June 11, 2003 Edibles » Corkscrew

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Stop the Summer Sweat 

Cool wines from Down Under

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When the brow starts a'glistening and the outdoors becomes a giant sauna, we all seek respite from our sticky selves. Time to pull out a chilled, damp, white wine bottle and roll it across the skin. Pop the cork, or twist the cap, and pour a tall, cool glass or just drink straight from the bottle. Have you noticed how much better good wine tastes when you've paid only pennies for it? To achieve this lofty financial rarity, look no further than Australia, the land of heat and inexpensive yet incredibly yummy whites wines.Australians love them some wine. Their per capita consumption rate ranks twice that of the United States, but with more economical, friendly Aussie wines arriving daily, hopefully we'll rise to the occasion. Their white grapes of favor are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, but they've also been inventive with blending, creating a delicious white wonder all their own: Semillon [SEM ee YON] and Chardonnay. Without restrictive government laws, as in France, Australian winemakers are free to experiment and buck tradition. Semillon, a white Bordeaux-bred grape, adds depth of character and often unique flavors to sometimes boring Chardonnay.

The Southeastern part of this large country -- Australia is similar in size to the US -- produces the majority of their fine wine, although the Margaret River region in Western Australia crafts some kick ass juice, especially Sauvignon Blancs. The climate is moderate and dry, creating intensely concentrated grape juice fodder for the fruity numbers we've come to love from Down Under.

Australian wine is inexpensive for several reasons. First of all, their developed vineyard land goes for $16,000 to $24,000 per acre, compared to Napa Valley's $100,000. For cheaper vineyard management, Australians use machines rather than people, since manual laborers are scarce in this country of only 20-million. But the cherry on top came in the early 90s when the Australian government established an organization called the Australian Wine Export Council. They provide free, accessible, start-to-finish services to wineries of any size wishing to begin exporting their wares. This program went hand-in-hand with the Australian government's goal of doubling wine export sales by the late 1990s -- something they accomplished handily in only a few years.

So the Aussies pretty much got it going on in terms of wine marketing, exporting and cost controls. More and more labels are floating onto our shores, and the price is so right, this summer you might want to dive into a kiddie pool of tasty, cool Aussie wine.

Recommended Wines

Black Swan 2001 Chardonnay Like licking a stick of butter slathered with flowers and honeysuckle. If you didn't know the price, you'd pay lots more since the complexity in this wine is truly astounding. $7 1/2

Jacob's Creek 2002 Reserve Riesling Flowery, and bursting with pear and grapefruit. Slight sweetness on the front end of the sip, but finishes with a delicious licorice flavor. Odd for a Riesling, but damn, it's good. $13

Cape Mentelle 2002 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Easily one of the most unique wines I've tasted in a long, long time. A blend of 54% Sauvignon Blanc and 46% Semillon, this juice sports the citrus of a Sauv Blanc, but features a jalapeno -- yes, jalapeno -- flavor in the back of the mouth. Fascinating stuff. Might be hard to find, but seek it out and you won't be sorry. $15 1/2

Reynolds 2001 Chardonnay Pear dipped in lemon juice then rolled in mango. Earthy aftertaste, but it's kinda cool after all that fruit. Great value at $8.

Peter Lehmann 1999 Semillon 100% Semillon, which you don't see that often. Smooth, with citrus like tangerine. Slightly woody and has a freakily lingering finish. Wonderful with food like shrimp scampi or chicken piccata. $12

The Wine List
Four for Friday Four premium wines are featured in four ways: 2 oz. sample, 5 oz. glass, by the bottle or in a flight. Fridays. $20. Reid's Fine Foods, 7th Street Station. 704-377-1312.


Tasting of Jorge Ordonez Spanish wines Free wine tasting limited to 40 people. Reservations are required. At The Hyatt Hotel, 5501 Carnegie Blvd. Sponsored by the Wine Shop. Wed., June 18, 6-8pm. 704-377-5373.


Wednesday Night Flights Very informal. Three wines tasted each week. Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30pm. $10. Reid's Fine Foods, 7th Street Station. 704-377-1312.


Wine & Food Tastings Third Wednesday of every month, 5:30-8pm. Something Classic at the Villa, 715 Providence Rd. 704-347-3666.


Wine Tastings Wednesdays, 6-8pm. $10. Barone's Wine Room, Birkdale Village, Huntersville. 704-987-0011.

Wine tastings, classes or other wine-related events will be listed at the discretion of the editors. Send the information to Creative Loafing one of three ways: fax to 704-944-3605; email to samir.shukla@cln.com; or by regular mail at 6112 Old Pineville Rd., Charlotte, NC 28217. All information must be submitted no later than 2 weeks before the event.

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