6 Most Popular Australian Red Wines Everyone Should Taste

Australia has some of the most popular and most delicious red wines. Its beautiful and rich lands give winemakers the opportunity to grow high-quality grapes. This produces some of the most flavourful red wines such as Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Aglianico, Grenache and Barbera. Plus, with hundreds of winemakers all over the country, the possibilities are endless.

Shiraz

Australia has some really amazing red wines. They all have their own specific and unique flavours and aromas. However, Shiraz is one of the most popular ones. It’s a wine that represents Australia all over the world. Almost every Australian winery makes the unique and aromatic Syrah wine. With so many choices, it can sometimes become overwhelming to choose. But no matter which one you pick up off the shelf, you’re in for a delightful experience.

The Shiraz first came to Australia in the James Busby collection and it quickly became one of the favourites. With over 160 years of Shiraz history, The Barossa Valley is the leader in production. The dry and warm climate is the main reason for this success. This grape thrives wonderfully in other areas as well, that’s why there are so many varieties all over Australia.

Shiraz produced in Langhorne Creek has a more chocolaty flavour and a velvety finish. The ones made in Hunter Valley are medium-bodied and a bit savoury. The Canberra region is well known for its spicy varieties with natural high-acidity levels. When it’s grown in warmer climates, this grape reaps faster and gets darker. This gives the wine a luscious flavour.

When it’s grown in colder weather, it will taste savoury as a result of fewer tannins and the thinner skins of the grapes. To deliver the desired flavour, wine producers mix red fruits and white pepper instead of black fruits and black pepper. A combination like this results in a restrained and elegant wine.

When it comes to food pairings, you have plenty of options. Shiraz is best paired with kangaroo and beef, both mild-flavoured foods. It also works beautifully with fowl, lamb stew, vegetables and aged Gauda. It is very versatile and harmonises nicely with nearly every flavour profile. Even bartenders found ways to incorporate it in cocktails such as Ruby, Caruso, Blood and Tonic and Absinthe Special.

Pinot Noir

Australia saw a rapid rise in the popularity of Pinot Noir in the 1960s. Modern winemakers like expanding their knowledge of it and experimenting with its flavours and growing regions. But they must handle it extremely cautiously during the entire process if they are not to spoil the delicate flavour of the wine and harm the fragile skins of the grape.

The greatest places to grow pinot noir are Tasmania and the Macedon Ranges. This wine is powerful, nuanced, and refined. Try a pinot noir from the Mornington Peninsula if you’re looking for a smooth, flavourful wine. Invest in a bottle from the Adelaide Hills if you’re searching for something fruity, like cherries or berries. This wine has subtle cherry undertones rather than a bright hue. It matures well for over a decade and has nice tannins.

Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is referred to as “the king” of reds by many wine connoisseurs. Initially, the Margaret River and Coonawarra areas received their imports and cultivated them. Afterwards, it relocated to Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Langhorne Creek, and McLaren Vale. The wine has distinct and unique qualities depending on the region it grows in, similar to the Syrah.

Some of the few delicious flavours that go inside the cabernet sauvignon are plum, black cherry and black currant. Winemakers will add mint, cedar, or eucalyptus when they want to enhance its freshness. Of course, the climate determines the primary flavour and its intensity. This wine is a symbol of complexity and individuality, and if this is what you’re looking for in a wine, go for the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Aglianico

This is a red wine variety that can stand out when blended or dominant on its own. Even though it sometimes grows in warm or hot climates, it keeps its high acidity. This is the main thing that makes the Australian soil and climate perfect for growing Aglianico. Its thick skins give the wine high tannin levels and when combined with the high acidity levels, it creates a strong taste in your mouth.

However, as the wine ages, the tannins become less harsh and the actual flavours start to develop and come to life. Nowadays Murray Darling, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Riverina and Adelaide Hills are the regions that currently grow the best Aglianico in Australia. When it comes to flavour and aroma, the most popular ones are prunes, chocolate, blackberries, coffee, and herbs, with some notes of tar, smoke or iron.

Grenache

Once again, the James Busby collection is responsible for bringing Grenache to Australia. This is the red wine variety that kicked off the red wine frenzy all over Australia. Because of its high tolerance to drought, these vines can produce grapes in warm and sunny areas. Even when it’s grown under difficult weather conditions or on old vines, Grenache will have diverse and rich features.

Its jammy, raspberry, strawberry or cherry flavours are what makes it so special and distinctive. With undertones such as herbs, spice and pepper you get a unique drinking experience. Grenache can have high alcohol content, soft tannins and a medium body. You can pair it with Indian, Chinese or Thai food, BBQ, goat cheese, smoked almonds and even olives.

Barbera

It may surprise you to learn that Barbera plants can live up to 100 years and still produce excellent grapes. Indeed, these grapes are low in tannins and strong in acid. Because of the red fruits on it, including raspberries, strawberries, and cherries, the wine has a deep, captivating red tint. Some winemakers also add plums or blackberries for another layer of flavour.

Barbera wines are made to be fruity and consumed young. They can tolerate intense oak aromas because of the good balance between their acidity and fruitiness. Australian winemakers still have to do more research on this wine, but places like McLaren Vale, Hunter Valley, and Mudgee are producing some of the greatest Barbera the nation has to offer.