Although Australia has had vineyards since the late 1700s, it wasn’t until the late 1950s that Australian winemakers really started to focus on TABLE WINES. By the 1980s Australian wines were commanding the attention of the rest of the world. Australia, not content with its place as a major wine producer, developed Strategy 2025 in 1996. Introduced by the Winemakers Federation of Australia (with considerable government backing), this mission statement and plan was designed to make Australia the world’s most influential and profitable supplier of branded wines. In 1999 Australia was the world’s seventh largest producer with major exports to the United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, and a number of other countries. To achieve its Strategy 2025 goals, Australia must more than double its production. As in California, the European (particularly French) grape varieties are the most popular in Australia. Shiraz (SYRAH) is the most popular grape variety, followed by CABERNET SAUVIGNON, CHARDONNAY, SÉMILLON, MERLOT, COLOMBARD, RUBY CABERNET, PINOT NOIR, RIESLING, SAUVIGNON BLANC, CHENIN BLANC, and VERDELHO. A fair amount of PALOMINO and PEDRO XIMÉNEZ is still grown for the production of Australian SHERRY. SULTANA is also widely grown, and although most of the production is used for table grapes or raisins, some finds its way into BULK WINES. Australia is about four-fifths the size of the United States. The vineyard land, like the population, is clustered primarily in the southeast and the southwest. The vast quantity of wine comes from areas collectively known as the Riverlands, which are located along the Murry, Darling, and Murrumbidgee Rivers in the states of NEW SOUTH WALES, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, and VICTORIA. These areas are RIVERINA in New South Wales, RIVERLAND in South Australia, and MURRAY DARLING and SWAN HILL, which lie in both New South Wales and Victoria. The better-quality wines come from a variety of distinct regions: In New South Wales—HUNTER VALLEY, MUDGEE, and new regions like COWRA, ORANGE, and HILLTOPS; in Victoria—GEELONG, GOULBURN VALLEY, GRAMPIANS, RUTHERGLEN, and YARRA VALLEY; in Southern Australia—ADELAIDE HILLS, BAROSSA VALLEY, CLARE VALLEY, COONAWARRA, PADTHAWAY, and MCLAREN VALE; and in Western Australia—GREAT SOUTHERN, MARGARET RIVER, and SWAN DISTRICT. In Queensland the only area of note is the GRANITE BELT. On the Australian island of TASMANIA, with its somewhat cooler climate, there are high viticultural hopes for areas like Piper River and Tamar Valley in the north and Coal River, Derwent Valley, Huon Valley, and the East Coast in the southern portion. If an Australian wine label indicates a single grape variety, the wine must be made of at least 80 percent of that grape. If the label indicates multiple varieties—such as Cabernet-Shiraz or Semillon-Chardonnay—the varieties must be listed in descending order of quantity. If the label indicates a particular region, 80 percent of it must be from that region. A wine blended from wines of different regions (which many Australian winemakers prefer) must label the regions in descending order of volume. The gigantic zone called SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA covers three states and parts of two others and accounts for 95 percent of the Australian growing regions. VINTAGE Australian wine must be at least 95 percent from that vintage. Australia’s APPELLATION system (necessary in order to satisfy trade agreements with key trading partners) is known as GEOGRAPHIC INDICATIONS.