Wine is arguably the most popular beverage in the world. First documented around 6000BC people have been drinking wine ever since. While European countries, such as Italy and France are best known for making wine, there are some other countries that make exceptionally good wine as well that are becoming increasingly popular across the globe. In particularly high demand and with quickly growing popularity, Australian wines are among them. Of all of the countries exporting wine, Australia is number four in the world. Wines from Australia are quickly becoming a staple on tables around the world.
It is believed that the first attempts to produce wines from Australia were in the later part of the 1780’s and the early part of the 1790’s. Vine clippings from the Cape of Good Hope were brought to Australia, and several attempts at making wine from them followed. Initially, these attempts were met with failure, as the unfamiliar climate of Australia proved to be a challenge. The first successful batches of wine were made and sold in the 1820’s. In 1822, the first Australian wine was exported and the winemaker actually won an award for his wine.
Today, there are vineyards all across Australia, with some of the world’s most sought after wines coming from the one time penal state. Of all of the wines from Australia, perhaps the most well known and highly coveted is Penfolds Grange. Made from a mixture of Shiraz and cabernet sauvignon grapes, this wine has collected more than 50 awards since its introduction in the 1950’s. Considered a highly collectible wine, bottles of the original vintage have sold from well over $50,000. Unlike many European wines, which typically use grapes from only one vineyard, Penfolds Grange is made from grapes that are collected from a whole region. This adds to its unique blend of flavors.
The wine industry has become a major source of income for Australia, with both consumption of the product and tourism to the area vineyards contributing to the economy. There are over 2000 wine producers in Australia, though most are very small, local operations that only are sold in regionally. There are a few major wine producers in Australia, and these are the labels that are most often exported. Wines from Australia are now considered to be some of the finest in the world, and have found their rightful place in the wine Olympics, year after year.
