BACKGROUND

Viticulture in Australia dates back to (at least) 1791 when grapes were harvested from cuttings taken from the Cape of Good Hope. All the grape varieties used in Australia have been brought to the country from other areas, as there are no indigenous grape varieties. Just as in much of the rest of the world, some regions of Australia suffered from an epidemic of phylloxera, around 1877. Simultaneously, the fashion shifted to sweeter wines which were heavily planted in the Victoria area. While no longer the focus, this tradition of sweet wines remains a part of the industry with the so-called "stickies" from down under. The foundation for the modern industry is rooted in the 1950’s when: cold-fermentation found its way here; fashion shifted back to drier wines; and some of the larger companies were formed. Exports picked up in the 1980’s, and now the country is firmly ensconced as the sixth largest producer of wine in the world.

CLIMATE

An area the size of the USA, but with winter snowfall greater than that of Switzerland: yes, this describes Australia, perhaps that’s shocking, but it simply illustrates that the country is far more complicated than simply year-round warm weather. While production occurs in all the states, the southern regions of Australia are what interest wine lovers here the most. In these areas, average temperatures during the growing season range from 77° to 95°F.

GEOGRAPHY

The southeastern corner of Australia is where much of the wine growing is focused. While it is generally warm in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, there are nuances within each of these areas. For instance, the monthly average temperature in Healesville, a town on the eastern side of the Yarra Valley growing area, is 26.4°C or roughly 79-80°F (according to the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology) compared with an average temperature here in Beacon of 85°F. (Yeah, we know, it feels a lot warmer.) Without getting into too many specifics, the point is this is a relatively cool area in a region known for heat. The other states – Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, & Northern Territory – do also grow grapes, but not to the extent of the previous three states.

A FEW REGION NAMES TO KNOW

South Australia
The most important area, with sub-regions: Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley, Adelaide Hills, Padthaway, Coonawarra, and Clare Valley.
Victoria
Sub-regions include: Yarra Valley, Heathcote, Bendigo, and Goulburn Valley.
New South Wales
Sub-regions to know: Hunter Valley, Mudgee, Orange, Canberra District, and Riverina.
Western Australia
Get to know Margaret River, Mount Barker, Frankland River, and the Swan District.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

While almost any grape you can think of is grown here, the grape to know is Shiraz , the same grape called Syrah in other parts of the world, especially the Rhône Valley of France. Additionally, the wines of Australia are labeled varietally rather than by region. What’s more, Australian winemakers must label the grapes in descending order, thus a Grenache/Shiraz blend must have more Grenache than Shiraz. Also, regional and appellation names are used, such as Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale. One appellation that is used frequently is South Eastern Australia, which is essentially an area encompassing the three major regions of New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria. This designation was specifically created to handle the trucking of fruit over these territorial boundaries. Winemaking here leans heavily on technology. Irrigation is perhaps the most important factor and is really a given rather than an occasional occurrence. Other parts of the world use irrigation as a method of boosting quantity, bloating grapes with excess water. Here it is used to enhance quality rather than quantity.