254: New Australian Wines & Regions + Grenache's Resurgence with Jane Lopes, Author of How to Drink Australian

Unreserved Wine Talk

Are you curious about new Australian wine styles and regions? Why is Grenache experiencing a resurgence in Australia right now? What was the most devastating part of several Court of Master Sommelier scandals?

In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with sommelier and author Jane Lopes.

You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks

Giveaway

Two of you are going to be the lucky recipients of a copy of Jane Lopes' books. One of you will win Vignette: Stories Of Life And Wine In 100 Bottles, and another will win How To Drink Australian. To enter, email me at [e-mail] and tell me that you’d like to win a copy. I'll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!

Highlights

What’s it like to experience the journey of becoming a Master Sommelier?

Do we need more outlets for education in the wine industry?

What was it like being a woman experiencing the unfair and sexist consequences of several Master Sommelier scandals?

How would the industry benefit from more transparency and an overhaul of the Court of Master Sommeliers certification process?

How is How To Drink Australian different from other books about Australian wine?

What was the motivation behind writing How To Drink Australian?

What are some of the unique characteristics of Australian wine and wine regions?

Why is Grenache experiencing a resurgence in Australia right now?

What’s the tasting experience like for Ngeringa 2018 Summit Vineyard Chardonnay and Bird on a Wire 2015 Syrah?

Why should you try a wider range of Australian wine?

Key Takeaways

I loved Jane’s fresh take on new Australian wine styles and regions. I knew that Australia has plenty of warm regions and a number of cool areas, but I didn’t realize it also has some of the coldest wine regions in the world.

Jane has put Australian grenache on my radar. I love this grape and wine from the Rhone and am keen to do more side-by-side comparison tastings with those from Australia.

The Court of Master Sommelier exam scandal had a pretty devastating impact on candidates like Jane, who had studied for years and invested thousands of dollars to prepare for it only to have that hard-earned recognition taken away. Coupled with Master Sommelier sexual harassment scandal, I hope that serious reforms are underway with the organization.

Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live

Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video.

I want to hear from you! What’s your opinion of what we’re discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn’t answer?

Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621

About Jane Lopes

Jane Lopes is a Nashville-based sommelier, author, and importer. In 2020, Jane and her husband Jonathan Ross co-founded their own Australian wine imports company: Legend. Jane’s second book, How to Drink Australian (co-authored with her husband), was published in 2023.

To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/254.