As the weather starts to cool down again, I particularly enjoy rediscovering deep, dark & brooding red shiraz & cabernet. These are the wines that command time to sit and pondered over, rather than the glug & chug wines which generally make their appearance at barbecues over spring & summer.

There’s nothing I like better than to sit in a lounge chair, after a long night at Veraison and gently swirl something intense & red in my glass. The more things you can smell & taste in a wine the better. This is what is referred to as a complex wine. It becomes an adventure unraveling the flavours & bouquets of these beauties. I love the golden moments when trying to describe that familiar flavour in there that I just can put my finger on. Even more fun after you have had a couple.

This whole process takes time. The wine firstly needs to breathe to allow it to open up. A decanter will help speed up the process but a good wine will still need about an hour. Large bulbous glasses are great for swirling This really gets the bouquet going and allows the wine to open up further in the glass. This is ‘activating’ the wine for those who enjoy using correct industry terms.

For those of you who enjoy shiraz, look for Elderton Command, Peter Lehmann Stonewell, Yalumba Octavius, Penfolds St. Henri, Grant Burge Meshach, Jim Barry McRae Wood. On a local note I was recently particularly impressed with Symphony Hill Reserve Shiraz – gold medal winner at the Sydney International Wine Show

Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers should look for Penfolds Bin 389, Grant Burge Shadrach, Wynns Black Label, Bowen Estate, Vasse Felix Hetesbury. Local Granite Belt cabernet like Boireann Lurnea & Witches Falls Prophecy are certainly worth discovering.

- Andrew Smith