London Wine Trade Fair tastings highlight premium wines from three Australian regions
Three fascinating themes were chosen to mark Wine Australia’s return to the London Wine Trade Fair this year with three pop-up tastings highlighting the evolution of premium Australian wine.
The trade fair, which last year attracted more than 11,000 people, was held at Kensington Olympia from 3–5 May 2016.
Wine Australia hosted three one-hour pop-up tastings exploring Gems of the Riverland, Great Southern at a Glance and McLaren Vale’s Grenache Greats. They were presented by Australian wine expert Philip Reedman MW, Cherubino Wines founder Larry Cherubino and The Wine Detective blogger Sarah Ahmed respectively. This was the first year the fair offered the opportunity for pop-up tastings.
The Riverland was represented with several alternative varieties including Bassham Wines’ Lagrein 2013, Whistling Kite Wines’ Montepulciano 2013 and Byrne Vineyards’ blend of Muscadelle, Chenin Blanc, Colombard and Semillon.
From Great Southern, Castle Rock’s Estate Pinot Noir 2012, Robert Oatley’s Great Southern Syrah 2013 and Single File’s Reserve Chardonnay told the story of this diverse Western Australian region.
Although Grenache accounts for just 1 per cent of total production, the McLaren Vale Grenache Greats tasting showed guests why it’s now one of the country’s most celebrated varieties with Wirra Wirra’s The Absconder 2014, Angove’s War Boys 2014 and d’Arenberg Derelict Vineyards Bush Vine Grenache 2012, among other exceptional wines.
Wine Australia EMEA Head of Market Laura Jewell MW said the pop-up tastings were an opportunity to strengthen the Australian presence at the fair.
‘These tastings illustrated how diverse Australia’s wine regions are and helped to open up the world of Australian wine to members of the UK trade who were perhaps unfamiliar with our unique and eclectic styles’, she said.
‘We’re delighted to team up with such knowledgeable presenters to continue to tell the premium Australian wine story in the UK.’