Australian Pinot Noir Comes of Age

Every wine lover craves great Pinot Noir. Burgundy is ever pricier and scarcer. So where to look?

Australia might not seem the obvious destination for Pinot Noir. It’s better known for hefty reds (think: Shiraz, Cabernet), historic styles like Hunter Semillon or its heroic ‘stickies’ (sweet and fortified like Rutherglen). 

And if there’s a Burgundian variety closely associated with Oz, it’s Chardonnay.

And yet…over the last few years, Ozzie Pinot Noir has come on leaps and bounds to capture the zeitgeist and become the grape everyone’s talking about. From Tasmania to Yarra, Mornington, Adelaide Hills and beyond, this is a grape helping re-define modern Australian wine and offering wine drinkers a glimpse of wine nirvana.

In this sponsored episode with Wine Australia, we talk to writer Matthew Jukes, grower Mac Forbes and sommelier Jane Lopes to tell the story of how and why Australian Pinot Noir has gone from zero to hero, and what the future holds. 

We talk terroir, regionality, climate change, sustainability, winemaking – and tackle the elephant in the room, value for money. (There’s also mention of tomato throwing, UV, the Holy Grail, stomping, the God complex, DNA – plus Susie admits she loves a wine more than Peter...)

As ever, we taste and recommend some favourites which capture the impressive diversity and sheer thrill of Ozzie Pinot Noir, including:

• Heirloom Vineyards Pinot Noir 2021, Adelaide Hills, 13.5%
• Ben Haines 'Colour Block' Pinot Noir 2021, Yarra Valley, 11.5% 
• JC’s Own Morialta Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020,  Adelaide Hills, 14.5%
• Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021, Yarra Valley, 13.5% 
• Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021, Coal River Valley, Tasmania, 13.5%

This episode contains the memorable quote: 'Why fart around with Burgundy when you can buy this?!'

All details from this episode (including further wine and producer recommendations) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E14 - Australian Pinot Noir Comes of Age.

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!