Long before Australia was famous for shiraz and high alcohol, or even livestock wines, it made riesling. And it wasn’t riesling that others would necessarily recognize, but a typically Aussie version: Dry, with what can only be described as a not unpleasant petrol aroma, and some lime fruit. An Australian winemaker once told me that when he toured the States and got homesick, he would buy one of those old-style rieslings, drink it and immediately feel better.
Which brings us to the McWilliam’s (about $10), which was a huge surprise when I tasted it at the beginning of the summer. I expected sweet, cloying riesling, as so many cheap ones are. Instead, I got the classic Australian riesling, and immediately understood how that winemaker felt. (I was also reminded of the most important rule about wine tasting – drink the wine before you judge it.)
Highly recommended, and a candidate for the 2010 Hall of Fame. Drink this chilled with seafood, a garlicky chicken Caesar salad, or on its own.
Wine of the week Reislings is my favorite and I really like to drink it with my Partagas cigars very much. These are really awesome and are perfect to enjoy the whole night or to enjoy your dinner as well.
Posted by: delphi | October 11, 2009 at 12:17 PM