As I mentioned in my last article, the Artisans of Barossa tasting tour paid a visit to Melbourne on Tuesday, September 14th. If any Tribune readers were there, then you were privileged to be treated to some of the best and most seriously interesting juice to be coming out of the Barossa, Eden and Clare Valleys today - bar none.

The Australian industrial wine sector (you know them – the Yellowtails, Jacob Creeks, etc…) has managed, over the past decade or so, to dig a significant perceptual hole that all Aussie wines are cheap and juicy fruit bombs and we don’t make white wine worth drinking. This is a hole so huge that a vast majority of really good Australian wine has accidentally stumbled into it and finds it very difficult to climb out Australia is one of the most diverse and great wine growing and winemaking regions in the world which is a message that the Artisan of Barossa and other similar groups want to get out. The idea of forming a small, focused band of talented wine makers to more effectively promote and build awareness of their wines is not new (New Zealand’s Family of Twelve -  - have been at it for a number of years now) but I believe it is an idea that does work and has an significant impact as it is genuinely based upon a foundation of authenticity and integrity. Some of the Artisan of the Barossa wineries you should look out for and try are that are: Dutchke Wines, John Duval Wines, Kalleske, Radford Wines, Schwarz Wine Company and Sons of Eden.

In the same spirit as the Artisan of Barossa was the second annual Landmark Australian Tutorial (www.landmark-wineaustralia.com) in the Yarra Valley. This is a week long event which sees over a dozen of the most talented and possibly influential wine folk from around the world come to Australia for a series of master classes with some of our best wine talent (e.g. James Halliday, Brian Croser, Andrew Caillard MW) and most definitely our best wine (e.g. have a wee look at this list). The core idea is to expose this group to Australia’s ‘regionally distinct and fine wines’ and to send them home with a far greater depth of knowledge of what Australian wine and wine-makers are about. I personally did not attend the Tutorial, but judging by the numerous news feeds (Twitter, Facebook, etc…) and blog site postings it was nothing short of a shattering success. Good on ya, Australia…

Below are a few of my personal favorites from the tasting which are all available in the Melbourne area...

Massena Moonlight Run GSM 2008 $24 - $26

I have made this declaration before, but I love the Massena wines – not a dog in the bunch. Massena is a partnership between Dan Standish (The Standish Wine Co) and Jaysen Collins, founded in 2000 and currently producing about 5,000 cases per year. They offer a range of seriously good value wines with the Moonlight Run being one of the entry point reds. As the ‘GSM” moniker implies this is a blend of 54% Grenache, 24% Shiraz, 16% Cinsaut and 6% Mataro and oh what a blend it is! As Dan Standish described it to me, this is a ‘very slurpable’ bottle of wine. Really dark colour, with touch of tar and peppery spice on the nose and an unctuous mouth feel. If you like this wine, then move on up to the Eleventh Hour Shiraz ($35) or take a step down (in price - $20 - not quality) and grab a bottle of the Surly Muse Viognier.

Spinifex Esprit SGM 2008 $26 - $28

I became a fan of Massena wines late in life (specifically, November 18th 2009) but have been switched on to Spinifex (founded 2001; produces 4,000 cases per year) for years. On every visit I made from New Zealand to Australia I always packed a bottle of Spinifex to take home. Peter Schell (a Kiwi by the way) is considered by many to be a winemaking guru or, as one wine storeowner labelled him “a bloody genius” . Peter had almost his full range on taste that night but I chose this wine to review as it sits right in the middle of his range price-wise and probably style wise. I liked this wine a tad better than the Papillon as it was a step up in palate and body weight and I felt the fruit was a bit more intense and savory. If you feel like a bit of a splurge, lash out for Indigene 2008 ($48) and you will find yourself in vino heaven.

Teusner Joshua GMS 2009 $26 - $28

Like Spinifex, I sussed out Teusener (founded 2001; produces 15,000 cases per year) wines very early on and proudly listed them on my wine list in New Zealand. I tasted this wine on the night and when I heard that Friday September 24th was International Grenache Day, I made a bee line for my local wine merchant and scarfed up a bottle of this bad boy. There is no disappointment to be found in this wine – I can’t say it any better than Mr. James Halliday: ‘Super bright and vibrant, with crunchy, clearly defined blackberry fruit framed by attractive mocha notes; the palate is fruitful on entry, and then moves to great depths of minerals and licorice; long, satisfying and eminently slurpable…’ – 94 points.

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