Friday lunchtime is fast approaching. This week seems to have been very long and busy.

However, the countdown is on to the weekend and that means a few bottles of my favourite wines.

Usually it's a few bottles on Friday and Saturday nights and then just one bottle on Sunday. Regrettably on a Monday morning I have to be up bright and breezy ready for another hectic week at work.

I am still a bit of an amateur when it comes to choosing the right wine and I will admit to sometimes getting it wrong. I know every now and then I serve a white when it should be a red.

For Friday's dinner I was contemplating serving up a nice piece of steak. To accompany this I think I should be choosing a nice Cabernet Sauvignon. However my predicament is I am an absolute lover of any sort of Shiraz, so perhaps I should get a couple of bottles of this.

At my house this Saturday we are having a family get together and I am organising a nice buffet. I expect my family will do their usual and not bring their own wine, so I will have to make sure I have extra supplies in. My absolute favourite wine is Cava, so I will definately buy some of this. My dilemma will be should I get Rosado Cava or Reserve Cava, or perhaps, as it’s a big event, I should just get a case of each.

On Sunday night there will be just be the two of us and I think after our weekend of heavy drinking we will just enjoy a nice cup of tea.

Well that will be another weekend done and dusted. Unfortunately Monday morning will soon be here, the alarm will be buzzing nice and early and another busy week will be here.  Oh roll on Friday.

The Barossa is famous for its red wine and it is in this region where Shiraz reigns supreme. Large proportions of Barossa Shiraz is used in Penfolds Grange (Australia's most famous wine). Henschke Hill of Grace also uses Barossa Shiraz for their wine.

The famous Barossa wine region is a little over an hour by car north of Adelaide, South Australia’s capital. Something that surprises many people is that the Barossa actually encompasses two regions – the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley.

Stretching all the way from Williamstown in the South all the way up to Kapunda in the north, the Barossa Vally covers quite  a sizable area of land. The red-brown soils are more fertile than those of the Eden Valley but rainfall here can be up to 50% less.  The temperatures in the Barossa are usually 2ºC warmer than the surrounding regions.

Eden Valley includes the country from Truro in the north through to Mount Pleasant in the south. This region averages for 400 to 600 metres abouve sea level with the wine growing areas being situated in the higher sections of land. Eden Valley has much rockier, acidic soil than the Barossa Valley and also enjoys about 255mm more rainfall every year. The cooler temperatures in this region means that growing seasons are generally longer.

So how does this affect the wine from these regions? Well to put it simply, these are great growing conditions.

There are about 550 growers in the Barossa, some of them sixth-generation Barossans.  The total harvest each season adds up to a whopping 55,000 tonnes of grapes which has been grown over 8,000 hectares of land.
A unique aspect about the Barossa is that it has managed to avoid phylloxera This means that many vineyards still thrive on their own root stocks, distinguishing the Barosssa as a wine-growing region with some of the world’s oldest vines.

The Barossa rings true to the idea of quality over quantity with the fruit produced there being the premium of Australian produce, but representing only 5% of the national crush. The constant premium quality of wines produced in the Barossa makes them Australia's most internationally influential regions with a large number of Barossa wines being categorized in the super-premium class.

No wonder Barossa Shiraz is revered around the world.

Follow the link for more information on Barossa Shiraz .

Popular Varieties Of Wine

There are many types and varieties of wine available. For anyone wanting to try and match a great wine with a specific type of meal, then you can’t go wrong making your choice form one of the more popular varieties around.

Oh, and before we get started, if you love to try new wines, then you can't go wrong with a wine of the month club, they're fun and you're always expanding your wine palate.

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular wine varieties:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Often abbreviated to the less-than-lovely name ‘cab-sav’, the flavorful cabernet sauvignon is a classic French wine that is one of the most widely recognized red wine varieties.

This well rounded red goes wonderfully with steaks and roasted lamb as well as being delicious on its own.

Merlot

Merlot is a very soft red which has a lower level of tannins than many other red wine varieties. It is often blended with cabernet sauvignon and other grapes, but is often found on its own, making a good accompaniment to chicken and other poultry dishes.

Shiraz

This wine (also known as Syrah) is very dark red in color and has a full body with notes of black pepper. This wine is ideal for barbecues and in fact, any meat dish. These wines can be aged for many years with spectacular results.

Native to Iran (it is named after the Iranian city of Siraz), this grape is produced extensively in Australia, which makes some of the best Shiraz in the world as well as in France.

Shiraz pairs well with strong and spicy sauces – it is ideal for spicy cuisines and barbecue.

Grenache

Grenache has a soft taste on its own with a very slight black pepper and plum flavor. It is often blended with Syrah, especially in Spain and France. Grenache also accompanies spicy foods quite well.

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir is a stunning light- to medium-bodied red wine with a fine fruity aroma. When this fine wine is well aged, it can develop lovely floral flavors.

Chardonnay

This is one of the most popular white wine varieties. Chardonnay makes a lovely wine on its own and it is often blended with other white wines. Chardonnay has notes of melon and lemon, as well as oak; the wine is generally aged in oak for between one and three years. This wine is the perfect complement to salmon and tuna dishes.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a tart, assertively flavored wine with lemon and gooseberry notes. This is a great wine for seafood or on its own, well chilled.

Semillon

This French grape is not as well known to those outside of France and Australia, where it is also widely grown. However, Semillon has a pleasing honeyed toast-like flavor, with lower acidity than many whites. It is often blended with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, with which is makes some very good wines.

Riesling

This is a German wine which has found favor worldwide and is now grown in many different countries. This is a white wine with a pleasing green apple and lemon flavor which may be either dry or sweet. The dry varieties of Riesling are excellent paired with spicy foods.

Now get out there, start trying new wines (join a wine club if there are no vineyards nearby), and enjoy.