Book Excerpt: The Australian Ark

BY ANDREW CAILLARD MW | SEPTEMBER 11, 2024

Our forefathers believed that Australia would become the France of the Southern Hemisphere. It was all interconnected with the British Empire, which propelled the economic prosperity and development of the industry from 1788 for over 150 years. After World War II, the industry was forced to redefine itself, and adopted new technologies and created new expectations for fine wine. Over the last 70 years, Australia has defined itself, and developed a confidence to believe in its own voice and adapt to the spirit of our times.

Australia, I believe, possesses the largest acreage of 19th-century-planted vines in the world. It represents a living symbol of 19th-century ambition and foresight. Much of these plantings have a direct genetic link to James Busby’s famous importation of 1832. William Macarthur’s Camden Nurseries must take credit for the significant transmission of this material throughout the colonies in the early days. Our oldest plantings date back to the 1840s and 1850s.

Most of Australia’s surviving 19th-century vineyards are located in South Australia, which has never been invaded by phylloxera. But ancient vineyards have survived in the Hunter Valley, Great Western, central Victoria, and Swan Valley, a heritage that also includes ancient genetic vinestock. More contemporary plantings are descendants of early imported material. These vineyards are planted with cuttings or rootlings. Selection and propagation of heritage vines, too, have played an important part in establishing Australia’s identity in fine wine.

Between the late 1800s and the 1960s, almost no new material came to Australia, something that was good and bad. Strict quarantine regulations isolated Australia, yet protected our oldest vineyards. But new, virus-free material has been introduced to add to our gene pool of vinestock. A part of this story is the theory of epigenetics, about vine memory, mutation, and adaptation to the environment, which is fascinating and promises much.

The handing down of experience, traditions, and family collaborations has passed through six or even seven generations of Australians, and this has had profound effects on the story and definition of Australian wine. These include the development of wine regions whose individual identity and character have been built through hard work and collaboration; the improvement in winemaking technologies and viticulture through continued learning at institutions like Roseworthy/University of Adelaide and Charles Sturt University at Wagga Wagga; valuable research and development of new resources and knowledge by the AWRI and CSIRO; and the integration of migrants through the ages – initially the Scots, English, and Irish, followed by many German and Italian families, French winemakers, and others from around the world.

Winemakers, particularly, think of themselves first as Australians and then as custodians of the land. They belong to a tradition that spans the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. It is quite the responsibility of this generation, and the next, in the wine industry to acknowledge, respect, and include all Australians, including the First Nations people who have inhabited this place since the most ancient times. Their contribution promises to bring freshness and new perspectives to the Australian wine story.

Penfolds horse and cart wine delivery, Magill, South Australia, ca 1900

The idea of terroir, a concept that defines a sense of place and plays an important part in premiumisation of wine, is essentially a 19th-century invention based on modern philosophical thinking, post-revolutionary reconstruction and social organisation, and massive advances in technology during the mid- to late 19th century. It is steeped in those truths of gout de pierre, taste of the stone, or gout de terroir, where our late 18th-century forefathers believed that the grape will imbibe earthly particles that give a particular taste.

But the modern take on terroir is very much about individual identity, protection of economic value, and character of place. Our Australian interpretation of terroir is shown through the prism of single-vineyard wines, varietal definition, environmental conditions, ancient sovereignty, and colonial heritage. Giving back to the land through sustainable practices, like organic and biodynamic practices, is a key factor of the fine-wine agenda.

Australia is a massive continent. The climate of the Barossa Valley is different to Coonawarra, which is different to Margaret River and the Mornington Peninsula. The significant gestures of the winemaker bring another layer of difference. And, of course, the unique heritage, story, and ancient sovereignty of each region brings a feeling of culture and permanency.

These pillars of the Australian wine industry need to be further strengthened for the wine industry to survive and prosper over the coming years. The story of Australian wine reveals that the future is the enduring reference. Through the mists of war, economic turbulence, social changes, and pandemics, winemakers and industry leaders have always looked forward and found ways to build a future in wine. Already, the environment, social awareness, and governance, the core of sustainable practices, promise to be key themes for generations to come. In the context of First Nations people, we nurture a land that was taken away from them. Wine is not really a part of their culture. But the land is, and those ancient soils are connected to their spirituality as much as they are to the expressions of our wines. Their ancient sovereignty should coexist and be recognised. Australia should start with co-naming wine regions or developing subregional names in honour of traditional landowners. This would be a gesture that opens new directions for an inclusive wine community.

Our old vine legacy and ancient soils cannot be taken for granted. Living things have to be nurtured. Over the last 10 to 15 years, many winemakers have adopted a strong focus on sustainability. Technology is employed to predict outbreaks of disease and forecast yields. The development of autonomous vehicles and drones, new improved clones, new varieties, and techniques to adapt to climate change all show opportunity for investment.

As will circularity – the efficient cycling of product from paddock to recycling, repurposing, and composting. Of course, efficiencies in energy, labour, and environmental footprint are all part of this process. This will be led by the larger corporates who have the resources to improve circularity in the community. But many smaller agricultural businesses and communities will lead the way in how we reduce a wasteful imprint and achieve a more sustainable balance with nature. When I look at the boom–bust cycles over the last two hundred years or more, and the challenges of our fragile environments, I know that Australia must aim to premiumise its wines and move away from the groove of being a commodity winemaker. Australia’s finite water resources and native flora and fauna are vulnerable to population growth, urbanisation, high-yielding agriculture, and contamination. This does not mean that we stop making commercial wines, but that they are sustainably produced with care and represent the best of their type in the world.

Pewsey Vale Vineyard, Eden Valley, South Australia (Photograph: Dragan Radocaj)

The future promises some very big challenges for the wine industry. Wellness is becoming a community priority, and this has translated to a boom in low- and no-alcohol drinks. Previously, ‘wine in healthy moderation’ was considered an acceptable slogan, but new outlooks could lead to a more restrictive environment, where consumption is controlled more effectively. Alcohol, without moderation, is damaging to health, community safety, and economic productivity. Wine, enjoyed in moderation, is believed by many to be one of the most beneficial social traditions. It brings together people and celebrates the magical combination of nurture and nature. But there is also the possibility that the Australian wine industry will have to contract in response to declining consumption. Although a premiumised wine sector promises to be resilient and long lasting, consumption patterns may lead some regional areas to face decline.

Through generations of effort, imagination, collaboration, and investment, Australia has reached a tipping point where our identity and place in the world are challenged. This is not a unique problem. All wine regions and countries face the dilemma of offering a difference. Over the past century, winemakers and observers have attempted to link the character and quality of wine with the attributes of place and country.

‘Terroir’ has been codified to articulate, justify, differentiate, pontificate, debate, or undermine wine ideologies and philosophies. Whatever our perspective, we use it, knowingly or subconsciously, as a weapon of inspiration or doubt. If you have a chance to lie on some grass under a clear starry Southern Hemisphere night, you will find yourself wondering about your own place and meaning on this planet. Not even a great person can escape the vastness of the horizon, the endlessness of the sky, and the reality of creation. The Australian natural environment is as unique and mysterious as it is overwhelmingly beautiful and dangerous. Body and soul can be lost in its void.

Since 1788, generations of Australians, new and old, have dreamed of making this country a modern and progressive society. The wine industry is just one strand of a much greater canvas. Yet the optimism of our winemakers and wine people is steeped in a genuine love for the place we call home. Our wines are a voice of this land, each with an individual accent or character. Behind each label is a storied history, a vineyard, a family, a purpose or philosophical intent. The diversity and expression of Australian wines across this great continent island are endlessly fascinating and wonderful.

This story, The Australian Ark, highlights the superb ambitions of vignerons and wine people across the decades and centuries. The optimism and trust put into the next generation of Australian wine people is a constant theme. Looking towards and preparing for the future have allowed many vignerons and wine businesses to survive and flourish throughout the ages. Whilst climate change, economic prosperity, environmental health, social equity, succession, and patterns of consumption are challenges of contemporary times, the Australian wine industry is in good hands and promises to enjoy a long golden age throughout the 21st century and beyond.

Vinous Wine critic Angus Hughson, co-publisher of The Australian Ark, joins author Andrew Caillard MW in this collaborative project.

© 2024, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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