Australian wine is more popular than ever before in China and Hong Kong (read our full coverage here). In light of that we spoke to Peter Fraser, award-winning winemaker from the Australian Yangarra Estate with an experience of more than 15 years, about his wine philosophy and about what makes Aussie wines so special. “I’m not interested in numbers on a piece of laboratory paper,” says Peter, “I’m interested in flavour.”

Elaborating on his own technique, he continues, ““I prefer the best aged barrels. The trick is to train up your new barrels on wines which will not be too overwhelmed by those fresh oak flavours, then blend that with the better wines from the older, more seasoned barrels so you get a more wholesome, less sappy wine…and you keep the best of your used barrels for your very best wine.”

We also spoke to Peter Fraser about his favourite wine recommendations from Down Under. Here are his top 3 Australian wines.

For the beginner

2015 Yangarra PF Shiraz: An early drinking, fresh and vibrant wine, full of violet aromas, with fresh cherries and plums, a soft and juicy palate and lighter tannins.

For the experienced

2015 Ovitelli Grenache McLaren Vale: Aged for 11 months in a ceramic egg, it’s a decidedly fruity and food-friendly wine with low acidic levels.

For the collector

2015 High Sands Grenache McLaren Vale: A more full-bodied wine with the concentration turned up a notch, while its deeper tannins bestow a beguiling versatility.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay