Find your Hero at Vino 100

Everyone knows Australian wine . . . right? But do you know that Australia has 64 different wine regions that spread across 3,000 miles? And just like in California or France, each region has a distinctive climate, soil and character. When certain grapes are planted in the right region, they produce unique characteristics and flavors that stand out in quality above the rest. These are our heroes.

Wine Australia, the industry organization that handles promotion and education for Australian wine in the US, has developed a “Regional Heroes” program to showcase some of the best known wine heroes from each region. You’ll be able to find your favorite hero at Vino 100 from September 1 through October 15 during the Regional Heroes promotion.

A similar program was run in England and Ireland earlier this year, but this is the first one in the USA. “We believe that education is key to getting across our message of Australia’s regionality,” says Jan Stuebing Smyth, director of the Wine Australia USA office. “The Vino 100 system ensures that the staff is well trained, and many stores offer wine seminars and their unique Wine Barometers add an educational element for all the wines in the store.”

It would have been impossible to highlight all 64 wine regions from Australia, so the best known were selected for the program:

Clare Valley Riesling:  Refreshing and with aromas of lemon zest, Riesling from Clare Valley is very dry and high in acid with a mineral finish.  Ideal with seafood or salads.

Hunter Semillon:  It’s a little-known varietal but fresh and crisp with citrus overtones and no oak influence.  Hunter – located just north of Sydney – is also great for tourism!

Yarra Valley Chardonnay:  In this cool climate on rolling hills near Melbourne, Chardonnay tastes of white peaches and nectarines, and oak is used with a light touch.

McLaren Vale Grenache:  Concentrated ripe cherry and red currant flavors derive from the very old vines.  Ocean breezes off the local beaches keep temperatures down.

Barossa Valley Shiraz:  The most famous grape from the best known region – you can’t go wrong here if you want a generous, rich and ripe red wine for your steak dinner!

Margaret River Cabernet:  Way out west where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet is this cool, classic region.  The Cabernet is elegant with great red fruit and soft tannins.

Every Vino 100 store across the country offers customers a comfortable, affordable and fun way to buy wine. Together, Wine Australia and Vino 100 plan to share the friendly, welcoming Aussie spirit with American consumers and to raise the profile of Australia’s regionally distinctive wines.

For more information about Australia’s wine regions, please see www.wineaustralia.com. And to test your tastebuds with the Regional Heroes Wine Challenge, visit www.wineaustralia.com/regionalheroes.

Click here to find a Vino 100 location near you!