Wine Party/Australian Bargains
Thursday, March 5th, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
4 to 6 pm
$5.00 per person
Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030
We have happened upon some most excellent bargains from our Australian wine importers and will be showing them off this Saturday. The offering centers on the wines of South Australia and Victoria, the major wine producing regions in the country. Australia’s first vineyards were planted in 1788 in a small area near the Sydney Harbour Bridge in New South Wales. Today you will find vineyards throughout all 62 designated wine regions totalling 420,000 acres. Current export figures place Australia as the fourth largest exporter of wine, selling to more than 100 countries around the world and contributing $5.5 billion to the nation’s economy.
2006 Shoofly White Wine, Victoria
Regular price 13.50; Our price 9.99
Juicy, tropical Verdelho and exotically perfumed Viognier combine with dashes of Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling to provide a refreshing, succulent blend. Crafted by leading Australian winemaker, Ben Riggs, the 2006 Buzz Cut exhibits aromas of tropical fruit, apricot, and grapefruit. It is drinking well now and should last another year or so. It pairs well with flavorful seafood such as coconut shrimp, and with pork dishes with sautéed pears or chili spices.
2006 Annie’s Lane Riesling, Clare Valley, South Australia
Regular price 12.50; Our price 7.99
This Riesling is pale straw in color with green hues. The nose shows the classic, elegant characters of Clare Valley Riesling: dried lime rind, citrus and stone fruit. The palate is tight and elegant, with lime flavors dominating throughout. It can be enjoyed as an apéritif or as the perfect accompaniment to fruits de mer. Its impressive length and natural acidity will allow for graceful aging over the next 5 years.
2005 Andrew Peace Rosé, Murray River, South Australia
Regular price 5.99; Our price 1.99
The blend in this very dry rosé is Shiraz (55%) and Sangiovese (45%). It delivers lovely flavors of berries backed by hints of crisp green apples. It is an excellent accompaniment to shellfish dishes and other light meat fish, but rather dry to serve as an apéritif. It also serves well as a cooking wine for fish, poultry and pork.
2003 Ross Estate Grenache, Old Vine, Barossa Valley
Regular price 19.50; Our price 9.99
Ross Estate is one of my favorite Aussie wineries and wine-maker Rod Chapman does an excellent job here with grapes from vines up to 90 years of age. These low-yielding gnarled vines produce very high quality Grenache grapes which, with Rod’s help, become a rich succulent wine with concentrated flavors. The soft tannins frame the lovely ripe and spicy cherry fruit for a most pleasant sipping experience.
2005 St. Marys Red Wine, “Bells & Whistles”, Limestone Coast, SA
Regular price 15.95; Our price 9.99
The blend in this fun bottling is Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Shiraz (20%), Cabernet Franc (11%) and Merlot (4%). Dark ruby colored, it delivers a nose of spice box, clove, cassis, and black currants. It is full and quite rich on the palate. Black cherry flavors emerge to add a bit of complexity. Meant for near-term consumption, this attractive, forward wine should provide pleasure over the next 4-6 years.
2003 Koonowla Shiraz, Clare Valley, South Australia
Regular price 26.50; Our price 15.95
Koonowla is one of the six original wineries of Clare Valley, and only the best vineyard parcels were used for the grapes that made this wine. The bouquet is redolent with blackberry fruit, and hints of cedar spice. The palate has great depth balanced with ripe acidity and fine tannins. Robert Parker, Jr., of The Wine Advocate, gave this wine a 92-point rating: “The 2003 Shiraz, aged in equal parts American and French oak, exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, blockbuster-like force and richness, and noteworthy blackberry liqueur-like notes intermixed with white flowers, smoke, and asphalt. Chewy, heady, and rich, it is best drunk over the next 7-10 years. This is a seriously, impressive Shiraz.”
