“A bottle of wine begs to be shared: I have never met a miserly wine lover.” – Clifton Fadiman (American intellectual, author, editor, radio and television personality).

As much as Clifton Fadiman is not familiar to me, this quote sums up two things perfectly, relative to me.  Firstly, a bottle of wine should, where possible, be shared.  Secondly, and for fear of sounding conceited, I am not a miserly wine lover.  I have always enjoyed sharing wine, especially with those who appreciate it, even with those whose knowledge isn’t great but are keen to learn.

When these wines arrived and I tried them, I made my notes and realised there was still quite a bit in each of the bottles.  For those who don’t know, I live and work in a wine producing area of Tasmania.  I know a few of the producers and thought I would offer to share them with a winemaker and a viticulturist at one of the vineyards, not knowing if they had tried wines from Orange.  It was well worth it, and all three wines were well received.

Region: Orange Region, NSW     Source: Samples thanks kindly to Mayfield Vineyard and Define Wine

2022 Backyard Riesling

This Riesling had me excited right from the moment the aromas lifted from the glass when I poured it!  And those aromas continued on the vibrant palate where it was limey and a little passion-fruity and a mouth-watering apple like acidity was beautifully balanced by nicely played residual sugar.  It had a really good ‘feel’ to it across the palate as well which had me smiling broadly as it lingered for some time after swallowing it.  A lovely Riesling indeed. Price: $34 (bargain!)

2022 Sophie’s Godmother Sauvignon Blanc

It takes a fair bit for a Sauvignon Blanc to get me interested and this one did after I’d taken in the aromas that were definitely varietal.  Green peas, asparagus and a little herbal note were present on the nose and continue on the fresh, flavoursome palate where they coalesce with tropical fruit notes, then a little texture and a citrusy hit on the finish for good measure.  All in all, it’s a pretty good wine that doesn’t let team Sauvignon Blanc down that’s for sure. Price: $28

2022 Eighteen Fifteen Chardonnay

The nose was a little shy to start with but soon opened up with a little coaxing after a good swirl in the glass. Good stonefruit characters coming through with a touch of oak too.  The palate has great balance of peach, melon and oatmeal like flavours with good citrus characters providing a lovely freshness.  Add to this some creamy, textural feels, pretty good length, and you have an impressive, young chardonnay. Price: $37