Australia

Today, Australia is famous for its fresh, fruity red and white wines that are extremely consistent in quality. Australia now ranks sixth in the world in wine production — making slightly more than half as much wine as the United States. Australia has about 2,000 wineries.

Shiraz is Australia's most popular variety. It grows in almost every wine region of Australia, accounts for one-quarter of total wine production and is their most exported wine

Australia's history of wine manufacture traces back to its settlement in 1788. Governor Arthur Phillip brought vines with him on the First Fleet, and numerous vineyards were established in the area that is now Sydney. By the 1890s, the popular Hunter Valley, Barossa Valley, and Yarra Valley had begun to produce wine.