Oz Has Some Great Wines

[JoeKitchen]

Got back from Australia yesterday and had a blast.  It really is a great place to visit and if you have the flexibility to be able to schedule a long vacation there knowing you will be spending a full day getting there and another getting back, I would recommend it.  Although I can understand why this would be a deterrent for most. 

But if you go, I would recommend visiting the Yarra Valley and doing some wine tasting.  Most Australian wines are not exported, due to a 30% export tax Australia puts on its wineries.  (Why a country would cobble its own industry with a tax like this is beyond me.  )  So we in the USA only really have access to the mass produced ones.  But, like with so many other things, the wines that really shine are the ones from smaller operations.  Over three days we visited 18 wineries, and with one exception, I thought all were great. 

(That one exception was Domaine Chandon, which is owned by the same company that owns Moët & Chandon.  This winery produces only sparkling wine, and after tasting other Aussie sparkling wine, I thought they are too much trying to be Champagne instead of embracing the Yarra wine culture.  Still though, great wine if you like the sparkling variety.) 

Unfortunately I only had enough room to bring back 15 bottles.    

[Jeremy Roussak]

We have huge amounts of it in the UK, and I do my best to keep our stocks low.

There's an interesting discussion of Australian wines here. It's a tad out of date, sadly.

Jeremy

[JoeKitchen]

We have huge amounts of it in the UK, and I do my best to keep our stocks low.

There's an interesting discussion of Australian wines here. It's a tad out of date, sadly.

Jeremy

That's great. 

[Rob C]

Got back from Australia yesterday and had a blast.  It really is a great place to visit and if you have the flexibility to be able to schedule a long vacation there knowing you will be spending a full day getting there and another getting back, I would recommend it.  Although I can understand why this would be a deterrent for most. 

But if you go, I would recommend visiting the Yarra Valley and doing some wine tasting.  Most Australian wines are not exported, due to a 30% export tax Australia puts on its wineries.  (Why a country would cobble its own industry with a tax like this is beyond me.  )  So we in the USA only really have access to the mass produced ones.  But, like with so many other things, the wines that really shine are the ones from smaller operations.  Over three days we visited 18 wineries, and with one exception, I thought all were great. 

(That one exception was Domaine Chandon, which is owned by the same company that owns Moët & Chandon.  This winery produces only sparkling wine, and after tasting other Aussie sparkling wine, I thought they are too much trying to be Champagne instead of embracing the Yarra wine culture.  Still though, great wine if you like the sparkling variety.) 

Unfortunately I only had enough room to bring back 15 bottles.   

Joe, at last I understand the reason for the contents of your political posts in the other sections of Coffee Corner; all is forgiven.

;-)

[JoeKitchen]

Joe, at last I understand the reason for the contents of your political posts in the other sections of Coffee Corner; all is forgiven.

;-)

Well, your not suppose to swallow the wines when doing a tasting ... but some rules are meant to be broken. 

To be honest though, my wife and I are putting ourselves on a detox for a little while.  Water and vegetables for the next month at least. 

[LesPalenik]

Unfortunately I only had enough room to bring back 15 bottles.   

15 bottles sounds great. Canada allows importation of only two wine bottles per person. From Europe, USA or any other country.

[JoeKitchen]

15 bottles sounds great. Canada allows importation of only two wine bottles per person. From Europe, USA or any other country.

So only two, or you can bring in as many as you want but pay duty after the first two? 

I do know you guys are pretty draconian with cigars, but I would be quite surprised (and sad for you as well) if two was the absolute limit. 

We have to pay duty on over four bottles I believe, but I was able to get by customs without paying anything thanks to those automatic kiosks.  I have a foldable wine suitcase made to hold 12 bottles worth of styrofoam wine packaging (which you buy when arriving).  This case though is bright red and has on it "The Wine Check" with wine bottles printed on it.  I was certain there was no way I would get past customs without paying duty.  Well God bless automation! 

Additionally, I was also waiting at the baggage pick up half sure the case would ride up the carousel wet and dripping, but not a single bottle broke. 

[LesPalenik]

I think, it is possible to bring more wine to Canada if you pay duty and taxes, but it may be not worth all the hassle.
In central Europe, you can drive a few hours to France or Italy and bring the full trunk of wine (or beer from Prague).

[chez]

15 bottles sounds great. Canada allows importation of only two wine bottles per person. From Europe, USA or any other country.

You can bring back more...you'll just be taxed to the hilt on them.

[Rob C]

Well, your not suppose to swallow the wines when doing a tasting ... but some rules are meant to be broken. 

To be honest though, my wife and I are putting ourselves on a detox for a little while.  Water and vegetables for the next month at least.

One of the great joys of our annual, or sometimes twice-annual drives up from Spain through France to Scotland was buying boxes of some wine with which we had fallen in love with en route. One such was a dry white from the French side of the Pyrenees from a region near Lourdes known for its sweets. My sister-in-law is very interested in cooking - and good at it - and we'd bring her some French goodies...

You know, one of the pleasures of growing old (if you've had a lucky life) is enjoying memories. What a drag, flying down to some Med beach resort and missing all the wonders of the little villages and delicacies the villagers take for granted, all to give yourself a bad head and skin cancer. Travelled all my life, but never, ever enjoyed it as much as when my wife and I began to do it by road. As I have mentioned before, our own versions of Route 66. Jesus, I have been so blessed, way beyond anything I could have achieved on my own. Those who say luck doesn't exist have simply not experienced much of it.

Rob

P.S.

Just walked home and looked at the map to find the name of that Pyreneean wine: Jurançon!

As I left the bar just now, after lunch, I said to the owner - hasta mañana, see you tomorrow. He said maybe not: the fuzz might have to close everywhere because of Corona. Oh well, if it doesn't get me my own cooking might! Assuming anywhere will be open to buy stuff, that is.