A Concise History of Australian Wine


Book Description

History charting the growth, decline and recovery of the major winegrowing areas of Australia from the planting of the first vine to the export boom of the 1990s. Provides profiles of past and present winemakers and discusses both large companies and small businesses. Includes directory of current Australian wine producers, bibliography and index. Author is a well-known wine writer whose other publications include 'Varietal Wines of Australia'.




A Short History of Wine


Book Description

Variously regarded as a sacred, religious drink, an inebriant, and even the work of the Devil, throughout the ages wine has generated passions that verge on mania. In A Short History of Wine, Rod Phillips tells the story of wine in the Western world with all its grandeurs and miseries. Packed with fascinating stories, unexpected insights, and the myriad tricks of the trade, A Short History of Wine is an essential book for anyone who treats this most venerated drink with the zeal it deserves.




Heart and Soul


Book Description

A look at the famous families who pioneered the Australian wine industry over generations Heart and Soul takes you on a journey through the history, the people, the vineyards, and the regions of Australia's most famous wineries. Chronicling the triumphs and travails of the families who led the way, the book offers an exciting showcase of Australian wine history in all its diversity and deliciousness. With more than 1,200 years of winemaking experience between them, the first families of Australian wine share stories that are as rich and varied as the wines they produce. It covers their relationships with the land itself, their ascent in the industry, the inspiration behind their signature wines, and the passion that goes into every vat. Exclusive photographs, wine labels, regional maps, and informative sidebars are peppered throughout. With a Foreword by Australia's beloved wine commentator, James Halliday Rare and fascinating photographs appear throughout the book This is the definitive book on the history and personalities of the Australian wine industry For anyone who loves Australian wine, Heart and Soul is a must-read volume that is sure to enlighten and entertain.




A Concise History of Australia


Book Description

Macintyre revisits A Concise History of Australia to provoke readers to reconsider Australia's past and its relationship to the present.




Wine Grape Varieties


Book Description

This book describes 92 of the most popular wine grape varieties currently used by wine makers around the world plus some that may have a place in the future.




A Concise History of Western Australia


Book Description

This second edition has been brought up to date following the latest developments in the state. The human history of Western Australia, as of all Australia, stretches back some 60,000 years. It is often assumed that European colonisation was very recent relative to the rest of Australia, but in fact it was contemporary with the first penal colony in Queensland, and while a South Australian settlement was still a gleam in Londons eye. Albany was first settled in 1826 and the Swan River settlement (later to become Perth) in 1829. It was also the first part of Australia to be even seen by Europeans: the Portuguese back in the early 1600s. The first 60 or 70 years of European settlement were very difficult, but when the gold rushes came in the late 1800s, WA was set on the path of mineral wealth that still drives its economy today.




The A to Z of Australia


Book Description

The last continent to be claimed by Europeans, Australia began to be settled by the British in 1788 in the form of a jail for its convicts. While British culture has had the largest influence on the country and its presence can be seen everywhere, the British were not Australia's original populace. The first inhabitants of Australia, the Aborigines, are believed to have migrated from Southeast Asia into northern Australia as early as 60,000 years ago. This distinctive blend of vastly different cultures contributed to the ease with which Australia has become one of the world's most successful immigrant nations. The A to Z of Australia relates the history of this unique and beautiful land, which is home to an amazing range of flora and fauna, a climate that ranges from tropical forests to arid deserts, and the largest single collection of coral reefs and islands in the world. Through a detailed chronology, an introduction, appendixes, a bibliography, and cross-referenced dictionary entries on some of the more significant persons, places, and events; institutions and organizations; and political, economic, social, cultural, and religious facets, author James Docherty provides a much needed single volume reference on Australia, from its most unpromising of beginnings as a British jail to the liberal, tolerant, democracy it is today.







Creating Wine


Book Description

Today's wine industry is characterized by regional differences not only in the wines themselves but also in the business models by which these wines are produced, marketed, and distributed. In Old World countries such as France, Spain, and Italy, small family vineyards and cooperative wineries abound. In New World regions like the United States and Australia, the industry is dominated by a handful of very large producers. This is the first book to trace the economic and historical forces that gave rise to very distinctive regional approaches to creating wine. James Simpson shows how the wine industry was transformed in the decades leading up to the First World War. Population growth, rising wages, and the railways all contributed to soaring European consumption even as many vineyards were decimated by the vine disease phylloxera. At the same time, new technologies led to a major shift in production away from Europe's traditional winemaking regions. Small family producers in Europe developed institutions such as regional appellations and cooperatives to protect their commercial interests as large integrated companies built new markets in America and elsewhere. Simpson examines how Old and New World producers employed diverging strategies to adapt to the changing global wine industry. Creating Wine includes chapters on Europe's cheap commodity wine industry; the markets for sherry, port, claret, and champagne; and the new wine industries in California, Australia, and Argentina.




Consumer Australia


Book Description

Donald Horne’s The Lucky Country claimed that “Australia was one of the first nations to find part of the meaning of life in the purchase of consumer goods.” Significantly, similar views had been expressed in the late 18th century, where everyday life in the antipodean outpost of Empire was regarded as being pecuniary and acquisitive in nature. While references to Australia as a “consumer society” continue to be made, the question of how Australia came to be so has attracted less attention. The chapters in Consumer Australia actively redress this omission by examining the ways in which the processes of selling, buying, and exchanging have characterised the experiences of consumption in every day Australian life. Prepared by leading and emerging scholars, the chapters in this unique collection critically explore the different ways that Australians have consumed products, brands, and even consumption itself from the 19th century and through the 20th century. By charting the growth and development of consumption in Australia, Consumer Australia reveals how Australia came to be a “consumer society” and asks where it is headed.