Why Australian blends live up to the hype

For the past 10 years, The Great Australian Red competition has looked to elevate wines produced by blending Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon to the lofty heights routinely afforded blends fashioned in the manner of Bordeaux. “The Shiraz Cabernet blend is an Australian institution,” explains the mission statement published on the group’s website. “This country championed it, refined it and still does it better than anyone else on the planet.