Fun in the Land Down Under

As part of my self-study (since passing WSET 2), I have been hosting two wine groups. More details after the brief tasting notes, if you're interested.

The Chook Sparkling Shiraz. I served it a tad too cold (bc ppl were late and I forgot to take it out), and the first sip was a little bitter. But it warmed up quickly. It's a fun fruity (cherry, blueberry) Charmat style, an easy-pleaser at $24. It's a beautiful dark purple color.

2024 Walnut Block Sauvignon Blanc. Grass, honeydew, lemon, apple, peach and pear, medium + acidity. Hints of bread and asparagus. What was really interesting was, trying it again after the Riesling, we found that pineapple was the forward fruit. It's crisp and light and at $18, I will buy more for summertime.

2021 Escarpment Chardonnay. Oh my. Such a nice rich medium lemon-to-gold color. But: We were dismayed that it smelled so bad. Feet. Sweaty animals. Ugh. It tasted OK, but nothing special, though it may have tasted better if we weren't so put off by the smell. At $32, I won't get this one again.

2023 Pewsey Vale Riesling. Bone dry pale lemon with lemon, orange, dandelions, and a hint of petrol. At $22, I will buy this again.

2022 Timo Mayer Bloody Hill. Decanted about 90 minutes before serving. Could have been longer! A very nice second (or is it third?) label. I've had the Dr M, and while the BH is not at the same level, it was very nicely structured. High – acidity, medium tannins, medium alcohol, light body. Lively cherry, plum, raspberry. Very good finish. At $48… well, that's a bit pricey for casual drinking (ie, second bottle for a small group). With just one friend over (or just me), I'd prefer the Dr. M or Burn Cottage.

2022 Yalumba Samuel Bush Vine Grenache. This was my first 100% Grenache ever (since starting to drink wine 13 months ago). Well, we were a little tipsy, so bad notes. It was very pale and tasted thin. Some pepper, some licorice, some red fruits. $24, and I may seek out a better one just to get a stronger sense of the grape.

Innocent Bystander Moscato was a pleasant close to the wine tasting. Fruity and sweet, everyone but me liked it. I didn't actually dislike it, it was fine, what you'd expect. I just didn't want it.

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There are 2 Tasting Groups of 9. The 9 of us share all costs (7 bottles plus snacks). The group decided to keep cost of wine per person between $20-$25.

My goal is to find at least 5 different regions and 6 different grapes, and to have a sparkling and dessert. We have already done the most classic regions of Italy and France. In March we will do South America.

We live in a very small rural farm town in the Midwest. We have one grocery store and a WalMart. Josh, Meoimi, KJ, you understand. I drive 2 hours each way to the nearest city to buy wine, and even then the selections are limited. There was no choice for sparkling or dessert, for example, and nothing from Hawkes Bay, Coonawarra, or Hunter Valley.

Cheers!