Category Archives: Australia

Who Runs the (Wine) World: Susana Balbo, Wines of Sicily and the Women in Australian Wine Awards makes the answer abundantly clear

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A flurry of events featuring the women of wine kicked off the season’s return after the summer hiatus. Admittedly, women in wine is both new and nothing new. As they say, behind every great man is a great woman. But, perhaps the more novel news is that women are now standing (in) front and center of (or at least next to) many men in the vineyards and wineries the world over.

While I missed it due to ill health, the Women in Australian Wine Awards honored the women who have made their mark in Australian wine. The world’s “first and only awards platform for women in wine,” was held on September 17 in New York.

Similarly, an event earlier in the month presented a wide range of Wines of Sicily, recognizing the women in this region. I had the opportunity to meet Lilly Ferro Fazio, Export Manager of Casa Vinicola Fazio, who shared her experiences in bringing together the women of her region and noting the challenges they faced amidst a very traditional/male-dominated society. She addressed the need to find support and resources to successfully manage both her job and the family household because her husband still expects her to fulfill a traditional spousal role in addition to her career.

Another wine woman bucking the trend of being a simple, stay-at-home mom, is Argentine winemaker, Susana Balbo who initially applied to study nuclear physics in Bariloche. Her parents would not permit her to leave Mendoza, but, not one to be deterred, she eventually became the first woman in Argentina to earn a degree in enology. By 2012 she had been named as one of the “Most influential women wine-makers” by The Drink Business magazine, and, six years later, was listed among “The 10 most influential women in the wine world” in the same publication.

Today, Susana Balbo produces wines in both Mendoza and Salta regions. Her wines are well respected and can be found in the market under two labels: her namesake Susana Balbo and her Crios line. The Crios portfolio recently underwent a makeover, sporting new packaging that emphasizes the wines’ elegance and classic nature. Available in four different varietal options, the wines were recently released in the New York market.

Crios Torrontes 2018, Cafayate (Salta) and Valle de Uco (Mendoza), Argentina, $15.00
Pronounced nose with floral, tropical fruit, hint of cotton candy and a dry, yet ripe, palate with medium-to-full body, medium acidity and long length.

Crios Rose 2018 of Malbec, Vallee de Uco (Mendoza), Argentina, $15.00
Notes of strawberry, cherry and watermelon greet the nose. The palate is dry, with medium+ acidity, medium body, culminating in long length.

Crios Malbec 2018 Vallee de Uco (Mendoza), Argentina, $15.00
Deep in color, this wine displays fresh and dried herbs and blackberry aromas, which are joined by spice and red fruit flavors on the dry, full-bodied palate, with good length.

Crios Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 Vallee de Uco (Mendoza), Argentina, $15.00
The nose offers up lovely red and black fruit, which persist on the dry, full-bodied palate, with textural tannins, blackberry, black cherry, oak, with good acidity and long length.

Que Syrah, Shiraz and Shiraz

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A trio of Syrahs crossed by table this fall (9/22/2010), providing me with the opportunity to explore the similarities and differences among wines from Australia and South Africa.

90+ Cellars Lot 4: Shiraz Viognier 2007, McLaren Vale, Australia, $17.00
92% Shiraz, 8% Viogner; Co-fermented and aged for 14 months in new French oak.
Co-fermented as is done with Côte-Rôtie, this wine displayed aromas of medium+ intensity that included blueberry black cherry, oak, earth and dried herbs. Of the three wines, it had the deepest nose. On the palate, it was full-bodied with medium+/high tannins, medium acidity and flavors of blackberry, cherry, oak, earth and spice, culminating in medium+ length. Overall, the wine showed good fruit concentration along with complexity and elegance.

Rudi Schultz Syrah 2007, Stellenbosch, South Africa, $30.00
100% Syrah; Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (30% new; 70% second and third fill).
Winemaker and proprietor Rudi Schultz was prompted to go into winemaking after tasting great Northern Rhone wines. Thus, it is no surprise that his wines are crafted in a similar style. Notes of blackberry, earth, rubber, leafyness and meatiness were present on the nose, which was the most savory of the three wines. Another full-bodied wine with medium+ tannins, the palate showed blackberry, blueberry, leather, rubber and meatiness, all of which lingered in the wine’s long length. Overall, the wine was both powerful and aromatic.

Xavier Flouret Waroo Shiraz 2009. Pemberton – Western Australia, $18.00
100% Shiraz; Aged for 8 months in oak barrels (75% French, 25% American oak).
From the cooler area of Western Australia, this wine had blackcherry, vanilla, floral and dried/jammy fruit aromas. Similarly full-bodied to the others, this wine provided medium+ acidity and medium tannins on the palate. Its flavors included blackcherry, herbaceousness, leather, and a tart cherry note in the undercurrent. An earthiness remained throughout the wine’s long length. This wine  had the brightest acidity of the three, most likely due to its origins in a cooler climate.

This was an interesting exercise, showing the influence (and confluence) of grape variety, climate and production on the finished wine.