Wine & Spirits:An Australian Perspective (AGRI20045)

Wine denotes a cultured, not just cultural, identity. Australia’s wine industry has an international reputation for quality and value. Our wines are served in many of the world’s leading restaurants, while the popular premium wines are sold in wine shops and supermarkets throughout the world. The Australian wine industry has experiencing extraordinary growth in productivity, profitability and exports.

Nationally our drinking taste is undergoing a dramatic change. Consumption trends now show that wine may soon be our drink of choice in terms of the type of alcohol consumed. This change in taste over the past 50 years has been attributed to post-war migration from European wine countries, rising national prosperity, the increased power of women as consumers, and a more technologically sophisticated wine industry that matches its products with customer preference.

Another growing trend in the Australian is the rise of the craft spirit. Australia has a long history of producing spirits from colonial days when spirits were used in barter and convicts were part-paid in rum. Not since the early days of the "rum colony" has there been such an interest in producing Australian spirits. The Australian craft spirit market has grown exponentially in the past few years. The Australian distilling industry is one of the fastest growing and most diverse in the world. A multitude of styles are being made today across the country.

During this one week intensive subject students will be taken on a journey, exploring the world of wine and spirits. Through both theory and practise students will develop a greater understanding of the tastes and trends of the wine and spirit consumer nationally and internationally.

NB: The subject requires that students taste and evaluate wine and spirits, however the beverage is not consumed. Participants must be 18 years or over.