Victoria Pinot Noir

I think we all went through our Australia-phase at the same time. It was right around 2002/2003. Parker was rating everything under the sun more than 90 points - and this is back when we still trusted him. I know I bought my fair share of 93 point Shiraz for $15 when I was just learning what it was all about. So, for awhile, I drank all those syrupy 16% alcohol port-like wines and tried to convince myself that they really were good wines because they must be if Parker said so.

Flash forward to 2010. I can't sell a bottle of Aussie Shiraz to save my life. Everybody is over it - been there, done that! Argentina, Chile and Spain are the homes to great value now. And not even Mr. Parker can get us to buy them because a 93 point score does not a good wine make.

During the latter half of last year and into this year, I was participating in a series of seminars put on by the Australian Wine Commission to revitalize the interest in Australian wines here in the states. It was a great experience and I learned quite a lot. The very first day, they poured Rieslings and Pinot Noirs. Australian Pinot Noir?!!! I was practically running out the door. But I was astounded at the balance and restraint of these wines. AND - they had such wonderful acidity!

So, I decided to participate in a promotion with them, showcasing Victoria Pinot Noirs by the glass at Jar. We've been running it since the beginning of June and the response has been great. Although, I must admit that I list the wines as being from Mornington Peninsula (not Australia...)

Victoria is the region at the Southeast tip of Australia. It's the smallest and most southerly region on the mainland (the island of Tasmania is actually more south and even smaller). Having so much exposure to the coast, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay do pretty well here. I'm not sure of the exact count, but they've got well over 200 producers here. Not bad for a region you've probably never tried a wine from!

For our entry-level Pinot at Jar, we are using the Cooralook Pinot 2009 from Mornington Peninsula and Strathbogie Ranges. It's young and fresh with candied red fruit - think Jolly Rancher cherry and Strawberry Twizzlers. But it also has this underlying herb tone and a little spice that reminds me of BBQ. Great value for the money. We're selling it for $10 a glass.

The real surprise is the Stonier Pinot Noir 2005, also from Mornington Peninsula. This jumps up to $15 a glass, but boy is it worth it! For true Pinot-lovers! It looks like a dark rose (very light in color). Elegant red fruits of sour cherry, cranberry and plum. A significant dollop of mushroom and earth, those same roasted herbs from the Cooralook that are more evolved. The real hook to this wine is how much elegance, balance and femininity it shows. The complete opposite of what I'd expect from an Aussie Pinot. You just don't see Pinot like this from the New World.

The great news is that as a result of participating in this promotion, a lot of people got exposed to some cool Pinot Noir they might never have tried. And yours truly is being flown to Australia to by the Australian Wine Commission to further enhance my studies of the big island. I'm obviously very jazzed about it, having not been to Oz yet. There will be plenty of stuff to read about it come next March/April if you and I are both still around.

I LOVE waking up to an e-mail that says I'm being flown across the world to drink some awesome wines! How could work be any better...?