After you've had a few Chilean wines you may think, "these are pretty good but i'm ready for something with more kick." If this describes you, then it's time to explore some of the stronger stuff.

New Zealand

If white wine is your thing, your first stop should be to get yourself a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. If you've tried a Chilean version of this grape, you'll already know that this wine is pretty acidic, grassy and maybe even bland. However the Kiwis have turned S/B into a style that is totally unique. They crank up the acidity to danger levels but manage to balance it out with a powerful gooseberry/passion fruit punch that's quite a show stopper and almost addictive. A winery called Cloudy Bay makes the most famous (read: expensive) version but really any S/B from New Zealand or the sub-region called Marlborough is just as good and more reasonably priced.

California

Next on the white wine tour would be to try a few Californian Chardonnays. Less acidic but with no less impact, California loves to produce big, tropically fruity wines. These typically come in two styles, buttery, rich and fat, and a crisper, leaner version that you can spot by looking for the word “unoaked”. Both are pretty good but you may have to spend a bit more ($15US) to get one that's more interesting than a tubby butterball.

For reds with some muscle, California is again tough to beat. Two varietals in particular, Merlot and Zinfandel are extremely fruity and likable. Nobody does Zin like California which really comes into it’s own here yielding strong, rich berry fruit flavours. With Merlot, Californians are able to coax a silky velvet texture out of the grape. Both are typically warm, packed with plums and jammy fruit. These two grape varietals are a good gateway to get into Californian red wines.

Australia

On the other side of the globe, the Australians give California a run for it’s money and constantly push to make the most powerful, dense reds anywhere. Their Shiraz, particularly from the region known as the Mclaren Vale, is dark, spicy, and packed with an unbelievable amount of fruit. If you want something with a bit less spice, but no less power then you don’t have to look further than the Cabernet Sauvignons from the Coonawarra region. Famous for their dense flavour, Coonawarra Cab/Sauv can sometimes have a blend of dark chocolate and mint that you can’t find anywhere else.

If you find you dig strong wines and crave more, stick to these regions, and treat yourself to bottles that are a bit higher priced. As powerful wines are hard to make, require a combination of skill, good weather, excellent soil, and old vines, the higher up in price you go the stronger and more interesting the wine will be. That is up until around the US$20-50 per bottle range, above that, the gains are marginal. The other variable to pay attention to is the age. Older wines may start to mature but they will also loose vigor. If you like the oomph, then drink ‘em young.

Next week:
Step 3 - Give me something more mellow. Wines from Italy and Washington/Oregon.