Wine Lovers Guide To Australian Wine

There are countries out there that have been making wine for almost three thousand years, but Australia isn't one of them. However, it did start quickly after colonization by Europeans - within fifty years, wine production was already going. Before long, vineyards were showing up everywhere, mostly in the southern part of the country.

Over the course of the past century, the Australian wine industry has gotten noticed, and the results have been dramatic. At the beginning of the century, the entire continent was producing less than five million gallons every year. By the last quarter of the century, world attention had increased that figure to close to a hundred million gallons - Australia was on the map as far as wine went.

There are many different soil types and climates in this interesting country, which makes it a great place to grow lots of different kinds of wine grapes. Running the range between the damp and cool to the hot and dry, conditions are right for just about every kind of grape, with some areas mimicking the climate of the best of the European wine regions. Some areas are even irrigated to aid in the production of good quality wine grapes.

There's a lot of clay and limestone in Australian soils, but the specifics vary just as much as temperature and rainfall. This means that winemakers can choose the type of grape that best fits their local soil, to get the best quality grape and the best yield for that variety.

Australian wine was unknown to most of the world for the majority of its existence - in the late 19th century, some judges insisted that the Victoria wines they had just rated so well couldn't possibly be Australian! However, by the fourth quarter of the twentieth century, the wine world had taken notice, and the first big boom occurred. The highest quality Australian wines got noticed, and production skyrocketed.


Another boom on the lower end of the price scale occurred recently - Australian imports were seen just about everywhere, offering decent, low priced wine in major retailers. These wines have fallen out of fashion somewhat, making them a little less popular now, but they still have a lot to offer. Take the time to check out some of the high quality wines Australia has to offer - you might be surprised.

After all, as the fourth largest wine exporter in the world, Australia has a lot to offer. Even major wine producers, like Spain, France and Italy, buy wines from this country's producers. Known for its characteristics "GSM blends" - wines made from a blend of Mourvedre, Shiraz and Grenache, as well as many other types, Australia has been called the most powerful influence in wine today.

So, if you're going to be visiting Australia on holiday, don't forget to take the time to check out some of its wine regions, or at least try a few local wines. If you're looking for a great wine for your table, don't pass over the Australian section. There are some really amazing wines there, just waiting for you to discover them!