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he Australian wine industry
has a major share in the Australian
economy. Australia is the fourth largest
producer of wine in the world with
an international export market of over
400 million liters annually, in addition
to an equivalent domestic market. The
total numbers of wine producers in
Australia have increased from 1625 to
2299 between 2003 and 2011.
The beginnings of the Australian wine
industry go as far back 1788 when
vine cuttings from South Africa were
brought to Australia by Governor
Phillip. A first attempt failed, but with
determination, other settlers managed
to successfully cultivate vines. As a re-
sult, Australian wine was available for
sale domestically
by the 1820s,
and began to
be exported
from 1822. The
production and
quality of Austral-
ian wine was
much improved
by the arrival
of free settlers
from various parts of
Europe, who used their skills
and knowledge to establish some
of Australia’s premier wine regions.
Cleanskin wines were introduced into
Australia during the early 2000s. In-
take of wine in Australia has greatly
increased since the introduction of
cleanskins and many cleanskin
varieties are now sold as
cheaply as beer. In recent
years organic and bio-
dynamic wines have
been increasing in
popularity, follow-
ing a world-
wide trend.
Being
one
of the
top wine
producers in
the world, Aus-
tralia’s wine industry
has become a massive
help to country’s economy.
Because of the trend, Australian
wines are no longer confined to bars
and wineries in the country. These
wines have made its way to the
European market and can even be
found in famous
restaurants across
Europe and other
parts of the world.
With this, the Aus-
tralian wine trend
will surely continue
in years to come.
Wines
1. Penfolds Grange has become Aus-
tralia’s most famous wine .Wine critic
Hugh Johnson has called Grange
the ‘only first growth of the southern
hemisphere’. The influential Robert
M. Parker, Jr., wine critic,
well known for his love
of Bordeaux wines,
has declared
that
Grange
“has
re-
placed
Bordeaux’s
Pétrus as
the world’s
most exotic
and concentrated
wine”. Penfolds have
produced wines of
remarkable quality for over
a century and a half. They
are recognized leaders in the
development of modern Australian
fine wine. Penfolds Grange Hermit-
age in 1951 brought changes in the
scene of Australian fine wine. Since
then, Penfolds have come out with
a series of standout wines; both red
and white. Two versions of Grange
came out in 1953, one 87% Shiraz
and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, the
other 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The
quantity of Penfolds Grange produced
is a carefully guarded secret. The
first vintage of Penfolds Grange was
made by winemaker Max Schubert in
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MAGAZINE - JULY 2012