A Taste of Down Under

Brandon Twp.- Red, white and tasty.
Those words are a basic description of the six wines tasted from 7-9 p.m., Oct. 18 at the Brandon Township Library.
‘I liked all of them,? said Barb Fahlquist, public relations clerk for the library. ‘But I liked the whites over the reds.?
Tom Fischer, distribution representative from A.H.D. Vintners presented three different white wines and three different red wines from different regions of Australia and New Zealand in a way that Fahlquist described as easily understandable, fun and interesting.
The wines were hand-produced and from small wineries. About 37 guests at the Australian Wine-Tasting ‘A Taste from Down Under,? tried an ounce of each wine, including Chardonnay and Shiraz from Bulletin Place in southeastern Australia, described as ‘rich and tropical? and ‘spicy and ripe? respectively; Verdelho from Hope Estate in Hunter Valley, Australia, described as ‘aromatic and spicy?; Cabernet Sauvignon, from Paringa Winery in Riverlands, S. Australia, described as ‘Rich, chewy and textured?; Sauvignon Blanc from Kim Crawford in Marlborough, New Zealand 2004 (won Best of Nation Award in the San Francisco International Wine Competition); and Cabernet~Merlot ‘Private Bin? from Villa Maria in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, described as ‘fleshy and ripe.?
‘I thought it was very well-received,? said Fahlquist. ‘Wine-tasting is one of our best-attended events and always has been.?
A wine-tasting is being planned for next year at the library, featuring wines from Spain and Portugal. Another wine-tasting with sulphite-free wines is also being considered.