Australian Shiraz Impresses Cuisine

Issue 117, July 2006

21 June 2006

Australian Shiraz Impresses Cuisine Tasting Panel On Taste And Value

Cuisine magazine has just announced the results of its Australian Shiraz tasting.

The reliability of Australian Shiraz – now an international byword for high-quality, full-bodied red wine – has won it friends in just about every corner of the world, compared to some much-lauded European competitors. This reliability was apparent in the Cuisine tasting. No less than 120 of 146 wines rated three stars and above, a strike rate of around 82 per cent.

The five-star wines represented the pinnacle of Australian Shiraz excellence, with the top wine unusually also the best buy of the tasting – Gemtree Bloodstone Shiraz 2005, irresistible value at $18-$22.

Cuisine magazine’s imported wine-panel leader, Ralph Kyte-Powell comments, “The wines this year were generally friendlier, softer in tannins and showed less new-oak character than in previous tastings. With one exception, the five-star wines all came from the traditional South Australian Shiraz homeland of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale regions, perhaps showing that although Shiraz is grown all over Australia, the tried-and-true regions are hard to beat. A good proportion of the wines were from the 2004 vintage, which is shaping up as a very good one for Shiraz from Australia.”

The July issue of Cuisine also includes a look at the exciting new wave of wines from Chile as well as the tasting results of the latest local and imported new-release wines.

The results of both of these tasting enable Cuisine to continue giving its readers invaluable recommendations on local and international wines in their pursuit of wine, food and good living.

Taste the Cuisine Top Ten Australian Shiraz wines at selected fine-wine stores throughout the country as outlined below.

Auckland
First Glass Wines & Spirits
5 Huron St, Takapuna
ph: 09-486 6415
www.first-glass.co.nz

Wed 28 June 7pm
La Barrique
31 Normanby Rd, Mt Eden
ph: 09-638 5000
www.labarrique.co.nz
Wed 28 June 7pm

Glengarry Victoria Park
Cnr Wellesley & Sales Sts
ph: 0800-733 505
www.glengarry.co.nz
Sat 1 July 10am-4pm (free)
Waiheke Wine Centre
153 Oceanview Rd
ph: 09-372 6139
www.waihekewinecentre.co.nz
Thurs 13 July 7pm

Hamilton Napier
Hamilton Wine Company
To be held at Granite, Victoria St
ph: 07-839 1190
Wed 5 July 7pm
Swig
19 Carlyle St
ph: 06-835 7999
www.swig.co.nz
Fri 7 July 4pm–7pm

Wellington Nelson
Glengarry Thorndon Quay
232 Thorndon Quay
ph: 04-472 7051
www.glengarry.co.nz
Sat 1 July 10am-4pm (free)
Casa del Vino
214 Hardy St
ph: 03-548 0088
www.casadelvino.co.nz
Wed 12 July 6pm

Christchurch Arrowtown
Vino Fino
188 Durham St;
ph: 03-365 5134
www.vinofino.co.nz
Thurs 13 July 6pm
Allan Hamilton Wine Cellars
Ramshaw Lane
ph: 03-442 1026
Thurs 13 July 5pm-7pm (free)

Wanaka
Wanaka Fine Wines
19 Helwick St,
ph: 03-443 7539
Tues 4 July 6pm

On sale from 26 June, the July issue of Cuisine retails at $8.95 inc. GST and is available from all supermarkets and good bookstores throughout New Zealand.

ENDS

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