Introduction: Grape growing and wine production in Australia date back to the arrival of European settlers over 200 years ago.ß However, it is probably true to say that it is only in recent decades that the rest of the world has taken much notice of Australia's wines. The Australian wine industry has undergone a significant expansion in a relatively short period.ßAccording to Ronin Weigand, a decade ago very few restaurants listed Australian wines. That situation has changed dramatically. Australian wines not only have made inroads, but also have become somewhat fashionable. Weigand, writing in Nation's Restaurant News, reminds readers that in 1997 alone, Australian wine imports into the United States increased an amazing 41.6 percent over the 1996 figure, on top of double-digit increases year-to-year for the previous decade. Wine experts seem to agree that Australia is producing some excellent wines, and is offering comparable or superior wines at a significantly lower price than the prices charged for European or California wines (Wiegand 73).
Since 1990, Australian wine production has increased from 383 million liters to 806 million liters. Grape plantings have increased from 60,000 hectares to more than 139,000 hectares, and annual exports have increased from 38 million liters or $121 million, to around 354 million liters or $1.7 billion, a 10-fold increase in volume and 14 fold increase in value. In addition, Australian wine has won international reputation for quality and value. Australian wines have taken key international awards, competing favorably against longer-established national wine industries. Australia produces a wide range of wines from full-bodied reds to whites to sparkling wines, and ooutside of Europe, Australia is now the world's largest exporter of wine. This success needs to be kept in perspective.ßAustralia accounts for only about 3ßto 4 percent of the world's wine trade.ß The giants of the wo...