The History of Australian Wine

Book excerpt: The History of Australian Wine is a unique inside account of the Australian wine industry's development throughout the 20th century. Award-winning writer Max Allen weaves together an oral history full of firsthand recollections from winemakers, cellar hands, business leaders and grape growers, offering personal insights into how Australian wine has received its phenomenal international reputation. From the horse-drawn plough in the vineyard to innovative winemaking technology and our changing tastes as a nation of wine drinkers, the stories in this book reveal plenty of larrikins and pioneers. Charismatic leaders mentored each generation and imbued a strong sense of collaboration and mateship, and bloody-minded individuals fiercely steered their own course and inspired many along the way. At the heart of it all beats a powerful sense of resilience. Australian vignerons have always faced challenges, but it has been in times of extreme adversity that the industry has taken its greatest leaps forward.