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I T A L Y 1 3 COONAWARRA is known for its terra rossa soils—red clay soil by the weathering of limestone. BAROSSA OLD VINE CHARTER stipulates Ancestor Vine Shiraz plant- ings to be over 125 years old. The first commercially released vintage of PENFOLD'S GRANGE was 1952. Although most of Australia's wine regions exist in what would be continental climates, the island country maximizes its potential as a result of the proximity to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. With long sunshine hours and the maritime cooling effects, Australia is making strides with cooler areas within Victoria and Tasmania, but it is still South Australia that shines. With large diurnal shifts, South Australia's valley floor consists of variable but low fertility duplex soils, which means the topsoil is quite different than the deeper soil, usually sandy loam on top of clay. The higher elevation vineyards rely on poor, alluvial soils on top of granite, and the low night-time temperatures slow the ripening process. Much of the Limestone Coast is known for its terra rossa soils—red clay soil by the weathering of limestone. Margaret River, a tiny region in comparison, makes a small per- centage of high-quality wines in gravel and sandy loam soils over granite and gneiss on the remote western coast of Austra- lia. Hunter Valley, just northeast of Sydney, lies in a warm, wet, sub-tropical area, yet manages to produce exciting Semillon in the red friable loam. The history of wine in this vast and rugged continent has been shaped by the challenges of its geography; limited supply of wa- ter for irrigation, highly saline soils, drought, fire, and phylloxera. Australia leads in research of the modern wine industry, though, and produces quality wine in a challenging environment. AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA 13