Winestate Magazine

Launched in 1978, Winestate is one of the world’s longest running wine magazines, featuring over 140 pages on all things vinous from around the globe. Winestate tastes and rates over 10,000 wines a year, making Winestate the leading authority on Australian and New Zealand wines.

Winestate Magazine

editorial

briefs

nz briefs • what’s happening in the NZ wine scene

NEW WORLD ORDER

EFFORT EQUALS REWARDS

ROAD TRIP NSW - THE PLEASURES ON OUR OWN DOORSTEP

TO THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUM • SETTING A SUCCESSFUL RHYTHM FOR THE RIVERLAND AND BEYOND

AN EMERGING WORLD • WITH THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE THE IMPORTANCE OF EMERGING VARIETIES CANNOT BE UNDERESTIMATED.

BEST OF A Beautiful Bunch

category winners

FINAL TOP 10

AND THE WINNERS ARE… • FROM MORE THAN 4OO SHIRAZ/SYRAH & BLENDS TASTED THESE ARE TRULY THE CREAM OF THE CROP.

brisbane grapevine

hong kong grapevine

sydney grapevine

melbourne grapevine

adelaide grapevine

SOUTHERN CROSS CERTIFIED • BEN COPEMAN, CO-FOUNDER OF SXC AND CEO MATT BIRD, CO-FOUNDER OF SXC AND CHIEF CERTIFICATION OFFICER

WHAT’S IT WORTH? • Prices listed are exceptional auction highs and do not include buyer’s premium.

SWEET WHITE & FORTIFIED • Sweetness is one thing, balanced sweetness of acids and sometimes tannins is another. The best table wines with natural fruit or added sugar have this balance. For our world class fortifieds the proof is in the pudding (pun intended) and these are a joy either as sippers or with high quality desserts.

WORLD’S GREATEST SYRAH & SHIRAZ CHALLENGE XV • A great judging of this great variety, with the best numbers we have seen for a while. Here we see an amazing array of wines covering all price categories, all quality levels across all styles. If you can’t get excited by this you must be very hard to please. Read on!

ADELAIDE HILLS

ADELAIDE HILLS • A very fashionable cool climate region that is hitting its straps in the quality stakes as winemakers get a handle on the nuances of the fruit from the high and low valleys involved. Also becoming a great tourist destination.

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EMERGING VARIETALS • EVA’s and AVA’s (Emerging and Alternative Varietals) are always a most interesting judging involving more obscure varietals than you can count across a range of different styles. This is where you need to do your research and make sure you look at the reviews.

RIVER REGIONS - SA, VIC & NSW

RIVER REGIONS • This is where the biggest volume of wine produced in Australia comes from. It gives us great value quaffing wines but during good vintages and with quality winemaking skill the regions can also produce high quality wines to match it with the best. Don’t underestimate them!

SOUTH ISLAND (NELSON & CANTERBURY)

SOUTH ISLAND (NELSON & CANTERBURY) • Nelson and Canterbury are small wine regions, accounting for under 10% of the South Island’s total vineyard area, which is concentrated in Marlborough and to a far lesser extent in Central Otago. However, Nelson and Canterbury are the home of over 100 wineries, mostly small and quality-focused, producing outstanding cool-climate wines, white and red.

HOW WE JUDGE • WINESTATE MAGAZINE TASTING CRITERIA OUR STAR RATING SYSTEM

MICHAEL COOPER RECENT RELEASES • Three classic regional styles – Hawke’s Bay chardonnay, Hawke’s Bay syrah and Central Otago pinot noir – provided the highlights of the latest releases from New Zealand. The tasting also included several impressive Marlborough wines, from pinot noir, chardonnay and (naturally) sauvignon blanc.

the wine & spiritinsider

WHITE SPIRITS • An interesting and topical...