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-AUSTRALIA TODAY
-WINE REGIONS
-HISTORY OF WINE
-FLAVORS
OF AUSTRALIA
-GEOGRAPHIC INDICATION
-THE WINES
-THE WINERIES
-Map
of Australia (PDF)
WINE PRODUCING REGIONS OF AUSTRALIA
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The unprecedented success and growth of Australian wines
internationally in the last few decades has been phenomenal. A
part this success is due to the fact that Australian wines tend to
be universally well-made, very approachable, affordable and easy
to drink at a young age, yet many great Australian wines are
capable of being cellared for years and are considered solid
investments.
Australia is widely known for
blending fruit across regions and grape varieties to produce
consistently high quality wines. Unlike the strictly regulated
viticultural and winemaking restrictions of the older wine
producing countries, such as France, this "freedom to blend" is a
legendary characteristic of some of Australia's most famous
winemakers. This philosophy allows winemakers to choose grapes
from various sites according to specific qualities and tastes from
year to year, depending on weather and vintage conditions.
Winemakers have the freedom to innovate, take risks and try new
things, allowing them to break away from established traditions
and old world philosophies.
The Australian wine industry has recently experienced incredible
expansion in the last 20 years, from 344 wineries; today there are
now 1,899+ wineries (398,000 acres of vineyards) across the
country and increasing based on the industry's blueprint for the
future, known as 'Vision 2025', which aims to increase Australia's
percentage of the global wine trade.
The year 2002 proved to be a historical benchmark for the industry
- the first time for Australia, where wine export sales surpassed
domestic sales. Today nearly 167 thousand cases of wine leave
Australia every day supplying 104 international markets.
Apart from the hard work of many talented individuals in the wine
industry, Australia's growth success can be attributed to a number
of factors:
- a united industry, with a shared
vision of where it wants to go and a broad strategy to achieve
it
- the technical expertise of wine
personnel
- a culture that encourages
innovation
- quality viticulture and oenology
education and training facilities
- a diverse climate and landscape
- a strong focus on the needs and
preferences of consumers.
Red wine sales and exports to the U.S.
are the major drivers for the record growth, the increased
availability of red wine meant Australian winemakers were better
able to meet overseas demand for Australian reds. As a result, red
wine sales stretched the margin, surpassing white wine sales in
2000. The significant role of the U.S. in driving sales growth
reflects the benefits of recent alliances and joint ventures made
by several Australian wine producers with major U.S. interests as
well as the competitive, quality-for-value and brand strength.
While the U.K. is ahead of the U.S. as Australia's largest
overseas market for wine, U.S. sales have closed the gap between
the two. Moreover, due to a strong increase in the average dollar
per liter of wine sold to the U.S. relative to the U.K., the gap
between the value of sales to these two markets has closed more
impressively than it did for volume.
On a global comparison, Australia is
now the world's 6th largest producer of wine in the world
contributing 3.9% share of world production. Australia also ranks
4th in the top 10 exporters of wine in the world with 5.5% share
of world exports. In the U.S. market, 2005 saw Australia ranked as
the 2nd largest import category of wines (surpassing France) with
a +60% growth rate in the last three years.
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WINE
GROWING REGIONS
Australia is a large country - about the size of the continental
United States. Considered to be the world's oldest continent on
the Earth's surface - located next to the Earth's coldest ocean
and biggest desert, Australia also holds the title as the world's
only island continent.
With a varied landscape ranging from mountains, rainforests,
beautiful beaches, rust-red deserts and cosmopolitan cities, it is
home to 20 million people and curiously unique animals not found
anywhere else, like the kangaroo, emu, and koala to name just a
few. Australia is also home to Ayers Rock, the world's largest
monolith.
Australia's wine and
wine regions are just as
distinctive - with the world's grapes grown in every state and
territory of Australia. However the key winegrowing regions are
found in the states of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, New
South Wales, and Western Australia. Within these key states are
almost 70 wine regions.
Australia's best winegrowing regions are strung along the southern
edge of the continent, poised between hot, arid central Australia,
known as the Red Center, and the frigid Southern Ocean of the
Antarctic. Some of these regions are known for varying degrees of
quality and value, others are known for producing inexpensive
wines and some regions are just better suited for particular
varieties. To help identify these particular wine zones, regions
or sub-regions, an official zone description was made official in
1994, referred to as the
Geographic Indication (GI) system
of labeling, based on the European Appellation naming model (e.g.
Bordeaux, Burgundy) but is far less restrictive in terms of
viticultural and winemaking practices. An example of this
new designation is the broad appellation - South East Australia,
which includes the countries three largest winegrowing states;
South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
South Australia: Home to many of the industry's key
players, this state produces 53% of Australia's wine; the best
known being Penfolds. This state has a range of climates, from
refreshing maritime to warm Mediterranean and hot desert, with
annual rainfall for this state averaging 21 inches. The hotter
regions are best suited to ripening red grapes, notably Shiraz.
South Australia consists of mostly free-draining limestone and
sandy soils, with a constant table of pure water around six feet
below. Harvesting begins in early March through to late April.
South Australia is further broken
down into wine producing areas such as the Clare Valley, Riverland,
Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale,
Langhorne Creek, Mount Benson, Padthaway, Wrattonbully and
Coonawarra.
Victoria and Tasmania:
Victoria is the fastest growing
wine producing state in Australia - increasing by 15% in the last
three years. There are more designated wine regions in Victoria -
20 in total - than any other state, and more producers - 460 and
rising. Victoria comprises 15% of Australia's vineyards with a
large portion of the vineyards in the warmer interior along the
state's northern border. The warmer climate of Northeast Victoria
is the source of world-class fortifieds. Central Victoria is
Shiraz country with Southern Victoria prime for Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay. Harvest of the grapes commences in mid March through
to early May.
In total contrast
Tasmania can claim Australia's
coolest climate, producing 0.5% of Australia's total production of
wines, and home to some 100 wineries. Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and
Reisling are traditionally grown here, however sparkling wines
tend to be more highly prized from this area.
Victoria and Tasmania have maritime climates which tend to be wet
and humid during the summer months, which becomes warmer and dryer
as you proceed further north. Soils tend to be mostly red loam and
volcanic whereas Tasmania has more clay and peat soils. Average
annual rainfall in Victoria tends to be around 25 inches, whereas
Tasmania receives around 40 inches annually.
The top wine producing areas of Victoria are as follows, Northwest
Victoria, Grampians, Pyrenees, Bendigo & Heathcote, Goulburn
Valley, Northeast Victoria, King & Alpine Valleys, Gippsland,
Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong and Tasmania.
New South Wales: Produces 25% of Australia's total wine
production.
New South Wales boasts Australia's number one tourist
wine destination - the
Hunter Valley, within a couple hours drive
North from
Sydney, Australia's largest city.
Rainfall in this region occurs between January to April, with an
average of 20-25 inches annually, making irrigation vital. Summers
are long and warm with cool nights. The typography of the land has
a mixture of undulating hills, flood plains and mountainous
landscapes. The lands have a mixture of red clay and sand rich in
volcanic soils. Harvesting occurs from mid January through to
early March.
Wine producing areas are the Upper Hunter Valley, Lower Hunter
Valley, Mudgee, Orange & Cowra, Hilltops, Canberra District,
Tumbarumba and Riverina.
Western Australia: This huge state produces less than 4% of
Australia's wine. Most of the vineyards are found in regions along
the temperate southern coastline where some great Cabernet
Sauvignon and Shiraz are among the most exciting wines produced. A
few regions however can be found around
Perth - Australia's
capital city. Interestingly, most of the wineries in this State
are bordered by Red gum trees that flower at harvest time,
distracting birds from eating the grapes.
Western Australia has many varied wine regions,
however the Margaret
River area in particular has very close climatic similarities to
France's Bordeaux region, resulting in very successful plantings
of traditional Bordeaux varieties.
The typography layout of this state consists of flat alluvial
river plains, hills and ridges. The soils of these wine growing
area's are sandy and gravelly loams with overlying granite.
Harvesting commences in early March through to mid April.
Facing the warmer Indian Ocean, the area of Western Australia has
long dry summers and tends to be prone to drought. Average
rainfall is just under 45 inches annually. The icy Antarctic
current from the southern ocean brings in cool sea breezes which
moderate summer temperatures.
The wine areas of Western Australia include the Swan District,
Geographe, Margaret River, Manjimip, Pemberton and Great Southern.
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THE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA'S WINE
INDUSTRY
Australia's wine industry is scarcely any older than that
of the USA and quite considerably younger than South Africa's.
Wine grape growing began soon after the arrival of European
settlers in Australia with the First Fleet of 1788. During this
period, vine cuttings - including the all important Shiraz, were
brought from the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, and planted in
the coastal McLaren Vale district, just south of Adelaide in the
state of South Australia.
The Australian wine industry really began in the 1800's with the
help of an influential figure in the fledging Australian wine
sector - viticulturist James Busby. Busby had lived near Bordeaux
in France before immigrating to Australia in 1824 and running an
agricultural school which specialized in viticulture. In 1830,
Busby took the first cask of wine made from the school’s vineyard
to England where it was pronounced by the palates of the time as
“very promising”.
In 1831, Busby undertook a three month tour of Spain and France
and returned with a collection of 543 vine cuttings (362 of which
survived) and started the first source block in Sydney’s Botanic
Gardens, along with duplicate blocks in Victoria and South
Australia.
Virtually every variety now recognized by the world’s wine
drinkers such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz were
launched from these blocks. By the 1850s, large areas of vineyard
were developed in Victoria, NSW and South Australia, providing the
basis of the country's wine industry.
Australia really began serious winemaking and exporting in the
1850's when a gold rush in the State of Victoria trebled the young
nation’s population with an influx of European immigrants,
creating a cashed-up middle class keen to enjoy a glass of wine
with meals.
1875 saw disaster with the outbreak of
phylloxera, spreading
quickly through the state of Victoria's wine regions. Hundreds of
vineyards had to be uprooted and burned, decimating many of
Victoria's wine regions. However this proved to be an effective
end to the further spread of phylloxera to the rest of Australia.
As Victoria struggled, South Australia prospered unaffected, and
in turn was later able to help contribute towards the
re-establishing of new vines in Victoria.
Until as late as the 1950's, the young Australian wine industry
went through a series of booms and busts based on economic
depressions and two world wars. During this period the Australian
wine industry was dominated by over 80% with fortified production,
primarily Ports and Sherries. These fortified wines flourished
centered on the notion of its strong medicinal powers.
The wine boom gained momentum after the Second World War in
Australia as new European immigrants arrived, influencing
Australian tastes with new wines and foods. Mirroring the changes
in the Australian palate, dry red and white wines increased in
volumes and now 90% of all wines made and consumed in Australia is
dry table wine. Exports to Britain also increased as the demand
for dry table wines grew in the international market.
By the 1970's, the modern wine industry really started to emerge,
the building blocks of future wine empires were being pieced
together through takeovers and mergers, as well as the increased
expansion and exploration into new regions and areas. New
winemaking techniques became widely adopted, and the first
introduction of bag-in-box into the market, set to rival beer,
also began the advent of bulk-made wines. Better quality of ripe,
fruity wines in most categories at virtually every price point
combined with technological excellence, innovation and savvy
international marketing made Australia a global phenomenon.
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THE WINES OF AUSTRALIA
Some of the oldest vines in the world are found in Australia, this
is because most of the nation’s wine regions escaped the
devastation by phylloxera, which wiped out many ancient plantings
in Europe during the 1800's. These older vines have been
attributed to producing some of Australia's best wines -
especially the Shiraz.
Australia has experienced tremendous success with the Shiraz
grape, just as Argentina has with Malbec, California with it's
Cabernet Sauvignon, the super Tuscans of Italy, Pinot Noir from
Oregon and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. In an increasingly
complicated wine world, there's a global trend to 'pigeonhole'
countries based on a specific wine profile, but limiting a survey
of Australia as to big Shiraz neglects a lot of great
alternatives.
Australia's approach to winemaking has of necessity been a
practical one. The standard process is very much like
California's, except with no ready available source of cheap
labor, mechanization is widely used for everything, from pruning
to harvesting. Australian wineries tend to invest their money into
equipment rather than beautiful buildings and cellars. There is
also a common trend by most winemakers to use more American oak
than French oak in their cellars.
Chardonnay: Australia’s most versatile white wine grape.
This classic grape variety first came to Australia in the late
1920's but it wasn’t until the 1970's that it become the most
widely planted variety in the country - 53,621 acres. The vast
majority of Australian Chardonnay tends to be wooded, however a
few stainless steel versions can also be found in the market. From
warmer inland regions (Murray Darling, Riverland, Riverina) they
will often exhibit tropical fruit flavors. Whilst from the coolest
regions, such as Tasmania, Adelaide Hills and Mornington Peninsula
the characters will be much more subtle with citrus (grapefruit
and lime characters) predominating. The Yarra Valley, Margaret
River and Coonawarra all produce Chardonnay examples that show
fruit richness and complexity.
Sauvignon Blanc: A variety
which is both fast-growing in popularity and increasing plantings.
As elsewhere in the world, it is a variety which shows its best
when grown in cooler wine regions. Australia’s huge diverse
landmass provides the perfect growing conditions for this classic
variety in several of its regions. Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills,
Margaret River, Orange in New South Wales and Tasmania, are all
regions which produce wonderfully expressive Sauvignon Blanc. In
the coolest regions these vines have “grassy”, gooseberry
characters, whereas, in slightly warmer vintages the more
passion-fruit flavor with a zing of acidity, are more typical. In
Margaret River, Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Semillon
which creates a perfect partnership and fuller palate style.
Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris:
Australian Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris is another fairly recent
arrival that is starting to develop a strong following
worldwide. This should be no surprise, as its Alsace cousin,
Riesling, has been an Aussie star for several decades. Victoria’s
Mornington Peninsula and Great Western regions and the State of
Tasmania all produce stunning examples of this now popular
variety.
Riesling: Unlike their European counterparts, Australian
Rieslings are generally made in dry styles. The result is another
international gem, which due to their crisp fruit and acid balance
are a perfect food accompaniment. Riesling also has an ability to
mature with age as well as delight with its youthful
freshness. Look out for examples from the Clare or Eden Valleys of
South Australia which develop this grape’s classic honey and
citrus characters. There are more fine examples of Rieslings from
Western Australia’s Great Southern region (great complexity), from
Tasmania (crisp and perfumed) and the Barossa Valley (more rounded
and full-flavored).
Other white grapes grown in Australia
are Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Gewurztraminer, Marsanne, Muscat,
Semillon, Verdelho and Viognier.
Shiraz: One of the first varieties to arrive, Australia
today has one of the world's largest plantings of Shiraz (the same
grape known as Syrah in France’s Rhône Valley)
with 91,428 acres under vine. No other grape has such a uniquely
Australian character. Try to copy they might but the rest of the
world’s winemakers are unable to capture that mulberry, spicy,
slightly ‘wild’ flavor that can only be Australia’s own. A
versatile grape, its character changes depending on the region in
which it is grown. Every style has emerged from elegant, peppery
cool climate styles (Heathcote in Victoria) to more intensely
flavored spicy styles of Coonawarra and Margaret River to powerful
and minty (Clare Valley), sweet and chocolaty (McLaren Vale),
muscular, and ripe-fruited (Barossa), and leather and rich (Hunter
Valley). Shiraz, which has traditionally been blended in both cool
and warm climates with Cabernet Sauvignon is also blended with
Grenache and Mourvedre in warm climates.
Cabernet Sauvignon: The nearest rival to Shiraz plantings
with 72,896 acres planted under vine. This version is defined as
powerfully flavored, blackcurrant and full-bodied, just as you’d
expect from anywhere, with more minty versions tending to
originate from Coonawarra and Margaret River – the latter region
coming up with very good blends with Merlot. The Yarra Valley in
Victoria is another Cabernet Sauvignon producer, making wines that
are pure-fruited and elegant. McLaren Vale in South Australia and
Mudgee in New South Wales also generate wines with black currant
and berry characters with a hint of chocolate. All of these wines
are rich and well structured to benefit from further age in
bottle, so it’s also well worth cellaring them for a year or two.
Merlot: Far from defined as
yet, Merlot is not a grape variety which you’ll often see on its
own in Australia. When you do, however it will be full of
attractive primary fruit flavors and velvety softness to make you
wonder why. Merlot makes a perfect blending partner for Cabernet
Sauvignon; Merlot adds the suppleness to Cabernet’s stern, serious
structure. Fine examples of Merlot blended wines are available
from the warmer inland regions, such as Riverina, Riverland and
Murray Darling. Unblended Merlot is also being increasingly seen
from these areas, where like the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale
it produces a soft dry red often described as plush plum like. In
cooler climates such as the Yarra Valley or Margaret River,
unblended Merlot tends to take on more savory flavors with firmer
tannins.
Pinot Noir: A rising star that seems to be hogging the
spotlight from Merlot. In a little more than 30 years, Pinot Noir
has gone from zero to 9,884 acres. What’s a delicate, pernickety
grape like this doing in a sun-drenched robust country like
Australia, you might ask. You’d be asking a good question. Pinot
Noir is a challenge to grow in any part of the world. What’s now
emerged is a handful of Pinot Noir styles all proudly Australia’s
own. Being a cool climate variety, growers in the coolest regions
are seeing great success; in regions like the Adelaide Hills,
Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, the Yarra Valley and
Great Southern. In these regions the wines tend to come out
strawberry/raspberry- fruited when young, then get progressively
more savory with age. The best styles of all come from vines with
a little age, which haven’t been harvested too heavily and from
wines given a gentle maturation in oak barrels.
Barbera: Of the Italian
varieties, Sangiovese and Barbera have had the most success in
Australia. Barbera is perhaps the most suited to the country with
its full-on plumy fruitiness and it is evidently at home in
Australia's hot dry climates.
Other red grapes grown in Australia are the Sangiovese, Cabernet
Franc, Grenache, Mourvedre, Tempranillo and Zinfandel.
GEOGRAPHIC INDICATIONS
Introduced in 1994, the Geographic Indications, or GI, system of
labeling Australian wine is based on state and regional
boundaries. Wines carrying GI definitions must comply with the 85%
rule; where at least 85% of the grapes must have come from the
specified region, If a label has a single vintage, region or
variety listed. The GI system is broken down as follows:
South Eastern Australia is the broadest definition and
takes in all the states except Western Australia.
State obviously refers to wines produced within a state.
Zone comprises one or more regions.
Region is an area within a zone that comprises a minimum of
five vineyards of at least 12 acres without common ownership,
producing at least 500 tons of fruit.
Sub region has the same requirements but falls within a
region.
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