Winemaking in Australia came into its own a few years ago and has been growing non-stop ever since. One of the most prolific regions in Australia for winemaking is the Hunter Valley, located in New South Wales.

Laws in Australia make it easy to be a wine producer, but the soils do not. There are no laws in Australia governing the type of grapes that can be planted, but viticulture in the country is quite difficult. Far more of Australia’s soil is unsuitable for growing grapes than is suitable. There are some select areas, however that have good soil and the proper climate.

The Hunter Valley wine region produces both red and white wines. Among the whites, Chardonnay, Semillon and Verdelho are the most common grapes. Among the red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz are the most common.

A Hunter Valley vineyard

The Semillon grape is the one most closely associated with the Hunter Valley wine region. It has been cultivated here since the 1800s and has been labeled as Riesling, White Burgundy and Chablis. The flavor of the grape is acidic and lemony, but with age, it develops a mellower and more mineral flavor.

Hunter Valley is also known for making a Shiraz that can be a bit off putting while it is young, but that ages into a very smooth wine after about 20 years.

Hunter Valley has also developed a reputation for making an impressive Chardonnay, that is characteristic of the traditional Chardonnays of France, with an oaky flavor, but also with the flavors of peach. About 70% of the Hunter Valley is planted today with Chardonnay grapes.

Verdelho is a lesser known grape that tolerates the high heat and humidity in the Hunter Valley quite well., so it is easy to grow. It was originally used primarily to blend with Chardonnay and other whites. More recently, however, Verdelho has begun to stand on its own as a white table wine. It is very straightforward wine; one that many experts describe as having the flavor and aroma of grapes.

The Hunter Valley’s close proximity to Sydney has been extremely beneficial for the winemakers there. Tourists flock to the Hunter Valley wine region for day trips during their stays in Sidney. Therefore, the wine tourism industry has grown by leaps and bounds. In fact, in the Hunter Valley, more people are employed in the “wine tourism” industry than in the winemaking industry.  There are more than 100 wineries in the Hunter Valley, with more of them concentrated in the lower part of the valley.

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Champagne’s wine region in France is more than just the home of the sparkling wine that bears its name. It is also one of France’s most historic areas, and is home to many other great wines. The term champagne is, in most countries, restricted to use for wines created in this region of France. 

Champagne’s western edge is located about 100 miles east of Paris. The climate of the area makes it difficult for grapes to fully ripen. The cool temperatures that are found here cause the grapes to mature with a high level of acidity. This is what makes them particularly suited to making sparkling wine.

The sparkling wine we know as champagne was an accident. Heralded champagne maker Dom Perignon, in fact, worked very hard to try and change what he referred to as “mad wine”. Though Dom Perignon and his contemporaries did not succeed in removing the bubbles, they did become masters at blending grapes and even at turning black grapes into a white juice. These techniques are what allow the region of Champagne to produce such unique sparkling wines.

Vineyard in Champagne-Ardenne.

Dom Perignon’s pursuits were in the name of creating a wine that could compete with those of the Burgundy region for favor in the king’s courts. While his wines were never able to directly compare with Burgundy wines because of their drastic differences, the sparkling white wines that came to be known as champagne did become the favored wine for celebrations among royalty. And, of course, champagne today is still considered the wine of celebration.

All champagne is produced through a strict process. This process involves pressing and fermenting the grapes first. Then, they are blended and temporarily bottled. A blend of sugar and yeast is added to create a second fermentation. The carbon dioxide that is created during this fermentation is kept in the bottle. The bottles are turned upside down, to allow sediment to collect in the neck. Then the necks are frozen, so that the sediment can be removed. After this phase, the wines are bottled for the final time. In some cases, the champagne may be further sweetened before the final bottling.

The world’s largest champagne house is the House of Moet, which was founded in 1743. Today, Moet still makes some of the finest champagne in France.

In recent years, champagne making has expanded significantly. There are many different varieties and qualities available. This has allowed the price of some champagne to drop significantly, so that more people can afford to enjoy it.

A visit to the Champagne wine region will afford you the chance to taste many varieties of this unique sparkling wine. The various blends of the grapes by different winemakers ensure that each champagne has its own distinct flavor.  There are many champagne wineries in the Champagne region that allow tours and tastings.

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New York is not the first state that comes to mind when we think of American wine country. And, while it’s true that California is likely to hold onto the title of premier US winemaking region for some time, it’s also true that New York is one of the country’s most up and coming wine producing areas.

The Seneca Lake area is one of the most important wine producing areas in the Finger Lake wine region. Nearly half of all the wineries in the Finger Lake wine region are in this area. Seneca Lake is the largest and deepest of all the Finger Lakes. The mirco-climate and moisture of the area make for especially good growing of certain grape varieties.

The lake is fed by underground springs that are always churning. This moving water keeps the area around Seneca Lake just a bit warmer in the winter and just a bit cooler in the summer, making for perfect cool climate grape growing.

Vineyard overlooking Canandaigua Lake, from Route 21. Photograph courtesy of Finger Lakes Visitor Connection

As recently as 1993, Seneca Lake had just 14 wineries. Today, there are more than 50. While all of the Finger Lake wine region is growing, Seneca Lake is definitely growing the fastest.

Glenora Lake Wine Cellars is one of the oldest and most successful of Seneca Lake’s wineries. About 85,000 people visit Glenora every season, especially when they host their annual season of jazz concerts. They produce about 45,000 cases of wine each year. The Glenora Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc are the two most popular wines. Both are oak aged. They also create some fun summer fruit wines, such as Blueberry Breeze and Pomegranate Pizazz. These wines are meant for chilled and casual summer drinking.

Another popular and established winery around Seneca Lake is the Anthony Road wineries. This winery produces about 18,000 cases of wine a year. Their house specialties include a semi-dry Riesling that won the New York State Governor’s Cup Award in 2009 and an unoaked Chardonnay.

Finally, no wine tour of the Seneca Lake area would be complete without a visit to Three Brothers Winery. This casual, unique winery and brewery offers something for everyone. They make wines under four different labels and also make five different kinds of beer. One of their beers, Riesling Ale, blends their Riesling with wheat beer to make a unique grapey, spicy, malty taste. Their wines are primarily Riesling, but they also make a Merlot, a Chardonnay and some blended table wines. This winery, with five different places to taste, is just plain fun.

No visit to upstate New York would be complete without checking out the Finger Lake wine region. And, once in this area, you have to get a taste of what Lake Seneca has to offer.

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For the uninitiated, the world of wine is simply divided into red and white. For the connoisseurs, this is a vast territory where unending varieties vie for attention. But some of them stand apart with their magnificence and classic appeal—Bordeaux wine is most notable among them.

Bordeaux wine – the making of the legend
You don’t need to be a connoisseur to know the name of Bordeaux wine. Not only in France, Bordeaux is probably the most well-know wine region in the whole world.

Vineyard in Bordeaux - Photo by Samuel Rosa

Located in the Gironde department in south-western France, Bordeaux is not only the fine wines capital of the world, it is also famous for its colorful history, rich culture, arts and music. But somehow the place became the brand ambassador of great wines to the rest of the world.

It was during the reign of Eleanor of Aquitaine, that this city started its journey of wine trade and eventually went to become the most bustling wine trade center in the world with the largest fine wine-producing vineyard in the world.

The sources

• Bordeaux is actually divided into many sub-regions. These are further subdivided into communes or Chateaux.
• Bordeaux has about 7,000 chateaux and some of the exclusive French wines come from these chateaus: Margaux, Yquem, Pétrus, Cheval Blanc, Latour, Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, D’Yquem and Haut Brion are the most notable among them.
• Bordeaux’s reputation is mostly built on red wines; particularly those from Médoc, Saint Emilion, Pomerol are world famous. Another feather in its hat is provided by the famous sweet whites Sauternes.

When it comes to Bordeaux wine, you may come across such terms as AOC, crus bourgeois or crus classes. The huge repute of Bordeaux wine as a whole rests on some fifty seven “Appellations d’Origine Contrôlées” (A.O.C.). They are divided into major appellations and petite appellations and all of them are the producers of a vast range of excellent wines. The appellation is a key indicator of the type of wine in the bottle.

The produce

• As said earlier, it is the vast range of red wines that has made the Bordeaux brand so special.
• In fact, the red wine produced in this region outnumbers its white cousin by a six to one ratio.
• In addition of red and white wine, Bordeaux also produces dry white wines, sweet white Sauternes and rosé wines. Sweet white wines from Sauternes and Barsac are the most luscious in the world. The sparkling Crémant de Bordeaux also belongs to this wine capital of the world.

Before you make a purchase 

Bordeaux wines are expensive; so be careful to get what you pay for. While buying a bottle of Bordeaux, check out the label for authenticity.

A wine label of Bordeaux wine bottle would generally include:

• The name of estate
• The estate’s classification (Cru Classé / crus bourgeois)
• The appellation: Appellation d’origine contrôlée laws dictate that all grapes must be harvested from a particular appellation.
• Whether or not the wine is bottled at the chateau or assembled by a Négociant.
• The vintage
• Alcohol content

Made especially from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes, Bordeaux wine will keep on lingering in your senses long after you have consumed a glass of this red wonder. Make sure you have your share of this full bodied red wine: your wine experience will remain incomplete as long as you deprive your taste buds from the privilege of experiencing the true delight in a glass of Bordeaux.

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