Australia & NZ Red

Red wine from Australia and New Zealand splits cleanly along temperature, not along price.

Warm-climate reds — Shiraz from the Barossa and McLaren Vale, Grenache from old bush vines, Cabernet from Coonawarra and Margaret River — are built on ripeness and structure. Cool-climate reds — Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills, Mornington Peninsula and Central Otago — are built on acidity and lift.

The same grape behaves differently across that divide. Shiraz grown in a cool site is a different proposition from Shiraz grown in a warm one, and neither is a lesser version of the other. If you have decided Australian red is not for you, it is worth checking which side of the line the bottle came from before you close the file.