The first time I came to Australia was in 2012, when I got exposed to the wine region of Mornington Peninsula here in the state of Victoria. In subsequent years, I’d had the privilege of visiting a number of other famous wine regions, including the Yarra Valley in Victoria, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Adelaide Hills in South Australia (where much of the world renowned Australian shirazes hail from), and the Margaret River region all the way in Western Australia. Most people who have been exposed to Australian wine outside of Australia are aware of the high quality Shiraz wines. But I’d say that taste wise, the Hunter Valley wines seem less known or understood. The reason for this is that the Hunter Valley has a dryer, hotter climate than other wine growing regions of Australia, which then allows the grapes to fully ripen on the vine, producing a much different flavor. The wines seem a tad sweeter here, and almost a bit brighter and more effervescent than the typical Shiraz you’d get in South Australia.

We visited a couple different smaller producers to have tastings, including De Iuliis Wines, Hunter Distillery, and Hanging Tree Wines. Some of the standouts included a surprising Shiraz from Tasmania, a brut (“champagne” but not from Champagne, France, obviously) made here and with local grapes, and a delicious lychee liqueur that literally tasted like fresh crushed, juiced lychees. The surprising thing about the shiraz wines here is that they feel much lighter and zestier than the ones we enjoyed in South Australia. The brut wines (sparkling wines) also had a fruitier, buzzier flavor than the champagnes or sparkling wines from elsewhere.

I’ve really loved the wines in Australia, and have been excited to do a wine tour across this country over the last 12 years. In wine shops in the U.S., we are seeing more and more of them as people abroad are discovering them. But the best ones are obviously here (and well, exported to China).