Fish Eye From Australia with Love

From Australia comes a new series of wines with a wacko name; “Fish Eye.”Come-on, Fish Eye … that name will never go over in the Northeast. When one gets the fish eye from a northeasterner, it ain’t good. It usually is preempted by a finger pulling down the lower eye lid and a definitely intimidating stare accompanied by an indication that bad things are about to happen.
We guess that we can forgive the Aussies for the name faux pas because they probably don’t know nuttin about our language idiosyncrasies and secondly, the wine is darned good. Fortunately for us economy minded Yankees, these wines are available in three sizes, the standard 750ml bottle ($7), the 1.5 Liter bottle($12) and the modern 3 Liter Box ($18). As a side note, the three liter box is one great buy because three liters are the equal of four regular sized bottles and if our digital counter (our fingers) is accurate, that comes to $4.50 per 750ML bottle. WOW!

Fish Eye 2011 Pinot Grigio. We start with the Pinot Grigio because the variety is rapidly becoming the most popular white wine in this country and this Australian Import certainly explains why. This is a wine that will admirably accompany all of the lighter foods as well as being the perfect wine for springtime outdoor parties. This wine is alive with the aromas of pear, melon, flowers, cinnamon and nutmeg. The aromas carry over to the flavor and linger in the mouth long after the wine has been finished and is a wine that is definitely ready for modern cuisine.

Fish Eye 2010 Shiraz. Shiraz is a grape variety that bellows its Australian heritage and this Shiraz is a fine example of just that. This is a big wine with dark ruby color and aromas that offer the scents of blackberries, blueberries and a hint of black pepper. The flavor continues the fruits of the aroma and then goes on to a long and complex finish. The Fish Eye 2010 Shiraz is a bit sweeter than many of its counterparts and could easily become your red wine favorite.

Fish Eye 2010 Pinot Noir. Australian pinot noir is finally coming of age, The Aussies have learned to tame this difficult to grow vine and make it feel at home in the land down under. If you like cherries, then there is plenty of cherry flavor in this offering along with strawberry and plum. The wine retains the softness that the variety is famous for while extending the fruit flavors far beyond previous borders. For a moderately priced pinot noir, which usually is disappointing, this Fish Eye 2010 Pinot Noir is a rare find.

Fish Eye 2010 Chardonnay. For an Australian chardonnay to go head to head with our domestic wines it must be quite good and sell at a very competitive price. The Fish Eye 2010 Chardonnay does just that. Here, the reigning queen of the white wines is presented in new robes. The delicious flavors of melon, peach, pear and loads of tropical fruit are complimented by an underlying vanilla and toasty oak. In contrast to many of our similar wines, this Australian offering is very, very soft and is ready for immediate drinking, with no aging time required. With the snobbery forgotten, this is a really enjoyable wine.

Fish Eye 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon. The world’s most popular red wines is presented in a slightly less regal but more enjoyable incarnation. It is a strongly flavored wine which glorifies the fruit flavors that a cab is famous for. The varietal character that one seeks in a cabernet sauvignon abounds in this wine. The aroma is big and fruity with a well defined red berry component. The flavor accents a raisin element and a hint of green peppers. This is a perfect mealtime red wine to accompany red meat, pasta and cheese dishes. The king is still the king and your first sip will prove that without any doubt.