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The Jacobs Creek Brand of
wines have taken the world by storm. And so they should.
They are excellent Australian wines which are consistently
good. They have clearly won the battle for everyday wines
at their particular price range.
But they are a made from
classical French grape varieties, Chardonnay, Riesling,
Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. As such they represent the
successes of Australian winemaking in the 1980s and 1990s.
What will be the wines of
the new century? As the wine boom of the 1990s in
Australia unfolded, a quiet revolution was taking place.
The area planted to grapes expanded rapidly to underpin
massive increases in production and exports of Australian
wine. But a large number of vignerons and winemakers were
also planting alternative grape varieties.
The profile of the
Australian wine scene has changed as dramatically as the
scale of production. During 2003 a new winery was opened
in Australia every day. About half of these new
enterprises were growing or using varieties other than the
classics mentioned above.
As well as the less common
French varieties, growers and winemakers have been
pioneering with Italian varieties such as Sangiovese,
Barbera, Nebbiolo and Arneis. We have also the Spanish
stalwart Tempranillo being increasingly favoured. Even the
Russian red grape variety Saperavi is being used. There
are probably one hundred wine grape varieties now being
produced for commercial wine production. These new
varieties are being planted in traditional areas as well
as in new wine regions.
Australia, like other new
world wine producers is less inhibited to the strong ties
of tradition that permeate the European wine industry.
Since the start of the 1990s a strong predisposition for
experimentation has permeated the wine industry.
Australian wine consumers are now adopting this ethic.
It is safe to say that
Chardonnay and Shiraz will continue to dominate wine
production in Australia for many years to come. But
consumers will have a much wider choice, and they are
willing to be just a little adventurous. You can follow
the rapidly evolving Australian wine scene at http://www.vinodiversity.com
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