A Basic Guide to Wine in Australia - Australian wine

Australia has been producing wine for approximately 200 years with a producing region of more than 3000 mostly located in the South of the large continent.

Fnd out more about Australian Wine

It is only in recent years that Australian wine has crossed the borders to everone's especially rhe connoisseurs around the world. There are 4 main states that Australian wine is harvested from covering approximately 30 wine growing regions

The 4 main states are as follows::

• New South Wales - Hunter Valley, Mudgee
• South Australia – Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare, Coonawarra, Padthaway, Southern Valley (MsLaren Vale)
• Victoria – Bendigo, Geelong, Great Western, Goulburn Valley, Milawa, Moonambel, Mornington Peninsula, Rutherglen, Yarra Valley.
• Western Australia – Frankland, Lower Great Southern, Margaret River

The majority of red grapes come from Australia and these are:

1. Shiraz – one of my favorite grapes as it has a robust yet mellow finish with a berries and red fruits after taste.
2. Cabernet Sauvignon – Full bodies and dry grape variety as we are used to from our Californian backyard and French counterparts with a rich earthy taste. This is a great wine that would complement any red meat dish.
3. Pinot Noir – this is a light red wine which can even be served with white meats if you are a red wine passionate.

The main Australian white grapes are:

• Riesling – This is a fruity and light grape, which will compliment dishes such as salads and fish.
• Semillion – This grape is usually blended with the Chardonnay grape in order to produce a medium dry white wine to accompany most white meats and seafood meals.
• Chardonnay – the type of grape that is most common around the world, which has a full body and rich buttery taste can be paired with all white meats and grills and well as white gravy pasta dishes.

A good wine is meant to complete ther meal thus, learning how to pair them is an art, which is acquired with time as you discover and taste more wines. Australian wine is a pleasure to taste, appreciate and pair the meals accordingly.

Most meals can be complimented with an Australian wine in perfect harmony as well as making an excellent after dinner drink with a cheese plate. So, next time, instead of ordering that full calorie desert, try a nice glass of red Australian wine with a few bites of cheese and crackers.

Wine and Your Health

Recent research has shown that White wine drank moderately (a glass a day) is actually good for you and doctors now recommend a glass of red wine to lower your cholesterol and increases your metabolism rate.

So why not enjoy that glass of wine but remember it must be in moderation otherwise it will have adverse effects on your health