The two Kindred Spirits in this wine are Pinot Noir and Shiraz. In France, you would get chased out of the country if you blended these two varieties together yet in Australia, consider it a job well done! The Pinot Noir is showing a lot at the moment in this wine with delicate cherries and strawberries on the nose, however the Shiraz is taking over on the palate with plums and black pepper. Don't tell the French, but this works nicely!

Origin: Burgundy, France. Mainly Grown In: France, Australia Key Facts: Pinot Noir is notoriously difficult to grow. It prefers a cool climate, and yet it’s susceptible to frost as well as rot and excessive heat! You just can’t win, that is… unless you blend it! In Burgundy, perfumed Pinot Noir is combined with the fruity Gamay for a light juicy blend called Passetoutgrains. While in Australia, Pinot Noir is blended with their hero variety, Shiraz. Victoria’s Yarra Yering’s and Giant Step’s ‘Light Dry Reds’ are benchmark examples of the style! Expect it to be medium-bodied, leading with expressive Pinot aromatics and red fruits, but followed by more weighty dark berry notes and additional tannin texture than its French counter-part. Simply put, the blending of Pinot Noir allows winemakers to create complex and delicious wines that showcase the best of both worlds. Need we say more? Fun Fact: We may hype Pinot-Shiraz blends from Yarra Valley, but kudos goes to Hunter Valley for creating one of Australia’s most enduring blends way back in the ‘40s!