And the Yellow Tail went up over all the land of America, and rested on all the wine shelves of America: Very grievous was it; before it, there was no such wine as it, neither after it shall be such.
Well. That all started around 2001, and Australian wine in the U.S. has never been the same. No shade on the millions of folks who love their Yellow Tail Shiraz, but when one brand represents over 50% of a country’s wines in the market — as Yellow Tail did in 2021 — it definitely skews public perception. People here on our shores began to think, Hey, I guess Aussie wine is pretty much cheap-and-cheerful $10 Shiraz, and there you have it. Thanks, mate. And who could blame them?
But here’s the thing. There are over 2,000 wineries in Australia, in 65 designated regions, making wine from over 150 grape varieties. And a lot of it is very, very good. My argument is that if you love wine, then you owe it to yourself to dive deeper into what Australia has to offer. Shiraz (aka Syrah) is inarguably one of the world’s great grapes, but so are, on the well-known side, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Australia makes stellar versions of them.
It also makes great dry Rieslings on par with the best of Germany and Austria, impressive cool-climate Pinot Noirs from places like Tasmania and the Yarra Valley, and a seemingly endless supply of more adventurous bottles from pretty much every interesting grape in the world. Here are 14 to check out, but keep in mind: There are many, many more.
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
White wines
2023 Rieslingfreak No. 33 Clare Valley Growers ($18)
Founded by vigneron John Hughes out of his stated love for all things Riesling, the aptly named Rieslingfreak winery makes some of Australia’s best examples of this aromatic grape. This one is bone-dry, tingly, and bright, full of salty lime flavor.
2023 Devil’s Corner Tasmania Chardonnay ($25)
From its sweet aroma of lime and mango, this Tasmanian Chardonnay seems as if it would be ripe and hefty, but instead it’s bright and focused, the flavors shifting more toward green mango and citrus peel. It surprises you, in a good way.
2023 Chalmers Vermentino ($30)
Vermentino, a coastal Italian white grape, gets an Aussie spin in the hands of the Chalmers family. They’ve been working with the variety since 2002, and that shows in the assured expressive-ness of this white — all stony lime essence and fresh, bright acidity.
2024 Grosset Springvale Riesling ($54)
Winemaker Jeffrey Grosset has been an evangelist for Australian Riesling for many years, and his passion is backed up by his stellar wines. (He was also an early adopter of screw-top closures.) His Springvale bottling hits the classic Clare Valley Riesling notes of lime cordial, zesty acidity, and a talc-lime mineral note.
2024 Giant Steps Circle of Fifths Yarra Valley Chardonnay ($60)
A new cuvée from Yarra Valley standout Giant Steps, Circle of Fifths solely uses fruit from the winery’s top sites: Tarraford, Sexton, Primavera, Applejack, and Bastard Hill. The result is a powerful, elegant cool-climate Chardonnay, its aromatic gunpowder hints shifting to flavors of green apple and lemon zest.
2023 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay ($138)
In the Margaret River region of western Australia, winemaker Virginia Willcock has been making brilliant Chardonnays for almost 20 years now. The pinnacle is her Heytesbury cuvée. In 2023, it’s a world-class white, savory with struck-flint, lemon curd, and grapefruit notes and an incredibly long finish. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.
Red wines
2023 Thistledown Gorgeous Grenache ($18)
This is Grenache on the lighter side, transparent and lightly ruby-hued, its cherry-berry flavors getting a fragrant green peppercorn lift from whole-bunch fermentation. It’s eminently drinkable — crushable, as somms like to say — and is even better with a light chill.
2019 d’Arenberg The Custodian Grenache ($21)
Chester Osborn at d’Arenberg in McLaren Vale makes a dizzying number of wines, from top-of-the-line classics like his famed Dead Arm Shiraz to affordable bottles like this one. Think peppery strawberry-jam aromas and flavors bolstered by firm, ripe tannins.
2022 Penley Phoenix Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon ($21)
Penley has been a benchmark name in Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon since 1988. Now helmed by winemaker Kate Goodman, it’s carrying on that tradition capably with wines like this graphite-scented red, with its refined blueberry and black-currant fruit.
2021 Hewitson Baby Bush Barossa Valley Mourvèdre ($24)
This red from Hewitson captures Mourvèdre’s gamey intensity, weaving it into rich blackberry and mocha flavors. It’s big but balanced, taking all that Barossa ripeness and molding it with structured tannins, a perfect red for some robust roast on a chilly night.
2023 Mac Forbes Yarra Valley Pinot Noir ($34)
Juicy and succulent with lots of wild berry and chalky cherry notes, this Pinot Noir has a rounded texture and just a touch of appealing stemminess, followed by lightly drying tannins on the finish. Another winner from Mac Forbes, who’s been making excellent cool-climate Aussie wines since 2004.
2022 Ashton Hills Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir ($35)
Ashton Hills, in the Adelaide Hills, has for over 40 years been making the argument that Australia can produce stellar Pinot Noir. This one is no exception: It’s fragrant and floral, full of peppery raspberry fruit (and, as far as I’m concerned, impossible not to love).
2024 William Downie Cathedral Pinot Noir ($35)
The state of Victoria in Australia has emerged as a prime source for impressive cool-climate Pinot Noirs, as with this bottle from winemaker William Downie. There’s no new-oak influence here, just juicy, spicy, dark berry fruit with silky tannins and a black-tea accent to the flavors.
2021 Brash Higgins GR/M ($40)
Brad Hickey started as a sommelier in the U.S. before landing in Australia’s McLaren Vale, where he met vineyard owner Nicole Thorpe. Together, they make a wide range of biodynamically farmed, low-intervention wines, among them this tobacco-scented, blackberry-rich Grenache-Mataro blend.
Dining and Cooking