Wine | Storm in a bottle

In early April 2009 I ventured to the Yarra Valley because of smoke. Specifically to taste wines that may have been affected by so-called bushfire smoke taint. In the middle of April last year, I returned to the Yarra Valley – only this time because of the wet. Again it was to taste wines that were supposedly not in the best of nick. Once again the weather was the subject of widespread negative discussion. While it was true that much fruit remained on the vine either because of rot or split, judicious selection had resulted in quality wines of all persuasions, writes Tim White in the Australian Financial Review.