Easy drinkers from Oz

These days, the Australian wine industry produces some world-class wine. It’s the fourthlargest wine exporter in the world - over 400 million litres a year, the bulk of it going to the UK and the USA.

Taras “Bin 383” Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (red), Australia. (Friendship, Bt. 395)
This is a lovely rich red with a beguiling aroma of dark berry fruit hanging in the glass. The aroma is quite powerful and actually smells like a much more expensive wine. There’s a smooth, silky mouth-feel, with very gentle tannin and slightly minty overtones. It has a long and wellbalanced finished. Incidentally, in case you are wondering about the word “bin”, it originally meant a storage area in a wine cellar, but Australian wine makers often use the term to distinguish their premium wines. This is very much a food wine which you could serve with barbequed food, steaks or most red meats.

Lindeman’s Cawarra Cabernet/ Merlot (red), Australia 2006. (Villa Bt. 595)
This is very much an everyday drinking wine, despite the rather high price. The wine is a rich plum colour, although the aroma is a bit shy at first. When it comes through, you’ll get a sweet smell of blackberries and strawberries. It’s a medium-bodied wine with 13.5% alcohol, with a very soft texture and a slightly sweetish fruity taste of blackberries with a pleasant finish. The taste strikes me as a bit commercial it would probably be enjoyed by those who prefer very soft reds with virtually no acid or tannin.

Banrock Station Moscato (white), Australia. (Foodland, Bt. 339)
Wine snobs may turn up their noses at this unassuming sweet blended wine and to be honest, I wasn’t looking forward very much to tasting it. But what a surprise! It’s actually a good deal better than I had expected. The wine is a warm greenish-gold, with a pleasant aroma. OK, the first sniff might remind you of Sprite, but then more subtle aromas of melons and pineapples come through. It has a slightly spritzy taste that tickles the tongue and there’s a long fruity finish. It’s only 5.5% alcohol - about the same as beer. Serve it as cold as you dare.