Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome, once again to the Weekly Wine Alert of Stellar Australian Wines in America! (WWASAWA) This week at Carpe Vinum we’re celebrating the Memorial Day Weekend with the kickoff flights of some fine Australian wines! Always a stellar lineup in any order, these are some fine, and way-tasty examples of what the Aussies are doing down under.

So why Aussie wines? Well, in short, when we think of Memorial Day Weekend what do we memorialize? I always think of having a barbeque. And when we think of barbeque, we’re of course reminded of the old Aussie cliché, (which I’m sure the Aussies are getting pretty sick of) of throwing a “Shrimp on the Barbie”. And when we think of throwing Shrimp on the Barbie (literalists aside, picturing seafood thrown onto popular toys), we think of Memorial Day. And when we think of Memorial Day we. . .oh, wait. . .hmm. . .circular logic. Start over!

So when we throw the Barbie on the grill for Memorializing the Shrimp. . .and. . .uh. Dang.

So Memorial Day is a day of remembering things. Which things, I don’t rightly remember, but it must have something to do with 24-Hour Sales events at your local (Fill-in-the-Blank) Store, and wine events down in Wine Country. And if the Willamette Valley is the Heart of Wine Country, Carpe Vinum here in Portland is in the Brains of Wine Country! (See, being at the top of the valley, like the head and. . .get it? Oh, never mind.) At any rate, I’ll be grilling this weekend. But first I’ll be testing out some new tasty Australian selections! And nothing tastes better with grilled things than these Awesome Aussie wines.

In this awesome lineup I got one white wine, a tasty Semillon, a few stellar blends, an Old Vine Grenache (one of my favorites) and a Shiraz from Two Hands that is just as smooth as silk. Or just as smooth as something that is smooth as silk. Like faux-silk.
So Friday, May 27th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Australia!
Margan 2003 Semillon, Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Thorn Clarke 2002 Shotfire Ridge Cuvee (Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot), Barossa, S.A.
Cimicky Trumps 2002 Trumps Grenache/Shiraz, Barossa, South Australia
Black Chook 2004 Shiraz/Viognier, McLarren Vale, South Australia
Ross Estate 2002 Old Vine Grenache, Barossa, South Australia

Australia Too!!
Torbreck 2003 Cuvee Juveniles (Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro), Barossa, South Australia
Two Hands 2004 Angel’s Share Shiraz, McLarren Vale, South Australia

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, and $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours
Hope to see you here!
Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is The Wines of New Zealand!

M