Australia's national treasure wine Grange pairs 'perfectly with braised galbi'

What does Australia's most treasured wine actually taste like?

On Thursday, Penfolds — whose wines have been designated Australian national cultural heritage — held a tasting event at Margo Grill restaurant inside the JW Marriott Hotel Seoul in Seocho-gu. Kumyang International, the South Korean importer and retailer of Penfolds, organized the event to mark a visit by the brand's ambassador. The move is seen as a strategy to emphasize traditional premium credentials through Penfolds, the standard-bearer of Australian red wine culture, at a time when red wine consumption has been softening.

In 2001, the National Trust of Australia officially listed Grange, Penfolds' flagship red wine, as a national cultural heritage item — formal recognition of the winery's cultural and historical significance to the country.

Founded in 1844, Penfolds marks its 182nd anniversary this year. Brand ambassador Joshua Yim said the winery "has established itself as Australia's defining red wine through international recognition at competitions around the world." Penfolds Grange 2008 received perfect 100-point scores from both Wine Spectator and The Wine Advocate. The 1990 Grange vintage was named Wine Spectator's Red Wine of the Year in 1995.

Grange is also celebrated as a Shiraz-based wine. Shiraz is a red grape variety originating in France's Rhône Valley — known as Syrah in France and as Shiraz in Australia, South Africa and elsewhere.

Penfolds built Grange's distinctive style around Shiraz, bold varietal choices and aging in American oak. Yim described Grange as "a wine that adds Australia's own character to Europe's traditional winemaking philosophy."

Another hallmark of Penfolds is its "multi-regional blending" philosophy. Yim explained that the winery "blends grapes harvested from multiple regions across South Australia, rather than limiting itself to a single appellation."

Five wines were poured at the event. Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2023 is the winery's premium white wine. Yim said it blends three varieties grown in cool-climate regions and that it took 144 winemaking trials to perfect the premium Chardonnay.

The wine showed low tannins and high acidity. The name "Yattarna" comes from an Australian Aboriginal word meaning "little by little," a nod to the lengthy process behind the wine's creation. Yim singled out Jeju hairtail fish dishes as one of the best Korean food pairings for it.

He also said that Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz and Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon rank among the most popular wines in the Penfolds lineup.

Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2019 offered aromas of fruit and an elegant palate — a wine that lets the character of Shiraz shine.

The final pour, Penfolds Grange 2021, was noticeably more powerful than the others. Yim called it "a wine that has consistently earned high scores at wine evaluations around the world" and recommended it alongside Korean braised galbi.