Wines: Australia

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Wines: Australia

As the sixth largest producer and fourth largest exporter Australia is now one of the world's most important wine producing countries. Because vinifera vines are not native to Australia, most of the vines are descendants from cuttings imported by early European immigrants. Wineries started producing on a commercial scale in the first half of the 19th century, and since then the industry has experienced some of the biggest evolutionary developments. Originally focusing on replicating the fortified wines of the Old World including Port and Sherry, winemakers also developed their own idiosyncratic styles such as the fortified Muscats and Tokays of north east Victoria, not to mention the more recent, dry Semillons from the Hunter Valley region. The majority of the countries nearly 2000 wineries are relatively new (since 1970) boutique-sized operations, however about 95% of annual production is controlled by the five large companies including; Casella (Yellow Tail), Pernod Richard (Jacob's Creek), and Foster's (Lindemans and Penfolds).For high quality Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, look no further than the regions of Coonawarra, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, Barossa and Clare Valley. In Western Australia, the Margaret River leads in producing Bordeaux style reds as well as elegant barrel-aged Pinots and Chardonnays.