The vineyards of Australia in 2002 was about 160,000 ha (including grapes). About 40% of production in the white wines. On approximately 62,000 acres of vines are the white varieties Chardonnay (strong and spicy) with approximately 24,000 ha, Semillon (elegant) with approximately 6,000 acres, Riesling (fruity, sweet and noble) with approximately 4,000 hectares and Sauvignon Blanc (fine aromatic) grown to about 2,800 ha.
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Another white with a notable aroma, this one “grassy” or “musky.” The pure varietal is found mainly in the Loire, at Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, As part of a blend, the grape is all over Bordeaux, in Pessac-Léognan, Graves and the Médoc whites; it also shows up in Sauternes. New Zealand has had striking success with Sauvignon Blanc, producing its own perfumed, fruity style that spread across North America and then back to France.
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Château Cos d’Estournel 1985 (92, $55 in 1994) has the velvety feel of maturity and smoky, tobacco-like notes that are typical of this château’s wines. At the center is a solid core of currant fruit, and that carries the day with the pork and rhubarb. The food points up a slight bitter edge to the wine, but that only lasts a moment and then the rest of the flavors find a welcome balance.

Suppleness of texture seems to be the prime requirement for a wine to go with this dish. An elegant Pommard 1990 and a smooth California Pinot Noir 1992 also paired up nicely in our tastings, but sturdier wines fared less well. The modest level of sweetness in the dish brought out a tough edge in a Zinfandel 1992, a Ribera del Duero 1990 and even a more mature Salice Salentino Riserva 1988.
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Despite its success with Cabernet and, in recent years, with Merlot as well, Chile has struggled with white wines.

Sauvignon Blanc arrived in the 19th century, with Cabernet, but traditionally was blended with Sémillon (as in Bordeaux) and aged in oak until the fruit disappeared, in the style of white Rioja. When Spanish winemaker Miguel Torres introduced cold fermentation techniques in 1978, the whites perked up, but then winemakers realized that much of the Sauvignon Blanc growing in Chile was an inferior clone (called Sauvignonasse or Sauvignon Vert here) that made dull or vegetal wines.

Chardonnay has only been widely planted over the past decade, largely in response to international demand, and so far the results have been humdrum. Though fruity and inexpensive, most of the wines have no advantage in style or quality over fighting varietals from Australia or California.
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Santiago is alive with confidence and construction, an echo of New York City during the boom years of the 1980s. Stylish restaurants are part of the Spanish-flavored culture; their eclectic menus range from classic French to Peruvian Indian cuisines. But an American diner finds the local style curiously old-fashioned. Machas a la parmesana, a classic appetizer, is a sizzling plate of local Pacific shellfish that resemble sweet, tender clams, crusted with butter and cheese, then broiled. It’s a high-fat thrill, but the delicate machas are sadly overwhelmed.

Restaurant wine lists also diverge from American tastes. The lists themselves are short, exclusively Chilean and usually lack vintage dates. The wines parallel the food. During a visit in November to a top Santiago seafood house, the most expensive white on the list was a seven-year-old Sauvignon Blanc. It was full-bodied, rich and dull, nearly petrified in oak; pleasurable, in its way, but the crisp, light fruit had long since vanished.
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A country known for decent, inexpensive wine is combining winemaking talent and financial committment to develop a unique style.

Chile has been known for years as a source of easy-drinking varietal wines at very reasonable prices, and a recent Wine Spectator tasting confirmed the truth of its reputation. We also discoveredthat Chile is developing its own unique style, with wines that are refreshing, balanced and great with food.

If you’re shopping for wines under $10, Chile delivers the goods. Wine Spectator editors in New York tasted 141 reds and whites from Chile and found 16 Best Buys. In fact, only 15 wines cost over $10; Chilean producers are intent on maintaining their value status. Very few wines were frankly disappointing; it’s hard to go wrong in Chile.
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Varietal:Sauvignon Blanc
Appellation:Australia, Adelaide Hills
Style:Dry White
Price:$26
WOW Rating:91

There is lovely passion fruit and melon with earthy herb, all this throughout the nose. Then follows a passionate medley of flavors: crenshaw melon, hints of subtle passion fruit. The Tower Estate Sauvignon Blanc is very dry and very balanced.
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Your ordinary winery does not have its own cattle brand, nor a herd of Black Angus roaming the hillsides above the vineyards, but then, Kirkland Ranch Winery is not your ordinary winery. When the Kirkland brothers, Larry and Lonnie, purchased the 2000-acre spread that was part of General Mariano Vallejo’s original Rancho Soscol land grant in 1978 the primary crop on their Rocking LK Ranch was cattle. Grapes joined the mix in 1985 at the suggestion of Larry’s daughter, Chris, and additional vines were planted until, today, there are 138 acres of vineyard containing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Nebbiolo.
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Recently memories of the game of Jan Ken Pon that we played when I was in grammar school were brought to the surface by, of all things, the opening of a grand, new winery on Westside Road. It is called Roshambo, which is another name for our old paper, rock and scissors game. Roshambo Winery, at 3000 Westside Road, Healdsburg, is a family affair, owned and operated by Naomi Brilliant, granddaughter of the late Frank Johnson whose Dry Creek Valley vineyards provide the excellent fruit for most of the Roshambo wines.
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Nobilo is the second largest wine company in New Zealand. It was founded in 1943 by Nikola Nobilo, a Croatian of Italian descent from the island of Korcula. In fact several members of the Nobilo family still survive on the island and have been tending vineyards there for some 300 years. Nikola planted his first small New Zealand vineyard at Huapai, just to the northwest of Auckland on the North Island, and went on to inspire a family-driven operation that developed into the leading exporter of New Zealand wines.
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