It’s wine time! What better way to welcome the weekend than getting to sample over 2000 bottles of wine? With hundreds of people making their way to this event, including us! We were in disbelief when we arrived. Right before our eyes were multiple rows of wines as far as the eye can see. All categorised in formation from Class 1 to 65 ready for all your tasting pleasures! In addition to the tasting, event goers were treated to delightful cocktail foods, cheese platters as well as live music by Tanya Cornish.

Spoilt for choice, we managed to pick our top 5 favourites from the Taste of the Best – Royal Adelaide Wine Show Public Tasting event.

McPherson Family Vineyards – Andrew’s Shiraz 2018
What attracted us to this bottle of wine? It was the beautiful message that was printed on the label. It read, ‘Andrew loves a great shiraz and a long Sunday lunch, combining the two with family and friends at his farmhouse most weekends’. Resinating with this message, we decided to give it a try. This wine poured beautifully, with rich shades of deep purple. It boasted flavours of subtle sweetness from ripe blackberries and plums while giving off a hint of spice. This medium bodied Shiraz offers a rich full palate that was smooth to finish. We could imagine ourselves enjoying a glass or two of this exquisitely smooth Shiraz with friends and family over a perfectly cooked steak with conversations that would take us into the night. A must try!

Wolf Blass – Grey Label McLaren Vale Shiraz 2017
It’s time to set our eyes on the elegant superior wines from the renowned winemakers, Wolf Blass. Wolf Blass have a long and proud history that started with founder, Wolfgang Franz Otto Blass who ventured his way from Germany to Barossa Valley in 1961, establishing Wold Blass Wines in 1966. It was with great pleasure when we stumbled across this 2017 Shiraz amongst the parallel rows of red. We picked this as our second favourite due to its aromatic palate of blackberries and blueberries with notes of dark chocolate, warm spice and subtle nougat oak.

Peter Lehmann – The Barossan Shiraz 2017
Their 2014 Shiraz is an old favourite so it was a delight to see The Barossan Shiraz 2017 standing tall at this year’s tasting. Peter Lehmann doesn’t disappoint. The liquid hues of purple with a mixed bouquet of dark fruits and varied notes of mocha, vanilla and oak was unequivocally divine. A sure crowd pleasure with its medium to full bodied palate and rounded tannins for a perfect finish.

Lindeman’s – Limestone Ridge Shiraz Cabernet 2015
Deep red with hues of purple and everything in between. This medium to full bodied wine was rich and offered a smooth finish. If you close your eyes, notes of fruity flavours, oak, black pepper and coffee fill your glass and palate, making this our fourth favourite. What we loved most, was the intensity of the berries and how it offered a subtle sweetness. The perfect red that can be enjoyed on its own or paired up with your favourite meal. A universal and fitting pick for any occasion.

Morris Wines – Morris old Premium Rare Muscat
You must always finish on a sweet note! This crowd puller was highly dense and on first sip, tasted of sweet rich raisin’s, with notes of concentrated chocolate, toffee and dried fruits. This would pair perfectly with an equally rich dessert like dark chocolate mousse, chocolate pudding or even a fudgy chocolate cake! We included this as one of our favourites for its indulgent touches, which is sure to please anyone with a sweet tooth.

Words by Tien Thach of Tastytag