WINES OF AUSTRALIA
The Australian wine industry is the world's fourth largest exporter of wine with approximately
750 million litres a year to the international export market with only about 40% of production
consumed domestically. The wine industry is a significant contributor to the Australian
economy through production, employment, export and tourism.
Wine is produced in every state, with more than 60 designated wine regions totaling
approximately 160,000 hectares; however Australia’s wine regions are mainly in the southern,
cooler parts of the country, with vineyards located in South Australia, New South Wales,
Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland. The wine regions in each of these
states produce different wine varieties and styles that take advantage of the particular Terroir
such as: climatic differences, topography and soil types. With the major varieties being
predominantly Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Semillon, Pinot Noir,
Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Wines are often labeled with the name of their grape variety, which must constitute at least
85 percent of the wine.
Grape varieties:
Major grape varieties are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon,[ Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc,
Sémillon, and Riesling. The country has no native grapes, and Vitis vinifera varieties were
introduced from Europe and South Africa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Some
varieties have been bred by Australian viticulturists, for example Cienna and Tarrango.
Although Syrah was originally called Shiraz in Australia and Syrah elsewhere, its dramatic
commercial success has led many Syrah producers around the world to label their wine
"Shiraz".
About 130 different grape varieties are used by commercial winemakers in Australia. Over
recent years many winemakers have begun exploring so called "alternative varieties" other
than those listed above. Many varieties from France, Italy and Spain for example Petit Verdot,
Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Viognier are becoming more common.
Wines from many other varieties are being produced.
Australian winemaking results have been impressive and it has established benchmarks for a
number of varietals, such as Chardonnay and Shiraz. Moreover, Australians have innovated in
canopy management and other viticultural and in wine-making techniques, and they have a
general attitude toward their work that sets them apart from producers in Europe. Australian
wine-makers travel the wine world as highly skilled seasonal workers, relocating to the
northern hemisphere during the off-season at home. They are an important resource in the
globalisation of wine and wine critic Matt Kramer notes that "the most powerful influence in
wine today" comes from Australia (Kramer).
GSM blends:
GSM is a name commonly used in Australia for a red wine consisting of a blend of Grenache,
Shiraz (a.k.a. Syrah), and Mourvèdre. This blend originated from those used in some Southern
Rhône wines, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Grenache is the lightest of the three grapes,
producing a pale red juice with soft berry scents and a bit of spiciness. As a blending
component, it contributes alcohol, warmth and fruitiness without added tannins. Shiraz can
contribute full-bodied, fleshy flavors of black fruits and pepper. It adds color, backbone and
tannins and provides the sense of balance such blends require. Mourvèdre contributes
elegance, structure and acidity to the blend, producing flavors of sweet plums, roasted game
and hints of tobacco.
Production:
Australia's most famous wine is Penfolds Grange. The great 1955 vintage was submitted to
competitions beginning in 1962 and over the years has won more than 50 gold medals. The
vintage of 1971 won first prize in Syrah/Shiraz at the Wine Olympics in Paris. The 1990 vintage
was named 'Red Wine of the Year' by the Wine Spectator magazine in 1995, which later rated
the 1998 vintage 99 points out of a possible 100. Wine critic Hugh Johnson has called Grange
the only First Growth of the Southern Hemisphere. The influential wine critic Robert Parker,
who is well known for his love of Bordeaux wines, has written that Grange "has replaced
Bordeaux's Pétrus as the world's most exotic and concentrated wine" Other red wines to garner
international attention include Henschke Hill of Grace, Clarendon Hills Astralis, D'Arenberg
Dead Arm, Torbreck Run Rig and other high-end Penfolds wines such as St Henri shiraz.
Australia has almost 2000 wine producers, most of whom are small winery operations. The
market is dominated by a small number of major wine companies. After several phases of
consolidation, the largest Australian wine company by sales of branded wine was Treasury
Wine Estates in 2001-2003 and then in 2004 and 2005, Hardy Wine Company. Hardys, part of
the world's biggest wine company Constellation Brands, had the largest vineyard area and the
largest wine grape intake in the years 2001 - 2005.
Major wine regions:
The information included on wine labels is strictly regulated. One aspect of this is that the label
must not make any false or misleading statements about the source of the grapes. Many names
(called geographic indications) are protected. These are divided into "South Eastern Australia",
the state names, zones (shown in the map), regions, and sub regions The largest volume of
wine is produced from grapes grown in the warm climate Murray-Darling Basin zones of Lower
Murray, North Western Victoria and Big Rivers. In general, the higher-value premium wines
are made from smaller and cooler-climate regions.
The South Australian wine industry is responsible for most of the production of wine in
Australia. In recent years, the Tasmanian wine industry has emerged as a producer of high
quality wines. In particular, the Tamar Valley has developed a reputation for its Chardonnay
and Pinot Noir, which are well suited to the cooler Tasmanian climate. Queensland is also
developing a wine industry with over 100 vineyards registered in the state. Some notable wines
are produced in the high-altitude Granite Belt region in the state's extreme south, production is
centred on the towns of Stanthorpe and Ballandean.
Some well-known wine-producing regions include:
South Australia wine regions
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Southern Fleurieu
Adelaide Hills
Barossa Valley
Clare Valley
Coonawarra
Eden Valley
Langhorne Creek
McLaren Vale
Padthaway
Riverland
Wrattonbully
Victoria wine regions
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Alpine Valleys
Beechworth
Goulburn Valley
Grampians
Heathcote wine region
Henty
Mornington Peninsula
Pyrenees
Rutherglen
Strathbogie Wine Region
Yarra Valley
King Valley
New South Wales wine regions
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Hunter Valley
Mudgee
Orange
Riverina
New England
Southern Highlands
Shoalhaven Coast
Western Australia wine regions
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Greater Perth
o Perth Hills
o Peel
o Swan Valley
South Western Australia
o Blackwood Valley
o Geographe
o Great Southern
 Albany
 Denmark
 Frankland River
 Mount Barker
 Porongurup
o Manjimup
o Margaret River
o Pemberton