N.V. Yalumba Museum Reserve Muscat, 375ml

Yalumba, in Angaston, South Australia, calls itself the country’s oldest winery, It was founded in 1849 by Samuel Smith, an English beer brewer who moved his family to Australia and bought 30 acres of farm land. Smith soon transferred his beer making skills to winemaking and today the fifth generation of the family still owns and operates Yalumba, which got its name from an aboriginal word meaning “all the land around.” The winery makes a large portfolio of wines, including Viognier, Chardonnay, Vermentino, sparkling and dessert wines. But it is especially known for its reds, including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache. Signature wines include the Cabernet/Shiraz Reserve and the Shiraz Old Vine The Octavius. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called The Octavius “a superb effort that is one of the great old-vine Shiraz cuvees available in the marketplace.”

Victoria is one of Australia’s smallest and coolest wine regions, yet one of the nation’s most dynamic and quality-oriented. Unlike many of Australia’s wine regions, which include many large, industrial producers, most Victoria producers are small, independently owned and crush fewer than 25 tons of grapes per year. With more than 600 wineries, Victoria has more producers than any other state, though it ranks third in production. Winemaking started in Victoria in the 1850s when Swiss immigrant Hubert de Castella recognized the area’s winemaking potential. There are many climates and topographies in Victoria, from dry, irrigated inland terroirs to cooler, higher regions. Top sub-appellations include Heathcote, Rutherglen and the Yarra Valley. Shiraz and Chardonnay are the principal grapes grown, though Viognier, Pinot Noir and Tannant are also grown. Of special note is the region’s history with sweet dessert wines made of Muscat. Some are called “Tokay” and are made from the Muscadelle grape. Red dessert, Madeira-style wines are also produced.