4/15/2014 I thought I knew nothing about wine tasting - here's why I was wrong.

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Freya KingSunday 13 April 2014 8:05am

McGuigan wines. They’re kind of a Big Deal.

How to enjoy wine intelligently (but

without being a total douchebag).

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When ourEditor-in-chief, Jamila, told me I was going to the HunterValley for a weekend of wine tasting, I couldn’tsay yes fast enough.

Then I found out I’d be having lunch and a chatwith Neil McGuigan.

This is the guy who runs the winery responsiblefor the best white wine in the world (2005).That’s right. The best in the world. Not justAustralia – although they did win that too – butthe world.

The. Entire. World.

Basically, if goon bags are the Crocs of the wineindustry, the wine McGuigan’s produces is prettymuch a pair of Louboutins.

Great. I figured I was going to spend theweekend being spoken down to by some wanker who liked throwing around words like “robust” and“tannins”.

Before heading to the Hunter, I knew two things about wine.

1. I liked it.

Home Social How to enjoy w ine intelligently (but w ithout being a total douchebag).

4/15/2014 I thought I knew nothing about wine tasting - here's why I was wrong.

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Freya and Neil McGuigan.

2. I really liked it.

Ok so I knew one thing, which I assumed meant I basically knew nothing.

I couldn’t have been more off the mark.

Wining and dining with Mr McGuigan was a genuinely lovely experience. Rather than intimidating mewith pretentious, wine rhetoric, he shared his passion. Neil’s love of wine was infectious (admittedlyI’d already caught that disease before turning up).

I expected to come away from myweekend to write an article about tryingto remember which food was best suitedto a Shiraz and what wine I should beable to taste “oak” in. But after walkingthrough the wineries, speaking with thewine makers, meeting Neil, talking to histeam at the Cellar Door and doing myfair share of glass swirling – I realisedthe wine business has a whole lot moreheart and humility than we give it creditfor. At the end of the day, the peoplebottling your favourite drop have a lotmore in common with the everydayfarmer - what they want is to produce agreat product.

Here are a few key tips I picked up frommy weekend away.

You cannot be wrong.

It’s your palate, so nobody can tell youwhich wine you should be drinking, just go with what you prefer. Stick to what you like and ask for it. Iknow that I like medium-full bodied reds with lots of oak, so that’s what I ask for.

Read the label.

If you’re trying to gain an appreciation for wine or train your palate, the best thing you can do is readthe label. Not only will it help you pick out flavour notes and appreciate the subtle differences inwines, it is also a great place to start in terms of buying a wine you know you’ll like. The label willnormally give you a good indication of what the wine will be like, soft, fruity, etc. So pay attention toit.

Talk to the experts.

Whether you’re at the Cellar Door or at your local bottle shop, the people working there are trainedto help you. Make them your best friend. It’s their job to help you find a drop you’ll enjoy. Don’t beintimidated, just tell them what you like and they should handle the rest. At McGuigan’s Cellar Door,a lovely lady called Margot really took care of us, taking us through wines based on what we likedand pushing our palates to try new things. I ended up buying two bottles of white when I normallydrink red because Margot was so good at identifying what I liked. I wanted to put her in my bag andtake her home.

Ignore the wine/food matching rules.

If you don’t like red wine but drink it because you think it goes with steak, stop that rightnow. There’s

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Enjoy your wine with cheese.

Any cheese. All the cheeses.

Freya with her boyfriend Paddy.

NextPrevious

so muchvariety in winethat you canfind athousandwines that willtaste good withwhat you’reeating. Neilsays if you likethe wine andyou like thefood – that’s allthe match youneed.

Buy the$10 bottle of wine.

If you like a $10 bottle of wine, lucky you! Buy itand be proud of it, there’s nothing wrong withembracing what you like and it doesn’t meanyou have cheap taste. When I was in the Hunter,I bought a bottle of McGuigan’s Black Label redthat cost $12. We enjoyed it so much, we drankthe entire bottle that night in the hotel and hadto go back the next day and buy a case. Again, no one can tell you what you like – so just drink whatyou enjoy.

Visit the Hunter!

I had such a great time away, I don’t think it will be my last visit to the Hunter Valley. If you live inSydney, it’s a short, easy drive – you get in the car and next thing you know you are drinking wineand eating cheese, looking out over amazing stretches of green. Obviously, I would recommendMcGuigan’s Cellar Door – they see 120,000 people come through every year and there is a reason!The cheese shop next door is also delicious. Tempus Two is just across the road, and a little bitmore modern, but still producing awesome wine. It’s surrounded by great places to eat and drink,with a stellar view. Check it out!

Freya spent the weekend in the Hunter Valley courtesy of McGuigans and

Tempus Two wines.

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• Reply •

Food Addict • a day ago

I'm spoilt, I live in the Hunter Valley, and I couldn't agree more with everything you said.

I'd encourage everyone to come to the vineyards, not just for the wine but the food.

There are so many lovely little places around here just waiting to be discovered. Hope

you enjoyed your visit Freya, and I hope you come back soon :)

1

wino • a day ago

with the Hunter expressway now open, it is so much a great drive to get to the

vineyards. Take the Lovedale interchange and explore the lovedale area (wilderness

road) before coming in the main area at Pokolbin.. a fabulous day out! Tallavera grove is

fabulous, just a little bit out, Audrey Wilkinson another great spot. Lindemans whilst a big

winery, has a fabulous range thanks to their treasury estate ownership. For organic style

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• Reply •

winery, has a fabulous range thanks to their treasury estate ownership. For organic style

wines try tambulaine winery as well. But Semillon is the best..don't leave with trying it

everywhere! lol!

• Reply •

Hardly a hangover • 2 days ago

"Drank the entire bottle" between two, shock horror a couple of glasses each.

2

• Reply •

Bron Perna • 2 days ago

I remember a tv show where the guy said "It's a bloody drink, drink it!" lol

There are so many wines about, you will find something you like. You will know if a wine

doesn't go with your food, as neither will taste as nice as you expect them too, if both

taste good then go for it! But your palate will change as you get older (you'll tend to start

on sweeter wines and move to the less sweet) and as you experience more wines. I

also chill red wine (gasp!!!) but when you live in North Qld, room temperature is warm to

hot, not at all appetizing, just let it sit a moment to get to a good temp. Also much as I

love a good pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc or merlot etc, (to some minds the 'proper'

wines) I do totally unabashedly love lambrusco - especially with italian food. So

remember - If you like it , just bloody drink it !!

2

• Reply •

Guest • 2 days ago

Tallavera Grove at the top of the Valley is AMAZING!!! The wines are delicious, and they

are really ahead of the game - they were selling Sauvignon Blanc while everyone else in

the world was drowning in Chardonnay (which I hated). Plus, the view is the best!!!

• Reply •

chef • 2 days ago Guest

Semillon is the star of the Hunter Valley. The best ones are world class.

2

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