Australia
The resounding success of the Australian wine industry is attributed primarily to its simple and direct approach – affordable, gluggable wine, varietally labelled, with a clear message to the consumer. Quality house wine, however, is only half the story. On the other side of the coin are winemakers in Australia producing some of the highest quality, most interesting and sublime wines in the world today. Until fairly recently not much of this wine was finding its way to the UK but with Aussie boutique wines finally starting to get the recognition they deserve, the £10-£15 bracket now includes some absolute stunners.
Another reason for Australia 's success is its wide range of terrior and the wide variety of grapes and styles at the disposal of the winemaker. Australia is also home to some of the oldest vineyards in the world, including Shiraz and Grenache vines that are more than 140 years old. Not all the wines coming out of Australia are thick, luscious reds or rich, creamy Chardonnays but everything from cool climate style Riesling and Pinot Noir, to world class Semillon and Shiraz. So, if the well known supermarket Aussies are all you ever drink, you're missing the boat.
Key grape varieties:
R Shiraz , Cabernet, Merlot, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Mataro, Bonarda
W Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Gewurtztraminer
Click on a region (above) to discover their wines
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