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Australia is a land full of wonder and extraordinary beauty. Her ancient history lies in the Aboriginal Dreamtime where rivers, creeks, mountains and valleys each held their own individual story in the tapestry of time. For thousands of years as other parts of the world began to populate and develop, Australia was a sleeping continent ... mysterious, remote and largely undiscovered, apart from the indigenous people who roamed and enjoyed the bountiful supplies of nature. In little more than two centuries since the sails of new settlers appeared on the Australian horizon, there has been an amazing transformation. The people that came here from across the oceans were strong, resilient and resourceful people who dared to challenge their destiny. The wide horizons and virgin soils beckoned them. They toiled long and hard and looked to the skies for providence. In this wide, warm and sunlit land, the fruits of their labour grew. From so many nations these people came to create the unique ingredients of the Australian population and an agricultural industry of remarkable diversity and prosperity. While the Australian wine industry can trace its roots back 200 years, it is really only in the latter half of the 20th century that it has come of age and awakened the world to its rare excellence. Apart from the engaging hospitality of her people and her magnificent natural scenery, there is a special ingredient that makes the essence of Australia. It is her wines. |
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 Today, there is an irresistible link between tourism and Australian wine. The wine regions - totalling more than 40 across the southern half of the continent - nestled in some of the most enchanting and picturesque countryside in the world. In these areas, grape growers and winemakers of great tradition, but with advanced technical skills, have combined to produce premium class wines that consistently win the plaudits of connoisseurs and judges around the world. Many of the winemakers are great celebrities. Other works quietly and unassumingly, but with engaging hospitality. Each is devoted to the same outcome ... wines of outstanding quality and individuality. For the discerning tourist, Australia is a premier destination not only for her wines and her people and her unique landscapes, but also for the outstanding regional cuisines and stunning new dimensions in hospitality that welcome visitors to indulge in all the things that make this country great. Put simply, Australia is a place to tempt your palate. |
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Settlers from around the world came to pursue their pastoral interests, and it was South Australia's first Surveyor-General, Colonel Light, who named the Valley after Barossa, near Spain's sherry district. While the English pastoralists and land barons have their place in the Barossa's rich history, it was the German people who gave it a special identity with their customs and skills in wine making. The Yarra Valley and Geelong, pre-eminent in Victoria's wine growing regions, were largely developed by the Swiss who came in conjunction with the Swiss born wife of the first Governor of Victoria, Charles La Trobe. The Swan Valley in Western Australia, which actually predates South Australia and Victoria in viticultural terms, retains a strong influence from the Dalmatians who emigrated from what became Yugoslavia around the turn of the century. The descendants of early Yugoslavs, Italian and English migrants now continue the winemaking traditions. The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and parts of the beautiful Riverland reflect a pronounced Italian input from two waves of migration - one between the two world wars and the other after 1945. |
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Post World War II immigration had a broader impact on the industry, bringing with it fundamental changes to the Australian lifestyle with growing awareness and appreciation of food and wine. From a mixed production of table and fortified wine in the nineteenth century, Australia had progressively moved to the production of fortified wine in the twentieth century in which table wine had only a small presence in day-to-day life. As late as 1960, around 90 per cent of all wine made was fortified. Today it accounts for eight per cent while table wine has permeated through every walk of life. At the same time, there has been the emergence of the wonderful foods of Australia, which, like our wines, are rich in their ethnic mix, varieties and flavours. Australia prides itself on its pure foods from pollution free oceans to sunlight, 'green and clean' farmlands, wide open grazing country and blazing deserts. Australia is renowned for a delicious and creative menu of seasonal native foods with an emphasis on flavour ... a playground of the natural senses. |
 This industry, perhaps more than any other business sector, reflects the productive and varied nature of Australia's regions and the national backgrounds of the people who have developed them. It is wine, more than anything else, that has set these regions apart and played such an important role in developing Australia's identify as a place to enjoy. One common characteristic of Australian wine is its technical excellence and low levels of chemical inputs and residues. Australia boasts the world's most technically advanced wine industry, a tribute to the ongoing research and development of organisations like the Australian Wine Research Institute. |
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The Australian Wine Industry is developing with a mission of total commitment to innovation and style from vine to palate. It is one of the world's most influential producers of branded wines and through quality, purity, uniqueness, diversity and value for money, it is pioneering wine as the universal first choice lifestyle beverage. No quality restaurant list is complete without Australian wine. More than 60 countries now enjoy Australian wine and local producers continue to reap outstanding honours in international wine shows. For the visitor to Australia, the wine regions and fresh, succulent pollution-free food unique to those regions, show much of the Australian flavour and character. Australian winemakers and the communities that work from vine to bottle regularly celebrate their achievements in regional festivities that attract increasing numbers of visitors seeking the distinctive flavours and aromas of this country. |
 Chardonnay Chardonnay is a dry, full-bodied wine that is usually spicy with a fruit flavour reminiscent of fig, melon, peach or grapefruit. With age Chardonnay can become buttery, a term embracing the aroma, taste and texture of the wine. The wine is widely produced in Australia, but is most favoured from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria; South Australia's South East particularly around Padthaway and Coonawarra and in McLaren Vale, and Western Australia's Margaret River. Semillon Semillon is a light to full-bodied wine with diverse qualities. There are three distinct styles. Firstly, the dry, unwooded which requires many years of bottle age. Secondly, a dry, but oaked wine that can be consumed early. Thirdly, a delicious, sweet dessert wine. This delightfully versatile wine is best known from the Hunter Valley, Mudgee and Griffith in New South Wales, the Barossa Valley in South Australia and Western Australia's Margaret River. |
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Riesling Riesling is a light-bodied, fresh and aromatic wine made without oak and bottled early, The initial taste is one of citrus or passionfruit, but it develops a kerosene edge, which is not unpleasant, with age. The wine can come across a whole spectrum from dry to medium, sweet or very sweet. The most prominent regions for Australian Riesling are South Australia's Clare, Eden and Barossa Valleys and the Adelaide Hills, Western Australia's Mount Barker and in Tasmania. Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc is at its best when consumed as a young, fruity wine. It is produced in oaked and unoaked versions, the latter crisp and fruity. Sauvignon Blanc does not benefit of cellaring and is made to be enjoyed early from the vine. South Australia's Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra produce outstanding Sauvignon Blanc along with Margaret River in Western Australia. |
 Pinot Noir Pinot Noir is a distinctive, intense and fragrant wine. It is low in tannin, light in colour and lightbodied - unlike other red wines. In most cases, Pinot Noir is best consumed within five years of vintage. The finest examples come from Victoria's Yarra Valley, Geelong, Gippsland, Macedon and Mornington Peninsula' the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, Mount Barker in Western Australia and Tasmania. Grenache & Mourvedre Grenache & Mourvedre are very distinctive styles. The more delicate Rose is made from Grenache. The red table wine comes in a variety of combinations - often a blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre - and it can become rich, sweet and spicy - almost a dessert wine when Grenache is dominant. Finally, there are the beautiful vintage and tawny ports. South Australia's wine regions are best known for these varieties, particularly in the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and McLaren Vale. |
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Shiraz Shiraz is a medium to full-bodied wine made for cellaring. There are four distinct styles of Shiraz. Firstly, the peppery, spicy and aromatic wines of central and southern Victoria. Secondly, the dense, lush wines of the Barossa Valley. Thirdly, the famous rich, red cherry and mint style of the Coonawarra, Clare Valley and parts of Central Victoria. Finally, the velvety reds of the Hunter Valley. Those looking for the finest Shiraz head for the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, South Australia's Coonawarra, Barossa and Clare Valleys and McLaren Vale and Victoria's Great Western and Pyrenes. Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied wine made for cellaring. The wine varies according to the climate in which the grapes are grown - richer in warmer climates and more austere in cooler regions - but it always features blackcurrant, raspberry and sometimes mulberry fruit flavour augmented by tannin, a complex organic constituent of wine deriving chiefly from the grape pips and stalks. Ideally, it should also have a hint of spice or vanillin oak. Cabernet Sauvignon comes with a big reputation from South Australia's Coonawarra, Clare Valley, Barossa Valley, Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale; Bendigo and Yarra Valley in Victoria; Mudgee in New South Wales and Western Australia's Margaret River and Mount Barker. |
    
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