extended amount of time in Adelaide and its surrounds than any other place in Australia.

With all respect and sincerity,
Adair

Gary W · Post by **Gary W** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 2:05 pm

I am another big fan of Adelaide having spent a lot of time there. Lovely place. Bit parochial about their wines though is the only negative I can think of..but nothing that a good dose of Hunter won't fix (I noticed that one restaurant had everthing outside of SA listed as Foreign wines..ha ha)

GW

Serge Birbrair · Post by **Serge Birbrair** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 2:48 pm

Mates, I haven't meant to have this thread to start a Civil war!

Today we had a Fox Creek, Short Row Shiraz, 2002
time for me to write TN's

McLaren Vale Lover · Post by **McLaren Vale Lover** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 3:06 pm

Gary W wrote:I am another big fan of Adelaide having spent a lot of time there. Lovely place. Bit parochial about their wines though is the only negative I can think of..but nothing that a good dose of Hunter won't fix (I noticed that one restaurant had everthing outside of SA listed as Foreign wines..ha ha)

GW

I had a good dose of the Hunter the other day. I am just starting to feel better now. :wink:

actually did have a hunter wine I liked - Meerea park shiraz viogner. Can't believe it was from the hunter - must have been from the SA side then.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 2:10 am

I love visiting Adelaide. I get to see the style of clothes I wore 15 years ago, and the vehicles that vied for Wheels Car of The Year circa 1981.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:45 am

This back and forth reminds me of what we do stateside - New York (the Only City), Chicago (the Second City), Los Angeles (the land of fruits and nuts), and on and on and on. That parochial attitude ain't just an Aussie thing. For us, there's Napa Valley and their cabs, and then the rest of the US wine world as far as the Napa promoters are concerned. We've got some other very nice wine areas outside of Napa (remember "Sideways") and wines other than cabs. It's always fun and interesting to spread your wings and try different.

That being said, my Aussie preference still is towards the Barossa style of reds, but there are many others that suit quite nicely. Some of the rieslings are wonderful, and I'm just beginning to appreciate them. Just had a Wynn's 01 Coonawarra Shiraz Wednesday at a local restaurant, much to the delight and enlightenment of those at the table. "That was really good". Imagine if I could show them some of the good stuff that I am hoarding at home. One case of Glaymond was just delivered today, and I can hardly wait to take a sample.

There are heaps of great drops all over your wonderful land, and that's one of the joys I have visiting. I get to spend time taeting and tasting and learning. Heck, with a surname like McGuigan, you'd think I'd have an affinity for those wines, but nope, no relation, and better sense to have something more than ordinary.

OK, I've said my piece, so now let's have some more banter from the Vic and Mornington Peninsula and Margaret River folks....and what about Darwin? I've heard they make some great cool weather rieslngs up there too.

Red Bigot · Post by **Red Bigot** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:10 am

Anonymous wrote:I love visiting Adelaide. I get to see the style of clothes I wore 15 years ago, and the vehicles that vied for Wheels Car of The Year circa 1981.

You must love Queensland then! :lol:

I guess Adelaide-bashing makes a change from Canberra-bashing, Sydney vs Melbourne trashing and Hunter vs the decent wine-making regions non-arguments. :twisted:

(Running for cover...)

Serge Birbrair · Post by **Serge Birbrair** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:27 am

Red Bigot wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I love visiting Adelaide. I get to see the style of clothes I wore 15 years ago, and the vehicles that vied for Wheels Car of The Year circa 1981.

You must love Queensland then!

I guess Adelaide-bashing makes a change from Canberra-bashing, Sydney vs Melbourne trashing and Hunter vs the decent wine-making regions non-arguments.

(Running for cover...)

all this trashing is soooo....provincial and reminds me an old Russian Proverb:
when cat has nothing better to do -
the cat licks it's nuts.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 4:59 pm

Serge wrote:all this trashing is soooo....provincial and reminds me an old Russian Proverb:
when cat has nothing better to do -
the cat licks it's nuts.

And Serge, why does the cat lick its nuts :?:

Because it can :!:

MM.

Serge Birbrair · Post by **Serge Birbrair** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 5:39 pm

Anonymous wrote:
Serge wrote:all this trashing is soooo....provincial and reminds me an old Russian Proverb:
when cat has nothing better to do -
the cat licks it's nuts.

And Serge, why does the cat lick its nuts

Because it can
MM.

I think you mixed him up with Clinton

TORB · Post by **TORB** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 6:45 pm

Muscat Mike wrote:
And Serge, why does the cat lick its nuts

Because it can

Mine can't, Mike! :roll:

He had "his pockets picked" :shock:

about 11 years ago. :wink: