When I first started to write about wine in the 1980s, I remember drinking a Kalin semillon from California like it was yesterday. Semillon is rarely made without a companion grape, such as sauvignon blanc. Many vintners find it one-dimensional and lacking acidity. However, in a blend it can often the natural acidity of sauvignon blanc.

The other day I enjoyed a semillon from Tyrrell’s Wines, an Australian producer in the Hunter Valley. Australia is actually one of the few wine growing regions that produce a number of semillons. The Tyrrell was very simple, but revealed that lush character for which the grape is known.

If you are in the mood, semillon is worth an adventure.