Roll Out the Barrels!
Little else is as enjoyable as a great glass of wine to cap off a day on the water.
After some extensive (read: personal) research, we have come up with the top wines to have onboard in addition to some handy tips on how they can best be stored.
ROSE
Rosé is growing in popularity in Australia, yet has long been the wine of choice for Europe’s boating enthusiasts — you would be hard pressed to find a French boat owner without a bottle on board. Chateau D’Eslcans hails from the spiritual home of rosé, France’s Cotes de Provence, where it produces Whispering Angel — a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Vermentino grapes, arguably the king of all the rosé wines. This wine is crisp and delicate without being overly dry or sweet. Delightful on its own as well as paired with Mediterranean-style food reflecting its provenance, we have yet to meet someone that doesn't love this wine. Retailing at close to $40 per bottle, Whispering Angel is available in select wine merchants yet Dan Murphy’s stocks its little sister, The Palms, for $26 per bottle.
WHITE WINE
There is enormous variety in white wine — from the big, bold flavours of Chardonnay to the lightness of a Pinot Gris. The Chardonnay grape accounts for about half of Australia’s wine production and we particularly like those hailing from Petersons Wines. Its Curvee Chardonnay is a blend that emphasises the fruitiness of the grapes. Spending two months in French oak barrels, it has glimpses of the wooded chardonnay yet doesn’t need cellaring. Yet for those treasured years that produce particularly good grapes, Petersons name the wine after the matriarchs of the family.
The first was Shirley, and the second Judy. The Judy Chardonnay is a single vintage of grapes from 2018 which has spent a long time in French and Hungarian oak barrels. It’s smooth, floral, and fruity, and can be cellared for up to eight years — but if you can’t wait that long, it's perfect young with fresh seafood.
It's difficult to buy Petersons wine from normal retailers but you can purchase them online or through their cellar doors in the Hunter Valley, Mudgee and Armidale. See petersonwinery.com for more.
RED WINE
Australia’s shiraz wines are some of the best in the world. The Barossa Valley’s climate and soil lends itself beautifully to this grape. Its most famous alumni would be Penfold’s Grange Hermitage, however that doesn’t mean you need to spend thousands to enjoy a hearty red on a winter’s day on the water.
Kalleske is a certified organic winery in the Barossa Valley that has received five stars from Australia’s preeminent wine critic James Halliday. Its 2019 Moppa Shiraz is predominantly produced from the namesake grape but with 5 per cent Petit Verdot and 2 per cent Viognier. It stands alone as a delicious and smooth wine, but also comes alive with a perfect steak. They’re not the greatest wines for drinking in the tropics but if you enjoy winter cruising then this Moppa Shiraz is a winner and is easily available at Dan Murphy’s for $30 a bottle. Dan Murphy’s also stocks Kalleske’s full range, including Clarry's Grenache Shiraz Mataró for around $23 a bottle.
SPARKLING WINE
Perfect for toasting to a new boat or successfully selling an old one, champagne or sparkling wine is synonymous with boating. There are some outstanding Australian sparkling wines including the Tasmanian Pirie from Brown Brothers, which beat the likes of Veuve Clicquot and Mumm in a blind tasting competition.
Blue Pyrenees was started by the French in Victoria in the 1960s and is now proudly Australian owned, producing exceptional white and red sparkling wines. There is also fun-loving Peterson House which only produces sparkling wine. Its mantra is ‘life is pretty flat without bubbles,’ and we agree. Its wines include prosecco, sparkling rosé, moscato, sparkling red wines and piccolos, small bottles of 200ml. Both Pirie and Blue Pyrenees are readily available at retailers yet with Peterson House, you will need to buy directly from the website (petersonhouse.com.au) or Hunter Valley cellar door.
WINE IN A BAG
Wine in a bag
Glass bottles on boats are not always the best idea, so thankfully there is wine in a bag. Rather than thinking cask wine, explore some great wines selected by a sommelier packaged in single glass configuration in completely recyclable pouches. Australian company, A Glass Of, saw an opportunity for single glass wine to either cook with, try before you buy the bottle, or to manage your wine intake. The byproduct is perfectly sized wine pouches for those heading out on smaller boats without ample storage. Its range covers every conceivable wine variety from independent wine producers, and the bags can easily be thrown in an esky. Once empty, they take up no room until thrown in the recycling bin. It's classy, sustainable wine in a bag! Check them out at aglassof.com.
If you are the captain, remember that alcohol and boating does not mix — enjoy responsibly.
STORING WINE
Where: The wine we drink today had its origins in Europe, and was stored in subterranean caves. This is what we are trying to replicate so somewhere darkened with a consistent temperature of 12–16 degrees is ideal. On a boat, that might look like a locker under one of the beds or even the lazarette. If you have a wine fridge onboard, you probably know what you are doing.
How: If the wine is being stored in a makeshift aquatic wine cellar, consider putting it in something insulated — perhaps a styrofoam box or wrapped in towels — anything to keep the environment cave-like and stable.
If you know you are heading into bad weather or that the ride on your boat will be on the rougher side, consider padding (again, towels are great) between the bottles to prevent breakage and some unscheduled cleaning. It is also best to lie them on their side so you can pack more in.
Why: If you are going to invest in decent wine, then you should keep it properly so you can enjoy it at its best!