What makes Australian wines unique?
There is nothing in the world like Australian wine because there is nothing like Australia's climate, soils and regions. We have some of the oldest geologies and most complex soils in the world.Andreas Clark - CEO Wine Australia
Australia is one of the world's wine powers. The wine industry has been investing in advanced winemaking techniques, more efficient methods of maintaining vineyards, and frequent research, carried out by The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI), to produce high quality wines.
The Australian terroir has gained international recognition for producing spectacular wines from old vineyards, with some over 150 years old. The oldest vines in the world of the Shiraz and Grenache varieties are in Barossa Valley, South Australia.
Australia exports approximately 60% of its total production to 119 destinations; the top five export markets are: China (40% of the total value of exports), the United States of America (14%), the United Kingdom (12%), Canada (6%), and Hong Kong (4%).
It is estimated that there are approximately 2468 wineries and 6251 winegrowers, employing around 163,790 employees in 65 wine regions around Australia, contributing more than $ 45 billion to the Australian economy each year.
But what makes Australian wine so special?
The perfect marriage between terroir and professionals who are passionate about what they do may exist in many other places, but being one of the great powers of the new world, the sixth largest producer and the fifth largest exporter of wine worldwide, Australia really has something else that other countries don't have, don't you think?