Many Americans think Australia is dry, hot and empty, but it is home to two of the seven modern wonders of the world, and the world's oldest culture that is still in existence. If that isn't enough, Australian wine is some of the greatest wine that can be found.

Australia, much like the United States, has a number of regions that produce excellent wine. In fact, there are over 50 wine regions and sub-regions spread throughout Australia. Many of these are concentrated throughout southeastern Australia, predominantly in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and the more isolated maritime area of Western Australia.

But why is it important to understand the regions? Each has a different climate, soil structure, and elevation. Together, these factors affect how a vine grows and how a wine will ultimately taste. The French call this terroir - all of the environmental characteristics that affect a vine either below or above the ground.

Is it important to understand the terroir for wine that you quaff on the porch at sunset? Maybe, and then again, maybe not. But it never hurts to know just a bit about the various Australian wine producing regions and their characteristics as this information can help you make decisions about which wine to buy.

Below are seven of Australia's most famous wine regions:

The birth of the Margaret River as a winemaking region occurred in the early 1970's. Initially regarded as a producer of elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, the Margaret River wine region has since forged a great reputation for producing all the classic varietal wines. Today, it is one of the most vibrant - and popular - wine regions in Australia, with an exceptional range of restaurants, places to stay and things to do and see. Of all the wine regions in Australia, the Barossa Valley is probably the best known internationally. Rich in history dating back to 1847, it has a profound German influence. Today, the Barossa Valley is the center of the Australian wine industry with the oldest and most famous wineries established there. This concentration of well-regarded wineries plus the terroir of the Barossa Valley have created some of the most famous names in Australian Shiraz. McLaren Vale is one of the most richly varied wine regions in Australia, producing intensely flavored and colored red wines and similarly powerful white wines. One of the wines McLaren Vale is best known for is Shiraz. South Australia, specifically McLaren Vale, is home to some of the oldest Shiraz vines on earth. Unlike other great wine regions of the world, including California and Europe, South Australia has never been affected by phylloxera, which is a root louse that kills grapevines. Thus, no major vineyards have died out, and McLaren Vale still has a number of 100+-year-old vines Coonawarra was originally planted as a fruit colony in the 1800's. Its present day reputation for producing world-class wines started in the 1950's, and it is now home to some of the most expensive viticultural land in Australia. In recent times, Coonawarra has played an integral part in the Australian wine industry's effort to create quality still wines that are renowned the world over. What makes Coonawarra special is the 'Terra Rossa', or 'red earth' soil found in the region. It consists of about a foot and a half of red clay loam that lies over a limestone shelf. Just below that limestone, there is a permanent water table. The vines stress to reach the water, resulting in vines that produce less foliage and more concentrated fruit, and ultimately more concentrated wines. The Yarra Valley was one of Australia's most important premium winemaking regions in the period 1860 to 1900. Wine production ceased in the Yarra Valley in 1921, due to changing land use requirements and a marked change in Australian wine production from fine table wine to heavier fortified wine. A major reason for the renaissance of the area was the Coldstream Hills winery, founded by James Halliday in 1986. The Yarra Valley is now recognized for producing some of the finest Pinot Noir in the country and superior quality Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. Halliday is an internationally acclaimed Australian wine writer who writes on both the art and the science of winemaking. He established Coldstream Hills as a winery focused on being the best cool climate winery in Australia, and the world. Mudgee is a uniquely positioned viticultural district, nestled deep in the western slopes of the Blue Mountains. It has a great deal to offer wine lovers. Mudgee is the Australian Aboriginal word for "nest in the hills". Viticulture began there in 1858, and like South Australia's Barossa Valley, German immigrants planted the first vines.
The history of winemaking in the Hunter Valley goes back to 1825, making it Australia's oldest wine producing region. The Hunter Valley is renowned for producing 'classic' Chardonnay and Semillon wines which have a great capacity for aging. The warm, wet, humid climate at first seems contrary to wine production, yet against the odds, the Hunter Valley succeeds magnificently.

Content Courtesy: winewalkabout.com