winemaker
A Guide to Buying Australian Wine
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Why buy wine
In Australia wine has become the new beverage of choice for people in all walks of life. Moreover Australia has developed an enviable reputation amongst wine drinkers and appreciators the world over. Myshopping.com.au can help you make the right selection of wine for any occasion and to suit any taste. Listed on our website you will find some of the most celebrated labels and award winning wines and you can make a selection based on reviews price and supplier regardless of why you want to purchase wine.
Wine
There are essentially three reasons that we can think of why you might want to buy wine: to drink in some social occasion to give as a gift or as an investment with a realisable future.
Buying wine to drink
Winemaker Greg Gallagher at the Charles Sturt University South Australia says judging a good wine is simple. It starts with asking do you like it he says and finishes with did you like it When you have a list of favourite wines all you need to do is find them on Myshopping.com.au and you will find out where its sold for the best price.
But because its not always easy remembering the name style and vintage of the wine you enjoy its a good idea to keep a record of wines you drink that you really like (and those that youd prefer to avoid) for future reference.
When youre buying wine to drink there are a number of considerations you might like to bear in mind the first being: what is the occasion It stands to reason that a wine for an intimate dinner with a partner might be a different choice than one for a footy night with the boys. Sharing a wine with someone is a lot more than simply sharing the drink. Its also sharing your taste your values and your standards so it pays to think carefully about the occasion and the company with whom you are sharing the wine.
A second consideration might be what is accompanying the wine Wine is often enjoyed with a meal but you might like to consider also how the occasion (or meal) will develop. Matching the perfect wine with the perfect food and mood is an exhilarating experience and is often at the heart of great memories.
You may also want to consider the ambience of the occasion. A wine for enjoying at an evening symphony concert will have a different character to that enjoyed at a beach picnic.
Buying wine as a gift
Wine makes an excellent gift for many reasons. Its an easy purchase; you can buy a wine to suit practically any budget. And it is a demonstration of your taste and standards subtly imparted to someone whom you may care for.
However as well as meeting your taste standards you also need to choose a wine that will meet the tastes of the receiver. It pays to find out what sort of wine that person enjoys and buy within that persons style or region preferences. A person who enjoys sweet white wines will appreciate a gift that matches that personality.
Buying wine as an investment
Some wines make a good investment because they are rare and have an established reputation causing them to appreciate in value. Possibly the most famous of these in Australia is Penfolds Grange Hermitage a Shiraz style Claret that has been made since 1951 (a bottle of that vintage now might set you back $50000 or more if you can find one). Although young in terms of wine heritage Australia has some notable wines that do and will appreciate in value.
A good investment wine is not necessarily a guarantee of a high quality drinking wine. The investment values are arrived at by reputation. A particular vintage may have enjoyed popularity for any number of reasons and become scarce because only a limited number of bottles were produced. What results is a collectors market and wine changes hands through auctions private sales estate dissolutions and wine club memberships.
What makes a good investment wine however is the fact that you are able to sell the wine at some future date for a sum greater than what you paid. Therefore the condition of the wineor more importantly the bottleis of paramount consideration. The provenance of an investment wine is important. Before buying you need to establish its history of origin and previous ownership. Satisfied that the bottle is in good condition once in your possession it needs to be cellared correctly in the absence of heat light and movement. You should document your ownership and the conditions of its cellaring before selling it to a new buyer.
What makes good wine
The winemaking process
The quality of a wine is affected by a wide variety of factors that occur in and as a result of the winemaking cellaring and handling processes. One of the key factors is the terrain and climate commonly referred to as a region where the grapes are grown. Different conditions affect different varieties differently. A Shiraz style from McLaren Vale in South Australia for example is a heavier and darker wine than the same style from the Swan Valley in Western Australia which tends to be lighter and more peppery. A Chardonnay from the Hunter Valley is more fullbodied than one from Margaret River.
While knowing which vines are best suited to a soil type and climate is one aspect another is knowing when to pick the fruit for particular effect. The fruits flavour at the time of picking is a major character of the residual flavours of the wine. After initial fermentation some winemakers choose to ferment in oak others not to. Using oak affects the reduction of tannins in the wine. Different types of oakEnglish American oldaffect the flavour and character of the wine as it matures to its nominal alcohol level. It is in the barrel that a lot of transformations in flavours and character occur and a great deal of skill is required to know exactly when to bottle the wine.
Different winemakers have different techniques and while a good wine cant be made from bad grapes it is largely the winemakers skill that produces a good wine.
Taste
One of the ways we can tell the quality of wine as judged by its taste is whether it has had successes in any of a number of wine shows held around the country. Experts from the wine industry judge wines on their quality and medal winners enjoy the benefits of being recognised and written about in the main media.
While not every medal winner is a wine that suits our taste it is as a direct result of the shows and competitions that Australian wines have grown in popularity and quality. At Myshopping.com.au you can compare many award winning wines.
Whats your taste
Regions and style
When you are shopping for wine one of the first questions to answer is whether you are choosing a red wine or a white wine. Once you have decided this you can then start to narrow down the different styles. Begin with the question of whether you are seeking a dry wine or a sweet wine.
Styles of wine are named a
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