Shiraz the Hero of Barossa Valley Wines

Barossa Valley is probably the most well-known region of Australia. Wine is the synonym of Barossa since 1842. The Barossa is an area that unites both Barossa Valley and Eden Valley, and without any doubts we can say that is one of the few Australian areas that distinguish with warm and cool climate growing conditions.

Nowadays, the Barossa area has more than 750 growing families that supply quality grapes to more than 170 wine companies. And when it comes to wines, wine experts say that the best Barossa wines can be compared with the best world wines. Barossa Shiraz and the Eden Valley Riesling are among the most popular Barossa Valley wines along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Grenache, Mataro, Semillon and Tawny. But there is no doubt that Shiraz and its blends are the principal ingredients of Barossa's regional brand. It is a genuine wine region specifically for Shiraz. It seems to have abundant sunshine and because of the soil the flavours are extremely concentrated with a lot of characteristics that make the Shiraz the Australia's famous. Particularly, the full-bodied style is the thing that everybody loves.

Recently Shiraz can be divided into two categories: a low-yielded, dry and heavily winery-worked style, with oak, ripeness and tannin; and a finer, medium-bodied style, with low ripeness, new oak. The latter is also more fragrant and floral in composition. Nowadays, both of these styles can be found in the Barossa with its stylistic parameters. Whichever style you choose is up to you, but one thing is certain this is a must-try wine as it is the Country’s signature expression.

Shiraz's Modern Evolution

In 1970 and 1980 the most dominant Shiraz blend was the Shiraz-Cabernet blend or also referred as “claret”. In 1990, Shiraz found its way with the Rhone-style blends along with Mataro and Grenache, while in the beginning of the 2000's, the most popular Shiraz blend was Shiraz – Viognier because of the heady, aromatic lift of the white grape.

Nowadays, we can see Shiraz matched with more adventurous grapes like Malbec, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Touriga and more.

Wine Styles

Barossa Valley is renowned for its Shiraz, but the Barossa is much more than Shiraz. Cabernet Sauvignon, Mataro or also known as Mourvedre, Merlot and Grenache are among the most popular Barossa Valley wines. As to the wine styles, the Barossa Valley is recognized by its GSM Rhone style blends. These years, Barossa winemakers have introduced some new varieties like Marsanne, Zinfandel and Tempranillo, but the Viognier has become the Barossa's specialty, both as a stand-alone variety and blended with Shiraz.

How to Choose Great Cheap Wine

Price doesn't always equal quality. This is can be said about a lot of things in life and the same can be said about wine. You do not have to feel like a snob when choosing the right wine because in reality there is always a choice of a great cheap wine to enjoy your dinner. When you find yourself in a restaurant there is a small chance that you will pick one the cheapest wine, well, unless you have tried it before.

A couple of years ago in Australia, there was a study where individuals were asked to choose the best wines without telling them the real price. The cheapest wine which was $16 had a label that was $54 and vice-versa. Even adding tartaric acid inside the cheapest wine, did not change the opinions because the price tag overwhelmed their own taste buds.

Think Pink: Rose Wines

There is nothing better than having a glass of chilled bottle of white and rose wine at the end of the day. Generally speaking, rose wines are usually preferred during summer because are lighter than whites, especially reds. For those who don't know, rose is not a grape variety, but it is a processed red grape variety or sometimes a mixture of red and white wine. Rose wines are nice and soft to the moth with flavours of strawberry, cerise, magenta, cranberry, fairy floss, tangerine, etc., and are the ideal drink for hot summer days and warm spring nights.

Little Introduction

Even though France is known as the leading in the category of best roses, whites and reds, Spain, Italy and Australia are just behind it.

Introducing Shiraz Wine

Every wine-enthusiastic who appreciates red wine loves Shiraz. But what makes the Shiraz grape itself so popular? Well, we can say that part of the grape's success is due to the taste it creates, it's history and its large usage in wine mixes. That's is not to mention the amazing deal that local Australian Shiraz makes.

Originally from France, the Shiraz grape variation planted in Australia is believed to be the same planted in there, which explains the supremacy of Australian Shiraz wines in the market. Shiraz was introduced in Australia in 1831 by the Scotsman James Busby, commonly called 'the Father of Australian viticulture'. He brought cuttings from wines from a trip to Europe and planted them in the Sydney Botanical Gardens and in Hunter Valley. By the 1860's, Shiraz was considered as an important variety in Australia.

Today the Shiraz grape is grown in most wine regions in Australia and produce a wine that is full bodied, with great taste variation – depending on the region it was grown. But Shiraz wines commonly have undertones of plums, blackberries and pepper fluctuating between their many layers.

How to Save Money on Wine

There isn't a god timing for wine, because each day and occasion is perfect for having a glass of good old wine. However, with the large selection of wines, vintages and wine growing regions it is impossible to find the right one. Sometimes it can really be a mind blowing job, especially if you are choosing wine for special occasion or wine for cooking a special dinner for someone. To ease your job, read on for some great wine shopping tips to help you find great discount wines, and save you some dollars.

Popular Red Wine Varietals

Red wine is universal drink that works for almost all situations and occasions. From curling up in your bed to watch your favourite series, celebrating a special family event, to spending great romantic moments with your partner, reds always fit.

There's no doubt that red wine is one of the most popular drinks, enjoyed by numerous people globally. When it comes to red wine, there are two categories of people: Wine enthusiasts who carefully choose which red wine varietal they will pour in their glass, and wine lovers who don't really pay attention if they are drinking Cabernet, Merlot or some Cabernet Merlot varietal.

Regardless of which category of red wine lovers you belong to, one thing is certain: You shouldn't afford yourself be totally uninformed about what's in your glass. This doesn't mean that you have to spend a good amount of your precious time to learn about all the red wine varietals in the word. In fact, what you need to do, is to familiarize yourself with the most popular red wine varietals and their main features. In simpler terms, here are the basic information you shouldn't go without when organizing your next wine party.

The Most Popular White Wine Brands

Regardless if the party is big and extravagant or just a small get-together with family, the one thing that cannot be missing is white wine. Actually, no one can think of a party without glass of various white wine brands.

White wines come in a various different forms and each type has it's own unique taste and aroma. Since there is an infinite number of white wine brands, we have selected and listed the most popular white wines according to the major types of white wine.