Question: At a recent Amarone wine tasting the speaker referred a couple of times to VA on the nose. How would you describe that smell?

Answer: Volatile Acidity (VA) can be an issue with some wines, often resulting from riper, late-picked grapes. Excessive exposure to air (oxygen) or insufficient sulphur dioxide (SO2) during winemaking can cause volatile acidity (VA). You can spot the two main contributors to the problem on the aromas of the wine. Firstly, acetic acid smells like vinegar and secondly, ethyl acetate is similar to nail polish. Some winemakers think a little bit provides freshness to the wine but too much is definitely a fault. Be aware of VA when you are tasting.

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As loyal followers of this Blog are aware your scribe has been impressed by the outstanding quality of Australian Chardonnay. Several recent references have been posted here including Ask Sid on October 22, 2025, titled “Underrated Wine Region for Top Quality Chardonnay,” and on June 2, 2025, titled “Shaw + Smith Are Expressing Adelaide Hills in Australia with Vibrant Modern Classic Wines.” However, wine quality is improving right across Australia’s many regions. My good old friend from the nineties Mark Davidson, was formerly the talented sommelier in Vancouver at the William Tell Restaurant (with one of the great restauranteurs Erwin Doebeli). Mark was honoured as Sommelier of the Year in 2001 & Spirited Industry Professional in 2014 (a year after yours truly) by @VanWineFest, and he is now doing a terrific job as Head of Education Development – Americas for wineaustralia.com. On February 19, 2026, Mark was in town to provide an informative update on the diverse Victoria region to the wine trade at Vancouver Urban Winery. At his seminar, he spotlighted and explained seven distinct sub-regions within Wine Victoria (out of twenty-one shown on the map), offering valuable wine insights. Frost has been a recent troubling issue in Australia with late 2024 and 2025 (October) resulting in consecutive smaller harvests. Afterward, there was a plethora of wines to taste from the region, including mostly Yarra Valley sub-region selections like the Fontaine label from Dominique Portet (I still have a bottle of his amazing 1978 Taltarni Cabernet Sauvignon) and Ben Portet’s Chardonnay (13% ABV) & Cabernets (a blend of 60% CS, 29% M, 6% Malbec, 5% CF at 13.5% ABV), both from the 2024 vintage. The main event with brief comments:

2021 JAYDEN ONG ONE BLOCK CHARDONNAY, YARRA VALLEY: Chardonnay remains Australia’s largest white wine variety, but its overall volume decreased by 13% due to frost in 2025. This organically farmed Chardonnay from the admirable Yarra Valley is from the exceptional, cooler, and balanced 2021 vintage and shows well after about four years of bottle age. Mark mentioned how different the Australian Chardonnay style is from the “big, rich, Tyrrell award-winning Chardonnays of the seventies & eighties.” Your scribe remembers well when in 1971 Murray Tyrrell started Vat 47 Chardonnay using Hunter Valley fruit. Mark noted, “How different they are now and the key to making top Australian Chardonnay is managing ripeness.” Lovely start to this tasting with a good showing by my favourite white grape variety, Chardonnay.”

2018 TAHBILK MUSEUM MARSANNE, NAGAMBIE LAKES: Old Marsanne vines from historic Tahbilk, dating back to the 1860s, are grown in a continental climate 120 kilometres north of Melbourne in Nagambie Lakes. Mark “likes the structure and continuing success of aged Marsanne.” Still so young at 8 years of age – a treasure!

2024 KOOYONG MASSALE PINOT NOIR, MORNINGTON PENINSULA: Big fan of Aussie Pinot Noir from various regions (the 2024 Tolpuddle from Tasmania is outstanding and so much improved). The Mornington Peninsula sub-region is under the radar with this ideal site at elevation on volcanic soil. Only 10% new oak but 12% whole bunch fermentation. Like the fresh, lighter, pure Pinot Noir signature. What a good value!

2019 CASTAGNA UN SEGRETO, BEECHWORTH: Mineral rich hills of Beechworth – remember Mick Jagger playing Australian bushranger Ned Kelly in the film? This blended wine, composed of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Shiraz, spent 22 months in French oak (35% new), showing mid-range fullness and refreshing acidity.

2023 MOUNT LANGI GHIRAN CLIFF EDGE SHIRAZ, GRAMPIANS: Cool climate mountains yield more elegant fruit from older replanted Shiraz vines dating back to 1969. Mark stated, “Another mid-range example of Shiraz – so different from the big full Barossa style.”

2022 BLUE PYRENEES RICHARDSON CABERNET SAUVIGNON, PYRENEES: Another cooler region “in the middle of nowhere,” grows Cabernet Sauvignon from 30 year old vines on sandy soils. Mark found both bottles “a little corky,” but they cleared somewhat in the glass. Another expression of Cab Sauv so different from the popular Terra Rossa red clay soil of Coonawarra.

NV PFEIFFER CLASSIC MUSCAT, RUTHERGLEN: Fortified Muscat was a non-vintage blend but a big group favourite! Outstanding Muscat definition. So luscious and intensely delicious. We need more of these unique Australian dessert wines in our North American market. Like the 100 year Para Tawny Port liqueur 1925 from Seppeltsfield just released. Your scribe remembers buying the last 5 cases of the 1933 vintage for the 50th Anniversary of the International Wine & Food Festival held in Vancouver in 1983 which was truly superb. Now 50 years later it is still outstanding at 100. These higher sugar “stickies,” like this Rutherglen Muscat have raisiny complex flavours from long barrel aging. Wonderful finish.

We are fortunate to have Mark returning for another Trade Seminar in Vancouver at our 47th #VIWF this month on March 13 at 9:30 am at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Sponsored by Wine Australia, the seminar will feature “Classic & Contemporary Australia,” showcasing 9 wines. Among the top quality choices is Tyrrell’s 2017 Vat 1 Hunter Semillon, one of the world’s greatest wines. The first vintage, produced in 1963, came from grapes grown and always early picked on Tyrrell’s Short Flat Vineyard, resulting in high acidity and low alcohol. It ages amazingly well—it seems timeless. Get your tickets. Many thanks Mark Davidson!

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Question: Would you please provide us with the current update status on the tariffs added to Italian wines entering America?

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Bourgogne has far more yearly climate variations than many other wine regions. Accordingly, wine collectors are usually enthralled with buying the best Burgundy vintages and often dismissive of the others. Unfair comparisons often occur when the intense fruit of a top vintage overwhelms a lighter less ripe one served together. That was not the case at the latest Vancouver Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin dinner on February 17 at Boulevard Restaurant #BLVDYVR. The whites were lighter 2011 & rich 2012 with no pure classic 2010 or wonderfully balanced 2014 for dramatic differences. Similarly, the reds were all variable vintages, with the 2006 needing careful sorting, the 2007 showing lighter red fruits, and the 2008 being slightly more reliable. The adjoining great vintages—the classic, balanced 2005, the riper, fleshy 2009, or the small-crop, outstanding 2010—were nowhere in sight. This was a good thing, enabling these lesser vintages to shine in their own glory.

The evening commenced with an exquisite 2005 GASTON CHIQUET CHAMPAGNE PREMIER CRU MILLESIME OR, a House that dates back to 1746 when Nicolas Chiquet first planted the vines. Subsequently, from 1919 brothers Fernand & Gaston joined (his own brand launched in 1935). From the 1950s, his son Claude and his sons Antoine & Nicolas joined, and now Antoine’s daughter, Marion Chicquet, is involved. A great family history continues. Impressive bubbles: rich, balanced, and complex; disgorged in February 2015 after nearly 10 years on the lees. Delighted with the Sunseeker oyster & celeriac tart pairing. We finished up with the lighter, more delicate yet full-bodied 1997 FONSECA VINTAGE PORT which is drinking well now though drier than your scribe expected, but it can still wait.

2011 CORTON BLANC GRAND CRU LUCIEN LE MOINE: Founded in the late 1990s by Mounir & Rotem Samoua their “commitment is to produce wines of exceptional purity. We aim to make each wine an accurate and focused expression of its origin, that unique quality the French call ‘terroir’.” Without vineyards they usually purchase fermented juice for long elevage in custom toasted barrels in a reductive style with natural CO2 remaining so that all their wines should be decanted. A darker look with a touch of pétillant which would have cleared better with decanting ahead of time. Mature and ready.

2012 CORTON BLANC GRAND CRU LUCIEN LE MOINE: Though there are 160 hectares of Grand Cru Corton, nearly 72 are the structured Corton-Charlemagne (the largest Grand Cru property ahead of Clos de Vougeot with just over 50) and only a tiny 3.95 hectares is Corton Blanc. This is much lighter, brighter, and encouraging. Fresh with a touch of minerals. Neither vintage of Corton Blanc is as distinctively styled as top Corton-Charlemagne. Corton-Charlemagne, situated at higher elevations, probably survives climate change as well as or better than any other Burgundy white and is a proven longer ager than Corton Blanc. Tasty with the unique innovative crispy pig’s head starter.

2006 GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN 1ER CRU CHAMPONNET DOMAINE LOUIS BOILLOT: This Premier Cru Gevrey-Chambertin of Champonnet sits on the Grand Cru hillside as a north extension of 3.32 hectares on clay soil in the lower part, with more gravel at the top. Louis Boillot is a leading producer who worked with his father until starting his own domaine in 2002. Working with his son Clement since 2012 on a minuscule 1/5 of a hectare here, he is now partnered with his wife Ghislaine Barthod, together, they produce 26 cuvées composed of 17 Premier Crus. This wine is made from vines older than 50 years and is 100% destemmed. This 2006 has a darker colour than the 2007, with earthy bigger red fruit notes. No rush. The duck leg course was excellent with this pairing.

2007 GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN 1ER CRU CHAMPONNET DOMAINE LOUIS BOILLOT: The lighter, paler rim has developed compared to the 2006 with the cherry and raspberry pure flavours showing significant tertiary finesse. Both so called off vintages show nuanced styling with a wonderful elegance. Drinking well now but no rush.

2006 MOREY-SAINT-DENIS 1ER CRU LES LOUPS DOMAINE DES LAMBRAYS: Thierry Brouin ran this top domain for 40 years, from 1979 until his retirement in April 2018. He was succeeded by Boris Champy for less than a year and LVMH acquired the domain, followed by Jacques Devauges (formerly of Clos de Tart) in March 2019. “Les Loups” is a small production from younger vines sourced from Grand Cru Clos des Lambrays plus two other 1er Cru sites: La Riotte & the unusually named Le Village. Vinification uses punch-downs rather than pump-overs, yet the wines are accessible early on. The 2006 vintage has the best pure fruit notes of red cherry and raspberry, along with tea undertones.

2007 MOREY-SAINT-DENIS 1ER CRU LES LOUPS DOMAINE DES LAMBRAYS: This shows good typical acidity resulting from this vintage, earlier picking, and the use of some stems. Production in 2007 was very small, totaling only 1,500 bottles.

2008 MOREY-SAINT-DENIS 1ER CRU LES LOUPS DOMAINE DES LAMBRAYS: This 2008 is quite a bit lighter in colour but has lovely, classy perfumes, spice, and suppleness. Delicious with the special beef course. I’m impressed with how well these lesser vintages bought at a super value are showing on their own merit without being compared against the very best longer aging years.

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Question: While recently travelling in southern India, I tasted an unusual wine named Kallu. What is it?

Answer: Kallu is a unique Indian wine produced – not from grapes – but from the fermented sap of palm trees. How did you like it?

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