This summer, expand your heat-beating arsenal with a rather special option. Australian sparkling Shiraz is an unique wine style that originated in Australia. Its development can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first attempts to make sparkling red wines date back to the 1880s. Winemakers in South Australia, particularly in the Barossa Valley and surrounding areas experimented with various red grape varieties, including Shiraz, to
create sparkling wines. The warm climate of these regions was well-suited to growing Shiraz grapes with the rich, ripe flavours needed for this wine style.
From the beginning, these winemakers adapted traditional champagne production methods to create sparkling Shiraz. Secondary fermentation in the bottle creates the bubbles, a process known as méthode traditionnelle in Australia. In effect, this results in a wine that combines the rich, robust flavours of Shiraz with the effervescence of sparkling wine.
Sparkling Shiraz is a very popular summer wine in Australia primarily because the full bodied structure that Shiraz is famous for is the perfect foil for barbequed meats. At the same time, the fresh acidity and sparkling nature of this wine keeps the palate fresh. Imagine having a picnic at the beach or a barbeque in the lawn while sipping a chilled glass of sparkling red wine.
In Singapore unfortunately, good sparkling Shiraz options are limited. Owing to the high holding costs of running a wine business and the small local market size, most wine importers here don't usually voluntarily bring in sparkling Shiraz. The argument is that no one in Singapore drinks sparkling Shiraz, so if ever a sparkling Shiraz is brought in, it's usually at the behest of the winery which insists that sparkling Shiraz be included in the
importer's portfolio as a condition for awarding the agency to the local guy. As a result, many of the wines that made it to our shores tend to be of entry level grade and are here to make up the numbers. This becomes a vicious cycle, because consumers who tried the wine are not sold on this style, and this convinces importers that "Yup, sparkling Shiraz doesn't sell here!".
We hope that the Schild Estate Barossa Valley Sparkling Shiraz 2017 we are introducing today will move the narrative in a positive direction. Schild Estate is a very good winery established in 1952 in the Barossa Valley. Usually, sparkling Shiraz are non-vintaged (NV) meaning juice from different vintages are put together to create a house style. Schild Estate on the other hand bottled the sparkling Shiraz as a vintage wine. The grapes that go into this wine
comes from the same vineyard that supplies the grapes to their acclaimed Schild Estate Barossa Valley Shiraz. The Barossa Valley Shiraz was on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines in the World list in 2009 and 2010.
The Schild Estate Barossa Valley Sparkling Shiraz 2017 shows a deep ruby colour. The wine is jam packed with dark fruits as you would expect from a Barossa Valley Shiraz, with delicate hints of chocolate and spice. There's a somewhat creamy texture to the wine and tannins have softened considerably to make this wine into a delicious specimen of full bodied smooth red wine that dances on your palate. The natural sweetness from ripe fruits are well balanced
with the acidity that comes through with each sip. Drink this wine chilled in a normal red wine glass. It is perfect to be enjoyed on its own and will do wonders with a nicely seared piece of steak.
As part of our community service to the wine fraternity, we are happy to offer an equally sizzling hot deal so you can stay well hydrated this summer.
OUR DEAL
1 - 5 bottles: S58.65 per bottle (Usual S$69. Saves S$10.35, 15%) 6 - 11 bottles: S55.20 per bottle (Saves S$13.80, 20%) 12 bottles and more: S51.75 per bottle (Saves S$17.25, 25%)
Don't miss out on this super deal. Grab your bottles before they are gone.
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