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Australia The first Australian vineyard was planted at Farm Cove in New South Wales in 1788, with vines originating not from France, but from Rio de Janeiro and the Cape of Good Hope. Early on the wine industry was controlled by the British and consisted of mostly cheap, fortified wines. Now Australia makes some of the greatest, most exciting and greatest-value wines in the world. The wine industry really started its renaissance in 1960, with a change to controlled fermentation. Since then, consumption per capita has grown to three times that of the United States. Nearly 70% of this is ‘cask’ wine, which is everyday quality wines in a box, something U.S. drinkers usually equate with something of lesser quality.
| Primary Grapes: |
Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot |
| Secondary Grapes: |
Riesling, Semillon, Marsanne, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Verdelho, and Pinot Noir |
| Production: |
220 million gallons |
Primary Wine
Region(s): |
Clare, Barossa Valley, Padthaway, Coonawara, Goulburn Valley, Yarra Valley, Hunter Valley, Margaret Valley |
| Premium Labels: |
Deakin, Grosset, Stonehaven, Clarendon Hills, Barossa Estate, Hardy’s, Leasingham, Tyrrell’s and Parker. |
| Value Labels: |
Rosemount, McLaren Vale, Jacob’s Creek, Penfolds, Koonunga Hills, Yalumba, and Lindemans, and Hardys |
Link to Official Site for the Australian Wine Industry |
