- Publish Date: Jun 14, 2010
Germany-Australia Wine Showdown
Which World Cup squad better represents wine country?
With the start of the World Cup, you've probably read more than enough articles about South African wine. But did you know that of the 32 countries participating, about two-thirds have some form of winemaking tradition? With a full month of great matchups between wine- and soccer-crazy countries, we're spending this week's Sips putting some of those nations head to head, just as they meet on the pitch. Today we consider yesterday's Germany-Australia matchup.
Both countries make wine by the boatload. Yet the squads representing their nations yesterday were relatively light on players raised in wine regions.
Germany's fielding only three players from wine country: Dennis Aogo from Karlsruhe; Serdar Tasci from Esslingen; and Sami Khedira from Stuttgart. All three cities are in the province that encompasses the Baden wine region, just across the river from France's Alsace. Baden is bad-ass: Plenty of high-quality Pinot Noir (aka Spatburgunder), Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc to make any wine drinker happy.
But Australia's squad looks slightly stronger, featuring backup goalie Adam Federici from Nowra in New South Wales (there are about a dozen nearby wineries); Richard Garcia from Perth, near the famous Margaret River region (Cabernet and Chardonnay); Carl Valeri from Canberra (Shiraz and Riesling); Joshua Kennedy from Wodonga, near Rutherglen (Shiraz); and Nikita Rukavytsa, who was born in Ukranian wine country.
The Socceroos also have a plethora of players from either Sydney (a day trip from Hunter Valley, Oz's home to Shiraz and Semillon) as well as Melbourne, right near cool-climate Geelong and the famous Yarra Valley (Pinot Noir).
Forget the score from yesterday's game--which was a drubbing by Germany. In our book, the edge for representin' wine country at the World Cup goes to Australia. So tonight, we're drinking a Shiraz instead of a Spatburgunder. After all, the Socceroos are probably drinking plenty as well after their performance yesterday.
Which is a go-to wine country for you, Germany or Australia? Tell us below!
