SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE: HENRY DAWSON-DAMER

TEXT JAZMIN KELLY SIX

Always begin with the mildest wine. Once you have a very strong taste in your mouth, it is hard to accurately savour a weaker wine, so always drink whites before reds, young before old, dry before sweet. Start with a lower alcohol content as those will have a lighter taste.

Pick a wine from the region it is known for France for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, New Zealand or Australia for Sauvignon Blanc, Australia for Shiraz, and California for Cabernet Sauvignon. A good wine is balanced – if it’s light and delicate, you don’t want too much sugar, but more acid and freshness. A more full-bodied wine needs richness, intensity and length (how long the flavour lasts in your mouth). And it should be clear, not cloudy.

Old wines are not necessarily better. It depends on where the wine is from. A wine that comes from a cooler climate like Burgundy, Bordeaux in France or Adelaide Hills in Australia, will age well because it has higher acidity levels. If it’s from a warmer area like Napa Valley in California or Rioja in Spain, it’s best to drink it relatively young (under five years).

Vineyards in Adelaide Hills have a cool climate at a higher altitude of over 720m, so the wine ages well.