The Blog

The Australian wine industry has come in for some pretty stern criticism in the last 12 months both from within the trade and indeed indirectly from those consumers who have drifted to pastures new. But is it deserved and what can be done to re-build its position as the world’s leading wine producing country?

At least some of the problem seems to be an internal struggle within the Australian industry itself. Is regionality the message to be pushing? Or is it more about repositioning and re-blending key brands to fall in line with consumer tastes for refreshing, crisp, fruit-driven wines? I suspect it is a bit of column A and a little more of column B, but what mustn’t be forgotten in amongst all this is that the Australians produce some absolutely stunning wines. Indeed most countries would give their right arm to have the reach and market share that Australia possesses.

Having just spent a couple of weeks down under on what I admit was a bit of a busman’s holiday, I was truly inspired and often blown away by what was on offer, and I came away refreshed and inspired by what I saw.

With a trip through the Barossa Valley on to Clare and then down to McLaren Vale, I witnessed innovation and quality across the board. Speaking to producers, they know they cannot sit still and expect to sell wine to the UK because the Australian wave of success is now more of a gentle ebb. They acknowledge that they have to work harder to get quality into the bottle, and demonstrate provenance when and where they can.

Brands are heading in the right direction – and if you think of the most reliable brands in terms of quality, Penfolds, Jacobs Creek, McGuigan and Oxford Landing are never too far from the top of the list. But it is the small and medium sized businesses that are offering some of the most exciting wines. Take the Barossa Valley, visit Turkey Flat, St Hallett, Torbreck or Two Hands, and you get to try wines that challenge the best of what the Rhone Valley, for example, can offer.

Visit someone like Tim Adams up in the Clare Valley and you see first hand what goes into making his award winning wines. Australia cannot and must not be overlooked for the quality it is exporting. Tim, for example, knows how, why and where to grow his grapes to showcase the best of what the Clare Valley can offer in the bottle. He does not compromise on quality, whether that be investing in new vineyards, extending his winery or employing hi-tech modern winemaking techniques.

In the same vein, take d’Arenberg down in the McLaren Vale. Chester Osborne, one of Australia’s great characters and winemakers, insists that all his grapes are small batch and basket pressed, so that he can retain control and quality throughout the winemaking process. Chester is undoubtedly one of the best blenders in Australia if not the world. Admittedly he has the luxury of having some of the best McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills fruit at his disposal, but he produces wines - whether they be Bordeaux blends or Rhone styles - that not only suit the UK palate but also the UK budget. When you look at the way it is made, Stump Jump, for example, must be one of the best value wines around.

My point is that there is a real reason for optimism for the Australian wine industry. If the brands can align themselves with modern tastes and dispel the over-riding image of over-oaked, heavy wines that hangs like a cloud over its reputation, whilst at the same time, push these exciting, brilliantly made regional wines, the tide can change for this behemoth of the wine industry.