Those in attendance at Morrell & Company’s 2nd annual Western Australia Wine Tasting event last week were entreated to "Go West Young Man – Go West…all the way to Western Australia!"

I had the pleasure and privilage to attend this event, which was organized and hosted by Thomas Dare-Bryan, Australian wine buyer for the store. The event served as a great opportunity to show consumers that not all Australian wines are full of brawn. Rather, the cooler climate of Western Australia lends itself to producing wines of more elegance and finesse. As such, they can sit side by side the dinner plate with much more ease than many of their Southeastern Australia counterparts.

Encompassing roughly a third of the Australian continent, Western Australia is home to the famed Australian Outback. Perth (Australia’s fourth largest city) serves as its capital (Carmen Sandiego fans may recall that this is where she pick-pocketed Down Under).

However, despite its vast size, the wine regions are confined to the south-western part of the state. Among the more well-known wine regions are Great Southern (with its sub-regions: Frankland River and Mount Barker), Margaret River, Pemberton and the newer, Blackwood Valley, which is further inland than the other three.

While winemaking in the area dates back to the 1820s, it is only more recently that Western Australia has begun to really grow as a wine producing area, gaining initial momentum in the 1970s. As entrepreneurs heeded the call, the area developed more of a boutique winery culture as opposed to many of the large, commercial wineries found in Southeastern Australia.

Most of the wines featured at the event were very good, with a few that truly stood out, including the Ferngrove Cossack Riesling 2007 from Frankland River, with its precision acidity, bright fruit and exceptionally long finish. Ferngrove was established in 1999 by Murray Burton, who leveraged his 90-year, family-farming history to do so. Their Shiraz-Viognier blend (2006) and single-varietal Shiraz (2005) were also fabulous.

Producer Howling Wolves from Margaret River was showing its new releases from its new Small Batch line. True to its name, there were only 750 cases produced of its 2006 Cabernet/Merlot blend, which despite its rarity is reasonably priced at $29.95. From husband and wife team Jane and Peter Thompson, Thompson Estate’s 2004 Chardonnay showed a restrained use of oak, which provides subtle depth and flavor to the wine.

One of the founding wineries in Margaret River, Leeuwin Estate produces internationally acclaimed wines, which feature beautiful artwork commissioned from contemporary artists on its labels. The winery further demonstrates its commitment to art, both in the bottle and without, by maintaining an art gallery on its estate. All of Leeuwin wines shown that evening were wonderful: 2006 Riesling, 2005 Chardonnay and 2003 Prelude Cabernet/Merlot; all from the Leeuwin Estate Art Series.

A final standout was producer Barwick Estates, which sources fruit from Margaret River, Pemberton and the Blackwood Valley. Their wines are produced in three ranges — the White Label range with fruit blended from all three regions; Black Label Regional range; and the Collectables range, crafted from small parcels of estate grown fruit. I was particularly impressed with its White Label Semillion/Sauvignon 2007, but the real star was their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Collectables range.

Overall, it was wonderful to see this "softer" side of Australian wines and I would second the plea; when looking for great Australian wines, don’t be afraid to Go West!