Australia To Follow France Into Vancouver

Organizers will announce today what many insiders already know, that Australia will be the designated theme country at the 29th edition of the festival scheduled for March 26 to April 1, 2007.

Tony Beatty, vice-chairman of the wine festival board, will officially announce Wine Australia's sponsorship of the 2007 theme "Australian Wine: A World of Difference."

Monica Ralphs, Wine Australia's regional director for Canada says, "With wines from cool climate regions, such as the Yarra Valley, Coonawarra and Tasmania to warmer sites including Riverland, Barossa and Hunter Valley, Australia is a continent of contrasts and we are delighted to bring that diversity to Canadians."

At just over $127 million in retail sales, the Australian wine juggernaut offers the festival an unparallel number of wines, wineries and regions to choose from and that alone should make for some lively selection committee meetings.

After granting the French contingent 60 booths this year, one can only imagine how festival organizers will keep the Australians under 100 booths. According to official RedBook sales data, in the period ending December 2005 Australia ranked first among all import wine categories in British Columbia, with 779,079 nine-litre cases in annual sales. This represents a 12.5-per-cent increase over the same period in 2004.

Nationally is where the big gains will be made next. Australia's wines rank third most popular, following France and Italy, with 4,243,095 cases sold over a 12-month period ending December 2005. This is a 17.4-per-cent increase over 2004.

It is hard to believe that next year's festival could be any more successful given the incredible response to 2006, but the lure of Down Under wines remains strong. In fact, given that B.C. is easily North America's most mature Australian wine market, 2007 represents a real opportunity for Australia to step away from the crocodiles, kangaroos and generic ad campaigns and get serious about delivering wines with an origin and a soul. We have seen the rest, now we are ready for the best.

Today we look at but six of the hundreds of label expected to be in Vancouver next year.

Interestingly, Yellow Tail, a brand that did not exist five years ago, now accounts for one out of every four bottles of Australian wine sold in B.C. and there doesn't seem to be any let up in interest in this brand. The latest addition, Yellow Tail Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2004, will only further stoke sales. It has an attractive contemporary lemon, floral, canned grapefruit, gooseberry nose. It's clean and fresh on the palate with bell pepper, grapefruit and grassy, lemon flavours and the finish is crisp and zippy, perfectly suited to seafood. In addition, the first Yellow Tail to be bottled under the reliable and easy to open screw-cap now looks as good as it tastes.

Long Flat Barossa Shiraz 2004 is another interesting wine. The former Tyrrell's brand was sold to the Cheviot Bridge, which has added a number of new labels such as this red from the Barossa Valley. Look for smoky bacon, tobacco, rosemary, resiny, black cherry notes and a juicy berry, floral, blueberry, minty, red licorice-mocha flavour. The finish is a mix of candied berries and crisp acidity. A commercial, fruity style for casual sippers.

Another old name that has resurfaced in a new package is the Hungerford Hill Fishcage Shiraz Viognier 2004. It has vibrant cherry, orange, blueberry, licorice, chocolate flavours with a long, fruity crisp finish. The intense fruit character, like a fruit jelly or chocolate cherry will attract the Aussie red wine drinkers.

A lovely ripe "Barossa" nose of black plum, blackberry and creamy vanilla aromas marks the Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz 2003. Its fat, ripe, round, textures are laced with mocha, tobacco, licorice, vanilla, blackberry and blueberry flavours. The finish is long and oaky, with some acidity and warmth showing through.

A big crushed black pepper nose tinged with barnyard, licorice root, clove and blackberry fruit signals Western Australia's Palandri Shiraz 2002 from Margaret River. Soft, round and smooth on entry with just a lick of sweetness. The flavours mix blackberry jam, pepper and coffee with a slightly warm or alcoholic finish but it remains fresh and well balanced. There are still some light tannins to shed but should be fine with duck breast, or grilled meats.

Penfolds Cabernet Shiraz Bin 389 Cabernet Sauvignon - Shiraz 2002 is a red wine to be reckoned with. The colour is black. The nose a mix of cassis, menthol, chocolate, vanilla and licorice aromas. The flavour offers hints of chocolate, tobacco, black olive and licorice with a tight mocha, resiny finish. Big and full with fruit. An excellent 389.

YELLOW TAIL SEMILLON SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON - SAUVIGNON BLANC 2004, SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA
Price: $12.99
UPC: 9322214009626
Score: 87/100
Remarks: The first Yellow Tail under screw cap that looks as good as it tastes.

LONG FLAT BAROSSA SHIRAZ 2004, BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Price: $16.99
UPC: 831039007094
Score: 86/100
Remarks: A commercial fruity style for casual sippers.

HUNGERFORD HILL FISHCAGE SHIRAZ VIOGNIER SHIRAZ - VIOGNIER 2004, AUSTRALIA
Price: $16.99
UPC: 9332095000636
Score: 87/100
Remarks: Intense fruit character, like a fruit jelly or chocolate cherry.

PETER LEHMANN BAROSSA SHIRAZ 2003, BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Price: $23.99
UPC: 32726001238
Score: 88/100
Remarks: Lovely ripe opulent 'Barossa' red wine.

PALANDRI SHIRAZ 2002, MARGARET RIVER, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Price: $26.99
UPC: 836023000006
Score: 89/100
Remarks: Crushed black pepper with black berry jam, and coffee flavours.

PENFOLDS CABERNET SHIRAZ BIN 389 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - SHIRAZ 2002, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA
Price: $36.99
UPC: 012354071209
Score: 90/100
Remarks: Big and full with fruit; a very fine 389.