As part of the recent Vancouver International Wine Festival, I attended a seminar focussing on the Mclaren Vale Scarce Earth wine region of Australia. This is area where most of the Australian Shiraz is produced, 35 million bottles a year.

Several winemakers from this region attended this seminar and spoke about their wineries and the wines that they produce.

McLaren Vale Scarce Earth encourages the release of single block Shiraz wines to allow us to continually learn more about our region and to also further explore the relative influence of geology, soil, climate and topography on wine style.

All wines come from a single block, a small plot of land with a unique flavour profile and personality.

Moderated by: Rhys Pender MW

The wines featured during the seminar included:

Angove Family Winemakers Warboy Single Vineyard Shiraz 2013

d’Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz 2010

Gemtree Vineyards Stage 7 Shiraz 2012

Hardys Wines Eileen Hardy Shiraz 2005

Serafino Wines Terremoto Syrah 2010

Shingleback Wines Unedited Shiraz 2012

Wirra Wirra RSW Shiraz 2012

Yangarra Estate Vineyard Shiraz 2012

Victoria Angove of Angove Family Winemakers was one of the vintners who spoke about her company’s wines. She is 5^th generation and the winery has been in business for the past 129 years. Certified organic and bio dynamic, they harvest cool grapes to 10 degrees on a steep slope.

Learn more about this region and their wine here.

By: Richard Wolak