Jacob's Creek Grenache-Shiraz Price: $8 Grade: A- In the 1980s, Americans began to take a bigger interest in Australia. How could they not? Ridiculously sized cans of Foster's beer debuted in bars across the United States. Yahoo Serious wrote and directed a film supposing that Albert Einstein was actually an Aussie who stumbled upon the E=MC² formula while trying to make quality lager. Likewise, Paul Hogan starred in "Crocodile Dundee," a charming fish-out-of-water story about a backwoods Australian hayseed who finds it difficult to understand the cultural cues of New York City. Finally, Americans were left confused by footage of boxing kangaroos: Should we be amused or frightened by these fierce competitors of the squared circle?
Despite the merits of these imports, American attention should have been more focused on the developments of the Australian wine industry. Beginning in the late 1980s, Australia would go from having a nonexistent wine community to boasting one of the most vibrant and value-oriented wine markets in the world. In my opinion, the best wines at the cheapest prices are to be found in Australia.
The fact that Australia can make quality wine at cheap prices is surprising upon first inspection. First, more than 75 percent of Australia is desert land, which can sustain little, if any, agricultural activity. Most of the country's viticulture takes place in two small regions, New South Wales and South Australia, both located near Sydney in the southeast corner of the continent. Second, given that Australia is literally on the other side of the world, one would expect high shipping costs to be absorbed into the retail price of each bottle.
Yet, both of the preceding "handicaps" have not impeded the quality or quantity of wine, nor have they caused high retail prices. Why then is Australia wine so good and so cheap? Some answers include technology, climate and newness to the market. Australia has an outstanding climate for the production of wine. The weather does not vary between extreme temperatures as it does in the northern hemisphere, which is why vintage years are often not listed on the label; every year for the most part is a good one. Most of the rainfall occurs in the winter, leaving dry but not blistering summers for the ripening season.
As in many new world wine regions, which include the United States, South Africa and South America, Australia has applied new technology to its wine industry. Irrigation techniques and the use of harvesting machinery has greatly aided in cutting production costs. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, unlike France, Spain, Germany and Italy, Australia is not bound by strict production laws governing which kinds of grapes can be grown where. Australia is free to experiment with different grapes in disparate areas and can even mix the harvests from far-flung regions. These types of practices would be a mortal sin in Western Europe, where production is strictly controlled by region. For example, Burgundy, France stipulates by law that only Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay and Aligote grapes can be grown in the confines of the region. Australia, in contrast, allows growers to experiment in search of new blends and styles.
The second answer is overproduction in a saturated market. Not only is Australia making impressive amounts of wine each year, it also is shipping its entire product almost exclusively to the United States and Great Britain. In other words, Australian wine is cheap because there is a lot of it in the United States. This fact is quickly changing, however, as Europe -- formally the biggest wine market on the planet -- is beginning to import more Australian wine. With more markets, Australia will probably develop a nuanced price structure and the ability to market higher-priced wines.
The Jacob's Creek winery lies in the Barossa Valley region, located in the western portion of South Australia. The Barossa Valley is the best region in Australia for making the country's signature grape, Shiraz. To avoid confusion: Shiraz is the same grape as Syrah, the traditional grape of the Rhone Valley in France. After Syrah was imported to Australia from France, the Aussies began pronouncing it according to their dialect as "Shiraz." Do not hope for clarification soon; Australian and French winemakers will disagree and assert that the others are mispronouncing the word.
Although the Jacob's Creek Shiraz is quite excellent and cheap ($8 to $12), I have chosen to rate my favorite Australian wine, the Grenache-Shiraz blend. The two grapes combine to make a smooth, full-bodied wine that displays a spicy red berry character. Indeed, the Jacob's Creek Grenache-Shiraz is a classic example of how this blend should be. The nose (overall aroma) is pronounced with blackberry, blueberry, spice and a small amount of incense and strawberry. However, the palate is really where this wine shines. A complex mix of blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and earth (damp moss) is very noticeable upon tasting. As is usual with Australian red wine, the Jacob's Creek blend is full-bodied and viscous and has high levels of alcohol and tannin. Tannin, which creates the burning sensation in your mouth, enters the wine through the grape skins, the stems, the pips and the oak barrels used to store and age the wine.
Great wine is usually defined by a complexity of flavors and a balance of fruit, alcohol and tannin. To be sure, the Jacob's Creek blend has much flavor complexity and an impressive balance of attributes. The bottle sells for about $8, but I have seen it priced at $6. It is available everywhere, even in grocery stores like Harris Teeter. In my estimation, given the balance between quality and price, this Jacob's Creek Grenache-Shiraz is probably the best value-wine on the market.
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