The first vines arrived in Australia in 1788, grubbed up from vineyards in Rio de Janeiro of all places, and replanted at what is the site of the present-day Sydney Botanical Gardens. Australian winegrowing developed in fits and starts throughout the 1800s, but by the turn of the century, it had become a healthy industry, eventually transforming itself into the behemoth that it is today.

Originally the greatest concentration of wineries was found in South   More

The first vines arrived in Australia in 1788, grubbed up from vineyards in Rio de Janeiro of all places, and replanted at what is the site of the present-day Sydney Botanical Gardens. Australian winegrowing developed in fits and starts throughout the 1800s, but by the turn of the century, it had become a healthy industry, eventually transforming itself into the behemoth that it is today.

Originally the greatest concentration of wineries was found in South Australia's Barossa Valley, in the Hunter River region north of Sydney in New South Wales, and in Victoria. These areas still play a major role in Aussie viticulture and continue to be important sources of fine wines. However, wine is now produced in over 60 regions, reflecting the wide range of climates and soil types available on the continent.

The Australian wine industry has pushed successfully to become one of the world's great sources of mass-produced, popularly priced wines. The downside of this phenomenon is that much of this stuff—typically with a cute animal name (marketed primarily through supermarkets, and not promoted by us)—tastes exactly like what it is: manufactured wine-like product. Mega-volume supermarket labels aside, Aussie wines tend to be rather like the Aussies themselves: friendly, extroverted, and tons of fun.   Less