The History of Australian Wine is a unique inside account of the Australian wine industry's development throughout the 20th century. Award-winning writer Max Allen weaves together an oral history full of firsthand recollections from winemakers, cellar hands, business leaders and grape growers, offering personal insights into how Australian wine has received its phenomenal international reputation. From the horse-drawn plough in the vineyard to innovative winemaking technology and our changing tastes as a nation of wine drinkers, the stories in this book reveal plenty of larrikins and pioneers. Charismatic leaders mentored each generation and imbued a strong sense of collaboration and mateship, and bloody-minded individuals fiercely steered their own course and inspired many along the way. At the heart of it all beats a powerful sense of resilience. Australian vignerons have always faced challenges, but it has been in times of extreme adversity that the industry has taken its greatest leaps forward.

This history of Australian wine spans the period from the planting of the first vine to the export boom of the 1990s. It charts the growth, decline and rebirth of the major winegrowing areas, as well as trends in consumption. Winemakers of both the past and present are profiled, including the early colonial settlers, the patriarchs of the wine families of South Australia, and the new breed of boutique winemakers. An appendix gives up-to-date address and personnel details for all Australian winemakers, plus their best recent vintages.

"Over three lavishly illustrated volumes Andrew Caillard MW, renowned in Australian and international wine circles for his work as a wine auctioneer, expert, and writer, tells the stories of the individuals and events that have shaped this industry in Australia. Taking into account social and political history, 'The Australian Ark' highlights the imagination, strength, and foresight of Australia’s fine wine pioneers as they built an industry that became a centre of influence and power over more than two centuries. Also included in the work is a 'Canon of Australian Wine' and the fascinating stories behind these labels is intertwined through the narrative. This is not a definitive list of the country’s most important wines and vineyards, but it reveals the overall pattern of development of fine Australian wine and will hopefully spark passionate debate long into the future. Features: the most extensive history of the Australian wine industry ever written ; the project has been truly collaborative, with all major wineries and wine industry professionals around Australia providing historical details and many never before seen images from their archives ; a unique collaboration that promises to redefine the world’s impression of Australia’s fine wine ambitions from the earliest days of white settlement. Each beautifully produced set of 'The Australian Ark' comprises 3 volumes of around 500 pages each. Each volume is lavishly illustrated and printed in full-colour."--

In this completely updated edition of the original landmark volume, James Halliday situates Australian grape varieties and varietal wines in an international context. Profiling 130 wine grapes, covering classic, second tier and alternative varieties, Varietal Wines provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive survey of the varieties currently grown and made in Australia. Halliday explores the history of classic and second tier varieties and their significance in both international and Australian wine landscapes, including detailed information on the characteristics of each variety and wine, the diversity of regional styles, the best producers, and production statistics from Australia and around the world. Details of the 95 lesser varieties are also given, reflecting the dynamic spread of new varieties in the Australian wine industry. Fully illustrated throughout with colour photography, this is a fascinating book for the wine connoisseur and an essential reference for every player in the wine world. Respected wine critic and vigneron James Halliday AM is an unmatched authority on the wine industry, with a career spanning forty-five years. His winemaking has led him to engagements in the Hunter Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Yarra Valley, and he had a long career as a wine judge in Australia and overseas. In 1995 he received the wine industry’s ultimate accolade, the Maurice O’Shea Award. James has written or contributed to more than 70 books on wine since he began writing in 1979 and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2010.

A comprehensive account of the Australian Wine Industry that looks at the massive changes that have occurred since the 1948 publication 'The Wine Industry of Australia'. The 50s and 60s are about little growth and the domination of the brewing companies. The 1970-80 era was that of red wine production and consumption, whilst the 1990's has seen the development of technology and education to the point where production is now 300% greater than in 1949. Includes charts, graphs and tables to support the statistics and trends.