Grape variety: Chambourcin

Tasted on Saturday, 9 January 2010 at the Shoalhaven Food and Wine Show, Nowra

The Shoalhaven Coast wine region has its "wine of the region" the wine variety Chambourcin, which is apparently a hybrid (fungal resistant) variety available since the 1960s. A number of local wineries were presenting at the SFWS and almost all had a Chambourcin on offer.

The wine in almost all cases was dark purple, light to medium bodied with a lacklustre flavour of watery plums with a pepperish finish. The finish was pleasant. Excluding this finish, I am clearly not a fan of the variety. It reminded me of pub-variety wines from Prague times, which at least were cheap whereas bottles of this stuff started at $19.00!

Locally, I found the Verdelhos to be done very well.

Coolangatta Estate, which had a wide variety of wines, had an excellent Tannat. This estate is one of three earmarked for KLD's visit to Oz :-).

The other two were Cupitt's Winery (best Verdelho tasted on the day) and from the neighbouring wine region of Southern Highlands, Bluemetal Vineyard which had a stunning Petit Verdot amongst a fine selection.