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Although the wines of South America and Australia have been stocked on American grocery-store shelves for years, the rich traditions and exceptional products of these continents have not always received the full credit they deserve. Building on viticultural legacies that are centuries old, winemaker of the Southern Hemisphere have made notable strides in quality, consistency, and diversity over the last 30 years.
Argentine Malbec and Aussie Shiraz may still rule the export markets, but a closer inspection of both wine-producing regions reveals a rich array of indigenous and more recently imported grape varieties, some of the world's oldest vines, and a range of winemaking styles as varied as anywhere on Earth. Taylor Parsons, a Los Angeles-based sommelier, guides a two-part exploration of the history, development and diversity of these two pivotal axes of the wine world.
Learn how South American and Australian wines have developed and why certain grapes and styles became popular; survey the current state of winemaking in the hemisphere, with an emphasis on recent pushes to expand and develop historic grape varieties and winemaking traditions; examine the diverse subregions of each continent; and taste hand-picked examples of classic wines and the more progressive styles that have emerged over the past decade.
FEATURED REGION
Australia
Parsons welcomes Mark Davidson, director of education for Wines of Australia, for a conversation focusing on Australia's winemaking history, its remarkable evolution, and the more recent revolutions that are transforming our understanding of the wines from Down Under.
A tasting follows this program.
