Why You Should Smash These Australian Wines This Summer

Mark Oldman loves Australia. He’d better — the New York-based wine expert is married to an Australian, and regularly visits the country for both personal and viticultural reasons. Plus, he says, Australian wines are especially good these days.

“I’m excited about Australia because not long ago, Australian wine was stereotyped as just a lot of big, rich fruit bombs,” Oldman says. “Now, it’s more like Napa and Sonoma, with winemakers focused on elegance and grace.”

 Oldman shared some of his favorite Australian wines with attendees at the 2023 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, pouring and sampling seven wines from six wine regions in Australia that are perfect for easy summer sipping.

“For summer, I like light, vibrant wines with beautiful acidity,” he says. “These are smashable wines — you can knock them back. The new Australian wines are very drinkable, but not at the expense of the quality.”

Here are some of his favorite wine picks for summer.

Sparkling

A nice bottle of bubbles is always a good move. “My wife, Ellen, will say ‘I’ve got to spark up,’ which is Aussie speak for ‘get some energy,’ and the best way to do that is with bubbles,” Oldman says. He’s a fan of sparkling wines from Tasmania, and says “Tassie Bubbles” like the House of Arras Brut Elite he poured in Aspen are a great addition to any occasion. Tasmania has a cool climate that approximates the climate of the Champagne region of France, and so yields crisp, citrusy wine. 

Dry Riesling

Oldman is also a fan of Riesling, with the caveat that it be dry. “I only like Riesling when it’s dry and summery and thirst-quenching, and Aussie Riesling is dependably dry,” he says. “People think it’s sweet, but it’s not the case with all Rieslings.”

He especially likes the Pewsey Vale Vineyard’s Riesling, from the Eden Valley near Adelaide, noting that the flavor notes of petrol and leather make it a more interesting alternative to Sauvignon Blanc. “That acidity gets you ready for the next bite,” says about how food-friendly this wine is, suggesting drinking it with seafood, especially grilled prawns. 

Chardonnay

Another favorite is the Vasse Felix Chardonnay, from the Margaret River on the west coast of Australia, an area that is known for its Chardonnay. This wine’s mild nose and light, bright flavor make it especially vibrant and crisp, very different from barrel-aged California Chardonnays.

Semillon

Oldman also turns to Semillon, a grape often blended with Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux. In Australia, it's grown to drink as a single varietal wine. A good example is Tyrrell’s HVD Vineyard Semillon, produced in the Hunter Valley, on the southeast coast of Australia just north of Sydney. Oldman notes that this wine needs a bit of age, and poured a 2017 vintage at the event. It’s bright and citrusy and food-friendly — he calls it a lemon squeeze for your food when you have it with a meal. 

Grenache

When it comes to reds, Oldman keeps to his mission for light, easy drinking wines. The Thistledown Old Vine Grenache from the McLaren Vale is light, spicy, and herbal. “Think of Grenache from Australia as a stand-in for Pinot Noir — it’s smashable and not heavy,” Oldman says. 

Pinot Noir

With that said, he did have a Pinot Noir suggestion as well: the Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir, from the Yarra valley just east of Melbourne. “One of the great things about Pinot Noir is that it can be light but intense in flavor,” he says of this wine from a cooler climate. “This shows you what an Aussie Pinot can do.”

Even summer nights sometimes call for a bigger wine, and Oldman wrapped up his tasting with the Leeuwin Estate 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Margaret River. A bit of oak barrel aging gives the wine a hint of vanilla, but it is still tart, light, and very food friendly — just what we want for easy summer sipping.