Australia's ongoing infatuation with Italy

Australia’s viticulture is famously much less restricted by law and regulations than its European counterparts, allowing producers to plant virtually any variety wherever they like. In the absence of indigenous varieties and with a historic bias towards French ones, Australians seem to us Europeans to have planted vines with blatant disregard for the careful matching of grape variety to soil and climate. This impression is supported by statistics: of a total of 135,000 ha (333,600 acres) planted in Australia, 24,000 ha are Cabernet Sauvignon, 21,000 ha are Chardonnay, 8,500 ha are Merlot and 6,000 ha are Sauvignon Blanc. If you...