All southern, mainland states had vineyards established within a few years of their founding. Ethnic groups were a major influence in establishing the various vineyard areas. The Lutherans, having fled religious persecution in Germany, pioneered the Barossa Valley in South Australia. Their influence is still very obvious today. This can be seen in the picturesque churches and local townships, along with the classic Germanic style Rhine Rieslings and the unique German Mettwursts which are showcased in their colorful and exuberant wine festival. This is a traditional German celebration which was imported to the Barossa Valley to become the first of its kind in Australia, and is now held every two years. Victoria""s strong beginnings in the industry date back to the Swiss settlers who were encouraged to come to Australia by the first Governor, Charles La Trobe and his wife, who was Swiss. Victoria went on to become the premier wine state, having three quarters of the country""s total production until the 1980s.

Unfortunately, wine in Australia has always been subject to fashion, changes in taste and economic conditions. Only in the last couple of decades, when wine has become an integral part of the Australian way of life, has some sort of stability and steady growth taken place.

Of course stability is also dependent on the forces of nature. The world wide plague phylloxera swept through most of Australia""s vineyards in the 1980s. This tiny vine louse eats into the root of the vine, eventually killing it. South Australia was, fortunately spared this threat and remains one of the very few areas in the world un-devastated by this plague. Nevertheless, it still remains a threat.

In the early days, winemaking even at its very best, was a hit or miss affair. With little knowledge worldwide, as to the very nature of the process of fermentation from grape juice to wine, many wines were unsound. Some exceptional wines however, which are now making a renaissance, were made in the cooler areas such as the Yarra Valley in Victoria.

Heavy fortified wines became increasingly popular as they were refined by blending with higher quality grape spirit, thus ensuring their integrity. They could be produced in the warmer and often irrigated areas where crops were often of greater size per hectare than in the cooler, high quality table wine areas. The Great Depression of the 1930s reinforced the drinking of fortified wines. Not only was it the most affordable beverage, but it was also very palatable in its rich, sweet style.

The dominance of fortified wines lasted some seventy to eighty years, only being reversed in the early 1970s when table wines eventually rose to above 50% of wine consumed. Many factors were at work. The heavy post-war immigration of Europeans brought to Australia the century-old tradition of drinking table wine with meals. This influence, along with the growing affluence of the average Australian brought more leisure time, overseas travel and an interest in the finer things of life, and thus there was an upsurge in wine drinking. The industry accommodated this change with a reasonable price structure, and the introduction of bulk containers such as the flagon, which culminated in the ingenious Australian invention, the "bag in the box" wine cask.

White wines improved dramatically in the mid seventies. With technological advances in winemaking and wine becoming a part of our everyday life, the preference for chilled wine in our generally warm climate, meant that the whites took off leaving the reds in their wake. There may also have been other factors involved in the downturn of the red wine market. Red wines, which had started the table wine boom in the sixties, had failed to keep up with demand; had run short and in order to stretch diminishing stocks, been thinned by blending with lighter grape varieties. In some ways, they deserved their plight. Later however, developments such as the unfounded histamine scare (the belief that reds are heavier, more alcoholic, and likely to cause drowsiness), were unfounded. Fortunately, reds, particularly the quality bottled reds, are making a strong and steady comeback. Common sense has prevailed.

Since the 60s, interest and investment have grown in the wine industry, particularly from the multi-national companies, and of late, rationalization has occurred among the ownership of the bigger wine companies. Alongside this has been the enormous growth in "boutique vineyards" and the expansion into new viticultural areas. We now have vineyards in all states and territories of Australia and through wine making techniques and new grape varieties; we can now lay claim to many world class wines.

Info courtesy of Marta""s Vineyards, Inc.