Have you ever come across a wine bottle bearing the insignia of an Australian wine club? Then it must be top quality wine. Australian wine clubs are among the most respected in the world and only first class wines are allowed to carry that emblem. Wine drinking as a lifestyle in Australia is relatively new compared to the wine cultures in such countries as Italy and France. The wine boom in Australia is actually attributed to the high influx of European settlers back in the late 1700s. Naturally, these settlers influenced Australian society with their dining habits, and soon local Australians started drinking wine along with their meals. The efforts of viticulturist James Busby in bringing the wine culture to Australia are also widely recognized. Busby immigrated to Australia in the early 1800s and made wine there. He brought back this wine to Europe, where it was highly appraised. Soon, Busby and others found that certain areas in Australia were perfect for growing grapes for winemaking. Busby started the first source blocks of wines in Sydney, Victoria and South Australia in the 1830s. Large vineyards soon followed, and serious importation was started several years after. Groups of people who bought their wine in bulk soon started forming their own clubs. The Australian Wines Consumers Cooperative Society Limited was the first ever Australian wine club. The group started in the 1950s and now boasts fifty thousand members. A lot of Australian wine clubs have emerged in the past few decades. These clubs started making and selling their own wine. Today, there are about twelve wine clubs in Australia in full operation. Most of these clubs send its members a case of wine every three months. The cases contain a dozen bottles chosen by wine experts. If you are already a member, then Australian wine clubs save you the hassle of purchasing wines yourself. In case of dissatisfaction, Australian wine clubs offer a money back guarantee. If the corks are damaged, a full refund or replacement is made with no questions asked. |
