I PICKED up a bottle of the Philip Shaw “Edinburgh” Sparkling wine ($30) the other day; the label is striking - an imaginative skull in fluoro colours - it stands out a mile; a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir it is a fresh yet complex wine, with the complexity coming from the time the base wine spent in barrel.
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It is one of the local sparkling wines that you should consider this Christmas.
The gang from Printhie have entered the market with the serious Swift, with both a non-Vintage ($40) and a 2010 Swift ($50).
The non-Vintage is stylish and refined and will be a wine for smoked salmon canapes come Christmas Day.
The packaging and web design is also stylish with a retro-deco look.
Logan have their 2009 Vintage “M” ($35), a fine copper colour from Pinot Noir grapes, it has fruit elements of both Pinot and Chardonnay and works well as both aperitif and with entree - I tried it with freshly shucked oysters recently and it went down a treat.
The Orange Region Sparkling ($20) from Chris Derrez makes for fresh, zesty drinking with a palate driven by cool climate Chardonnay fruit (it is a 100 per cent Chardonnay).
Dave Zinger has also produced a cracker at a similar price which will please the crowd this summer. Called Zing it got a silver medal at the Orange Wine Show in fairly strong company so is definitely worth a look.
Ross Hill has also released a serious fizz. The 2009 Ross Hill Vintage Brut ($36) is at the citrus, minerally end of the spectrum.
Three years on lees gives it complexity yet it is a fine, zesty aperitif. Charles Sturt, Cumulus, Borrodell and Tamburlaine also have local sparkling offerings.
We are spoilt for choice! Cheers and Happy Christmas.
