Last night’s wine event was lots of fun.

STA Travel (http://www.statravel.co.uk) was bringing together some friends to talk about travel to Australia and Queensland in particular, so they asked me to help with a tasting of wines. Unfortunately Queensland wines are very hard to find outside of Australia (if you know of one, do let me know), so instead I suggested that we involve a great Australian wine producer from elsewhere in the country.

Travel is a lot more than getting from A to B (and back), just as enjoying wine is a lot more than finding the cheapest way to get inebriated. I wanted this event to showcase that Australian wine, and wine culture, was a lot more than the brands that grace the discount bins in the supermarkets most weeks, and includes some amazingly creative and skilled individuals.

One of the most charismatic is Chester Osborn of d’Arenberg (http://darenberg.com.au). Not only are these great wines to taste with this group, but they also have a presence on twitter (@darenberg) and have been creating some interesting content during this year’s vintage:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/dArenberg/137564966465?ref=ts

The folks who came along to the event organised by @statravelbuzz seemed to enjoy the wines and learning to taste and enjoy them. Thanks to Claire Scott (@clairelsscott) for her help in presenting them too. I hope to hear from them again as their new travels around wine take off (leave me a comment here if you were there)

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The wines we tasted, for the record were (tasting notes from @clairelsscott):
(for more info on the wines, go here: http://darenberg.com.au/the-wines)

d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Riesling Sauvignon Blanc Roussanne Marsanne 2008
Aussie summer in a glass. A delightfully refreshing and dry white exhibiting citrus and lovely floral notes with a hint of spice.
Available from any All Bar One

d’Arenberg The Olive Grove Chardonnay 2007
Classic fruit driven Australian Chardonnay. Appealing aromas of peach and melon with subtle notes of oak, good length of flavour and lacy acidity.
Available at Oddbins and Sainsbury’s Fine Wine (from May)

d’Arenberg The Money Spider Roussanne 2008
Elegant fine herb tea notes of dandelions, lavender, floral fragrance with a very fine, pointed finish. Just great with seafood, it will reward those who challenge their senses.
Available at Oddbins and The Wine Society

d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2008
Sensational value but not simple; rich, savoury, and brimming with ripe, spicy fruit flavour. Endearingly honest and unpretentious, the ideal everyday red.
Available from any All Bar One

d’Arenberg The Love Grass Shiraz 2007
McLaren Vale shiraz with a twist. Bold, dark red and black fruits but with vitality and elegance that sets it apart.
Available from any All Bar One

d’Arenberg The Galvo Garage Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot 2006
Complex, flavoursome, full bodied Cabernet with the addition of classic Bordeaux partners. Concentrated cassis bomb, savoury undertones and ripe tannins makes this the perfect candidate for mid-term cellaring.
(My favourite on the night)
Available at Oddbins, The Wine Society and Majestic (from May)

d’Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2007
Exuberant purple hue. Opulently flavoured and perfumed with firm texture and ripe tannins. Viognier lifts the rich, ripe Shiraz fruits and gives them resonance.
Available at Oddbins, Coop, The Wine Society and Majestic (from May)