Australia and New Zealand

Australia

Australia may be famous for its fruit-laden easy drinking wines but it's time to take another look. From boutique-style wineries making premium, artisanal wines that emphasise the local 'terroir' to a new-wave of truly modern producers putting the funk into Aussie wine there's a whole new world of wine to explore from Australia. 

First we'll taste a wine that delivers on the original Aussie promise of 'sunshine in a glass'. Then we'll compare it with some more modern-style wines that showcase a more restrained style of Australian wine. Finally we'll reveal yet another side to the gentle giant of the winemaking world as we taste one of the world's most unique dessert style wines. 

New Zealand

New Zealand took the world of wine by storm with it's promise of a fruit forward style of Sauvignon Blanc made with grapes grown in Marlborough but now grape growers and wine makers are exploring the varied terroir of this vast region.

First we'll taste a 2nd-wave NZSB that starts to tease out the nuances of grapes grown in Marlborough's cooler climate southern valleys. Then we'll go beyond Sauvignon Blanc and reveal the promise of other aromatic varietals that thrive in the long sunshine hours of New Zealand's moderate maritime climate. 

We'll finish on a high with a tasting of a fine Pinot Noir that shows how, when grown by the right hands in the right region, New Zealand is capable of making Pinot Noir to rival the best in the world. 

All of our themed evening tastings include a tasting of six or seven specially selected wines plus water biscuits and a nibble of cheese and/or charcuterie chosen to pair with a couple of the wines.