Angle It Services’s Blog

READING BETWEEN THE WINES:
Australia is another wine producing country known for its great taste and combined value. While the Aussies whip up several Old World specialties, they always deliver New World charm, style, and unmatched regional character.

Australia is best worshipped for its feisty, spice-full Shiraz. Not far behind are its oaky Chardonnays, sweet Rieslings, and rich Cabs. Aussie vintners are master blendsmen, intermingling some of the most creative and innovative blends on the market. In the past five years, Australia has become the number ten wine producer in the world and has upped its imports to the U.S. by four times.

Wine buffs are so optimistic that they’re predicting Aussie exports will double again in the next five. In other words, look out wine world, here comes Australia!

MAJOR AUSTRALIAN WINE REGIONS
Australia’s wine country prospers mostly “down under,” along its southern expanse. The major regions in Australia are
Western Australia (Margaret River, Pemberton)
New South Wales (Hunter Valley)
South Australia (Coonawarra, Clare Valley, Padthaway, Adelaide Hills, Barossa)
Tasmania
Victoria (Yarra Valley, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula, Goulburn Valley).

No previous wine had shocked, thrilled, entranced the world before with such brash, unexpected flavours of gooseberries, passionfruit and lime, or crunchy green asparagus spears.
— Wine writer Oz Clarke on New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc in his book Wine Atlas

New Zealand, hardly a speck in the world wide wineglass a few years ago, is another miraculous newbie in the international wine scene. When it strutted into the limelight, its wines made drinking them worth our time.

Mostly known for its whites (not that mouths abroad don’t water for its reds), New Z puts out vibrant Sauvignon Blancs and brilliant Chardonnays. Not far behind are the recent international “it” wine the New Z Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots, or the splendid blendeds of the latter two.

2004’s harvest is estimated to be two times the size of that of 2003, which means there may be hope for an up and coming New Zealand surplus. If all goes well, there’s no stopping them!

MAJOR NEW ZEALAND WINE REGIONS
New Zealand’s wine country covers the country from top of the top island to bottom of the bottom island. The major regions in New Zealand are Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, and Central Otago.