Australia has a long proud history of wine making. Starting our with fortified wines, many of the oldest wine families in Australia owe their beginnings to an homage of Sherry, Port and Madeira. As the fashion swung towards still wines, the rise of Shiraz began. Every wine region in Australia makes outstanding Shiraz, each with their own style. Chardonnay also gained international attention, though perhaps for the wrong reasons during the 80s. Gone be the days of enormous butttery Chardonnays, now winemakers have found the balance with excellent examples being found across the country. With such a long history of winemaking (Some of the oldest vines in the world reside in Barossa), it could be easy to stay in the past, however a new wave of winemakers are perhaps collectively the most innovative and experimental in the world.