Australian wine 3959588 226119166 2008-07-16T22:11:50Z Agne27 1279957 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 226118259 by [[Special:Contributions/Jumptstarted|Jumptstarted]] ([[User talk:Jumptstarted|talk]]) remove spam links The '''Australian wine''' industry is the fourth-largest exporter in the world,<ref>{{cite news |publisher=G. Dutruc-Rosset, ''Extract of the Report on World Vitiviniculture'', 24 June, 2002 cited at Australian Wine online |url=http://www.winetitles.com.au/awol/overview/world.asp |title=Australian Wine Industry Overview |accessdate=2006-09-09|}}</ref> exporting over 400 million litres a year to a large international export market that includes "old world" wine-producing countries such as [[France]], [[Italy]] and [[Spain]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.winebiz.com.au/statistics/wineries_numbers.asp |title=Wine industry statistics |publisher=[[Winebiz]] |accessdate=2007-06-13 |year=2006}}</ref> There is also a significant domestic market for Australian wines, with Australians consuming over 400 million litres of wine per year.<ref>{{cite news |Australian Wine online |url=http://www.winetitles.com.au/awol/overview/domestic.asp |title=Australian Wine Industry Overview |accessdate=2006-09-09|}}</ref> The wine industry is a significant contributor to the [[economy of Australia|Australian economy]] through production, employment, export and tourism. [[Image:Hunter panorama-1b-web-l.jpg|500px|thumb|right|A vineyard in the Hunter Valley.]] ==History== Vine cuttings from the [[Cape of Good Hope]] were brought to the [[penal colony]] of [[New South Wales]] by [[Arthur Phillip|Governor Phillip]] on the [[First Fleet]] (1788).<ref name="OZ_AWC" /> An attempt at wine making from these first vines failed, but with perseverance, other settlers managed to successfully cultivate vines for [[winemaking]], and Australian made wine was available for sale domestically by the 1820s.<ref>Hartley, Clive, ''The Australian Wine Guide'', Hospitality Books, NSW 2002</ref> In 1822 [[Gregory Blaxland]] became the first person to export Australian wine, and was the first winemaker to win an overseas award.<ref>{{cite news | publisher=[A.N.U. Canberra] | work=Wine Talk | url=http://coombs.anu.edu.au/SpecialProj/ERIC/wia.html | title=The Wine Industry of Australia 1788 1979 | date=[1979] | accessdate=2006-09-08 | author=Gerald Walsh}}</ref> In 1830 vineyards were established in the Hunter Valley.<ref name="OZ_AWC">{{cite book| last =Clark| first =Oz| title =Australian Wine Companion| year=2004| publisher =Time Warner Book Group UK| pages = pgs.12| id = ISBN 0-316-72874-8 }}</ref> In 1833 [[James Busby]] returned from France and Spain with a serious selection of grape varieties including most classic French grapes and a good selection of grapes for fortified wine production.<ref name="OZ_AWC" /> Wine from the Adelaide Hills was sent to [[Queen Victoria]] in 1844, but there is no evidence that she placed an order as a result. The production and quality of Australian 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. For example, emigrants from [[Prussia]] in the mid 1850s were important in establishing [[South Australia|South Australia's]] Barossa Valley as a winemaking region. Early Australian winemakers faced many difficulties, particularly due to the unfamiliar Australian climate. However they eventually achieved considerable success. "At the 1873 Vienna Exhibition the French judges, tasting blind, praised some wines from Victoria, but withdrew in protest when the [[provenance]] of the wine was revealed, on the grounds that wines of that quality must clearly be French." Australian wines continued to win high honors in French competitions. A Victorian [[Syrah]] (also called [[Shiraz (grape)|Shiraz]]) competing in the 1878 Paris Exhibition was likened to [[Château Margaux]] and "its taste completed its trinity of perfection." One Australian wine won a gold medal "first class" at the 1882 Bordeaux International Exhibition and another won a gold medal "against the world" at the 1889 Paris International Exhibition. That was all before the destructive effects on the industry of the [[phylloxera]] epidemic. In the decades following the devastation caused by phylloxera until the late 1970s, Australian wine production consisted largely, but not exclusively, of [[sweetness of wine|sweet]] and [[fortified]] [[wine]]s. Since then, [[Australia]] has rapidly become a world leader in both the quantity and quality of wines it produces. For example, Australian wine exports to the US rose from 578,000 cases in 1990 to 20,000,000 cases in 2004 and in 2000 it exported more wine than France to the UK for the first time in history. The industry has also suffered hard times in the last 20 years. In the late 1980s, governments sponsored growers to pull out their vines to overcome a glut of winegrapes. Low grape prices in 2005 and 2006 have led to calls for another sponsored vine pull.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |work=PM |url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1655724.htm |title=Grape glut: call for subsidised vine pull |date=[[2006-06-05]] |accessdate=2006-08-27 |author=Nance Haxton}}</ref> [[Cleanskin (wine)|Cleanskin]] wines were introduced into Australia during the early 2000s as a means to combat oversupply and poor sales. Consumption of wine in Australia has greatly increased since the introduction of cleanskins and many cleanskin varieties are now sold as cheaply as many beers. In recent years organic and [[Biodynamic wine|biodynamic]] wines have been increasing in popularity, following a worldwide trend. In 2004 Australia hosted the First International Biodynamic Wine Forum which brought together biodynamic wine producers from around the globe. Despite the overproduction of grapes many organic and biodynamic growers have enjoyed continuing demand thanks to the premium prices winemakers can charge for their organic and biodynamic products, particularly in the European market. ==Grape varieties== {| class="wikitable sortable" align="right" |+ Red grapes planted 06<ref name="JH_WC">{{cite book| last =Halliday| first =James| title =Australian Wine Companion| year=2008| publisher =Hardie Grant Books| pages = pg 45| id = ISBN 978-1-74066-515-5 }}</ref> ! Grape!! Area Ha |- | Shiraz|| 41,115 |- | Cabernet Sauvingnon|| 28,103 |- | Merlot|| 10,593 |- | Pinot Noir|| 4,254 |- | Grenache|| 2,025 |- | Mourvedre|| 875 |- | Other|| 7,002 |} {| class="wikitable sortable" align="right" |+ White grapes planted 06<ref name="JH_WC"/> ! Grape!! Area Ha |- | Chardonnay|| 31,219 |- | Sémillon|| 6,236 |- | Sauvignon Blanc|| 4,661 |- | Riesling|| 4,400 |- | Other|| 17,683 |} Major [[list of grape varieties|grape varieties]] are [[Shiraz grape|Shiraz]], [[Cabernet Sauvignon]],<ref>{{cite book| last =Walton| first =Stuart| title =Cook's Encyclopedia of Wine| year=2005| publisher =Anness Publishing Limited 2002, 2005| pages = pgs.232, 233| id = ISBN 0-7607-4220-0 }}</ref> [[Merlot]], [[Chardonnay]],<ref>{{cite book| last =Walton| first =Stuart| title =Cook's Encyclopedia of Wine| year=2005| publisher =Anness Publishing Limited 2002, 2005| pages = pgs.232, 233| id = ISBN 0-7607-4220-0 }}</ref> [[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 viticulturalists, 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]], [[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{{Fact|date=May 2007}} and Shiraz. Moreover, Australians have innovated in canopy management and other viticultural techniques and in wine-making, 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 [[globalization of wine]] and wine critic Matt Kramer notes that "the most powerful influence in wine today" comes from Australia (Kramer). ==Major labels== [[Image:Vines near Naracoorte3.jpg|thumb|right|Grapevines at Russet Ridge Winery near [[Naracoorte, South Australia|Naracoorte]] in the Wrattonbully region]] 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 M. Parker, Jr.]], who is well known for his love of Bordeaux wines, has written that Grange "has replaced Bordeaux's Pétrus as the worlds most exotic and concentrated wine".<ref>[http://www.economist.com/surveys/displayStory.cfm?story_id=268095 The globe in a glass | Economist.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Other red wines to garner international attention include [[Henschke Wines|Henschke]] Hill of Grace, [[Clarendon Hills (wine)|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. However, 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 [[Foster's Group]] 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 winegrape intake in the years 2001 - 2005.<ref> [http://www.winebiz.com.au/statistics/wineries_largest.asp News & Information for the Australian Wine Industry]</ref> A list of the major wine companies in Australia and their associated wineries can be found below. * [[Foster's Wine Estates]] ** [[Wolf Blass]] ** [[Wynns (wine)|Wynns]] ** [[Penfolds]] ** [[Rosemount (wine)|Rosemount]] ** [[Lindemans (wine)|Lindemans]] * [[Constellation Brands]] ** [[Hardy Wine Company]] ** [[Houghton Winery|Houghton Wine Company]] * [[Pernod Ricard Pacific]] ** [[Orlando Wines]] ** [[Richmond Grove Wines]] ** [[Wyndham Estate]] * [[Casella Wines]] ** [[Yellow Tail (wine)|Yellow Tail]] * [[Taylors Wines (known as "Wakefield Wines" in the US and UK)]] * [[McGuigan Simeon Wines]] * [[De Bortoli Wines]] * [[Yalumba|The Yalumba Wine Company]] * [[Lion Nathan#Wines|Lion Nathan]] ==Major wine regions== [[Image:Australian wine zones2.png|thumb|right|Zones used for labeling the source of Australian wine]] :''For a list of Australia's wine-producing regions, see [[List of wine-producing regions#Australia|here]].'' 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 [[States and territories of Australia|state names]], zones (shown in the map), regions, and subregions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.awbc.com.au/RegisterNames.aspx?p=27&s=1 |title=Register of Protected Names (includes textual descriptions of Australia's GIs) |publisher=[[Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation]] |accessdate=2006-09-05 |year=2003}}</ref> 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. Some well-known regions are listed below: {{-}} {{top4}} [[South Australian wine|South Australia wine regions]] *[[Adelaide Hills]] *[[Barossa Valley]] *[[Clare Valley]] *[[Coonawarra]] *[[Eden Valley]] *[[Langhorne Creek]] *[[McLaren Vale, South Australia|McLaren Vale]] *[[Padthaway, South Australia|Padthaway]] *[[Riverland]] *[[Wrattonbully]] {{mid4}} [[Victorian wine|Victoria wine regions]] *[[Alpine Valleys]] *[[Goulburn Valley]] *[[Grampians wine region|Grampians]] *[[Heathcote wine region]] *[[Henty, Victoria|Henty]] *[[Mornington Peninsula]] *[[Pyrenees (Victoria)|Pyrenees]] *[[Rutherglen, Victoria|Rutherglen]] *[[Yarra Valley]] *[[King Valley]] {{mid4}} [[New South Wales wine|New South Wales wine regions]] *[[Hunter Valley]] *[[Mudgee, New South Wales|Mudgee]] *[[Riverina]] {{mid4}} [[West Australian wine regions|Western Australia wine regions]] *[[Margaret River, Western Australia|Margaret River]] *[[Swan Valley, Western Australia|Swan Valley]] *[[Great Southern region of Western Australia|Great Southern]] {{bottom}} 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, Queensland|Granite Belt]] region in the state's extreme south, production is centered on the towns of [[Stanthorpe, Queensland|Stanthorpe]] and [[Ballandean, Queensland|Ballandean]]. ==Export Markets== The Australian Wine export market was worth 2.8 billion dollars a year in June 2007, and was growing at 9%pa.<ref>[http://www.wineaustralia.com/australia/News/Reports/WineExportApprovalReports/tabid/204/Default.aspx Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Wine Export Reports]</ref> Of this about 2 billion dollars is accounted for by North America and the UK, and in this key latter market, Australia is now the largest supplier of still wines. In the North American market, not only has Australia to compete with the strong domestic, mostly Californian, production, but also with Italy, who are neck and neck with Australia at 200m bottles a year, and France with 97m bottles year.<ref>[http://usasearch.gov/search?affiliate=commerce.gov&v%3Aproject=firstgov&query=wine+imports US Department of Trade Statistics]</ref> New marketing strategies have been developed for the key UK market to encourage customers to trade up to the quality end of the Australian range of brands, while maintaining sales of the lower-margin high-volume brands.<ref>http://www.wfa.org.au/PDF/Directions%20to%202025.pdf Winemakers' Federation of Australia Strategy Document May 2007</ref> Research had revealed that a celebratory dinner was more likely to be accompanied by an inferior French wine than a premium Australian wine, and the new strategy is aiming to change that. ==See also== *[[National Wine Centre of Australia]] *[[Australian Wine Research Institute]] *[[Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology]] *[[Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Journal]] *[[Globalization of wine]] ==References== ===Notes=== {{reflist}} ===Other sources=== *The globe in a glass. ''The Economist'' (London), December 16, 1999 [http://www.economist.com/surveys/displayStory.cfm?story_id=268095]. *Halliday, James ''A history of the Australian wine industry 1949-1994'' Adelaide : Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation in association with Winetitles, 1994.ISBN 1875130160 *Kramer, Matt. ''Making Sense of Wine''. Philadelphia: Running Pres, 2003. *McCarthy, Ed, and Ewing-Mulligan, Mary. ''Wine for Dummies: A Reference for the Rest of Us''. Foster City, CA: IDG Books, 1995. *Palmer, Margot. Australian Wine. An Export Success Story [http://www.oneworldpublications.com/aussiewineexports.html] (Sydney), December 2007. *Phillips, Rod. ''A Short History of Wine''. NY: HarperCollins, 2000. *Zraly, Kevin. ''Windows of the World Complete Wine Course''. NY: Sterling, 2005. ==External links== * [http://www.wineaustralia.com Wine Australia] * [http://www.australianwinespot.com/ Australian Wine Spot] {{Wines}} {{Wine by country}} [[Category:Australian wines| ]] [[de:Weinbau in Australien]] [[fr:Viticulture en Australie]] [[it:Viticoltura in Australia]] [[no:Australsk vin]] [[sv:Australiska viner]]