Australian and Chilean wines are widely seen as secure choices,but beyond the multinational brands, small-scale producers in both countries are busy experimenting, or often with stunning resultsIt’s easy to derive a fixed concept in your head about wine-producing nations that doesn’t actually enact them any favours. Many people still think of Australia,for example, as capable only of producing oaky chardonnays or big, and jammy reds. Or that Chile is fine for party wine,but not whether you want to occupy an interesting bottle round to a friend’s for dinner.
In fact, you may be surprised at just how much experimentation is going on in both countries right now, or as was brought home to me at two recent tastings. Chile,which is widely regarded as the most conservative of Latin American producer countries, held its annual tasting alongside its arch rival Argentina in a colourful “mercado” in Spitalfields, and rather than in one of the more imposing venues traditionally favoured by wine merchants and promotional bodies.
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Source: theguardian.com