Wine has been around for a long time, and some areas of the world have been producing for thousands of years. Australia's not one of them - it's been making wine only since Europeans came to this continent. However, within fifty years of European arrival, vineyards were appearing just about everywhere, and flourishing.
Over the course of the past hundred years, the Australian wine industry has gone through some dramatic expansion. During the 1910s, this country produced only about four and a half million gallons of wine, or about seventeen million liters, annually. By the mid 1970s, that figure had gone up to almost a hundred million gallons, or more than three hundred sixty million liters, as the world became more aware of Australia's vineyards and wine.
Australia's large variety of climate types and soil conditions leads it to be favorable to cultivation of many different grape varieties and many types of wine. These climates run the range from cool and damp to very hot and arid, with some conditions coming very close to the climates in the best European wine regions. Some regions are irrigated to help them produce 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.
For a long time, Australian wine was relatively unknown to the rest of the world, with nineteenth century judges insisting that fine Victoria wines must actually be French, since Australia couldn't possibly produce that kind of quality. However, in the late twentieth century, the first Australian boom occurred. High quality Australian wines first came to the attention of wine lovers around the world, and production soared.
More recently, a boom in the less expensive varieties from Australia also occurred, with customers taking a look at very inexpensive Australian wines. Some feel that this has backfired, and over-saturation of the market has caused wine lovers to be bored with Australian varieties. That doesn't mean you shouldn't take the time to check out some of the higher quality varieties, however - they're just as good as ever.
As the fourth biggest exporter of wine in the world, Australia can offer a lot, and it sells to some of the world's biggest wine producing countries. In fact, this country has been called the most powerful influence in wine, and is well known for GSM blends made from Mourvedre, Shiraz and Grenache, well balanced wines that stand up well against the competition. Australian wine shouldn't be overlooked.
If you'll be taking a holiday to Australia, you shouldn't forget to look at some of its great wine regions, or just try some local vintages. Even if you can't make it to this country, try an Australian wine next time you buy for your table. Some of the options out there are really incredible - all you have to do is find them. - 30241
Over the course of the past hundred years, the Australian wine industry has gone through some dramatic expansion. During the 1910s, this country produced only about four and a half million gallons of wine, or about seventeen million liters, annually. By the mid 1970s, that figure had gone up to almost a hundred million gallons, or more than three hundred sixty million liters, as the world became more aware of Australia's vineyards and wine.
Australia's large variety of climate types and soil conditions leads it to be favorable to cultivation of many different grape varieties and many types of wine. These climates run the range from cool and damp to very hot and arid, with some conditions coming very close to the climates in the best European wine regions. Some regions are irrigated to help them produce 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.
For a long time, Australian wine was relatively unknown to the rest of the world, with nineteenth century judges insisting that fine Victoria wines must actually be French, since Australia couldn't possibly produce that kind of quality. However, in the late twentieth century, the first Australian boom occurred. High quality Australian wines first came to the attention of wine lovers around the world, and production soared.
More recently, a boom in the less expensive varieties from Australia also occurred, with customers taking a look at very inexpensive Australian wines. Some feel that this has backfired, and over-saturation of the market has caused wine lovers to be bored with Australian varieties. That doesn't mean you shouldn't take the time to check out some of the higher quality varieties, however - they're just as good as ever.
As the fourth biggest exporter of wine in the world, Australia can offer a lot, and it sells to some of the world's biggest wine producing countries. In fact, this country has been called the most powerful influence in wine, and is well known for GSM blends made from Mourvedre, Shiraz and Grenache, well balanced wines that stand up well against the competition. Australian wine shouldn't be overlooked.
If you'll be taking a holiday to Australia, you shouldn't forget to look at some of its great wine regions, or just try some local vintages. Even if you can't make it to this country, try an Australian wine next time you buy for your table. Some of the options out there are really incredible - all you have to do is find them. - 30241
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