All About Wine

In the late 60s, innovative Winemakers, including John Vickery, Karl Stockhausen and Jim Barry, produced delightful Aromatic White Wines that Australians embraced. They were particularly liked by women. The seventies and eighties saw a steady growth in wine consumption from 8.9 litres per person annually in 1970 to 22 litres in 1988. Much of this increase was in White Wine. In fact, for every bottle of Red Wine, Australians drunk eleven bottles of White. We obviously had a lot to celebrate because a large percentage of this White Wine was Sparkling. A steep increase in tax on wine coupled with
random breath testing and higher costs changed the scene. By 1994 our consumption sunk to 18.9 litres per person before it began to climb again with new wine consumers. In 2000 the King of Thailand declared that Red Wine was good for your health even though Dr Philip Norrie had published his research on Red Wine and Cholesterol 15 years earlier, the world now listened. Today in Australia, we consume four bottles of White to three and a half bottles of Red. The 2010 Vintage Report confirms that the production of Wine in 2010 is almost 54% Red and 47% White and there is now 20% more Shiraz produced than Chardonnay. From 1990 to 2008 Chardonnay led the production figures. Since then Winemakers have been grafting to Red varieties and reducing their yields. At a time when Wine prices in real terms are at their lowest price, the quality is at its highest. The shift to Red wine is a world wine phenomenon.

The Asian and European markets import more Red, and generation X and Y are increasingly becoming Red Wine drinkers. Our largest production Red Varietal is Shiraz, and Australia has developed a reputation that is envied all over the World. It's hard to find a bad Shiraz. We see great Shiraz, interesting Shiraz, fruity Shiraz, savoury Shiraz, and peppery or spicy Shiraz but never bad. It?s the iconic 'Sunshine in a bottle' or as Peter Lehmann puts it, 'When God invented Shiraz he did so with Australia in mind'. McLarenVale and Barossa are our most reliable and well known Shiraz regions, but today, trophy and medal winning Shiraz is coming from most wine growing regions all over mainland Australia.

Shiraz is not a good food wine but it is the wine Australians like to drink with food, particularly at a barbeque or with a steak. It's here to stay and probably better known internationally than the wine at the home of Shiraz 'Syrah' grown in 'Hermitage' in the Rhone Valley in France. Shiraz is planted in three quarters of Australia's wine regions and accounts for 28% of the country's total grape productions.

After Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are still popular but are losing ground to the alternate grape varieties that are increasing their production and dominance in the market place. The Spanish variety Tempranillo increased by 39% in the 2010 Vintage, proving that winemakers are looking beyond the classic varietals toward the varietals grown in the warmer European climates of Spain, Portugal and Italy. The exception is Pinot Noir, the Holy Grail of winemaking challenges, which has increased in production to cater for a unprecidented in interest by consumers.

The interest in Red varieties can be put down to internet information exchange, health education, wine education and marketing. The Italian Red Varieties of Barbera, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Legrein, Corvina and Rondinella are increasingly being featured with Italian Cuisine. In many cases they are Italian varietal wines grown by Australian Italians in Australian Vineyards. The French Varieties of Durif, Malbec and Petit Verdot have also taken on a higher profile. These alternate wine styles all have their own unique character as well as being more savoury and a touch lighter in body, making them more food friendly.

Wine production is changing to cater for the 2010 consumer, and to endeavour to match production with demand. We have never been so fortunate. The Australian Wine Industry has made an enormous contribution to the Australian Economy reaching three billion dollars in exports in 2007, despite Governments taxation, drought, bushfires, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and European Imports. When the humble wine cask hit the market in the early 70s with minimum tax and duties, it sold for around $4.99. The quality was okay but the quality of the $5 cleanskin Barossa Shiraz of 2010, which includes a whopping 41% tax is a far superior wine, with a fraction of the return to the Wine producer.

The Australian wine industry at the grass roots level is a primary industry full of hard working, passionate people who strive to achieve excellence in all they produce. Winemakers & Vignerons have over delivered in the past 40 years and it would be great to see Governments and consumers recognise the contribution by supporting Australian Wine.