Looking for a great barbecue red?
Australian shiraz, oozing soft, ripe berry fruit is easy to drink and ranges from the cheap and cheerful to the heights of fashion, style and price.
Some of the cheaper ones tend to be slightly stewed, jammy and sometimes coarse, although quite drinkable, while further up the scale they tend to be better structured and more complex, but there are some delicious mid-priced ones at around $20, or less on discount.
(about $15)
With juicy fruit, hinting of raspberries and other red berries with a suggestion of spice and tar and a clean finish, this is a lighter, but very drinkable wine.
Three stars (out of five)
Good value
(about $19)
Suggestions of eucalyptus, berry fruit and plums, are supported by spicy oak and a hint of dark chocolate and the finish is firm and lingering.
A nicely balanced wine rather than one to knock your socks off.
Four stars (out fo five)
Good value
(about $19)
With ripe fruit, spicy oak, hints of chocolate and tar, this is a stylish, mouthfilling wine with a firm finish.
Four stars (out of five)
Good value
(about $19)
Perfumed and hinting of boysenberries and blackberries with a touch of spice and mint, this is mouthfilling, if slightly jammy, and has a bright, crisp finish.
Three stars (out of five)
Average value
(about $20)
Orange is a cool-climate wine-growing area in the New South Wales highlands.
The cool climate gives a purity of fruit to this wine, which suggests berries and plums; it's soft at the front with a hint of tar and a bright, crisp finish.
Three star (out of five)
Average value
(about $29)
A perfumed wine, velvety smooth with mellow fruit suggesting red berries and plums rather than black fruit, supported by spicy oak and a suggestion of tar with a lively, supple finish.
It's more about structure, style and length than overt fruit. Delicious.
Four stars (out of five)
Average value
-Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tasting and evaluation is subjective.
These are personal recommendations. charmian.smith@odt.co.nz
