Winemaking in Australia
Welcome to this simple, no-nonsense guide to enjoying Australian wine.
There's no need for mystique or snobbery as wine is a gift from nature & gifted winemakers and growers for all of us to enjoy.
It is about fun and friendship, relaxation, celebration and the quality of life - your life.
Come on in, look around, put your feet up, grab a glass & let me take you on a tour of Australian Wine Country.
The History of Australian Wine
Wine grape growing began soon after the arrival of European settlers in Australia with grapevines among the cargo of the First Fleet of 1788.By 1803 these early settlers were reading an article in the Sydney Gazette newspaper on a "Method of preparing apiece of Land for the purpose of forming a vineyard".
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 recognised by the world's wine drinkers - from Shiraz and Cabernet to Riesling and Muscat - was launched from these blocks. By the 1850s, large areas of vineyard were developed in Victoria, NSW and South Australia.
Australia has been making and exporting wine in a serious way since the 1850s when a gold rush in the State of Victoria trebled the young nation's population, creating a cashed-up middle class keen to enjoy a glass of wine with meals.
In fact, some of the oldest vines in the world are in Australia, because most of the nation's wine regions escaped the plague of phylloxera which wiped out many ancient plantings in Europe during the 1800s.
Source
Australian Wine information at Amazon
James Halliday's Wine Companion 2006 (James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/26/2009) 
Jeremy Oliver's Australian Wine Annual, 2006
Amazon Price: (as of 12/26/2009)
Red Wines
Australia's red grapes are amongst its greatest assets: after all, who could imagine a world without classic Australian Shiraz?Australia is blessed with abundant sunshine which enables our grapes to ripen to perfection. Whatever the vagaries of a particular red grape variety, there will be a part of Australia that can give it everything it needs.
Even toughies like rustic Malbec or black-as-pitch Petit Verdot turn out a treat.
In general, the warmer the wine region, the more likely it will produce rich, full flavoured styles which many people come to associate with Australian red wine.
However, Australia also has cool climatic conditions well suited to red varieties which produce lighter and more delicate red wine styles.
The world's classic premium red grape varieties are all found in abundance in Australia.
Cabernet Sauvignon has several natural "homes" amongst Australia's wine regions.
The famous Coonawarra terra rossa soils have produced excellent Cabernet Sauvignon for over a century, while few regions can match Western Australia's Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon for sheer stylishness.
In cooler regionsm the tricky grape Pinot Noir fits in nicely, while the versatile Shiraz, expresses itself wonderfully well in virtually all but the coolest regions.
Several of the milder climate regions are also home to that eccentric and wonderful Australian speciality wine, sparkling red Shiraz.
Source
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A Choice Selection of Australian Vineyards
by ExpandYourMind
After travelling the world and living abroad for several years, I came home to Australia and resumed life in my old town, before moving to the country...
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