| Australia is a beautiful country, from the feisty | | | | section of society has faithful supporters in |
| city of Melbourne to the coastal regions of Perth. | | | | spreading the message. |
| It has an awesome landscape, and is not only | | | | Australia is known to have the oldest vines, |
| famous for its kangaroos and cricket, but | | | | compared to other countries. In the 1800s, a |
| something more tasteful - wine. Their lifestyle | | | | disease called 'phylloxera' struck Europe which |
| contains a lot of drinking of wine, be it at a | | | | destroyed most of the vineyards. It was only the |
| business meeting or just for pleasure. It is | | | | ones that were transported to Australia that |
| country that thrives on the pulse of the outdoors. | | | | actually survived. Mostly grapes are grown and |
| Most Australians are into frequent camping and | | | | wine is produced in the South East part of the |
| other activities. And wine is associated with this | | | | continent, in South Australia, New South Wales |
| lifestyle of theirs. They have a lot of wine | | | | and Victoria. Wine is made in over 60 different |
| festivals which are a big hit with tourists and | | | | regions, according to the climate and soil type in |
| visitors. Another feather in their hat is they have | | | | the particular place. They produce wines that |
| been known to be the first ones to invent the | | | | range from full-bodied reds, to fruity whites, to |
| wine cask. | | | | sparkling and dessert styles and because of this a |
| The first vine was brought by European settlers | | | | lot of tourists are lured. |
| in 1788 and was produced in and around Sydney. | | | | Technologically, Australia is one of the most |
| The boom happened between 1996 and 2004, | | | | advanced countries in the production of good |
| and many global major wine producers started to | | | | quality wine. And this is credited to a country that |
| invest in wineries in Australia. They are known to | | | | pays a lot of attention to the R&D part of it. |
| be the 7th largest wine producers in the world, | | | | They have invested a lot of effort and dollars in |
| and really do stand out at wine shows held on an | | | | research and improving quality. There are many |
| international platform. They are continually winning | | | | universities and departments of agriculture that |
| a lot of accolades for the quality of their wine. It | | | | offer courses in Viticulture (wine making) and |
| is currently the 4th country to export wine and | | | | Oenology. They have a very efficient body called |
| the 16th in wine consumption. Australian wine is | | | | the 'Winemakers Federation of Australia'. These |
| sold in more than a hundred countries all over the | | | | people develop programs and initiate policies that |
| world. The UK has been known to export more | | | | are beneficial to wine makers and in fact increase |
| of that wine from here than from France. | | | | their net returns. |
| Wherever you go in Australia, you will find all the | | | | Around the globe, they hold their own wine |
| wineries with attached restaurants or | | | | competitions and have their own wine critics. |
| accommodation or opera, to encourage people to | | | | They have come a long way, from growing |
| spend more time drinking their wine. And its upper | | | | grapes to the land of wine connoisseurs. |