Interesting Facts about Red Wine in Australia

The evidence of wine consumption dates about 6000 years ago in Mesopotamia, Israel or Georgia. The ancient Egyptians practiced and refined the procedure of both grape growing and wine making to the point of keeping the wine in burial crypts for consumption in the afterlife. However, the Greeks spread the grape growing and wine making process throughout the Mediterranean, and it was the Romans that turned it into a great business.

Europeans introduced the wine making techniques to the Americans after the discovery of the New World and also brought wine to Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Since, the wine making in Australia has become a very popular business and has improved a lot, especially in recent decades. Nowadays, Australia is one of the top 10 wine producing regions in the world and is one of the few countries that produce the most famous wine styles. Here are few more interesting facts you probably did not know about white and red wine in Australia.

• Even tough Australia produces a wide variety of grapes and wines, the country is very popular for its Shiraz. Shiraz is type of red wine in Australia and the most popular are Cabernet, Chardonnay and Riesling.
• Australia regulates its wine production. The country focuses more on quality, so it requires wineries to submit samples of each white and red Australian wine set for export before their certification and exportation.
• The most awarded red wine in Australia is the “Penfolds Grange” which has won more than 50 golden medals. Most wine critics have called it the world’s most concentrated and exotic wine, beating out most of the famous Italian and French wines
• Almost all wine grapes produce crystal clear juice. White wines are generally fermented from juice only, thus have lighter color, while red wines get the rich color from the grape skin.
• Lighter colored wines need to be served at cooler temperatures, while every produced red wine in Australia and other countries is more complex thus needs to be served at a temperature where the acidity is balanced. Red wine in Australia is served at room temperature of 65 – 70 degrees, while white wines are served at 45 – 50 degrees.
• The smell of a mature wine is called “bouquet”, while the smell of younger wines is called “aroma”.
• A study has shown that women who drink at least 2 glasses of red wine in Australia have better sex than those who do not drink at all.