SouthAustralia is one of Australia's six states, located (as the name suggests) in the south of the vast island continent. It's the engine room of the Australian wine industry, responsible for about half of the country's total production each year. But there's more to the region than quantity - countless high-quality wines are produced here, most from the region's signature Grape, Shiraz. These include such fine, collectible wines as Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, Torbreck The Laird and d'Arenberg The Dead Arm.
South Australia's wine portfolio is heavily weighted towards Powerful red wines, most of which are made from Shiraz. Another grape variety that thrives here is Cabernet Sauvignon, the best examples of which come from the Limestone Coast in the far south-east of the state (notably Coonawarra, Padthaway and Robe). Grenache has also proved well suited to the South Australian Climate and winemaking style, particularly when combined with Shiraz and Mourvedre (also known as Mataro in Australia) to create the classic Australian GSM blend. European varieties as diverse as Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano and Petit Verdot are also present in South Australian vineyards, but only in small quantities.
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
red wines from the region of Australie du Sud go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of beef with balsamic sauce, lamb tagine with dried fruits and herbs or duck legs with green olives.
On the nose in the region of Australie du Sud often reveals types of flavors of iron, cream or cherry and sometimes also flavors of oaky, smoke or earthy. In the mouth in the region of Australie du Sud is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
