The Boutique Wine Lover's Wine Review from the Best Australian Online Wine Store for Retail Boutique Wine Shopping

Buy Wine Online

The benefits of buying wine online

Buy Wine Online: For some people, buying wine online brings up a whole range of fears and uncertainties. I've discovered that those fears are mostly related to not knowing what the wine will taste like. Nobody wants to make a mistake.

So, here's another viewpoint to consider...

When you buy wines at your local bottleshop, how do you make your selection? A bottle shop isn't generally setup like a cellar door, with all of the wines lined up ready for you to taste. When you choose a wine from a bottleshop, generally you can only make a choice based on what is on the label. Lots of people choose a wine based purely on what the bottle and label look like (or at least first impression are made at this point), which may not necessarily be a good representation for what the wine tastes like. (We've all heard the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover".)

Another option is to select a wine based on what wine experts or friends recommend. And considering that everyone's taste preferences are different, this isn't necessarily the best way to go about choosing a wine for you. Alternatively, you may select a wine based on what you've tried before. Not only can buying the same wine over and over again become boring, it also means you are missing out on a lot of fabulous Australian wines.

Compare this to buying wine online...

When you buy wine online you actually get a wider perspective on the wines that are available. It's a whole lot easier to find wines that you will enjoy and that are matched to your personal preferences. Here's why...

At Boutique Wineries you can:

Select a wine based on your preferences for wine taste, e.g. choose whether you like a dry or sweet wine; a low tannin or high tannin wine; a no oak or heavy oaked wine; a low or high acid wine; and a short or long palate wine. You can do this at the "Wine Characteristics" search.
Select a wine to match the food you will be eating. You can do this at the "Match Wine with Food" search.
Personalise your search according to the region, variety, vintage and price range you prefer. You can do this at the "Advanced Search".
Review how many awards the wines have received.
Review the tasting notes for each wine.

And you can see an image of the wine bottle and label, just as if you were at the bottleshop.

Given all of this, you actually get more information about the wines and whether or not you will like them when you buy wine online. This means you can make an informed choice, rather than a stab in the dark!

Enjoy your wines!

Best Wine Varieties for a Wine Region - Part 2 of 2

The best wine varieties for a wine region

Here is another general rule of thumb for determining best wine varieties for certain climates...

Very Hot (over 23 oC) climates are best for fortified wines
Hot (21 - 23 oC) climates are best for early drinking wines
Warm (19 - 21 oC) climates generally have short to medium-term cellaring potential and can also be drunk young
Cool (17 - 19 oC) climate wines have good acids and tannins when young, and will cellar well.
For cold (below 17 oC) climate wines, the actual vintage is important for cellaring.

Heat requirements for ripening different wine varieties are...

1,100 HDD = Pinot Gris
1,150 HDD = Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdelho, Pinot Noir
1,200 HDD = Riesling, Semillon, Durif, Zinfandel
1,250 HDD = Chenin Blanc, Marsanne, Viognier, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sangiovese, Shiraz
1,300 HDD = Cabernet Sauvignon
1,350 HDD = Grenache1,400 HDD = Tarrango

Although the above is given as a guide for different heat requirements for different varieties, there are actually no defined minimum and maximum heat units for grapegrowing because other factors can come into the equation.

Vineyards extend all over Australia, covering many different types of soils, climate conditions and grape varieties. This diversity serves to create an infinite range of taste sensations for us very appreciative wine drinkers.

Best Wine Varieties for a Wine Region - Part 1 of 2

The best wines for a wine region

The best wine styles for a wine region is largely determined by the climate of that wine region. So, the wineries will tend to choose wine varieties that are best suited to their region's climate.

If the wine region is too cold and lacking in sunshine for the particular variety, then the resulting grape sugars (formed during photosynthesis) will be too low to produce the required alcohol content during fermentation. And, red grapes will lack skin clour and flavour.

If the wine region is too hot, the vines will become stressed and shed their leaves, preventing photosynthesis. The resulting grapes lack sugar content for sufficient alcohol production. And, grapes will burn due to a lack of leaf cover on the vineyards.

Different grape varieties require different amounts of heat to ripen. Too much heat for a cool-climate variety can be detrimental for the grapes. In the same way, too little heat for a warmer variety can also be detrimental.

So, here is a general rule of thumb for determining the best wine varieties for a wine region...

Hot climate wines are usually low in acid and tannins; high in sugar/alcohol and colour; short lived; and "drink-now" style wines.

Cool/Cold climate wines are usually high in acid and tannins; lower in sugar/alcohol and colour; and often need cellaring time for acids and tannins to soften.

So, armed with this knowledge, you can use the numbers below as a comparison of climate conditions for some of Australia's wine regions...

(MJT = mean January temperature, HDD = heat degree days)
Heat degree days (HDD) = ((Mean daily temperature for the months during the growing season ) minus 10 oC) multiplied by the number of days in the months of the growing season. In Australia, the grape growing season is October through to April.

Hunter Valley (NSW): MJT = 22.7 oC, HDD = 2,050 oC
Clare Valley (SA): MJT = 21.9 oC, HDD = 1,770 oC
Barossa Valley (SA): MJT = 21.4 oC, HDD = 1,710 oC
Margaret River (WA): MJT = 20.4 oC, HDD = 1,690 oC
Canberra (ACT): MJT = 20.2 oC, HDD = 1,410 oC
Coonawarra (SA): MJT = 19.6 oC, HDD = 1,430 oC
Adelaide Hills (SA): MJT = 19.1 oC, HDD = 1,270 oC
North Tasmania: MJT = 17.2 oC, HDD = 1,020 oC
South Tasmania: MJT = 16.8 oC, HDD = 1,000 oC

Continued in "Best Wine Varieties for a Wine Region - Part 2 of 2"

Today's Wine Ratings: Parish Hill Wines

Wine ratings for Parish Hill Wines

In today's wine ratings post, I will focus on one of the wine varieties from Parish Hill Wines ... Nebbiolo. Although not as widely known as a Shiraz, Nebbiolo is an Italian red grape variety that has been around for centuries and was enjoyed by the Roman empire, dating back to 1235. Nebbiolo wines are full flavoured and can age well.

Parish Hill Wines are producing some excellent examples of the Nebbiolo wine variety, as you can see from the following medals and reviews:

Medals for the 2003 Nebbiolo
Bronze - Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show, Nov. 2004
Bronze - Australian Small Winemakers Show 2004

The Advertiser - Adelaide - 16th March 2005
Parish Hill Piccadilly Valley Nebbiolo 2003
92 points
13.6 per cent alcohol
screw cap
The mysterious, prehistoric nebbiolo comes from misty northwestern Italy - much like the hillsides where Andrew Cottel and Joy Carlisle grew this juicy, audacious number. Its fruit is like aniseed rings and blackcurrant gums; its palate sinuous and sensual; its tannin fine, perfectly drying and persistent. It's delicious with rye bread, pickled walnuts, dried figs and Adelaide Hills Blue cheese.

The Advertiser - Australia's top 100 wines - November 23, 2005
Parish Hill Piccadilly Valley Nebbiolo 2003
93 points
13.6 per cent alcohol
screw cap
Mint and menthol, anise, wintergreen and peppermint edging give zip and vim to the blueberry, cherry and raspberry fruits that give this naughty nebbi its soul. Perfectly reflective of its cool, high source, just hanging out for a spell of cellar and the chance to offer neat counterpoint to something off the wall, like spicy port and taro.

Parish Hill Wines' Nebbiolo and other wine varieties are available at http://www.boutiquewineries.com.au/winery/parishhillwines

Today's Winery Review: Catherine Vale Vineyard

Winery Review for Catherine Vale Vineyard

Catherine Vale Vineyard is a boutique winery located between Broke and Bulga in the well-recognised wine region of Hunter Valley in New South Wales.

Owners Bill and Wendy Lawson are producing some fabulous wines and they are being well-recognised for their efforts. Their wines are receiving many awards such as those shown below... and these are just a small collection of the awards they have received so far. The wine awards just keep coming...

2004 Semillon
Silver 2005 Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show

2004 Verdelho
4 Star Winestate Magazine Hunter Tasting August 2005

2004 Chardonnay
3 Star Winestate Magazine Hunter Tasting August 2005
Bronze 2005 Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show

2003 Semillon
3 Star Winestate Hunter Judging 2004
Silver 2005 NSW Small Winemakers' Show ( Best of Class)
Silver 2005 Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show

2003 Gabrielle Dolcetto
4 1/2 Stars Winestate Italian Judging
Bronze 2004 Hunter Valley Wine Show

2003 Winifred Barbera
3 1/2 Stars Winestate Magazine Hunter Judging 2004
2004 RASQ Mediterranean Challenge Overall winner Class 4
RASQ 2004 Mediterranean Challenge Bronze Medal
Bronze 2005 Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show

2003 Chardonnay
4 stars Winestate Hunter Judging 2004
Bronze Medal NSW Small Winemakers' and Hunter Valley Boutique Winemakers' Show
Silver 2004 NSW Small Winemakers' Show
Silver 2004 Hunter Valley Boutique Winemakers Show
Silver 2005 Cairns Wine Show
Silver 2005 Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show
Silver 2005 Cairns Wine Show
Bronze 2005 Hunter Valley Wine Show
Bronze 2005 NSW Small Winemaker's Show

Bill and Wendy Lawson set up Catherine Vale Vineyard in 1993 after finishing successful teaching careers in Sydney. Their vineyards were first planted in October 1993, including Semillon and Chardonnay grapes which were planted on 3 different rootstocks. Semillon and Chardonnay grow extremely well in the Hunter Valley. It really has been a family affair, with friends helping to plant their vineyards.

Verdelho and the Italian Red varieties Dolcetto and Barbera were planted in 1998 and award-winning wines from these varieties are now also available.

Catherine Vale Vineyard now have 10 acres of vineyards planted, including 4 acres of Chardonnay, 4 acres of Semillon and 1.2 acres of Dolcetto and 0.8 acres of Barbera.

The boutique wines from Catherine Vale Vineyard are available online at http://www.boutiquewineries.com.au/winery/catherinevalevineyard

What is a Late Harvest Botrytis Wine?

Late Harvest Botrytis Wines

What is a Late Harvest Botrytis wine? Well, Botrytis cinera or "Noble Rot" is a fungus that grows on fruit. In cool, moist, autumn conditions, the Botrytis fungus can attack white grapes, turning them pink and making them shrivel. This concentrates and intensifies both the sugar and flavour of the grapes. The Botrytis also keeps the acid levels of the grapes high, which prevents the resulting wines from being too sweet.

A sweet Botrytis dessert wine is not a "sweetened dry wine". The wines that are made from botrytis exposed grapes are naturally sweet. They are meant to be drunk with desserts, fruits and cheeses.

The Botrytis changes the makeup of the grape, so wines made from grapes with botrytis fungus are not only sweet, they also have an intense honey flavour. They can also be described as having "apricot" and "marmalade" characters.

Few winemakers will actually attempt to make botrytis wines. This is because the fungus requires specific weather conditions and the grapes have to be left on the vineyard for longer periods of time (hence the term "Late Harvest"), risking loss of the entire crop.

Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Semillon and sometimes White Frontignac grape varieties are used, depending on which grapes actually get the botrytis infection.

Go to Late Harvest Dessert Wines and search for Dessert Wines, Late Harvest Wines or Botrytis Wines under "Varieties" for some excellent examples of a botrytis wine.