It’s been a strange start to spring this year with some seriously wild weather going around. In fact, it’s barely felt like spring yet at all!
But, much to our pleasant surprise, the sun is shining again today, the skies are blue and it’s looking a lot more like spring (we hope it stays this way too).
In the spirit of sunshine and all things spring, we thought we’d share some of the best wines with which to enjoy spring in the Swan Valley.
Although its origins can be traced back to the central regions of the Loire Valley in France, Chenin Blanc is grown extensively here in the Swan Valley and often forms the basis of “Classic” wines and can be used to make sparkling, dry and dessert wines.
The Chenin Blanc vines produce abundant crops and thrive in the warm summers and produce wine of immense flavour.
Like your wine crisp and dry? Then the dry Chenin Blanc option is for you. This style works well with fresh seafood and salads.
Prefer a wine on the sweeter side? Then the sweeter style of Chenin is for you. This style works well with Asian style foods, soft cheeses, fruit and desserts.
Sauvignon Blanc’s origins are also from the region of France, but are grown very successfully in the region of Western Australia.
The Swan Valley Sauvignon Blanc is described as crisp, citric and refreshing and is best enjoyed young while these fresh characteristics can be enjoyed to their fullest.
Sauvignon Blanc is well suited to goat’s cheese, sushi and most fresh seafood.
Interesting fact: This grape most likely gets its name from the French words sauvage (“wild”) and blanc (“white”) due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in the South West of France.
Usually a red drinker? Just because it’s spring and it’s getting warmer, doesn’t mean your wine of choice needs to switch to white.
One of the most popular Swan Valley grown grapes is dark-skinned and is known as Shiraz. In fact, Shiraz is the most widely planted grape variety in Australia and currently accounts for 40% of the total Red wine consumed here.
Shiraz can be cultivated into a range of styles and characters, with each one varying from region to region dependent upon the soil type and climatic conditions in which it is grown. With its soft ripe tannins, Shiraz can be made into a wine suitable for immediate consumption or aged within a combination of new and old oak to create complexity and depth.
In the Swan Valley we are fortunate enough to still have some blocks of aged Shiraz vines that produce a minimum yield of very high quality, complex wines.
Shiraz is well suited to red meats and cheddar cheeses.
Now that you know some of the best spring wines to enjoy in the Swan Valley, all you have to do is drive the 25 minutes from Perth to get there.
Prefer not to drive, so you can taste all of the above wines without worrying about how you are going to get home? That’s what we’re here for.
At Top Gun Tours, we have a range of Swan Valley Tours designed for just that. Visit the Swan Valley Wine Tours page to find out more.
Posted in Education Wine Guide and tagged Grapes, Swan Valley fruit, Wines for Spring on 12th October 2018.
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"I just wanted to say thanks for doing everything possible to give us a great experience during our beer tour on 30th Dec. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would like to commend you on your service and professionalism. You made the brewery tour one to remember, we won't hesitate in recommending you to our friends and we'll definitely book another tour with you sometime in the future."
"Thanks for the awesome brewery tour Matt! Everything went so well and it was great to just relax and know that the day was in good hands. Thanks so much, everyone had a ball!!"
"Awesome tour once again (my 3rd time now, it's that good). Matt is a legend, can't speak highly enough of him (even though he wore his Hawthorn jersey all day after the grand final). If you're looking for a fun day out, get onto the liquid gold brewery tour. Looking forward to the next trip with Top Gun in the future!"
"This tour really was 'Top Gun'. Premier venues, tastings, lunch and coach travel with added fizz from Matt. We have been on wine trips around the world - California, France and Spain in particular - and this trip was up there with the very best. Close to Perth, short distance between wineries so more tastings and less travel time. Would recommend a visit to the Swan Valley. Many thanks again Matt for a fantastic day."
