Robyn James, Proprietor

The Wine Cellar & Tasting Room

241 N.E. Broad St

Downtown Southern Pines

This fall I had the privilege of traveling to the wine country of Australia and New Zealand with a wine importer on a mission to visit the wineries she does business with and source new ones.  I never thought that I would visit that part of the world in my lifetime, and although it was hard to be away from home and work so long, it was a fascinating trip.

The wine country here is probably what California was 50 years ago, before all the glitz and glitter of the industry turned it into a virtual “Wine Disneyland”. There are no fancy tasting rooms manned by well-groomed guides with bottled talk.  In fact, “Tasting Rooms” are referred to as “Cellar Doors”, and in most cases they are extra rooms in the actual homes of the winery owners.  You won’t fight the crowds to get to the tasting bar to try the wines; we were usually the only people in each Cellar Door we visited.  Ring a bell, and along comes either the owners themselves who live there, or maybe their parents or kids are in attendance. We informed one winery owner that she was featured in a wine guidebook we bought at the airport as one of the best values in Clare Valley!  She didn’t even know, too busy making great wine!

The term “Dessert Wine” is never used in these countries.  Sweet, late harvest wines are simply referred to as “Stickies”.  These people have great passion and appreciation for wine with a complete lack of pretension.

In Bendigo, we drove out into the middle of nowhere to find the Cellar Door of Connor Park Winery.  Ross and Robyn Lougoon, the proprietors, greeted us and took us straight to their barrel room to taste their newest wines – all outstanding.  When I mentioned to Ross that I had been in Australia for a week and had yet to see a kangaroo, he piled us into his truck and as dusk began to fall, we drove out into the pastures where his sheep were feeding (most of the wineries also raise sheep).  There they were, bouncing all over the place, the sheep totally oblivious to them sharing their pasture.  The Lougoon’s were amazed that we were even interested in watching the kangaroos, considered a nuisance there, probably much as we would if they asked us to see squirrels here.  Kangaroo is on the menu of every restaurant in Australia we visited, but I just couldn’t drum up the courage to try it.

Onto McLaren Vale, a fabulous wine growing region and home to Gemtree Vineyards, a relatively new winery owned by Paul and Jill Buttery.  Prior to starting their own label, the Buttery’s were grape growers and sold their Shiraz grapes to Rosemount for their very expensive Balmoral Syrah.  Note:  Syrah and Shiraz grapes are the same, just named differently in Australia as opposed to France.  Australians pronounce this Shear-Razz, not Shuh-rahz as we do here.  We were guests in their home for two days, what amazing hospitality and equally amazing setting among the vineyards.  Just before nightfall, flocks of Cockatiels and parrots would land looking for food.  Just like the Kangaroos, they were stunning to us, a nuisance to them. 

We boarded a nine-seater plane to take us to Karadoc in North West Victoria to visit Zilzie Winery.  The guy who checked in our bags turned out to be the pilot of the plane.  I had white knuckles for the next hour and a half.  Although Australia is nearly geographically the same as the United States, the population is fourteen times smaller.  It’s impossible to drive to all the wine growing regions in two weeks, but when I did drive (on the left side of the road with the stick shift on the left), it was eerie how you may go for hours without passing another car.  The Zilzie winery was a huge facility, with over 1,000 acres under vine and all state of the art high tech equipment.  They produce delicious, highly affordable little wines.

New Zealanders matched the Australians in their glowing enthusiasm for their wine.  I believe they are strong contenders for making the finest Sauvignon Blancs in the world. 

A mountain in the middle of the ocean, the scenery is breathtaking.  It was wintertime there, and so we found sheep scattered about the vineyards, grazing among the dormant vines.  Driving to the top of the mountain was cause for more white knuckles. 

Once there, I kissed the ground of Mt. Difficulty winery and walked up to the tasting room, too steep for the tiny car to make it.

Another large winery, Mt. Difficulty is producing top-notch varietals.  Greeted by the winemaker himself, we tasted from the barrels for a preview of the new vintage.

Although it is a long and tiresome flight to these areas, it is more than worth the trip.  A trip I shall never forget.

Following are some of the favorite discoveries on the trip that are available locally.

WHITE WINES

MT. DIFFICULTY SAUVIGNON BLANC, NEW ZEALAND, 2002 Approx., $16

Hard to believe there’s no oak aging or lees contact, it’s so incredibly rich and creamy. Offers ripe, fruity flavors of peaches and sweet apples, although the wine is bone-dry, with excellent acidity. Concentrated, dense and opulent, it’s a real treat to the palate.

CHARLES WIFFEN SAUVIGNON BLANC, NEW ZEALAND, 2002, Approx., $14

Powerful lemon and lime flavors are pure and bright, flattering the palate with an assault of fruity ripeness. There’s certainly a lot of acidity, to judge by the tingly feeling on the tongue, but the round, sweetish, honeyed texture softens this lush, seductive wine.

ZILZIE SELECTION 23 CHARDONNAY, AUSTRALIA, 2002, Approx, $9

Fresh fruit driven nose, with an attractive mix of stone fruit, melon and citrus character.  Peach and melon flavors enhanced by a lingering acidity.  French and American oak adds smoothness and complexity

RED WINES

CONNOR PARK DURIF (PETITE SIRAH), AUSTRALIA, 2001, Approx., $17

Nearly opaque with bright crimson edges, this is a serious wine.  The palate does not let you down exhibiting intense black plum flavors and smoky oak.  A powerful wine with sizeable tannin, which is countered by a palate of length and intensity.

GEMTREE UNCUT SHIRAZ, AUSTRALIA, 2001, Approx., $24

“Broad and juicy, a rich mouthful of cherry, chocolate, mineral and anise flavors that persist impressively. Has a burst up front and big bounce on the finish that carries the flavors on and on. Drink now through 2015.”

RATED 92 POINTS, THE WINE SPECTATOR

GEMTREE “TATTY ROAD”, AUSTRALIA, 2001, Approx., $20

“Firm in texture, juicy in flavor, offering a nice range of cherry, currant, herb and ash notes that meld nicely on the harmonious finish. Tannins have a bit of grip. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2004 through 2010.”

RATED 88 POINTS, THE WINE SPECTATOR

ZILZIE CABERNET/MERLOT, 2002, AUSTRALIA, Approx., $9

A rich red, with cassis and pepper undertones.  The Cabernet component provides blackberry flavors, with the Merlot adding some floral notes.  Vanillin oak characters enrich the palate. 

STICKY

BULLER MUSCAT, AUSTRALIA, Approx., $16

“The medium amber-colored non-vintage Premium Fine Muscat offers terrific aromas of brown sugar, molasses, and maple syrup, great persistence on the palate, and a tremendous finish. For the price, it’s a steal! These Australian treasures are fabulous to drink at the end of a meal. Moreover, once opened, they will hold for several weeks, sometimes longer.”

RATED 94 POINTS, ROBERT PARKER, THE WINE ADVOCATE