About.com Rating



Light, refreshing, fruity and dry -- St Hallett Poacher's Blend is, in my opinion, one of South Australia's best value-for-money offerings.

Hailing from the famed Barossa Valley, St Hallett's Poacher's Blend is a combination of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes with a varying degree of Riesling added to each vintage.

With the Poacher's Blend, St Hallett seems to have been successful in bottling the Australian summer.


The label tells you about the wine's citrus tang and how great it is with seafood. There is definitely citrus in there, but I also detected pineapple, passionfruit and melon. With this much fruit, its a wonder that it can maintain its crisp, dry finish.

This wine is great on its own or with food. It would be a perfect accompaniment to a summer picnic, and would fit right into any patio or outdoor setting.

Although the label only mentions pairing it with seafood, they are selling themselves short. We drank this wine with pork and it would go equally well with chicken.

St Hallett Poacher's Blend took its name from "The Night Poaching Act" of 1816 (UK). The label explains that people convicted under this particular Act were transported to Australia for their "despicable crimes". It continues, tongue-in-cheek:

"This activity of poaching is now believed to be a legitimate heritage pastime in Australia and particularly in the Barossa. The freshwater fish and crustaceans of the Barossa (locally known as yabbies) are regularly 'poached' and are superbly partnered with St Hallett Poacher's Blend."

This is a great wine. Deliciously fruity and perfectly balanced. It can be found all over the world but is readily available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

St Hallett Poacher's Blend