How are these astonishing wines made,
and what are they made from?
The answer to both questions is deceptively simple. Each wine is a style not a variety and each is made from a different grape. Muscat is made from a brown colored type of the grape Muscat a Petits Grains known locally as Brown Muscat, and Tokay is made from Muscadelle, a grape better known for a small role in the sweet wines of Bordeaux. In both cases the grapes are grown in this hot sun drenched region and allowed to hang on the vine long after the table grapes are ripe, soaking up that heat, turning it into sugar, and then concentrating this sugar and the acid as the grape shrivels. In this way the grapes often reach 16-20 degrees Baume (each degree Baume roughly equates to one % alcohol after fermentation) quite naturally which means the resultant wine will be both sweet and rich.

The grapes are then picked and crushed. This in itself is a difficult job due to the raisin-like grapes and intense sugar levels. Next comes the fermentation, the use of yeast to turn the sugar into alcohol. Many makers, Chambers included, do not even start fermenting some wines (Tokay) or in very ripe years. Either way, the short fermentation is stopped rather like Port by the addition of high quality brandy spirit which kills the yeast leaving all that rich sugary sweetness and flavor.

The next step involves time and patience. The young wine is cleaned then put into oak barrels of varying sizes to age and develop. No new oak is used for this process as the added flavor would not work with the wine, in fact, most of the makers feel that the older the oak the better. Most of these wineries are full of a myriad of barrels of varying sizes and some of great age. The rest of the process is time.

What happens now is controlled oxidation. Over time, lots of time, small amounts of air get in through the oak to affect the wine, and through these same very small openings tiny amounts of the wines evaporate (locally this evaporated liquid is known as the "angel's share"). The effect is
three fold:

Color
The oxidation causes color and flavor changes in the wine. Muscat when young is reddish brown but time and oxygen turns it brown, then eventually olive green, particularly on the rim. Tokay starts out lighter with golden tints but follows the same pattern with very old Muscat and Tokay looking quite similar.

Texture
Given the loss through evaporation both wines become noticeably thicker, even oily. In fact, very old wines, and there are some as old as 100 years and more, look and have the texture of Treacle or Molasses.

Flavor
Time adds to the complexity of the wines with older wines showing many aromas and flavors that were not present in the young wines. Most noticeable among these is 'rancio', a term much used with Sherries and Ports and which means, at least as well as I can explain it, a mixture of volatility and other substances (aldehydes for the chemists amongst us) which stop the sweet wine from smelling and tasting over sweet or cloying. In fact, all the flavors concentrate and intensify until older wines are quite literally explosive in the mouth.

So what can I expect from Muscat and Tokay? Muscat has an aroma that can be described as fruity, with smells of grape, raisins, orange peel, rancio brandy spirit and more plus a palate including incredibly intense sweetness, and many other flavors that I can't find words for. Tokay has all of these plus a characteristic flavor and aroma from the Muscadelle grape that has been described as cold tea, fish oil, or malt extract, all right, but all wrong. You'll need to try the wine to know what I mean.

• Chambers Rosewood
• Morris
• Stanton and Killeen
• Baileys
• Campbells
• Brown Brothers
• All Saints

• Chambers Liqueur Muscat and Tokay (younger)
• Very Old Liqueur Muscat and Tokay (very special, very old)
• Morris Canister Series (younger) or Old Premium Liqueur (older)
• Stanton and Killeen Special Old Liqueur
• Baileys Warby and Founder Range (younger) and Winemakers Selection (older)
• Campbells Merchant Prince
• Brown Brothers
• All Saints Lyrebird Range

I once was privileged enough to try some 100 year old Muscat from Chambers. It was so dark and thick you almost could not pour it! It looked like treacle and in the mouth was explosive, almost searing in its intensity and the flavor stayed with me for ages, longer than any other wine experience. It is this wine, when blended in with medium and fresher wine, that makes these old blends so sensational to try.

So what are we talking about with Sparkling red wines from Australia? It's about quality red wines made in the same way as Champagne, bottle fermented, aged on lees, then liqueured and left to develop in the bottle. However, instead of using Chardonnay and Pinot as the base wines, they use quality red wines.

These styles exist elsewhere in the world, notably in the Burgundy and Loire regions of France, but not in any quantity, or with the same quality. Only here in Australia do these tend to be taken seriously. Indeed they are very much in fashion currently. The range and variety are now truly exceptional.

What should you expect from these wines?
Imagine tilting an empty glass and pouring ... down the side runs a frothy liquid, vivid purple in color with violet and purple froth. Roaring out of the glass comes the smell of black currants, blackberries, chocolate, cherries, strawberries and more. You finish pouring and slowly the froth settles into purple red wine with a steady mousse. Another sniff now shows hints of oak, sweet fruit and firm acid. Try some .... powerful fruit, dry yet seeming sweet, some acid and tannin on the finish as the flavors run over your tongue, berries, mushroom, spice, cherries and more. Makes me thirsty just writing about it!

What are these wines made from?
Well these days just about anything red. Most, and I think the best, are made from Shiraz. All that chocolate and rich smoky blackberry fruit just seems to suit the wine style. At one extreme we have the almost impossibly rare Rockford Black Shiraz. In the early days at least this wine started off life as a quality 10 year old Barossa Shiraz before Rocky took to it with the fizz. Also try the Rumball which uses 100% Coonawarra Shiraz, or the Leasingham, using the same Clare Shiraz as their classy table wines do.

Some people are making this wine from Cabernet too, notably Yalumba, and most successful it is too, lighter in style than the Shiraz, but not light. After this we have some beautiful Sparkling Merlot, notably the Irvine. One or two make a sparkling Pinot Noir like McWilliams and then we have the something different wines, Tatachilla make a brightly colored Sparkling Malbec and D'Arenberg have just released their Sparkling Chambourcin.

How do we drink these wines?
These Sparkling Shiraz wines should be served slightly chilled. Naturally this depends on the conditions. If its summer and you want them with a barbecue for example, 30 – 40 minutes in the refrigerator helps them, it stops them seeming flabby and over alcoholic. However, if its mid winter then room temperature will do fine. In short, don't over chill, or serve warm.

What do we drink these wines with?
Well, they are fantastic with your favorite pizza, served slightly chilled. They also drink wonderfully with Turkey particularly the sparkling Cabernet, and naturally also for barbecues where they hold their own. Added to this are any of the meat dishes that Shiraz style wines go with.

If you like experimenting, then try them also with Duck, char grilled Tuna, in fact, most meats char grilled. The lighter styles also make excellent aperitifs particularly on colder nights.

What sparkling red wines should you try?

• Andrew Garrett
• Hardy's Sparkling Shiraz

• Mt Prior Sparkling Durif
• Tatachilla Sparkling Malbec
• Rumball

• Rockford Black Shiraz
• Great Western
• Charles Melton Sparkling Shiraz
• Leasingham Classic Clare
• Irvine Sparkling Merlot
• Henry's Drive Sparkling Shiraz