Australia

Vine cuttings from South Africa were brought on the First Fleet (1788), and though the settlers took time to adapt to the new conditions, wine exports began in 1822.

Geographically, Australia is divided into 6 states, they are Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. Vineyards in Australia are grouped into Geographical Indications (GI), and classified into Zone, Region and Sub-Region.

The GI system is designed to protect the use of regional names under international law and is similar to the Appellation naming system used in Europe. There are more than 60 wine regions in Australia.

Wine is produced in every state, totalling approximately 160,000 hectares.  Only 0.02% of Australia’s total land is under vine, Equivalent to Bordeaux & Bourgogne.

Australia’s wine regions are mainly in the southern, cooler parts of the country. The three major wine regions by volume are South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria.

South Australia and New South Wales are known for their warmer climate varieties such as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, whereas Victoria is known for cool climate-loving Pinot Noir.

Penfolds

Penfolds is an Australian wine producer that was founded in Adelaide in 1844 by Christopher Rawson Penfold, an English physician who emigrated to Australia, and his wife Mary Penfold. It is one of Australia’s oldest wineries, part nowadays of Treasury Wine Estates that includes Matua, Beaulieu Vineyard, Beringer and Wolf Blass within its brand portfolio.

Penfolds is, best known for its flagship wine Grange, one of the most acclaimed wines in the world. Among many other accolades, the 1955 Grange was named one of the top 12 wines of the 20th Century by Wine Spectator Magazine.