There is more to Australia than the Great Barrier Reef,
Tennis and The Olympics

Globalization of the world economies impacts the wine market as much as it has affected the automobile industry. But surprisingly it was that way many millenniums before the first gas driven vehicle. Wine existed before 3000 BC. Supposedly Noah had jugs of wine on The Ark.  The Greeks produced and traded wine to Egypt for corn in 500 BC. Thomas Jefferson brought French wine to the United States over 200 years ago. In fact until 1965 most of the wine drunk in this country came from France along with a smattering of straw Chianti bottles from Italy. The wine industry in the United States did not come of age until well after the end of WWII.    

The advent of Mondavi and Gallo changed the equation. Napa and its offshoots have now dominated the American market for about three decades. However the purchasing power of the American dollar against most countries and especially Australia is changing that again. In spite of the fact that Italy produces more wine than any one in the world and France has a worldwide reputation you now see more Australian wines on the shelf in the stores of America than either of those two giants.    

And for the good reasons of both quality and value. Australia has a wine history that traces back 200 years. In spite of vast areas of uninhabitable land, and a population that is less than ½ that of California, it has more than 200 wineries. Thus today it produces excellent wines in a wide range of style and price from Penfolds South Australia Grange Syrah 1995 ($185) to Wyndham Estate Chardonnay South Eastern Australia bin 222 1999 ($9). 

In fact, Australia offers great value across the board in Shiraz, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and the long neglected but now deservedly resurgent Pinot Noir. Most of the wines imported to the United States retail for $25 or less. Rosemount 1997 Grenache Syrah ($22) and Cabernet ($20), Taltarni 1998 Syrah ($16) and Lindeman Pathaway Chardonnay ($12) are rated “Best Buys” in leading wine periodicals.                                                                                                    
 
Shiraz is the strong suit. However, there is such a wide choice that it is hard to make more specific picks. Look for all the above names plus Wolf Blass, Brown Bros. Chateau Tahbilk and Thomas Hardy in all the above categories. Many are priced below $10 and are promoted heavily.  Look for wines from the Barossa Valley, Coonawara and Swan Valley. You will now have to do a little exploring on your own to find a wine at the quality and price that meet your standards. Have some fun and find some astounding values.