Australia is bonkers. We've never been there, so we're not even fully convinced it isn't a fictional land. Look at kangaroos. WTF is up with those? And all the spiders? No. Anyway, this pretend place makes some real awesome wine. Mate.
2016 Yankalilla Chardonnay, South Eastern Australia
Pale straw in color with green highlights, this Chardonnay shows lifted aromas of peach, pear, and citrus notes layered over a touch of oak. On the palate, crisp notes of lemon and lime are complemented by white peach, nutmeg, and a hint of toast.
Food Pairing: The layers of fruit and French oak influence make this Chardonnay ideal for pairing with butternut squash ravioli or cheeses such as mild cheddar.
Vineyards: Yankalilla - pronounced "Yoogalilla" - is a wine from South Eastern Australia. Bordered by the Great Dividing range on the east and the Pacific Ocean to the south, the South Eastern Australia appellation is Australia's most productive winegrowing region. Vintage 2016 delivered high yields in South Eastern Australia due to warmer than average temperatures and slightly less rainfall than usual. It is considered to be one of the best vintages Australia has ever seen. The Chardonnay vines for Yankalilla grow in alluvial red medium reserves during vintages such as 2016. Harvest begain in early February during the cool evenings. The Chardonnay was then cold-soaked, bag pressed, and received 2 months of gross lees contact. Fermentation in the presence of French oak as well as an additional two months of maturing in French oak barrels add layers of spice and roundness to this wine.
Founder and CEO, Bruce Cunningham, has been in the wine industry since 1987. After earning an undergraduate degree in Wine Marketing Studies at the University of Adelaide (South Australia), Bruce attended business school and has been involved in many aspects of the industry with a specific focus in packaging and production. After relocating to New York from Australia, he saw the need for custom labels of Australian wines for direct marketing needs in the USA. A W Direct (formerly Aussie Wine Direct), was born. This focus on a market segment was, at the time embryonic, and quickly led to further expansion of both suppliers and various segments of the wine market.
A W Direct relocated to California in 2004, and the team expanded, led by the formidable talents of his business partner, Kimberly Cunningham. Kim - an engineer, and techno-geek at heart - with her experience in running divisions of some of the world’s largest companies, was able to build systems to help create the efficiency needed to allow A W Direct to grow, but also compete in a wine world that can be inflexible and intolerant. As the company grew, Kim enhanced the business by developing a successful team of energetic, challenge-driven people who have the right “moxie” to keep our well-oiled machine running smoothly.
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