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Australia and New Zealand Wines Get Some Love; Chenin Blanc Making a Comeback

“The wines at Outback Steakhouse ain’t so bad either, mate!” Photo: iStockphoto

Decanter magazine’s latest issue declares that Australia is the most underappreciated wine region, and that wines more “elegant” than the country’s “blockbuster” Shirazes are being made Down Under these days. [Decanter]

• Speaking of Oz: Australian wine writer James Halliday will sometimes spend twelve hours a day tasting, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and he recently completed a book called 1,001 Wines Under $20. Side note: The Australian wine industry has grown 150 percent in the last decade. [WSJ]

• More wineries, both in California and Europe, are offering hands-on experiences for tourists to help them learn more about wine-making and how terroir — the combination of soils, location, and climate — affects a wine. [Wine Business]

• Eric Asimov and the New York Times tasting panel delved into recent-vintage New Zealand Pinot Noirs and found them “friendly and approachable,” but “underwhelming,” “lacking a sense of place,” and “boring.” [NYT]

• Chenin Blanc, “California’s other, other white grape,” appears to be making a small comeback. [SFGate]

Gruet, a winery that specializes in sparkling wine, has become “the standard-bearer of New Mexico’s growing wine industry.” [WineReviewOnline]

Australia and New Zealand Wines Get Some Love; Chenin Blanc Making a Comeback