A family-owned winery in Australia finds favour with cabernet | Canada Voices

Justin Taylor has spent more than 20 years making sales calls to Canada for his family’s Australian wines, and he has never been more optimistic about their fortunes.

“The last five or six years have been challenging. People haven’t been rushing into the Australian section,” says Taylor, the third-generation company director and senior international sales manager for Wakefield Wines. “But right now, it does feel like we’re pushing against an open door.”

Along with New Zealand and China, Canada is one of Wakefield’s top markets. Taylor credits their success in this country to a strong relationship with retailers, including the LCBO, which provides strong support for Wakefield’s various cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and chardonnay labels, as well as more recent additions, such as sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.

Wakefield’s core range includes the Estate label, which accounts for 70 per cent of global sales. The Jaraman label offers multiregional blends of popular varieties, while the St. Andrews label features the best wines from the family’s own vineyards.

Taylor says their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon will join the LCBO Vintages Essentials collection in May. This means the wine will be available year-round online and in stores, unlike the limited-time releases typically sold through the LCBO’s specialty outlets. The timing is fortuitous, he says, as Canadian consumers realign their cabernet loyalties in the absence of popular California selections.

Wakefield has two other wines listed in the Essentials category, the Estate Shiraz and the Estate Chardonnay. According to Taylor, the cabernet sauvignon embodies the style of wine his family set out to produce when they established their winemaking operation in South Australia’s Clare Valley in 1969.

“If you put Napa at one end of the scale and Bordeaux at the other, Australia sits comfortably in the middle,” Taylor explains. “These wines offer lovely fruit intensity and soft tannin structure.”

When the Taylors started their winery, they planted 230 acres of cabernet sauvignon vines on the banks of the Wakefield River in the Clare Valley, the largest cabernet planting in the southern hemisphere in the 1960s. Justin Taylor says that his grandfather, father and uncle – who previously operated a chain of pubs and wine shops in Sydney – selected the grape varieties to plant based on which wines were popular in their establishments.

As they learned the business, family members took trips to Bordeaux to home in on the style of wine they wanted to produce in Clare.

The first cabernet sauvignon the family produced, from the 1973 vintage, won the award for best red wine at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show. More than 50 years later, Wakefield continues to enter wines into Australian and international wine competitions to benchmark their quality and build trust with consumers.

“We proudly display those medals on our wine bottles,” Taylor says. “Third-party endorsement of the quality of our product is an important message to send to people shopping for wine.”

Two of Wakefield’s most popular wines are recommended this week along with two other notable red wines from South Australia.

Waters on Wine: Seven red wines from $18 to $60 to savour at the dinner table

The Black Chook Shiraz Viognier 2022 (Australia), $19.95

Rating: 88

Produced by Penny’s Hill in McLaren Vale in South Australia, the Black Chook brand enjoys wide distribution across the country thanks to the success of this robust and smooth red wine. A shiraz that follows the fashion of blending a small percentage of viognier, a white wine grape, to add perfume and soften the tannin and acidity, this presents appealing dark fruit with pepper and floral notes. This has 14.5 per cent ABV and 3 g/litre r.s. Drink now to 2028. Available at the above price in Ontario ($17.95 until March 29), $22.99 in British Columbia ($20.99 until March 31), various prices in Alberta and Saskatchewan, $21.79 in Nova Scotia, $23.61 in Newfoundland.

Wakefield Estate Label Chardonnay 2024 (Australia), $17.95

Rating: 90

This vibrant chardonnay strikes a nice balance between refreshing fruit and subtle creaminess from oak aging. It’s focused on juicy citrus and white peach flavours with some nutty notes on the lingering finish. The purity of fruit delivers great satisfaction. This has 13.5 per cent ABV and 4 g/litre r.s. Drink now to 2030. Available at the above price in Ontario, $19.99 in British Columbia.

Waters on Wine: Eight Canadian wines to enjoy now, including youthful whites from Niagara’s 2025 vintage

Wakefield Estate Label Shiraz 2023 (Australia), $19.95

Rating: 89

Wakefield’s entry-level shiraz blends fruit from Clare Valley and Limestone Coast vineyards that was aged in American oak barrels for 12 months. The result is a medium-bodied red with plum and cherry flavours and hints of spice and chocolate. The crowd-pleasing, classic style of this wine is characterized by its plush texture and polished tannins, which provide structure and balance. It’s a great selection for barbecue season. This has 14.5 per cent ABV and 3 g/litre r.s. Drink now to 2032. Available at the above price in Ontario ($17.95 until March 29), $19.99 in British Columbia ($16.99 until March 31), various prices in Alberta, $19.99 in Nova Scotia.

Yalumba Signature Cabernet Shiraz 2022 (Australia), $90

Rating: 94

The Hill-Smith family introduced its Signature Cabernet Shiraz from Barossa with the 1962 vintage. Each release is named in honour of a long-standing employee whose contribution has helped the winery thrive. The 2022 release pays tribute to Paul Midolo, the sales director for Australia and New Zealand. This serious red wine is made in an aromatic and age-worthy style, featuring a core of ripe berry and cherry fruit with notes of pepper, mint and cedar. It offers tremendous concentration and length, making it approachable now with the promise of more complexity and refinement with bottle age. This has 14 per cent ABV and 2 g/litre r.s. Vegan. Drink now to 2045. Available at the above price in Ontario released April 2 through vintagesshoponline.com, various prices in British Columbia and Alberta, $90.49 in New Brunswick.