Best wine buys of the Southern Hemisphere

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Wine buys south of the equator

Authors and Wine experts, Jeff Jenssen and Mike DeSimone, discussed their award winning book - Wines of the Southern Hemisphere, and brought along some delicious wine at the perfect price points to fit any budget and cuisine

Remember that old Reese's Peanut Butter Cups commercial: “Hey, your chocolate in my peanut butter!” Well that’s what I thought of when I met Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen.

DeSimone, the journalist, gets together with Jenssen, the sommelier, and they become the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of the wine world.

Instead of naming themselves after candy, they dub themselves the World Wine Guys.  They are entertaining, smart, simple and finish each other’s sentences. These are the guys you want teaching your wine class. The duo regularly host wine tastings and educational seminars around the world and teach their best signature class, Window’s On The World: Wines Of The Southern Hemisphere in New Yor City.

They are writers too and hit a nerve with their best-selling book Wines of the Southern Hemisphere: the Complete Guide, which won the Gourmand International Award for Best Wine Book 2012 in the USA.

The book is over 570 pages and highlights the best wineries in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, as well as New Zealand, South Africa and Uruguay.

There are some amazing wines coming from below our equator – and they’re cheap!

For instance, the guys brought a 2012 Robery Oakley Southern Riesling, a dry Riesling from southwest coast of  Australia, available for $15, the 2011 Trivento Malbec Resevere from Mendoza, Argentia for a whopping $10 and the Quartz Reef Methode Traditionelle, a Champagne-style blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnary from New Zealand, that retails for around for $22. Yum!

I asked what the next hot area of the Southern Hemisphere was. Jenssen said New Zealand, DeSimone said Casablanca.

So exciting for adventurous wine lovers!

Have you found something you love from the southern portion of our globe?  Let me know!

Cent’ Anni.