This is the first installment of my chronicles of the 13-day Aussie Tour 2023 of the Verenigde Vinologen Nederland (Dutch association of wine connoisseurs), with Master of Wine Cees van Casteren as our guide. We started with an overview tasting organized by Wine Australia called “Far From Ordinary Tasting”. It features 28 wines from all 6 wine growing states of Australia (i.e. all states except Northern Territory), 15 of the 65 geographic wine regions, and 19 grape varities. Kati Vainionpää was our host and started with a brief presentation of Australian wine history. This started with the first vines planted in Sydney in 1788, but was boosted when James Busby imported cuttings from Europe in 1832. Some of those are still alive as the oldest surviving vines in the world.

• Sidewood ‘Nearly Naked Sparkling’ Sauvignon Blanc NV (Adelaide Hills, Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling with less than .5% alcohol, very dry)
• Unruly Wine Co. ‘Pet Nat’ South Australia 2022 (Adelaide Hills, Pinot Grigio, sparkling pétillant naturelle, smooth with strawberry jam aroma)
• Keith Tulloch Field of Mars Block 3B Semillon 2017 (Hunter Valley, Semillon, mineral, saline)

• Brokenwood ‘ILR Reserve’ Hunter Valley Semillon 2014 (Hunter Valley, Semillon, full-bodied mineral, aged beautifully, complex, balanced)
• Small Wonder Tasmania Riesling 2022 (Tasmania, Riesling, creamy, saline)
• Bay of Fires Riesling Tasmania 2021 (Tasmania, Riesling, sulfur, mineral, petrol, creamy, balanced)
• Moorilla Cloth Label 50th Anniversary Riesling 2012 (Tastmania, Riesling, golden hue, petrol, creamy, bitter finish)

• MMAD Vineyard McLaren Vale Chenin Blanc 2021 (McLaren Vale, Chenin Blanc)
• Lost farm Tasmania Chardonnay 2021 (Tasmania, Chardonnay, mineral, sulfur, very saline, balanced texture)
• Zilzie ‘Platinum Edition’ Riverland Arinto 2022 (Riverland, Arinto, saline, not fruity like many Portuguese Arintos)
• Yelland & Papps Single Vineyard Barossa Roussanne 2022 (Barossa Valley, Roussane, creamy, balanced, bitter finish)

• Robert Oatley ‘Finisterre’ Margaret River Chardonnay 2022 (Margaret River, Chardonnay, mineral, oak, citrus, buttery)
• Moorooduc Pinot Gris on Skins 2022 (Mornington, Pinot Gris, fruity style orange wine, balanced, complex)
• Sidewood ‘Nearly Naked’ Rosé NV (Adelaide Hills, Shiraz, sparkling less than .5% alcohol, high acidity)

• Ashton Hills Piccadilly Pinot Noir 2022 (Piccadilly Valley, Pinot Noir)
• Stargazer Tasmania Pinot Noir 2022 (Tasmania, Pinot Noir, tabacco, ripe fruit)
• Anvers Adelaide Hills Gamay 2022 (Adelaide Hills, Gamay, coffee, ripe tannins)

• Sons of Eden East of Eden Grenache 2022 (Barossa Valley, Grenache, complex, red fruit, jammy style)
• Yangarra Ovitelli McLaren Vale Grenache 2019 (McLaren Vale, Grenache, balanced, matured, ripe tannins)
• Hidden Creek Granite Belt Shiraz Nouveau 2021 (Granite Belt, Shiraz)
• Sappling Yard Canberra Shiraz Viognier 2021 (Canberra, Shiraz/Viognier, aroma of eucalyptus)

• Mr Riggs ‘The Chap’ McLaren Vale Coonawarra 2017 (McLaren Value / Coonawarra, Shiraz / Cabernet, the only non-sparkling wine in the line up with a cork rather than a screw cap, jammy, berries, bold, ripe tannins)
• Fox Creek ‘Old Vine’ McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020 (McLaren Vale, Shiraz, mineral, sulfur, balanced, mature)
• Howard Park ‘Abercrombie’ Margaret River Mount Barker 2018 (Mount Barker, Cabernet Sauvignon, green bell pepper aroma)
• Mitolo Cinquecento McLaren Vale Sangiovese 2019 (McLaren Vale, Sangiovese, not like Italian Sangiovese)
• Gapsted Wines Ballerina Canopy Alpine Valleys Seperavi 2021 (Alpine Valleys, Saperavi)

• Campbell’s Rutherglen Topaque (Rutherglen, Muscadelle, sweet, high alcohol)
• Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat (Rutherglen, Muscat à petit grains, sweet, high alcohol)

This lineup clearly demonstrates that there is more to Australian wine than big, bold, and fruity. Even the McLaren Vale/Coonawarra Shiraz/Cabernet is nicely balanced (albeit also big, bold, and fruity). Many of the wines stand out for their minerality, balance, and elegance. There were some unusual (for Australia) grape varieties as well, like Arinto (Portugal), Sangiovese (Italy), Roussanne (Rhone, France), and Saperavi (Georgia — the country, not the US state).

My personal favorites were the Robert Oatley ‘Finisterre’ Margaret River Chardonnay 2022, the Bay of Fires Riesling Tasmania 2021, and the Brokenwood ‘ILR Reserve’ Hunter Valley Semillon 2014. I liked the Chardonnay because it reminded me of a Puligny-Montrachet or Meursault. The Riesling was unlike German Riesling, less acidic and with a different (sulfur-like) minerality, although it also had some petrol. Hunter Valley Semillon is a unique Australian style with low alcohol (11.7%) that shows its class when properly aged like this one (2014). It was also noteworthy that only one of the still wines had a cork (the Shiraz/Cabernet); all the others screw cap.

We ended the day with a cruise in the Sydney Harbour with a view of the Opera House aboard the Coral Trekker, followed by watching the fireworks in Darling Harbour. The food was nothing to write home about and featured well done cold ribeye steaks, barramundi fish, shrimp, and oysters. Of course we also enjoyed some more Australian wines.