THE AUSTRALIAN ARK – Federation to the Modern Era | 1900–1982
By the close of 1982, the storied histories of many old Australian wine brands and visions were becoming less well known as older generations passed the baton of responsibility to their successors. Many valuable memories transitioned to family folklore, with only fragments remembered or treasured. Although some important family traditions, vineyards, and stories had been preserved through the decades, it was mostly through luck. . . . A few vignerons managed to keep records and archives from their 19th-century beginnings. Among them were Best’s, d’Arenberg, Yeringberg, Yalumba, Château Tahbilk, Kay Brothers, and Tyrrell’s. For most Australians, there was a feeling of putting the past behind them. The war years had taken their toll, and the post-war years set new and positive directions for the country. But every year, on ANZAC Day, the 25th of April, the country and all generations from all backgrounds stop to remember those who fell. Perhaps it is not surprising that Australian wine people seem to reference the future more than the past. This forward vision was also aided by the government policies of the 1960s and 1970s, which encouraged urban encroachments and the development of large-scale vineyards away from large population centres, as well as by science, research, and education, as typified by the CSIRO, AWRI, Roseworthy Agricultural College, and the Riverina College of Advanced Education at Wagga Wagga. Still, a sense of history was not completely lost, and Australia’s heirloom vineyards would eventually become integral to the country’s fine wine story. The large corporate wine companies of this time, like Hardy’s, Lindeman’s, Mildara, Penfolds, and Seppelt, were preoccupied with building wine brands. Their large-scale vineyards were mainly a resource rather than a living piece of heritage. New product ideas, new technologies, and new brand-marketing strategies were initiated to capture the interest of consumers. At the same time, smaller boutique wineries, most with young vineyards, were busy keeping themselves solvent. Their enthusiasm and commitment were not always accompanied by technical expertise. Whilst larger, more established wineries hogged the limelight at capital wine shows, smaller boutique producers struggled forward by trial and error. New perspectives were also emerging following Richard Smart and Peter Dry’s ‘A climatic classification for Australian viticultural regions’ (CSIRO, 1981), which shaped outlooks and pointed to lands of opportunity. The first inkling of the potential impacts of climate change was also written between the lines. Although the Australian wine industry had abandoned screw caps as a seal for wine bottles, the increasing occurrence of cork taint would develop into an emergency for Australian wine producers and lead to a renewed push for change. Between 1970/1971 and 1980/1981, per capita wine consumption had risen from 8.7 litres
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