Attributes:

Digger's Bluff

Barossa Valley, Australia/New Zealand

Syrah / Shiraz

750 ML

Food Matches:

North of Adelaide, this relatively warm region of South Australia is home to Australia’s largest winery. It is famous for its robust Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as rich Sémillon and Riesling (both of which are grown in the cooler hills).

Originally grown in France’s Northern Rhône Valley (where it is a noble variety) this grape has spread to Australia, California, Washington, Italy and Spain. In the Rhone region this grape produces deeply colored wines with full body and firm tannin, however in Australia, where it is known as Shiraz, the wines are lighter and fruitier. Aromas and flavors for these wines vary as much as their geographical breadth suggests: berries, smoked meat, bell peppers, even tar.

Australian name for the grape known as Syrah in France.

Attributes:

Andretti

Napa Valley, United States

Cabernet Sauvignon

750 ML

2004: WineEnthusiast Rating: 85

cassis, toasty oak

2002: WineEnthusiast Rating: 92

deep, rich

delicious

toasty oak

ripe, sweet

2002: WineEnthusiast Rating: 85

smooth, strong

2001: WineEnthusiast Rating: 92

2001: WineSpectator Rating: 88

black cherry, coffee, oak, spicy

2000: WineEnthusiast Rating: 89

solid

complex, rich

delicious

2000: WineSpectator Rating: 88

spicy

1999: WineEnthusiast Rating: 91

barnyard, blackberry, licorice, sage

Food Matches:

(cab er nay saw vee nyon)—This highly adaptable grape grows almost anywhere it is relatively warm, but the best wines come from the Burgundy region of France (where it is a noble variety), California, and Australia. It became famous through the red wines of the Médoc district of Bordeaux and is now grown in Washington, southern France, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes make wines that are high in tannin and medium- to full-bodied. Usually identified as having black currant or cassis flavors, the grape can also possess vegetal tones when the grapes are less than ideally ripe. The best wines are rich and firm with great depth, and are often aged for fifteen years or more. Because it is highly tannic, Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with other less-tannic grapes such as Merlot.

This tiny strip of land just north of San Francisco is home to America’s most prestigious wineries. Its climate is ideal for viticulture. Ironically, it was deemed too ideal for some vintners, who have moved their vineyards from the valley’s flat plain to the hills in the east and west, adhering to the idea that grapes that struggle to grow yield better wine. The climate, soil, and individual wineries are enormously varied, so it’s impossible to identify a singular trait of Napa wines. In addition, nearly every noble grape is grown here, although Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the primary grapes. In the past, Napa’s wines have alternated between extremely fruity and fat to lean and subtle. Today the best Napa wines have achieved a balance between these extremes. Many are made to be drunk young and have abundant ripe fruit; others can be initially hard and tannic, but soften over four or five years to perfumed, cedary fruit. White Napa wines are excellent with fresh-grilled fish and chicken, but can also cope with more spicy and creamy flavors. Many Napa reds will overwhelm delicate cuisine, but rich red meat and cheeses do make good companions.

Attributes:

Louis Jadot

Burgundy, France

Pinot Noir

750 ML

Food Matches:

or Bourgogne (bor guh nyeh)-this region in eastern France, known equally for the excellence of its red and white wines, consists mostly of small estates, or domaines. Although its climate and soil are particularly suited to the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, with Gamay dominant in the southern district of Beaujolais, Burgundy’s terroir is so varied that each vineyard creates distinctive wines. This wide variety accounts for not only the plethora of sublime wines coming from this region, but also for the relatively small production levels. There are five main districts in Burgundy: The Côte d’Or, The Côte Chalonnaise, Chablis, The Mâconnais, and Beaujolais. Red Burgundy is paler than Bordeaux, ranging in color from garnet to cherry or ruby, because the Pinot Noir grape has less color than the Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot grapes. It tends to be full in body and low in tannin. The characteristic aroma is cherries and berries, with woodsy, or mushroomy accents. When a red burgundy ages, it often develops a silky texture, richness, and natural sweetness of fruit flavors. Red Burgundies are great to drink young because of their softness and fruitiness, and they are incredibly versatile companions to food.

(pee noh nwahr)—A tricky grape to grow, Pinot Noir makes some of the best wines in the world. The prototype wine is red Burgundy from France but Oregon, California, New Zealand, and parts of Australia also produce good Pinot Noir. The wine is lighter in color than Cabernet or Merlot with relatively high alcohol, medium-to-high acidity, and medium-to-low tannin. Its flavors and aromas can be very fruity or earthy and woodsy, depending on how it is grown. It is rarely blended with other grapes.