Ned's Blog: The Adventure Continues in Northern Victoria

October 15th, 2011

After some rotten weather, the sky has cleared and James and I are preparing for a large north and central Victorian tasting. Victoria is the second smallest Australian state after Tasmania. While we shan't make it to the latter, similarly, much of Victoria is cool with swaths of granite punctuating a range of topsoils, some ferruginous and others richer. It is a serious source for #realaussiewine.

We are currently in Beechworth, home to the fine biodynamic producer Castagna, and the iconic Giaconda. Both of these vignerons craft wines of soul and longevity, evoking the violet, peat and cracked pepper of the northern Rhone in their Syrahs, while a smaller yet equally gifted producer, Sorrenberg, hones superb Gamays from a frigid zone with little but granite and cockatoos for company.

These wines are all geek wines to a degree, especially the Sorrenberg with its tiny backyard production facilities, yet these are also wine to evoke an Australia that to date has been largely ignored outside of her domestic press. James and I are fortunate to taste wines like these as explorers, forging greater recognition of wines that are as much of place and drinkability as any in the world.

Off to the Italian emigrant belt of the King Valley tonight. Stay tuned for some quirky Nebbiolos, Sangiovese and Arneis, and oh yes, go WALLABIES!

Ned Goodwin MW is a Master of Wine, sommelier and wine buyer who lives in Tokyo. He is bilingual in Japanese and English. Follow Ned on Twitter at @rednedwine.