The nations favourite is a glass of red made from Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. Blends of the two are recorded from the 1940s and we call it the Australian blend. A good choice because of all the globes wine regions the east-west orientation and latitude of Australia creates heat and what Shiraz and Cabernet need is a climate that creates full ripeness. You can make interesting Shiraz from warm vineyard sites in Tasmania to the Yarra Valley though none approach the intensity of flavour that is developed from districts along the Adelaidean-Mount Lofty Range. From these the best in our opinion is from the Barossa Valley and the recognition of how great they are will only grow in the decades ahead. Cabernet is said to reach its peak in cooler regions the Yarra Valley and Margaret River yet I am not so sure. The pleasure of Cabernet grown in the Barossa has been overlooked, those from the Clare Valley are sensational while Cabernet from the warm Hunter Valley reveals new dimensions.
The classic Australian blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon has been enjoyed since the 1940s, combining two varieties that thrive in our warm climate. Nowhere do they show greater depth and ripeness than in the Barossa Valley, where the intensity of flavour created by full grape maturity sets these wines apart from cooler regions. It remains one of the great and enduring styles of Australian red wine.
