The new Australian

Australia is without a doubt a formidable winemaking nation. In fact, they have easily overtaken France and other stalwarts in volumes in many non-wine producing markets, including the UK, which can easily be regarded one of the most developed markets for wine in the world.

But the thorn-in-the-side has always been the fact that although Australia made obvious its lead long ago in the volume market, their presence in the quality segment, or importance therein, has never quite been as established. Think about it, the minute I mention Australia, the first visions in our mind are of bar-be-cues and beers. If I suggest wine, we think the screw-cap kinds with odd animal pictures on the front (critter-labels, as they are ‘technically’ called) and some blend of two grapes, and usually found in the bargain section of a supermarket.

Well much is set to change. Australia produces some absolutely wonderful stuff at the higher end which could stand shoulder to shoulder with the top wines of other wine producing regions. One region which has a slightly stronger image of premium wines is Western Australia and its winemaking region called the Margaret River. Recently, a contingent of winemakers from the Margaret River visited India and organised a wine and food festival. They even had a travelling chef from the region to showcase local seafood in his own rather radical style. Speaking to the Honourable Barry House, the accompanying member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia, the idea of creating a new image for Australian wines became clear. Barry also spoke about how Western Australian wine regions were not just making good wines but also had some great boutique places  for a convenient and chic getaway.

Mat Lewis, the man who made it all possible, alongwith Abhjit Saha, the chef and creator or passions at Caperberry and Fava restaurant (where the festival was held) were thanked by many, including me, for making such a lovely variety available to us on home turf. Sure it took them hours of legislative control and miles of official paperwork but in the end, gastronomy won. Among the wines presented, Cullen, Flame Tree, and Thomson Estate, were enjoyed by all. Mangan, Cullen’s iconic red, got rave reviews as also the Cinders red blend from Flame Tree. I was glad to learn that the luscious wines of Thompson Estate wines are already here and based out of the office of a Chennai-based representative.

All in all, it was truly a fest of a feast and the “week” should have been much longer than the usual seven days.

The result: a heightened awareness for the wines of Western Australia and the establishment of the idea of high-end Australian wines, based as much on Terroir and passion as anywhere else. If you don’t believe me, go see for yourself. Flights depart every day from all major metropolitan airports…