Wine & Words

We've carried Four Sisters Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for several years, and they've attracted a loyal following of customers who find them well-made and reliable at an affordable price.  In April 2009, we introduced the Four Sisters Merlot.  At that time I wrote, "Wow! It's just what you'd expect from an Australian Merlot. Ripe, almost jammy fruit, but with good balance and integration."  Well, earlier this week Mary and I attended another Spring Wine Trade Show and discovered two more Four Sisters prizes: Viognier and Shiraz.

 
The Changing Australian Wine Scene

Australia has been exporting wine since the 1820's, with the southern region of Victoria (where Four Sisters is from) leading the way.
In a scene that sounds like the great "Judgment of Paris," wherein California wines were blind tasted with the best of the French, and won..."At the 1873 Vienna Exhibition the French judges, tasting blind, praised some wines from Victoria, but withdrew in protest when the provenance of the wine was revealed, on the grounds that wines of that quality must clearly be French."

The Grampians region, at the foot of the mountains of that name, has a long history of producing elegant, powerful and long lived table wines. Vines were first planted in 1860 and in December 1887 the Ararat Advertiser reported that the local wine had won honours "all over the world."
In 1892, there were 92 grapegrowers in the Grampians district with some 1,885 acres under vine. With the downturn in the fortunes of the wine industry in the early 1900's, many of these vineyards were grubbed out, with only some hardy survivors keeping the traditions alive. A resurgence in the late 1960s and 1970s led to the establishment of a new group of wineries, including Four Sisters.  Now the Grampians region is once again recognized internationally for the absolute quality of Victorian wines.

Trevor Mast and his Four Daughters

Winemaker Trevor MastTrevor Mast is the winemaking genius behind the Four Sisters label.  He is the former owner and winemaker at the famous Mount Langi Gihran winery where he won numerous awards for their Reserve Chardonnay. He regularly serves as a Judge at the National Wine Shows and is a highly regarded stalwart of Victoria's winemaking fraternity.
One year his four daughters created the wine label design as a birthday surprise. Produced with the help of the eldest daughter Daliah, a graphic designer, the label depicts each one of the sisters - Sophie, Anja, Daliah and Ineke. Delighted with the label mock up and his daughters' plans for a wine aptly named Four Sisters, Trevor initially crafted a small production wine from the vineyard growing behind the family home. With the positive response from all who tried the wine and heard the original story behind it, Four Sisters is now a successful brand with a reputation for great, straightforward wines at easy to drink prices.

 
Four Sisters Viognier (Victoria, Australia) Regular Price $11.95/ Feature Price $9.56

Viognier is one of the "alternative grapes" that is now doing very well in Australia.  Not surprisingly, it is originally from the Rhone valley of France, also the birthplace of Syrah (Shiraz), the grape that made Australia famous.  Sometimes Viognier wines are too rich and flowery for my taste.  If made in this style they lose some of the bright acidity that makes them refreshing in the summertime and also gives them good food pairing abilities.  In fact, Viognier of just this bright and crisp style is what is used to lighten up otherwise heavy reds, such as the big Shiraz of Australia.
 
This Four Sisters Viognier shows that winemaster Trevor Mast knows how to handle this grape, letting it speak for itself without being tarted up with malolactic fermention and oak aging.  It is a wine to be drunk fresh and young and well-chilled.  Though it will be a great summertime "quaffing" wine, it will also pair well with spicy foods, sushi, shellfish or just a sandwich and salad.

Four Sisters Shiraz (Victoria, Australia) Regular Price $11.95/ Feature Price $9.56

Shiraz, known as Syrah in most other parts of the world, is the red grape that put Australian wine on the world map.  The name change reflects the great difference in style of the Australian wines from the original Syrah-based wines of France's Rhone valley.  The Shiraz style is big and jammy, made from very ripe grapes that can be left late on the vines to develop big sugars and flavors (and high alcohol levels).  This style also lends itself to mass produced, cheap and easy wines, like the famous Yellowtail.  But just as you might like jelly with your peanut butter but not with your pork roast, jammy Shiraz wines lose the elegant food pairing abilities of their French cousins (Chateauneuf du Pape, Cote Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage).  That's what I like about this Four Sisters wine...even though it's called "Shiraz" it has some dry finesse that reminds me of French Syrah.  I'd pair this wine with meats and stews, lamb chops and pork roasts.  This is a very well-done wine at an extraordinarily reasonable price.