Winemakers

Australia doesn't have a long, impressive wine-growing history, but once it decided to become a part of the world's wine trade, it soared. Cuttings were brought over from Europe to create Australian vineyards in the late 18th century. Serious wine-making didn't take hold until the 19th century when British gentry moved to New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, planting their large tracts of land with vineyards. The Australian wines produced at the large estates, primarily sweet dessert wines and port, were consumed by Australians and exported to Britain. After World War II, immigrants flocked to Australia, bringing the food and wines of their native lands with them. They looked to the Australian vineyards to create the kind of wines with which they were familiar. This demand was instrumental in upgrading the quality and breadth of the Australian wine industry. During the 1970's, as Australia experimented with grape varieties and the best locations to plant them, investors bought out or brought together Australian wineries, putting money and new technology into Australian wine-making. Today, the reputation of fine Australian wine has extended far beyond its shores.

Canadian wine history began with the arrival of early settlers who brought European grape vines with them. The European vines didn’t flourish but Canadian wine was produced using indigenous vines. It wasn't until the 1960s when advances in Canadian wine-making technology, increased knowledge of viticulture, access to disease-resistant clones, and grape varieties better suited to the Canadian climate, renewed interest in Canadian wine making. Canadian vintners have found that many grape varieties develop more complex flavors and delicate aromas in their cooler growing conditions. The best vineyards in Canada are found close to the U.S. border and nearby lakes. Canada is well-known for its Canadian ice wine. Canadian ice wine is made when the grapes are harvested after they’ve frozen on the vine. The grapes are pressed, the frozen water is separated out, and it's fermented. Canadian ice wine is a very concentrated, sweet Canadian dessert wine.

France and wine are synonymous. There's no other place where the natural soil conditions, climate, and topography are as suited to growing such an array of grapes. Vines were brought to France by the Greeks back in 600 B.C. and, until the mid-19th century, French wine vineyards were successful in creating French wines unsurpassed in quality. During the Middle Ages France was already exporting good French wines to its neighbors, particularly Great Britain, and by the 1700s French wine was traded worldwide. Between 1850 and 1970, French wine vineyards experienced one set-back after another - disease, political conflict, war - and wine-making became limited to a few surviving vineyards. French wine began thriving again in the 1970s as a result of new technology and research in viticulture. In the phenomenal expansion of wine-making throughout the world, it's been the grapes of France and French viticulture which others have chosen for their vineyards. French wine remains the gold standard.

Legend has it that, in the 8th century, the Emperor Charlemagne stood on the river bank opposite the Rheingau hills observing where the winter snows first melted. Seeing the area which first lay bare, he commanded that vineyards be planted at the site. How prophetic of Charlemagne; how fortunate for the world. Germany still retains some of the impressive monasteries from the Middle Ages and the large vineyards planted by the aristocracy. There were wars, politics, and plagues to destroy the vines and back-breaking work to rebuild them. The status of German wine returned by the 19th century but then in the mid-20th century its quality fell as vintners chose to produce wines in large quantities with decreased quality. Recent efforts to improve the image of German wines by producing lower yields with higher quality are encouraging.

Vines covered Italy's landscape long before it became part of the Roman Empire. Grape plantations developed along coastal regions and spread far into the countryside. One emperor destroyed vineyards because they were so extensive that there was no fertile land left for farming food. Italy was governed by a profusion of countries and its individual city-states became protective of their wine traditions and varieties, creating a remarkable diversity in Italy's vineyards. In the 19th century, Italian wine makers were introduced to French wine-making methods and altered their practices to produce a better Italian wine. After World War II, Italian citizens demanded a better quality wine, an instrumental move in making Italy the world's second largest wine producer. Viticulture remains a small farm venture in the wine country in Italy - one of the reasons the names of Italian wines are reflective of their town of origin. To Italian wine makers, modern technology and better understanding of viticulture are helpful tools but for those farmers whose traditional, tried and true methods have yielded exceptional results, change is slow and probably unnecessary.

New Zealand, consists of two islands in the Pacific Ocean, North Island and South Island. A relative newcomer to the wine scene, its first vines were planted on North Island in 1819 by an English missionary and little was heard of it for the next century. During the 1960s the government decided to promote viniculture in New Zealand, encouraging investors who brought money, new technology, and the benefits of wine research. Small, family-run vineyards with their own New Zealand wineries, remain the backbone of the New Zealand wine industry. In the past fifty years, New Zealand's reputation as a major player in the world of wine has sky-rocketed. New Zealand lies in the southern hemisphere, equivalent latitude to Nova Scotia, making it the southernmost wine growing country in the world.

Portugal has it all: Unique terroirs, local grapes, old vines, old traditions of wine making. At its best, the red wines can compete with the best of France, Spain, and Italy. On the other side, the bulk of the production shows incredibly good value, easy drinking wines; probably the best value wines in the world. Portugal is slowly waking up from a deep sleep which ended up in 1974 with the end of the Salazar dictatorship. They are rediscovering their terroirs, their local grapes, and are adding a touch of modernity without, as is often the case, selling their souls and betraying tradition. Here, the use of oak is very subtle. Oak is still widely considered a neutral component, not a way to dress up the wines and hide them behind vanilla flavors. This careful balance between a very strong heritage and modernity makes Portugal one of the most interesting and underrated wine countries in the world. It is time to learn, taste, and enjoy these wines, dispersed over eight regions and 40 different appellations.

The Dutch East India Company established a station at the Cape of Africa in the mid-17th century. They began making wine from indigenous grapes for consumption by sailors, who would stop there on the way to the East, to prevent scurvy. As colonization of Africa became a goal for many European nations, Britain's rule of South Africa brought a surge in the South African wine industry. Disease destroyed most of the vines in the 1860s. Discouraged, farmers replanted with high-yielding vines, creating a surplus which plummeted prices. As a result, the Kooperatiewe Wignbouwers Vereniging (KWV) was formed to control quantity, sales practices and stabilize prices. In the 1900s, Apartheid became a political and humanitarian issue and an increasing number of governments and consumers refused to purchase South African wines. The end of Apartheid and improvement in winemaking techniques have slowly brought the South African wine industry into the international market.

Wine-making was first introduced to Andalucia in southern Spain by traders from Phoenicia around 1100 B.C. - 500 B.C. Roman armies took over around 200 B.C. and exported Spanish wines by sending it to its troops and to Rome. Moors invaded the country in 711 A.D. and prohibited the making of Spanish wines because of their Muslim religious beliefs. By the 14th century Spain had re-established trade with neighboring countries – Sherry being a favorite. Spain's empire in the New World escalated the export of Spanish wine and increased profits. When European grape vines were destroyed by the phylloxera aphid in the mid-1800s, Spain's neighbors in Bordeaux, France ventured south for wine supplies and brought their knowledge and practice of viticulture. France's tragedy was a catalyst for the reawakening and modernization of Spain's wine industry. Throughout the 1900s, political changes impeded Spain's participation as a world-wide competitor in wine exports, but its return to a democratic government in 1978 and its membership in the European Union shortly thereafter, brought investors. They spurred Spain towards creating Spanish wines competitive in the global market.

Early settlers in Jamestown, Virginia in the United States made wine from indigenous vines with disappointing results. Further efforts with vines from Europe were unsuccessful and few farmers continued American wine- making. Before long, drinking wine became associated with special occasions only. Today, the state of Virginia uses modern viticulture techniques to produce commendable wines. New York wine history dates to the 1700s although limited to sacramental wine, grape juice, and short-lived ventures during Prohibition. In the 1950s, a Ukranian professor planted vine cuttings from his homeland in the similar climate of New York state. His venture was successful and today several regions produce wine for local consumption. Father Junipero Serra, "the father of California wine", introduced wines from Mexico to southern California. The Californian Gold Rush of 1849 brought scores of people to the state and, when it ended, many remained and began farming the California wine vineyards. Today, northern Californian vineyards produce world-famous wines. The northwestern states began making Washington wines and Oregon wines in the early 1800s but it wasn't until the 1960s that they began producing in earnest. With the renaissance in American wine-making, a taste for the beverage has increased and American wine-making is now undertaken in all fifty states.