At about the same time as dozens of drivers in south-east England were stuck in their cars in a snowstorm recently I was heading from Melbourne to Adelaide for a tasting to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of Australia's most celebrated Shirazes – with the thermometer climbing towards 38 ° C/100 °F. See my account of this 48-Shiraz tasting, and you can also see my notes from a more selective tasting to celebrate the 40th anniversary in Hill of Grace and its little brother – verticals back to the 1970s.
Australian wine seems to be in the...