Wine tasting with Chateau Tanunda

Happy Wine Wednesday! I am behind on blogging in general but especially on recaps of all of the wine tastings I have been participating in over the past month. The UPS man must have raised an eyebrow once or twice as he delivered box after box of wine to our house! All in the name of blog research!

I recently joined TasteLive for a tasting with Chateau Tanunda Estate, wines from the Barossa Valley. One of the most fun things about this virtual tasting was that winemaker Stuart Bourne joined us live from Chateau Tanunda, answering questions, sharing our tasting notes, talking about food pairings, and being really fun and funny with a great Australian accent.

Château Tanunda was introduced into the United States in 2010 and has since become one of the most acclaimed Australian wineries in the market, ranking at #4 in Wine Spectator’s top 100 outstanding value wines for 2011 and listed in Wine Advocate as one of Australia’s top 20 producers.

• These wines are a GREAT value. Price points on the wines we tasted are all under $20
• Chateau Tanunda makes wines that are elegant but also big and a lot of fun. I haven’t been to Australia (dying to go!), but when I drink Australian wine I think of it going with all sorts of different types of great food, sunshine, and fun people. This tasting was just a preview of that spirit.

We tasted the following Chateau Tanunda wines:

Grand Barossa Riesling 2010 ~ $16 – This Riesling is definitely one of my new favorite white wines. It is a luscious, lime-laden wine with some nice body and a long, juicy finish. I can definitely see it going perfectly with my tropical Island Time Shrimp Salad.

Grand Barossa Shiraz 2010 ~ $18 – While I love the Syrah grape, I tend to associate Shiraz with lower end Australian brands and usually pass it by. I am glad I got to taste this Shiraz, however. High-quality, hand-selected grapes make for a wine bursting with flavor but also nicely balanced. Notes of pepper, spice, earth, and dark berries make it a perfect match for espresso steak tips.

Grand Barossa Cabernet 2010 ~ $18 – Talk about great value; a Cab with this many layers for $18 is a complete steal. This wine is rich and velvety with flavors of cocoa and spice, ripe black cherries, with a hint of herb and spice. I would park a bottle next to the grill and a plate of Summer Steak Stacks or cozy up with a bottle of this, some family and friends, and a slow cooked roast. It’s a fantastic winter wine made for pairing and sharing!