Australia leads the New Worlds challenge by delivering superb quality and an extensive offering. Branded wines have captured the imagination of a new generation of wine drinkers with their promise of consistent quality and lifestyle imagery.
Australia offers wines which are bursting with ripe fruity flavours and easy to drink.
Australia's vineyards are in the southern parts of the continent. The finest vineyards all rely on cooling sea breezes or height to reduce temperature. This is particularly true of vineyards of Margaret River and Mount Barker in Western Australia and the well ? established areas of South Australia and Victoria, such as Coonawarra, Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare and The Hunter Valley near Sydney.
VINTAGE REPORT
2004 A big harvest followed another hot summer, with healthy production in most regions in both premium and irrigated areas. Huge volumes of good-quality wines are now coming in stream. It is buyers? market with the whites coming back into balance.
2003 A low volume vintage, with a dry, hot summer contributing to low yields in most areas. Overall, the dry season conditions have resulted in very sound, disease free grapes, with lower yields resulting in above average to excellent wine quality.
2002 South Australia had its coldest summer for more than 100 years. Low rainfall, cool summer and mild Autumn delivered excellent quality grapes in areas where the fruit ripened. Difficult weather conditions actually reduced yields in some areas.
BURSTING WITH RIPE FRUITY FLAVOURS AND EASY TO DRINK
