Australian Wine and Gourmet

Australia has been making and exporting wine in a serious way since the 1850s when a gold rush in the State of Victoria trebled the young nation’s population, creating a cashed-up middle class keen to enjoy a glass of wine with meals. In fact, some of the oldest vines in the world are in Australia, because most of the nation’s wine regions escaped the plague of phylloxera which wiped out many ancient plantings in Europe during the 1800s.

Located an easy 2-hour drive north of Sydney and set against the dramatic backdrop of the Brokenback Range, the Hunter Valley region now yields more than a hundred wineries and cellar doors, embracing areas such as Pokolbin, Rothbury, Broke Fordwich, Lovedale, Wollombi Valley and Mount View.  The Hunter Valley is known for its award winning wines, however the valley now supports a burgeoning olive industry with cold pressed olive oil and other olive products. You will also find wood fired bread, delicious Hunter Cheeses, stone fruits, table grapes, honey, home made condiments and sauces, and even chocolate made with chilli.

The Margaret River region in South West Western Australia is a superb blend of good living and stunning nature just three and a half hours' drive south of Perth. This region is responsible for producing less than one percent of Australia's wine but over 15 percent of Australia's premium wine, the 60 or so wineries in the region open for cellar door sales and tastings offer the visitor an impressive selection. Boutique beer breweries, exquisite cheese product, jam and condiment producers, a marron (freshwater crayfish) farm, olive groves and even chocolate and fudge factories enhance the gourmet experiences. Couple this with an immense array of art and craft galleries, and the area offers visitors a fabulous opportunity to experience the work of local producers and artists.

Straddling the centre of the Australian continent, South Australia is the wine industry’s powerhouse State, producing most of the nation’s wine and boasting some of the oldest individual vines in the world.  The venerable old vines found in South Australia’s Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills, through their isolation, survived the great phylloxera plagues that wiped out the vines of North America and Europe, and somewhat later, devastated Australia’s eastern vineyards.  Quarantine restrictions were introduced, saving South Australia’s vines from phylloxera, and ensuring the State retained its grape growing status. The region owes much of its appeal to the European peasant farmers and English free settlers who made the place home from the 1850s. You'll get a taste of their rich cultural legacy in superb Barossa specialty foods, dozens of festivals and events, historic architecture and inspiring arts and antique galleries.

Under an hour’s drive from Melbourne, discover a timeless sanctuary in this place of beauty, where stylish restaurants, quality produce and boutique accommodation are in harmony with village life, open gardens and Australian wildlife in its natural habitat. Immerse yourself in the Yarra Valley, home to Victoria’s earliest vineyards and recognised as one of the world’s great wine growing regions. Numerous wineries offer cellar door tastings and sales, and have restaurants serving gourmet food and fine local produce accompanied by their wine.