Established since the eighteenth century, the vine has flourished in the southern states of this continent country marked by a particularly hot and dry climate. Four states produce almost all Australian wines: South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. For many, Australian viticulture boils down to a few globally distributed brands produced by a few giants in an industrial style, but Australia has another face embodied by a growing generation of independent producers who strive to produce strong wines. personality by exploiting the potential of cooler vineyards, at altitude or near the coasts. Clearly the majority, Australian red wines seduce by their roundness and the maturity of their fruit. Syrah excels, in an opulent and fleshy (Barossa) or more vigorous (Victoria) style, as is Cabernet Sauvignon, which produces wines of great elegance in Coonawarra or Margaret River. In white, Chardonnay dominates very largely, with Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Riesling, the latter able to excel in appropriate sites.
