The 2008 Vintage

16 September 2008 - As the crisp cold of Autumn approaches and the grape harvests start to take place in the northern hemisphere the first wines of the 2008 vintage from the southern hemisphere start to hit the shelves. The whites naturally represent the vanguard, and this year my first 2008 came from Kim Crawford in Marlborough, New Zealand. Marlborough has been increasing quality in leaps and bounds over the past decade, and today makes some of the best Sauvignon Blancs in the world. Additionally, their Pinot Noirs are starting to rival those of Burgundy and California. On the Australian side Riesling and Chardonnay lead the pack but in six months to a year will no doubt be followed by a flood of excellent Shirazes. Thenabouts in the north we'll be seeing our first whites and then the reds will follow. Every year brings new challenges, but there's always a great wine being made somewhere!