LETTER FROM AUSTRALIA: Quiet side to beer culture

LETTER FROM AUSTRALIA: Quiet side to beer culture

This would be a good year for Yarra Valley wines, and spirits are high at the annual grape grazing festival, traditionally held on the third weekend of February. The spirit flows on for winegrowers in Victoria, which with South Australia and New South Wales, is at the forefront of the Australian wine industry. Wine is a new growth industry for Australia. Over the past 10 years, it has doubled in size, driven by exports. Now Australia leads the "New World" producers. Among global exporters, Australia lies fourth behind Old World producers France, Italy and Spain in terms of volume and value.