Some regions of the world have been producing wine for thousands of years, but Australia isn’t one of these. That doesn’t mean it’s not into wine, however – production started within fifty years of European contact with this continent. Before long, the country was full of vineyards, mostly concentrated in the south.
Over the past century, the expansion of the wine industry in Australia has been a dramatic one. As of the mid 1910s, Australia was producing about four and a half million gallons, or seventeen million liters of wine every year. Sixty years later, that figure rose to closer to ninety-five million gallons, or three hundred and sixty million liters – an impressive increase fueled by more worldwide demand for Australian 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.
Australian wine was unknown to most of the world for the majority of its existence – in the late 19th century, some judges insisted that the Victoria wines they had just rated so well couldn’t possibly be Australian! However, by the fourth quarter of the twentieth century, the wine world had taken notice, and the first big boom occurred. The highest quality Australian wines got noticed, and production skyrocketed.
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.
After all, as the fourth largest wine exporter in the world, Australia has a lot to offer. Even major wine producers, like Spain, France and Italy, buy wines from this country’s producers. Known for its characteristics “GSM blends” – wines made from a blend of Mourvedre, Shiraz and Grenache, as well as many other types, Australia has been called the most powerful influence in wine today.
If you’ll be visiting Australia on your next holiday, don’t forget to have a look at some of the country’s excellent wine regions, and try a few wines. If you can’t make it to Australia, be sure to look at the options the next time you buy wine for your table. There are some really great wines waiting for you to find them.
