Best’s Great Western? A little birdie tweeted to me….

Almost two weeks ago I went down to the post office and picked up a parcel which contained a threesome of wines – Best’s Great Western’s latest offerings from the Great Western wine region in Victoria.  Best’s has decided to become one of the forerunners of the age of social media, by using Twitter and it’s little blue bird, to hold the what is now known as a “Tweet-Up” to promote the brand’s new releases.  For those unfamiliar with Twitter and tweeting, a Tweet-Up is where the community can get onto Twitter and, during a specified period of time, get involved with each other and talk about a particular topic, which of course, in this case, is tweeting about Best’s new releases from the Great Western range.  The threesome I had the great opportunity to taste, newly released today, were the 2010 Riesling, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2009 Bin No 1 Shiraz.

Given my marketing background, and many years in the wine industry, I have, as of late last year, embraced social media.  Twitter has become a valuable tool for anyone promoting their brand, but also to engage in conversations directly with the key people behind the brand, and their consumers of the product.  With over 140 years of history in the Australian wine industry, it is great to see some of our earliest producers, such as the likes of Bests, embracing new technologies, and engaging directly with their consumers to share information and new products.

I urge you to get in on the action.  Not only will you discover what everyone else thinks about wine, but you will learn from others, share you own knowledge, and meet a lot of great people.  Not only is it great for social networking, but most producers will let you know about new releases, special offers, and events, often before other forms of media are aware of them.   For more information on the Best’s Great Western Tweet Up today, join in the conversation at www.twitter.com, and type in the hashtag #bestswines to see all the happenings from today’s event!

Here’s my thoughts on the new releases from Best’s Great Western range I tasted today.

Best’s Great Western 2010 Riesling

Colour: Pale Straw

Bouquet: A heavenly nose.  Lanolin, bath salts, a gorgeous lifted floral character, and citrus notes reminiscent of delicate tangerine/mandarin.

Palate: A supple, luscious mouth feel that carries through the delicacy of the mandarin/citrus, honeysuckle floral notes, and a hint of apricot, A sherbet-like tingle of fresh lime zest that lingers on the tip of your tongue at the finish, with subtle minerality that adds to the great texture of this wine.  Easy to enjoy this wine on its own, no real need for food here, and should be savoured for its captivating flavour and texture.

RRP $22.00

Best’s Great Western 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Colour: Vibrant deep violet

Bouquet: Hints of dried bay leaf, delicate mocha and vanillan characters.  Red berries and freshly picked plums, with a hint of spice.

Palate: An elegant, medium bodied Cabernet, with a lovely balance between the berry and red fruits with the dried leafy and oak-derived vanillan/mocha characters.  Fine, emery tannins with some spice and an acid lift that brings all the flavour of the wine to the fore.  Lovely to drink now, or put it down for a few years and watch the complexity develop.

RRP: $25.00

Best’s Great Western 2009 Bin No 1 Shiraz

Colour: Rich ruby with a violet rim

Bouquet: White pepper spice, creamy vanillan (almost shortcake like) notes, ripe plum fruit.

Palate: Loads of white pepper and spice, and sweet, ripe plum and red fruit notes.  Hints of violet floral notes coming through, and given the wine’s youth, the tannins you would expect are present, but not so dominating as to detract from the flavour of the wine.  Enough acidity to ensure that this wine has plenty of life.   This wine can definitely use a bit of time to be enjoyed at its full potential, but I am enjoying the power and character that this wine is already displaying.

RRP: $25.00