A “sparkling red wine” is looked at with some suspicion in the world of wine imbibing, in part an ignorance of the unknown; there are very few wine making regions that make this style and most of this production is sweet, either sec or demi-sec, styles that are less popular than dry. As well, their image has been sullied by the reputation of particular sweet sparkling red wines that had a short notorious popularity in the 1970’s.
While there are quite a number of sparkling wines made from “red” grapes, most are traditional “white” sparkling styles or rose. The main countries that are currently known as major producers of sparkling red include Italy, Moldova and Australia.
Italy has a very old tradition of Sparkling Red, especially in the Po Valley. The most well known, Brachetto and Lambrusco styles, are made from the Brachetto grape or a grape from the 60 varieties in the Lambrusco family; and usually are semi-sparkling. From pre-Roman times through to the 19th century the wine was stored in closed containers in very cool underground cellars or in cold spring waters. During storage a secondary fermentation occurred producing a semi-sparkling red. Various versions ranging from demi-sec to dry are produced. However the reputation, particularly of the better known Lambrusco wines, suffered after Italian wine makers decided to cash in on the USA consumer demand for cheap, sweet wines in the 1960 / 1970’s and a very sweet version was made to suit this market – For a time it was a huge success, until fickle fashion moved to new territory, and as well, substantial numbers of these new wine drinkers matured and started to demand dry wines.
While the sparkling red wine made in Moldova has older roots, production and modernization for this specific style are rooted in the 1950s: after World War II, vineyards were replanted, and the country became the USSR's top wine-producing republic. At its peak, every third bottle of sparkling wine in the USSR was made in Moldova. Most of this export production was sec or demi-sec. Following the collapse of the USSR, the industry faced challenges but has somewhat recovered, focusing on traditional methods, including the production of sec and demi-sec sparkling red wine, and seeking new markets.
There is also a version of sparkling red wine whose origin was in Germany, spreading from there to the USA and then to many other countries including New Zealand and Australia. This sweet sparkling red, Cold Duck, along with the sweet Lambrusca marketed by the Italian winemakers, are mainly responsible for the poor reputation that still tarnishes sparkling red wines.
The original recipe that Cold Duck evolved from had it’s basis in a German ”origin” story involving Prince Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony (28 September 1739 – 27 July 1812), who had ordered that unfinished bottles of red wine be mixed with champagne. The drink that evolved, which really could be classified as a “punch” or a “cocktail”, is a mixture of: 1 part Mosel, 1 part Dornfelder, a sweet red wine from Rheinhessen, 1 part champagne with lemon and mint. Originally called Kaltes Ende, "cold end" in English, usage over time changed the name to Kalte Ente, “cold duck “.
The modern version of Cold Duck was “invented” in 1937 by Harold Borgman, the owner of Pontchartrain Wine Cellars in Detroit, Michigan, essentially a sweet mix of champagne and burgundy. In the 1970’s, Cold Duck spread to New Zealand, Glenvale Vineyards ( now Esk Valley, Hawkes Bay) and Montana Vineyards ( now Brancott Estate, Marlborough) and in Australia where in 1970,the big wine companies riding on the back of earlier popular sweet white sparkling wines such as Barossa Pearl, released Cold Duck, Lindeman were the first, followed by a version by Orlando and Penfold quickly joined; the latter released their version under the Kaiser Stuhl label, flying the banner “The rage in USA – now here in Australia”.
While there are quite a number of sparkling wines made from “red” grapes, most are traditional “white” sparkling styles or rose. The main countries that are currently known as major producers of sparkling red include Italy, Moldova and Australia.
Italy has a very old tradition of Sparkling Red, especially in the Po Valley. The most well known, Brachetto and Lambrusco styles, are made from the Brachetto grape or a grape from the 60 varieties in the Lambrusco family; and usually are semi-sparkling. From pre-Roman times through to the 19th century the wine was stored in closed containers in very cool underground cellars or in cold spring waters. During storage a secondary fermentation occurred producing a semi-sparkling red. Various versions ranging from demi-sec to dry are produced. However the reputation, particularly of the better known Lambrusco wines, suffered after Italian wine makers decided to cash in on the USA consumer demand for cheap, sweet wines in the 1960 / 1970’s and a very sweet version was made to suit this market – For a time it was a huge success, until fickle fashion moved to new territory, and as well, substantial numbers of these new wine drinkers matured and started to demand dry wines.
While the sparkling red wine made in Moldova has older roots, production and modernization for this specific style are rooted in the 1950s: after World War II, vineyards were replanted, and the country became the USSR's top wine-producing republic. At its peak, every third bottle of sparkling wine in the USSR was made in Moldova. Most of this export production was sec or demi-sec. Following the collapse of the USSR, the industry faced challenges but has somewhat recovered, focusing on traditional methods, including the production of sec and demi-sec sparkling red wine, and seeking new markets.
There is also a version of sparkling red wine whose origin was in Germany, spreading from there to the USA and then to many other countries including New Zealand and Australia. This sweet sparkling red, Cold Duck, along with the sweet Lambrusca marketed by the Italian winemakers, are mainly responsible for the poor reputation that still tarnishes sparkling red wines.
The original recipe that Cold Duck evolved from had it’s basis in a German ”origin” story involving Prince Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony (28 September 1739 – 27 July 1812), who had ordered that unfinished bottles of red wine be mixed with champagne. The drink that evolved, which really could be classified as a “punch” or a “cocktail”, is a mixture of: 1 part Mosel, 1 part Dornfelder, a sweet red wine from Rheinhessen, 1 part champagne with lemon and mint. Originally called Kaltes Ende, "cold end" in English, usage over time changed the name to Kalte Ente, “cold duck “.
The modern version of Cold Duck was “invented” in 1937 by Harold Borgman, the owner of Pontchartrain Wine Cellars in Detroit, Michigan, essentially a sweet mix of champagne and burgundy. In the 1970’s, Cold Duck spread to New Zealand, Glenvale Vineyards ( now Esk Valley, Hawkes Bay) and Montana Vineyards ( now Brancott Estate, Marlborough) and in Australia where in 1970,the big wine companies riding on the back of earlier popular sweet white sparkling wines such as Barossa Pearl, released Cold Duck, Lindeman were the first, followed by a version by Orlando and Penfold quickly joined; the latter released their version under the Kaiser Stuhl label, flying the banner “The rage in USA – now here in Australia”.
Cold Duck is still made in South Africa, their version, called 5th Avenue Cold Duck, sells for $12 a bottle, as well as in California, USA, Andre Cold Duck $8.50 a bottle.
Today, in Australia, Cold Duck is associated with a certain mix of youth and nostalgia - a cheap, sweet, low quality sparkling wine, with a very sexist reputation - “champagne for pimps”, a “leg-opener”. This low reputation was also contagious, infecting sparkling red wines as a whole; such as this inclusion in Liquid Gold : The story of Australian Wine and its makers by Nicolas Faith; a UK Journalist and author of some 37 popular titles, each with a focus on an individual topic such as Trains, Trucks, Ships, Spirits or Wine.
For me the supreme example of the Australian recovery of their vinous heritage and the end of any form of cultural cringe comes from the increasing popularity of the ridiculous sounding “sparkling shiraz“, a nineteenth-century speciality reintroduced in a fit of retro-chic in the late 1980’s. Its rich but not cloying sparkle was recognised when one from Seppelt, most traditional of Australian sparkling producers, won a trophy at the International Wine Challenge. The last word on this wine must be left to a necessarily anonymous winemaker: “ Nick, there’s a baby in every bottle. We had a few cases in the office, after a few weeks half the girls were pregnant and the rest were unlucky.” There speaks the authentic voice of unreconstructed Australia. i
This type of misogynist tale on the aphrodisiac powers of (sweet) Sparkling Red, is still recalled when Sparkling Red is mentioned in conversation with people who were young adults in the 1970’s. Similar comments still circulate on social media in the USA, referencing California’s Andre Cold Duck.
Australian Sparkling Red
In Australia the first sparkling red wines were made in the late 1800s in Victoria. They have, over time, become a “regional” style, and much celebrated in Australia especially in their home regions in Victoria and South Australia. The first mention seems to be:
An event of considerable importance in the history of wine making in Victoria, occurred on Friday, 6th May, when about 100 gentlemen assembled at the extensive cellars occupied by Mr. L. L. Smith, at the Eastern market, Melbourne, to taste that gentleman's Victorian champagnes. The gathering was a thoroughly representative one, and contained many skilled wine-tasters, who were well qualified to give a valuable opinion as to the merits of the wines submitted for tasting. Of the evenness of the quality of these wines a good illustration was given in the fact that the advocates for each were pretty nearly balanced, and that the consumption of the different kinds was almost equal. In addition to the champagne Mr. Smith produced a Sparkling Burgundy, which was much admired. In entering upon this important industry, Mr. Smith has had the good fortune to secure the co-operation of Monsieur A. D’argent, a gentleman who has spent the greater portion of his life in the champagne district, and who thoroughly understands the treatment of sparkling wines, having been for many years engaged in some of the most celebrated champagne cellars of France. The wines used by M. D’argent to whom the whole of the business connected with the wine is entrusted are light wines from Mr L. L. Smith's vineyards at Nunawading end from the valley of the Yarra, blended with others produced north of the dividing range. It is in choosing the proper wines for blending, and in the after treatment of the wine, that Monsieur D’argent's skill lies. At present there are about 1,000 dozen of wines in the cellar which will be shortly fit for sending out, Next season's supply will amount to about 20,000 gallons. Mr. Smith deserves to succeed in the important industry which he has started and as a guarantee that he is in the right way, it may be mentioned that orders have been received for nearly all the wine at present in bottle.ii
Though this was not enough to save the ‘Victorian Champagne Company’, which closed its doors in 1884.
Further developments in a ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ style were made by Hans Irvine, after purchasing Joseph Best’s Great Western vineyard in 1888 in Victoria and Edmond Mazure, who, in 1886, started as sparkling winemaker at Auldana Winery in the Adelaide Hills South Australia.
References
i Nicolas Faith Liquid Gold : The story of Australian Wine and its makers (Auckland: MacMillan, 2002), 355.
ii Victorian Champagne The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (Maitland)
May 21 1881 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/817435
Today, in Australia, Cold Duck is associated with a certain mix of youth and nostalgia - a cheap, sweet, low quality sparkling wine, with a very sexist reputation - “champagne for pimps”, a “leg-opener”. This low reputation was also contagious, infecting sparkling red wines as a whole; such as this inclusion in Liquid Gold : The story of Australian Wine and its makers by Nicolas Faith; a UK Journalist and author of some 37 popular titles, each with a focus on an individual topic such as Trains, Trucks, Ships, Spirits or Wine.
For me the supreme example of the Australian recovery of their vinous heritage and the end of any form of cultural cringe comes from the increasing popularity of the ridiculous sounding “sparkling shiraz“, a nineteenth-century speciality reintroduced in a fit of retro-chic in the late 1980’s. Its rich but not cloying sparkle was recognised when one from Seppelt, most traditional of Australian sparkling producers, won a trophy at the International Wine Challenge. The last word on this wine must be left to a necessarily anonymous winemaker: “ Nick, there’s a baby in every bottle. We had a few cases in the office, after a few weeks half the girls were pregnant and the rest were unlucky.” There speaks the authentic voice of unreconstructed Australia. i
This type of misogynist tale on the aphrodisiac powers of (sweet) Sparkling Red, is still recalled when Sparkling Red is mentioned in conversation with people who were young adults in the 1970’s. Similar comments still circulate on social media in the USA, referencing California’s Andre Cold Duck.
Australian Sparkling Red
In Australia the first sparkling red wines were made in the late 1800s in Victoria. They have, over time, become a “regional” style, and much celebrated in Australia especially in their home regions in Victoria and South Australia. The first mention seems to be:
An event of considerable importance in the history of wine making in Victoria, occurred on Friday, 6th May, when about 100 gentlemen assembled at the extensive cellars occupied by Mr. L. L. Smith, at the Eastern market, Melbourne, to taste that gentleman's Victorian champagnes. The gathering was a thoroughly representative one, and contained many skilled wine-tasters, who were well qualified to give a valuable opinion as to the merits of the wines submitted for tasting. Of the evenness of the quality of these wines a good illustration was given in the fact that the advocates for each were pretty nearly balanced, and that the consumption of the different kinds was almost equal. In addition to the champagne Mr. Smith produced a Sparkling Burgundy, which was much admired. In entering upon this important industry, Mr. Smith has had the good fortune to secure the co-operation of Monsieur A. D’argent, a gentleman who has spent the greater portion of his life in the champagne district, and who thoroughly understands the treatment of sparkling wines, having been for many years engaged in some of the most celebrated champagne cellars of France. The wines used by M. D’argent to whom the whole of the business connected with the wine is entrusted are light wines from Mr L. L. Smith's vineyards at Nunawading end from the valley of the Yarra, blended with others produced north of the dividing range. It is in choosing the proper wines for blending, and in the after treatment of the wine, that Monsieur D’argent's skill lies. At present there are about 1,000 dozen of wines in the cellar which will be shortly fit for sending out, Next season's supply will amount to about 20,000 gallons. Mr. Smith deserves to succeed in the important industry which he has started and as a guarantee that he is in the right way, it may be mentioned that orders have been received for nearly all the wine at present in bottle.ii
Though this was not enough to save the ‘Victorian Champagne Company’, which closed its doors in 1884.
Further developments in a ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ style were made by Hans Irvine, after purchasing Joseph Best’s Great Western vineyard in 1888 in Victoria and Edmond Mazure, who, in 1886, started as sparkling winemaker at Auldana Winery in the Adelaide Hills South Australia.
References
i Nicolas Faith Liquid Gold : The story of Australian Wine and its makers (Auckland: MacMillan, 2002), 355.
ii Victorian Champagne The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (Maitland)
May 21 1881 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/817435
Bottle Label used by Irvines from 1895 to 1916
Mazure released a ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ in 1894. As Mazure did not have access to Pinot Noir, he had used Shiraz, which become the preferred variety for the style. Mazure acquired Auldana in 1909 and left in 1922 to establish Romalo Cellars at Magill in the Adelaide foothills, taking Hurtle Walker, who at 14 years of age, had joined Aldana in 1904. Also joining them at Romalo, Hurtle’s son Norm Walker, helped established production of Romala’s Sparkling Shiraz.
Romalo was purchased by Australian Wines Export Pty Ltd and then by S. Wynn & Co. in 1929 who continued producing sparkling wines here under the direction of Hurtle Walker and son Norm. Eventually purchased by Andrew Garrett, currently the maker of Andrew Garrett Sparkling Shiraz at Langhorne Creek, the Romalo winery was burnt in a fire in March 1988, but the original stone building was subsequently restored. The direct link in passing on the sparkling wine making tradition continued via Norm Walker going to Seaview Wines, who still produce Seaview Sparking Red, The tradition then passed to present day O’Leary Walker Vineyard, est in 2000 by Norm’s son Nick Walker.
In Victoria, Great Western had staked its claim as a leading producer of sparkling wines and although established ahead of Auldana, Hans Irvine’s winemaker, Charles Pieriot, who had previously worked at the House of Pommery, released Great Western’s first Sparkling Burgundy, using Pinot Noir, just after Mazure’s. The famous Seppelt family took over Great Western in 1916 and sometime after that, they moved to the use of Shiraz. Seppelt has been the flagship for Australian Sparkling Red to the present day.
Romalo was purchased by Australian Wines Export Pty Ltd and then by S. Wynn & Co. in 1929 who continued producing sparkling wines here under the direction of Hurtle Walker and son Norm. Eventually purchased by Andrew Garrett, currently the maker of Andrew Garrett Sparkling Shiraz at Langhorne Creek, the Romalo winery was burnt in a fire in March 1988, but the original stone building was subsequently restored. The direct link in passing on the sparkling wine making tradition continued via Norm Walker going to Seaview Wines, who still produce Seaview Sparking Red, The tradition then passed to present day O’Leary Walker Vineyard, est in 2000 by Norm’s son Nick Walker.
In Victoria, Great Western had staked its claim as a leading producer of sparkling wines and although established ahead of Auldana, Hans Irvine’s winemaker, Charles Pieriot, who had previously worked at the House of Pommery, released Great Western’s first Sparkling Burgundy, using Pinot Noir, just after Mazure’s. The famous Seppelt family took over Great Western in 1916 and sometime after that, they moved to the use of Shiraz. Seppelt has been the flagship for Australian Sparkling Red to the present day.
Before Seppelt purchased Great Western, another famous name was employed by Hans Irvine as his sparkling winemaker, Leo Buring. Around this time, Minchinbury also emerged and vied with Great Western for the position of Australian top sparkling wines, employing Buring from 1902. The first bottles of sparkling red were released in 1908 from the 1903 vintage. Leo Buring left in 1916 and founded Leo Buring Pty Ltd. Minchinbury now only exists as a name, the site, in Sydney’s western suburbs, was sold in 1978 and developed as housing in 2010.
Wine shows, which were just as popular in the late 1800’s as now, created new categories to cover this new style of wine and over time other vineyards had joined in the production of Sparkling Burgundy. Auldana did very well with their sparkling red such as in the 1916 the Royal Agricultural Show, where the judges awarded First to Aldana and second to Penfolds in the Australian Sparkling Red style; noting - “A very fine lot of sparkling red wines of the Burgundy Style.” Hans Irvine at Great Western also did very well in shows, both in Australia and overseas, winning Gold at the 1895 Bordeaux Exhibition. Seppelts, staying true to the standards set by Irving, were awarded Firsts, diplomas and Gold in London 1926, London 1927 and Second and Third in Melbourne 1929.i ii iii
The wine was also distributed reasonably widely within Australia – being served at a reception for the Premier in Orange NSW in 1895: In a dreamland, mid a constant flow of champagne and sparkling burgundy, is the Premier's own description of: his "right royal reception" at Orange, and we really don't think anyone need ask a better. It accounts for much in the reports of a sort of intellectual topsyturvydom, during which everything was taken for what it was not, the distinguished visitor at his own valuation, and his purest claptrap for pearls of political wisdom. iv
Between the Great Depression and until the 1980’s these were the lean years for Sparkling Red in national terms; Seppelt’s Great Western, Best’s Great Western, Minchinbury and Romalo, were holding the fort. Making sparkling red for their own use, as most people, especially with a Mediterranean background, who worked at the various vineyards, all preferred cold sparkling red to still red wine with their meals, when picking and other heavy work was carried out in the hot Australian weather.v There was also demand from their regional community, where Sparkling Burgundy was and still is a popular drink. For better or worse - the latter when: Monica Margaret Flaherty drank a lot of whisky and Sparkling Burgundy at Bacchus Marsh (Vic.) on February 15, 1942, the day before her wedding night. She says she didn't know it was to be her wedding night, and woke up next morning unaware she had been married. Monica asked Mr. Justice Mansfield in Brisbane Supreme Court this week to nullify her marriage to Paul William Sebring, of the United States Air Force… Paul could not recall any ceremony. He had heard he'd been married, but did not know to whom. He had shared in the whisky and Sparkling Burgundy, had been taken back to camp after the day's outing, and had moved with his unit for New Guinea at 2 a.m.vi
Or when, in 1950, Stuart Tomkins was bought to Court after having: Sparkling Burgundy with his dinner and a collision with a tram.“ He was charged with having driven under the influence of liquor and fined £20 and his licence was cancelled. vii
While our newspapers (mostly) only record tales of woe and human folly, they also record the vineyards promoting sales: Bests Great Western in 1941 were offering their Sparkling Burgundy – Wholesale - thirty shillings per doz in quart bottles – eighteen shillings per doz in pint bottles.viii
Despite this limited production during these quiet years, the quality of the wine making was not affected, The Seppelt Show Sparkling Burgundies, made by Colin Preece winemaker 1932 to 1963, particularly the vintages 1944 and 1946, have become legendary wines and on the very rare occasions they appear at auction, attract huge prices. The 1964 and a few others from that decade are similarly revered.
“Re-Discovery” in the 1980’s.
In most articles and general wine histories the story is that in the 1980’s, Sparkling Red had long disappeared, when Seppelt winemaker Ian MacKenzie found racks of old wines from 1940 to 1960 simply resting untouched in the Seppelt Drives, quietly minding their own business; he tried a few and was blown away. As well as arranging to release these old vintages, he immediately allocated some of the estate’s best shiraz to reviving the style.
However, whatever nuggets of truth are buried within this story, “Sparkling Red” was, and still is, extremely common in northern Victoria and especially so in South Australia, and had been since it was first introduced in the late 1800’s, as noted in the various references and advertising found in newspapers over time. Local popularity in South Australia, was to the point, that it could be purchased by the glass in any Adelaide hotel public bar: a number of hotels, such as the Arab Steed Hotel in Hutt Road, which served a sparkling red, sourced from McLaren Vale, that had been labelled with the Hotel’s own logo ix. Common availability in a public bar does not suddenly appear, it develops over time though demand; nor does this availability as a “worker’s drink” necessarily register on the radar of the wine connoisseur. This traditional public bar availability only started to fade and become at bit less common as we went further into the 21st century and more and more of the older hotels were being renovated – though Sparkling Red is till commonly available at contemporary licensed premises, restaurants and at temporary Adelaide Arts Festival outlets, such as the Festival Fringe venue, Garden of Un-earthly Delights. In other Australian States, the availability of Sparkling Red varied over time, in Sydney between the 1960’s to1980’s it was virtually impossible to find anywhere. By the end of 1990’s to 2015, Liquor outlets tended to carry more and more labels, peaking at approximately 20. Availability has again started to fade and currently in 2025, at a popular liqour outlet such as Dan Murphy, there are only approximately ten labels, in the main at the lower to mid-level price range. It has been and still is very rare for the style to be available in restaurants in States other than South Australia, and to a lesser extent Victoria..
However there is no doubt that from the 1980’s Sparkling Red, helped by a reputation as a distinctive Australian wine, started to receive recognition around the country and the attention of many more winemakers. Around Australia various vineyards now make versions, from Frazer Woods’ in Margaret River West Australia to Queensland’s Granite Ridge via Hungerford Hill in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. As most of these contemporary Sparkling Red wines only sell via cellar door it is hard to quantify the exact number of labels. Though Wine Guide Australia suggests that as production, storage and additional handling means they’re not as profitable as still wines, it is only the winemakers who are truly in love with the style, who produce them; as such there are only around 60 wineries in Australia making this varietal.x
I would suggest that this figure of 60 producers, is conservative, on the basis that at one point a few years ago, on a visit to the Adelaide Central Markets, that mecca for all the best produce that South Australia has to offer, in the wine retail shop, trying to decide on which to purchase, I counted 53 Sparkling Red wines, all of which were from South Australian vineyards.
Production of sparkling wine
The base for making any sparkling wine can be either a red, white or Rose wine, stabilised and cleared to a stage when it would normally be ready for bottling. There are three basic methods for producing sparkling wine:
1. Carbonation
When ready for bottling the base wine is chilled and carbon dioxide is injected under pressure during bottling. It is the simplest and cheapest but on release of the cork the sparkling nature quickly disappears.
2. Charmat Method
The base wine is placed into large pressurised tanks and a small preparation of sweetening and yeast starter is added to commence primary fermentation. Under pressure the carbon dioxide remains dissolved in the wine. When completed the now sparkling wine is sterile filtered and bottled under pressure. The majority of sparkling wines in all countries are made in this manner.
3. Champenois
This method is used to produce the best quality sparkling wine, using the finest base wine available. The following process is used generally but individual winemakers use slight modifications to suit their own style, conditions and grapes:
- Blending (Coupage) - Considerable care is taken to blend base wines, the same care that is taken in the production of quality red vintages to the bottling stage of production. The grapes can be from an individual block of vines or blends from different areas or grape varieties.
- Sweetening and Yeast ( Liqueur de Tirage) - Sugar, usually cane sugar, is used to sweeten the base wine and a yeast culture added to start fermentation.
- Bottle Fermentation - The wine is placed into special “champagne” bottles, which are corked and wired, and placed on their side at a temperature of 5 to 8 degrees Centigrade, in long stacks and left to ferment and mature for a period of years – up to ten years or more in the case of Seppelt Show Sparkling Shiraz and up to two years for Majella Sparkling Red. At about 6 monthly intervals the bottles are shaken to keep the lees from settling.
- Clearing ( Remuage) - Bottles are placed on specially designed shaking-tables called Pupitres. On these the bottle position is changed from almost horizontal to upside-down. Each day for three or four weeks every bottle is gently shaken and turned slightly to force the sediment into the neck of the bottle to rest firmly against the cork.
- Recorking ( Dégorgement ) - The deposited lees are removed from the wine either by removing the cork while rapidly moving the bottle from upside-down to upright – a technique requiring much practice and skill, especially in minimising the amount of wine lost. The most common practice today is by freezing the contents in the neck of the bottle then, using a special tool, remove the upper layer of frozen wine in which the impurities are trapped.
- Sweetening and final corking ( Dosage ) - The wine lost is replaced with a liqueur d’expédition usually consisting of a brandy based wine, along with, depending on final sweetness the winemaker requires, a small amount of honey or sugar. A regular “Champagne” cork is now inserted and wired.
The aim is usually to balance the dosage against the acidity so that sweetness disappears as well assisting gas development. These components, along with a base wine made from fully ripe fruit and softened by some years in wood, allow vintage sparkling reds to gain complexity and retain fruit freshness over long bottle age.
- Bottle Age - The bottle is then placed in the cellar for bottle-ageing; depending on the winemaker, this maybe from 12 to 18 months or for a top of the range bottle-fermented sparkling red wine, up to ten or more years before reaching the market - Seppelt have, earlier in 2025, released their 2012 Sparkling Show Shiraz.xi
Food Matching.
Sparkling Shiraz is best served a little chilled. This is to slightly soften and round out its inborn intensity. It is versatile and tends to go well with Asian food as well as Duck, Quail or game meats such as Hare; Christmas and turkey have become a natural pairing; Dr. David Carpenter at Lark Hill Winery maintains, a top quality Sparkling Burgundy with turkey is one of the best marriages of food and wine.xii; If you like to stick to tradition, pair Sparkling Red with a classic roast and clove-studded ham. Then on Boxing Day, bring out the left-over ham and turkey and pop another Sparkling Red.
It’s also superb served with barbequed ribs, Chinese roast duck and chocolate desserts, or, as winemaker Kym Teusner says about their MC Sparkling Shiraz: Built for Bacon’...that could well apply to most of the staff here at Teusner Wines but we believe that Sparkling Shiraz came into being as early man began to ponder the age old question... “What to drink with breakfast. xiii
Some people are not satisfied with just food matching :
Grand corona sized Habanos Specialist release. Opened with lovely caramel, some woody notes, with a hint of chocolate emerging. , a lovely cigar. Matched it with the Seppelt Show Reserve Sparkling Shiraz 2008 and they really worked well together. Flavours melded nicely. xiv
Some menus from South Australian Restaurants:
Fino Restaurant Seppeltsfield - recorded by Soi.38 Thai restaurant co-owner Jacqui Lim in 2015 The menu items tasted included: crispy Sardines, Prawns, garlic, chilli and parsley, smoked Kingfish with seaweed, brown rice and sesame, slow cooked Lamb shoulder, carrots, pickled chilli and yoghurt and Barossa Chicken, broad bean and almond. The selected wine was a Teusner MC 2009 Sparkling Shiraz from Barossa Valley. xv Huon Hooke’s tasting notes for Teusner Sparkling Shiraz: Deep red tinged with purple,and it has a voluminious bouquet of liquorice, plum, and fruitcake with a trace of coconut. A big rich generous style of sparkling shiraz with a touch of opulence, ripe flavuors and very soft but present tannins. Sweetness is nicely balanced. A top example of the style. xvi.
References
i A very fine lot of sparkling red wines of the Burgundy Style The Advertiser (Adelaide) August 31 1914 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
ii Bordeaux Exhibition Evening Observer (Brisbane) October 14 1895 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
iii Seppelts Sparkling Burgundy Sunday Times (Perth) October 20 1929 https://trove.nla.gov.au
iv The Premier in Dreamland Freeman’s Journal (Sydney) June 151895 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
v Max Dingle. Personal recollections of the Author. Gathered over time from annual visits to Adelaide from the late 1960’s to the present. October 15 2025.
vi Bob Slessor “Married” The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) July 2 1944 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
vii Dined and Wined The Barrier Miner ( Broken Hill) November 15 1950 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
viii Bests Great Western Sparkling Burgundy The Australian Jewish Herald (Melbourne) October 2 1941 https://trove.nla.gov.au
ix Ibid., Max Dingle October 15 2025
x Sparkling Shiraz Wine Guide Australia October 20 2025 https://wineguideaustralia.com/sparkling-shiraz/
xi David Jackson and Danny Schuster Grape Growing and Wine Making (Martinborough NZ, Alister Taylor Publishing Ltd, 1981), 150.
xii Down Under turkey, with fizz. Canberra Times (Canberra) December 20 1995 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
xiii Built for Bacon Teusner Wines October 25 2025 https://teusner.com.au/collections/all/products/teusner-mc-sparkling-shiraz-2020
xiv Ken Gargett Punch Punch 48 – Sepplets Show Reserve Sparkling Shiraz 2008, Kenfessions 2020, October 25 2025 https://www.kenfessions.com/articles/punch-punch-48-seppelt-show-reserve-sparkling-shiraz-2008nbsp-ken-gargett-10-2020
xv Jacqui Lim Fino Sepplefield Barossa Valley November 8 2015, https://jacquisfoodfetish.com.au/2015/11/08/fino-seppeltsfield-barossa-valley/
xvi Huon Hooke MC 2020 Sparkling Shiraz October 15 2023 https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0792/8024/2993/files/Teusner_Tasting_Notes_MC_Sparkling_Shiraz_20.pdf?v=1730072925
The wine was also distributed reasonably widely within Australia – being served at a reception for the Premier in Orange NSW in 1895: In a dreamland, mid a constant flow of champagne and sparkling burgundy, is the Premier's own description of: his "right royal reception" at Orange, and we really don't think anyone need ask a better. It accounts for much in the reports of a sort of intellectual topsyturvydom, during which everything was taken for what it was not, the distinguished visitor at his own valuation, and his purest claptrap for pearls of political wisdom. iv
Between the Great Depression and until the 1980’s these were the lean years for Sparkling Red in national terms; Seppelt’s Great Western, Best’s Great Western, Minchinbury and Romalo, were holding the fort. Making sparkling red for their own use, as most people, especially with a Mediterranean background, who worked at the various vineyards, all preferred cold sparkling red to still red wine with their meals, when picking and other heavy work was carried out in the hot Australian weather.v There was also demand from their regional community, where Sparkling Burgundy was and still is a popular drink. For better or worse - the latter when: Monica Margaret Flaherty drank a lot of whisky and Sparkling Burgundy at Bacchus Marsh (Vic.) on February 15, 1942, the day before her wedding night. She says she didn't know it was to be her wedding night, and woke up next morning unaware she had been married. Monica asked Mr. Justice Mansfield in Brisbane Supreme Court this week to nullify her marriage to Paul William Sebring, of the United States Air Force… Paul could not recall any ceremony. He had heard he'd been married, but did not know to whom. He had shared in the whisky and Sparkling Burgundy, had been taken back to camp after the day's outing, and had moved with his unit for New Guinea at 2 a.m.vi
Or when, in 1950, Stuart Tomkins was bought to Court after having: Sparkling Burgundy with his dinner and a collision with a tram.“ He was charged with having driven under the influence of liquor and fined £20 and his licence was cancelled. vii
While our newspapers (mostly) only record tales of woe and human folly, they also record the vineyards promoting sales: Bests Great Western in 1941 were offering their Sparkling Burgundy – Wholesale - thirty shillings per doz in quart bottles – eighteen shillings per doz in pint bottles.viii
Despite this limited production during these quiet years, the quality of the wine making was not affected, The Seppelt Show Sparkling Burgundies, made by Colin Preece winemaker 1932 to 1963, particularly the vintages 1944 and 1946, have become legendary wines and on the very rare occasions they appear at auction, attract huge prices. The 1964 and a few others from that decade are similarly revered.
“Re-Discovery” in the 1980’s.
In most articles and general wine histories the story is that in the 1980’s, Sparkling Red had long disappeared, when Seppelt winemaker Ian MacKenzie found racks of old wines from 1940 to 1960 simply resting untouched in the Seppelt Drives, quietly minding their own business; he tried a few and was blown away. As well as arranging to release these old vintages, he immediately allocated some of the estate’s best shiraz to reviving the style.
However, whatever nuggets of truth are buried within this story, “Sparkling Red” was, and still is, extremely common in northern Victoria and especially so in South Australia, and had been since it was first introduced in the late 1800’s, as noted in the various references and advertising found in newspapers over time. Local popularity in South Australia, was to the point, that it could be purchased by the glass in any Adelaide hotel public bar: a number of hotels, such as the Arab Steed Hotel in Hutt Road, which served a sparkling red, sourced from McLaren Vale, that had been labelled with the Hotel’s own logo ix. Common availability in a public bar does not suddenly appear, it develops over time though demand; nor does this availability as a “worker’s drink” necessarily register on the radar of the wine connoisseur. This traditional public bar availability only started to fade and become at bit less common as we went further into the 21st century and more and more of the older hotels were being renovated – though Sparkling Red is till commonly available at contemporary licensed premises, restaurants and at temporary Adelaide Arts Festival outlets, such as the Festival Fringe venue, Garden of Un-earthly Delights. In other Australian States, the availability of Sparkling Red varied over time, in Sydney between the 1960’s to1980’s it was virtually impossible to find anywhere. By the end of 1990’s to 2015, Liquor outlets tended to carry more and more labels, peaking at approximately 20. Availability has again started to fade and currently in 2025, at a popular liqour outlet such as Dan Murphy, there are only approximately ten labels, in the main at the lower to mid-level price range. It has been and still is very rare for the style to be available in restaurants in States other than South Australia, and to a lesser extent Victoria..
However there is no doubt that from the 1980’s Sparkling Red, helped by a reputation as a distinctive Australian wine, started to receive recognition around the country and the attention of many more winemakers. Around Australia various vineyards now make versions, from Frazer Woods’ in Margaret River West Australia to Queensland’s Granite Ridge via Hungerford Hill in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. As most of these contemporary Sparkling Red wines only sell via cellar door it is hard to quantify the exact number of labels. Though Wine Guide Australia suggests that as production, storage and additional handling means they’re not as profitable as still wines, it is only the winemakers who are truly in love with the style, who produce them; as such there are only around 60 wineries in Australia making this varietal.x
I would suggest that this figure of 60 producers, is conservative, on the basis that at one point a few years ago, on a visit to the Adelaide Central Markets, that mecca for all the best produce that South Australia has to offer, in the wine retail shop, trying to decide on which to purchase, I counted 53 Sparkling Red wines, all of which were from South Australian vineyards.
Production of sparkling wine
The base for making any sparkling wine can be either a red, white or Rose wine, stabilised and cleared to a stage when it would normally be ready for bottling. There are three basic methods for producing sparkling wine:
1. Carbonation
When ready for bottling the base wine is chilled and carbon dioxide is injected under pressure during bottling. It is the simplest and cheapest but on release of the cork the sparkling nature quickly disappears.
2. Charmat Method
The base wine is placed into large pressurised tanks and a small preparation of sweetening and yeast starter is added to commence primary fermentation. Under pressure the carbon dioxide remains dissolved in the wine. When completed the now sparkling wine is sterile filtered and bottled under pressure. The majority of sparkling wines in all countries are made in this manner.
3. Champenois
This method is used to produce the best quality sparkling wine, using the finest base wine available. The following process is used generally but individual winemakers use slight modifications to suit their own style, conditions and grapes:
- Blending (Coupage) - Considerable care is taken to blend base wines, the same care that is taken in the production of quality red vintages to the bottling stage of production. The grapes can be from an individual block of vines or blends from different areas or grape varieties.
- Sweetening and Yeast ( Liqueur de Tirage) - Sugar, usually cane sugar, is used to sweeten the base wine and a yeast culture added to start fermentation.
- Bottle Fermentation - The wine is placed into special “champagne” bottles, which are corked and wired, and placed on their side at a temperature of 5 to 8 degrees Centigrade, in long stacks and left to ferment and mature for a period of years – up to ten years or more in the case of Seppelt Show Sparkling Shiraz and up to two years for Majella Sparkling Red. At about 6 monthly intervals the bottles are shaken to keep the lees from settling.
- Clearing ( Remuage) - Bottles are placed on specially designed shaking-tables called Pupitres. On these the bottle position is changed from almost horizontal to upside-down. Each day for three or four weeks every bottle is gently shaken and turned slightly to force the sediment into the neck of the bottle to rest firmly against the cork.
- Recorking ( Dégorgement ) - The deposited lees are removed from the wine either by removing the cork while rapidly moving the bottle from upside-down to upright – a technique requiring much practice and skill, especially in minimising the amount of wine lost. The most common practice today is by freezing the contents in the neck of the bottle then, using a special tool, remove the upper layer of frozen wine in which the impurities are trapped.
- Sweetening and final corking ( Dosage ) - The wine lost is replaced with a liqueur d’expédition usually consisting of a brandy based wine, along with, depending on final sweetness the winemaker requires, a small amount of honey or sugar. A regular “Champagne” cork is now inserted and wired.
The aim is usually to balance the dosage against the acidity so that sweetness disappears as well assisting gas development. These components, along with a base wine made from fully ripe fruit and softened by some years in wood, allow vintage sparkling reds to gain complexity and retain fruit freshness over long bottle age.
- Bottle Age - The bottle is then placed in the cellar for bottle-ageing; depending on the winemaker, this maybe from 12 to 18 months or for a top of the range bottle-fermented sparkling red wine, up to ten or more years before reaching the market - Seppelt have, earlier in 2025, released their 2012 Sparkling Show Shiraz.xi
Food Matching.
Sparkling Shiraz is best served a little chilled. This is to slightly soften and round out its inborn intensity. It is versatile and tends to go well with Asian food as well as Duck, Quail or game meats such as Hare; Christmas and turkey have become a natural pairing; Dr. David Carpenter at Lark Hill Winery maintains, a top quality Sparkling Burgundy with turkey is one of the best marriages of food and wine.xii; If you like to stick to tradition, pair Sparkling Red with a classic roast and clove-studded ham. Then on Boxing Day, bring out the left-over ham and turkey and pop another Sparkling Red.
It’s also superb served with barbequed ribs, Chinese roast duck and chocolate desserts, or, as winemaker Kym Teusner says about their MC Sparkling Shiraz: Built for Bacon’...that could well apply to most of the staff here at Teusner Wines but we believe that Sparkling Shiraz came into being as early man began to ponder the age old question... “What to drink with breakfast. xiii
Some people are not satisfied with just food matching :
Grand corona sized Habanos Specialist release. Opened with lovely caramel, some woody notes, with a hint of chocolate emerging. , a lovely cigar. Matched it with the Seppelt Show Reserve Sparkling Shiraz 2008 and they really worked well together. Flavours melded nicely. xiv
Some menus from South Australian Restaurants:
Fino Restaurant Seppeltsfield - recorded by Soi.38 Thai restaurant co-owner Jacqui Lim in 2015 The menu items tasted included: crispy Sardines, Prawns, garlic, chilli and parsley, smoked Kingfish with seaweed, brown rice and sesame, slow cooked Lamb shoulder, carrots, pickled chilli and yoghurt and Barossa Chicken, broad bean and almond. The selected wine was a Teusner MC 2009 Sparkling Shiraz from Barossa Valley. xv Huon Hooke’s tasting notes for Teusner Sparkling Shiraz: Deep red tinged with purple,and it has a voluminious bouquet of liquorice, plum, and fruitcake with a trace of coconut. A big rich generous style of sparkling shiraz with a touch of opulence, ripe flavuors and very soft but present tannins. Sweetness is nicely balanced. A top example of the style. xvi.
References
i A very fine lot of sparkling red wines of the Burgundy Style The Advertiser (Adelaide) August 31 1914 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
ii Bordeaux Exhibition Evening Observer (Brisbane) October 14 1895 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
iii Seppelts Sparkling Burgundy Sunday Times (Perth) October 20 1929 https://trove.nla.gov.au
iv The Premier in Dreamland Freeman’s Journal (Sydney) June 151895 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
v Max Dingle. Personal recollections of the Author. Gathered over time from annual visits to Adelaide from the late 1960’s to the present. October 15 2025.
vi Bob Slessor “Married” The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) July 2 1944 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
vii Dined and Wined The Barrier Miner ( Broken Hill) November 15 1950 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
viii Bests Great Western Sparkling Burgundy The Australian Jewish Herald (Melbourne) October 2 1941 https://trove.nla.gov.au
ix Ibid., Max Dingle October 15 2025
x Sparkling Shiraz Wine Guide Australia October 20 2025 https://wineguideaustralia.com/sparkling-shiraz/
xi David Jackson and Danny Schuster Grape Growing and Wine Making (Martinborough NZ, Alister Taylor Publishing Ltd, 1981), 150.
xii Down Under turkey, with fizz. Canberra Times (Canberra) December 20 1995 https://trove.nla.gov.au/
xiii Built for Bacon Teusner Wines October 25 2025 https://teusner.com.au/collections/all/products/teusner-mc-sparkling-shiraz-2020
xiv Ken Gargett Punch Punch 48 – Sepplets Show Reserve Sparkling Shiraz 2008, Kenfessions 2020, October 25 2025 https://www.kenfessions.com/articles/punch-punch-48-seppelt-show-reserve-sparkling-shiraz-2008nbsp-ken-gargett-10-2020
xv Jacqui Lim Fino Sepplefield Barossa Valley November 8 2015, https://jacquisfoodfetish.com.au/2015/11/08/fino-seppeltsfield-barossa-valley/
xvi Huon Hooke MC 2020 Sparkling Shiraz October 15 2023 https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0792/8024/2993/files/Teusner_Tasting_Notes_MC_Sparkling_Shiraz_20.pdf?v=1730072925
Menu from 1985
Maggie Beer’s Pheasant Farm Restaurant c.1983 - 1993
The menu highlighted the produce from Pheasant Farm as well as the food and wines from the Barossa Valley. Items such as these listed in a 1985 lunch menu: pheasant breast with beetroot,, pasta with smoked kangaroo, squab with pigeon livers, rabbit with anchovy mayonnaise and Goats cheese with olives and pancetta are all an ideal match with the Charles Melton Sparkling Burgundy recommended. i
Sparkling Red Tasting Notes - In 1985 the first Charles Melton Sparkling Burgundy from the Barossa, had just been released.(now named NV Sparkling Red - during the 1980’s Australia wines stopped using French terms such as Burgundy and Hermitage.): Lovely deep burgundy colour. Beautifully clean and sweet lift on the nose. A mix of fragrant red fruits and sweet spices. A very fine tongue coating mousse with some apparent sweetness (necessary for a long ageing traditional sparkling burgundy style) that is finely balanced by some just evident tanins. ii.
Tasting / Reviews.
There is no doubt that for a lot of people the pouring of a Sparkling Red is made enticing by the pink effervescent mousse or bubbles, on the deep red of the wine, but for others, a big appeal lies in the complexity that bottle age imparts.
Shiraz is by far the most widely used Sparkling Red variety in Australia, as its soft tannins are ideally suited. Different regions impart different qualities depending on the variety used in its making, but Sparkling Red wines:
...are typically very ripe and rely on rich fruit characters, combined usually with a slight degree of sweetness, balanced against acidity, to achieve their impact. In their youth they are deep, crimson red in colour, vibrantly fruit-driven, really juicy and surprisingly refreshing when served chilled.iii
Seppelt Show Sparkling Burgundies 1944 -1991
James Halliday has noted:
...up to 1967 the base wine varied between 100% Great Western shiraz and a veritable cocktail; from 1972 onwards all the wines have been made entirely from Great Western shiraz – more particularly, from the block of very old vines adjacent to the winery. A battle royal is waged between the team responsible for the Shiraz (dry red) and that responsible for the Sparkling Burgundy, each wanting the lion’s share of the grapes.
That tug-of-war underlies the fact that Sparkling Burgundies are far closer to conventional red wines than are their white counterparts. This similarity becomes more and more pronounced as the wines age and lose their gas; indeed many bottles of the ’44 and ’46 have next to no visible CO2, and it is only a very faint prickle on the tongue. Yet the gas has played an essential role in preserving fruit freshness: these are glorious renditions of old shiraz. I would not hesitate to cellar the new show reserve wines which are disgorges after 10 years on yeast lees and released at that age. They will only get better and better.
In the tasting held in 1994, the notes on vintages from 1944 to 1991 gave all vintages a top of the range five star rating except ’63, ’72, ’83, ’87, ’90 and ’91 at four and a half stars and only one, ’67 at three and half stars.iv
Jeremy Oliver notes that: Seppelt Show Sparkling Shiraz (nee Burgundy) vintages 1972 – 1987 are all ranked Gold. While Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz (nee Harpers Range Sparkling Burgundy), vintages 1985 to 1993 are all ranked Silver. v
It is not only the major wine Companies and vineyards who maintain production today. Small vineyards, especially in Northern Victoria and in South Australia, also maintain tradition:
Cape Horn Vineyard, Echuca, has something special for wine lovers. Released this month, its special limited vintage — the sparkling shiraz durif 1998 - is sure to be pure pleasure to the taste buds. This quality wine is from shiraz and durif vines planted at the Cape Horn vineyard on the Murray River in 1880’s. There is only a limited supply, as only a couple of tonne of grapes were set aside. This wine is guaranteed to make your New Year's Eve party a hit, suited to warm weather and sure to cool down your dry palate. Vineyard owner Ian Harrison said he was pleased with the wine.
"The shiraz is a full bodied dry sparkling red wine that has a lovely fruit flavor," he said. "It is a chilled red wine that will mature in the bottle and only get better.”vi
Majella Sparkling Shiraz - A tasting of Majella Sparkling Shiraz 2023 was offered at the conclusion of this paper. Notes from the winemaker:
The base wine of our Sparkling Shiraz is matured in 2nd and 3rd use French oak hogsheads for five months before undergoing secondary fermentation in the bottle. The wine remains on lees for 14 months and, using méthode traditionnelle, the bottles are hand-riddled, then disgorged. A small amount of vintage port is added for extra complexity.
Max Dingle OAM
November 2025
Symposium of Gastronomy and Food History - Napier
References
i Maggie Beer Pheasant Farm Restaurant Menu (Barossa Valley 1985) Max Dingle Gastronomy Archive October 2025
ii Charles Melton NV Sparkling Red October 30 2025 https://charlesmeltonwines.com.au/product/sparkling-red/
iii What is Sparkling Red ? Wine Wine Selectors May 17 2023 https://www.wineselectors.com.au/wine-varieties/sparkling-red?srsltid=AfmBOoqpz0RNZn74OuoeFbONAUiLimZ_7YSTjM2th27ZBWA3_VZIOfwy
iv James Halliday Classic Wines of Australia (Sydney Harper Collins 1997) 262.
v Jeremy Oliver The On Wine Australian Wine Annual 1999 (Adelaide Griffin Press 1998) 259.
vi “Something Special” The Riverine Herald (Ecucha Vic ) December 27 2000
vii Bruce Gregory & Michael Marcus Sparkling Shiraz, Majella Coonawarra, October 30 2025 https://www.majellawines.com.au/wines/sparkling-shiraz
The menu highlighted the produce from Pheasant Farm as well as the food and wines from the Barossa Valley. Items such as these listed in a 1985 lunch menu: pheasant breast with beetroot,, pasta with smoked kangaroo, squab with pigeon livers, rabbit with anchovy mayonnaise and Goats cheese with olives and pancetta are all an ideal match with the Charles Melton Sparkling Burgundy recommended. i
Sparkling Red Tasting Notes - In 1985 the first Charles Melton Sparkling Burgundy from the Barossa, had just been released.(now named NV Sparkling Red - during the 1980’s Australia wines stopped using French terms such as Burgundy and Hermitage.): Lovely deep burgundy colour. Beautifully clean and sweet lift on the nose. A mix of fragrant red fruits and sweet spices. A very fine tongue coating mousse with some apparent sweetness (necessary for a long ageing traditional sparkling burgundy style) that is finely balanced by some just evident tanins. ii.
Tasting / Reviews.
There is no doubt that for a lot of people the pouring of a Sparkling Red is made enticing by the pink effervescent mousse or bubbles, on the deep red of the wine, but for others, a big appeal lies in the complexity that bottle age imparts.
Shiraz is by far the most widely used Sparkling Red variety in Australia, as its soft tannins are ideally suited. Different regions impart different qualities depending on the variety used in its making, but Sparkling Red wines:
...are typically very ripe and rely on rich fruit characters, combined usually with a slight degree of sweetness, balanced against acidity, to achieve their impact. In their youth they are deep, crimson red in colour, vibrantly fruit-driven, really juicy and surprisingly refreshing when served chilled.iii
Seppelt Show Sparkling Burgundies 1944 -1991
James Halliday has noted:
...up to 1967 the base wine varied between 100% Great Western shiraz and a veritable cocktail; from 1972 onwards all the wines have been made entirely from Great Western shiraz – more particularly, from the block of very old vines adjacent to the winery. A battle royal is waged between the team responsible for the Shiraz (dry red) and that responsible for the Sparkling Burgundy, each wanting the lion’s share of the grapes.
That tug-of-war underlies the fact that Sparkling Burgundies are far closer to conventional red wines than are their white counterparts. This similarity becomes more and more pronounced as the wines age and lose their gas; indeed many bottles of the ’44 and ’46 have next to no visible CO2, and it is only a very faint prickle on the tongue. Yet the gas has played an essential role in preserving fruit freshness: these are glorious renditions of old shiraz. I would not hesitate to cellar the new show reserve wines which are disgorges after 10 years on yeast lees and released at that age. They will only get better and better.
In the tasting held in 1994, the notes on vintages from 1944 to 1991 gave all vintages a top of the range five star rating except ’63, ’72, ’83, ’87, ’90 and ’91 at four and a half stars and only one, ’67 at three and half stars.iv
Jeremy Oliver notes that: Seppelt Show Sparkling Shiraz (nee Burgundy) vintages 1972 – 1987 are all ranked Gold. While Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz (nee Harpers Range Sparkling Burgundy), vintages 1985 to 1993 are all ranked Silver. v
It is not only the major wine Companies and vineyards who maintain production today. Small vineyards, especially in Northern Victoria and in South Australia, also maintain tradition:
Cape Horn Vineyard, Echuca, has something special for wine lovers. Released this month, its special limited vintage — the sparkling shiraz durif 1998 - is sure to be pure pleasure to the taste buds. This quality wine is from shiraz and durif vines planted at the Cape Horn vineyard on the Murray River in 1880’s. There is only a limited supply, as only a couple of tonne of grapes were set aside. This wine is guaranteed to make your New Year's Eve party a hit, suited to warm weather and sure to cool down your dry palate. Vineyard owner Ian Harrison said he was pleased with the wine.
"The shiraz is a full bodied dry sparkling red wine that has a lovely fruit flavor," he said. "It is a chilled red wine that will mature in the bottle and only get better.”vi
Majella Sparkling Shiraz - A tasting of Majella Sparkling Shiraz 2023 was offered at the conclusion of this paper. Notes from the winemaker:
The base wine of our Sparkling Shiraz is matured in 2nd and 3rd use French oak hogsheads for five months before undergoing secondary fermentation in the bottle. The wine remains on lees for 14 months and, using méthode traditionnelle, the bottles are hand-riddled, then disgorged. A small amount of vintage port is added for extra complexity.
- Colour: Vibrant dark red with a bright ruby hue and a fine bead
- Bouquet: Fresh plum, raspberry, and blackberry aromas
- Palate: Smooth and luscious, with black fruit characters, a hint of spice, gentle tannins, and a generous finish
- When to Drink: Enjoy now or cellar up to 10 years
- Food Match: Pairs beautifully with roasts, barbecued meats, and even a classic bacon and eggs breakfast’. vii
Max Dingle OAM
November 2025
Symposium of Gastronomy and Food History - Napier
References
i Maggie Beer Pheasant Farm Restaurant Menu (Barossa Valley 1985) Max Dingle Gastronomy Archive October 2025
ii Charles Melton NV Sparkling Red October 30 2025 https://charlesmeltonwines.com.au/product/sparkling-red/
iii What is Sparkling Red ? Wine Wine Selectors May 17 2023 https://www.wineselectors.com.au/wine-varieties/sparkling-red?srsltid=AfmBOoqpz0RNZn74OuoeFbONAUiLimZ_7YSTjM2th27ZBWA3_VZIOfwy
iv James Halliday Classic Wines of Australia (Sydney Harper Collins 1997) 262.
v Jeremy Oliver The On Wine Australian Wine Annual 1999 (Adelaide Griffin Press 1998) 259.
vi “Something Special” The Riverine Herald (Ecucha Vic ) December 27 2000
vii Bruce Gregory & Michael Marcus Sparkling Shiraz, Majella Coonawarra, October 30 2025 https://www.majellawines.com.au/wines/sparkling-shiraz
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