Australia, New Zealand fare well with Riesling

Australia and New Zealand are flexing their muscles in the wine world, offering good wines at value prices.

Successful with sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and shiraz, Down Under wine makers are trying the market with other white wines.

Down Under whites are known for using little or no oaking and being crisp and clean. So what about a Riesling? This noble grape can be made in a sweet or dry style, depending on the wine maker. Well, Rieslings from Down Under are adding to the market options for white wines.

That led the wine-tasting group to compare Riesling wines made Down Under. The prices ranged from $8.99 to $19.99 among five wines. Here is what we found:

- 2001 Giesen Riesling at $13.99. One of the most consistent makers of quality wines Down Under, Giesen has produced a beautiful, pure Riesling, with an aroma of apples, pear, clove and other spices. This wine had a full body, good balance and lots of flavors. It was not sweet and everything worked in harmony. My tasters ranked it second in the tasting.

- 2002 Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling at $15.99. The aroma reminded us of green bananas or plantains, mixed with an Old World-style sniff of minerals. It was heavy in the mouth and slightly out of balance. We thought this wine would have performed better with food.

- 2002 Rosemount Traminer Riesling at $8.99. This wine exploded in the nostrils with tropical fruit, almost like those in a trail mix with fruits in it. The nose was full of fruit, including pineapple and coconut. "That's sexy," said one taster. While the aroma was great, the wine was less strong on the palate. It had a very sweet finish, suitable for Thai, Szechwan or Indian food.

- 2001 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Riesling at $19.99. This aroma was more Old World because of its mineral characteristics. My tasters described it as a "serious Riesling for sophisticated drinkers." It was complex with great balance. It should go well with food. It was the clear favorite of my tasters. Once the bag was lifted from this bottle, my tasters commented that this winery was famous for its excellent chardonnays, and this Riesling represents a good new venture in the market for Leeuwin.

- 2002 Jacob's Creek Reserve Riesling at $17.49. This wine smelled of honeysuckle and candied fruit. It was fresh and fun to drink. Despite its sweet aroma, the Jacob's Creek had a dry finish. This was a good flight of wines from down under, and you should feel comfortable picking a Riesling from the five, according to your tastes.

Surfing the wine shelves:

- 1999 Flora Springs Poggio del Papa at $35. This wine is available only in those states where it is legal to ship online orders and at the winery. Made primarily from sangiovese with merlot and cabernet sauvignon, it had dark, intense fruit, especially black cherries and dark plums. The texture was lush, the finish long.

- 1999 Clos Du Bois Marlstone at $39. This extraordinary wine was a blend of 55 percent cabernet sauvignon, 36 percent merlot, 8 percent malbec and 1 percent cabernet franc. The aroma was full of dark fruit and spice, with plenty of chocolate. The texture was lush and the finish lingering.

- 2000 Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery Merlot at $44. Not your everyday merlot, this wine was big and dense for a merlot, full of plum, black fruit, coffee and spice. It was rich and layered on the palate.

- 2001 Pascal Jolivet Attitude Sauvignon Blanc at $13. Fresh, green and lively, this wine tasted of tropical fruits. It would be great with shellfish.

Questions can be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 or e-mailed to editor