THE WINE REGIONS OF AUSTRALIA; The Complete Guide

In response to a growing movement to classify Australian wine in more regional terms, this "geography" of wine looks at Australia's wine regions and subregions-from Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia to New South Wales, Western Australia, and Queensland. Encyclopedic in scope, this book will help wine enthusiasts understand the unique qualities of Australian wines and discover the country's many vineyards, both large and small. It provides a brief history and details on location, altitude, and general topography of the regions, as well as a discussion of soil quality and climate control, descriptions of regional differences in grape cultivation and wine making, and harvesting times and methods. Important wine styles and grape varieties of each region are summarized, including pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Adelaide Hill, riesling, and semillon. Included are personal ratings of many of the vineyards listed.

John Beeston is one of the leading authorities on Australian wine. He is the author of Varietal Wines of Australia and Concise History of Australian Wine.