(Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three-part series that runs through tomorrow here on
VinesseTODAY.com.) 
Yesterday, we learned about the history of Australian
winemaking and how vintners there have embraced technology. But what
about the future? What are the trends in Down Under wine?
Other than gathering more awards, more notoriety and more
fans… there is no trend.
Australians don’t try to copy other wine-producing countries or
one another. They do what they want without being bound by
legislation or marketing.
Far away from the rest of the winemaking world and determined
to stand out on their own merits, Australians never try to make wine
just like the French or Americans. Instead, they are making unique
wines characterized by distinctive climate and soil… wines that are
fruit-driven… wines that the winemakers themselves like to drink.
You can find rich Chardonnay filled with the flavors of toast
and vanilla, or lean ones with no oak influence at all. There are
big, ripe, chocolaty Shiraz bottlings, and elegant, peppery styles.
The ready-to-drink, fruit-driven Cabernet for tonight’s barbecue is
available right next to the tannic, complex bottle that needs decades
of cellaring.
When it comes to Australian wines, homogenization and
generalization are out. Flavor and style are in.
(Tomorrow: Matching Australian wines with food.)
