Planning a tasting night of Australian wines

If you are planning a tasting night of Australian wines, there are a great range of options. Here are some ideas on how you can structure a wine night to truly showcase some of the  delicious Australian wines. 

Margaret River white wines

The Margaret River region is known for it's zingy and acidic white wines, particularly the SSB (semillon-sauvignon blanc) blends. These wines have been grown in the region for many decades and have won awards around the world for their high quality and unique taste profiles. They often complement interesting local seafood and can be a great accompaniment to a simple meal of grilled meats. They can also go well with Asian foods such as light curries and stir frys.

Barossa Valley Shiraz

The Barossa Valley is another famous wine growing region. It tends to be known for Shiraz varieties, although there are many red wines blends made in the region. The area was settled by Germans, and they initially made a traditional style of red wine. Over time, the Barossa Shiraz winemakers have developed a lighter and more quaffable style, which goes well with the Australian eating habits of lighter meals as well as the warmer Australian climate. The Barossa Shiraz has a light and fruity style, with lots of berry and spice notes. 

These tend to go well with lamb and lighter red meat meals, as well as going well with Indian meals and spicy dishes. 

Tasmanian pinots & sparkling wines

The mountainous and cool climates of Tasmania help winemakers to make some fantastic pinot noirs. These tend to have a warm and highly tannin based taste profile. Pinot noir can be a paired with traditional steakhouse meals, but also goes well with some of the native foods such as grilled kangaroo or game birds such as emu. 

Tasmania also has a growing production of sparkling wines, which have a more traditional taste and dry, yeasty profile compared to the warmer and more fruity and sweet sparkling wines that are made on the mainland. These can be a fun wine to blind test against a French champagne to let your guests choose the wine style that they most prefer. 

If you are looking to organise an Australian wine tasting event, you should contact a wine supplier. Choosing a range of wine styles for tasting from different regions can allow your tasters to the range of wines produced in different regions and appreciate the quality and complexity of the wines on offer.