WE Eurodrinkers have serious cause to celebrate. We have a better choice of appealing, well made wines in our shops than ever before - at better prices, relatively speaking, than ever. In France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Greece - the wine producing regions of western Europe, ranked in order of their importance to us Irish consumers - traditional treatment of the grape has changed radically in the past 10 to 15 years.
A vast and rapid upheaval in an industry older than Bacchus has brought us younger, fruitier wines - wines to uncork and enjoy any old time, without having to worry too much about vintage, suitable food or the unjustifiable squandering of half the weekly budget.
What has been happening? Australia, 10,000 miles across the globe, has been the catalyst for change, shaking up the cosy old world of wine as vigorously as a milkshake machine. Not only has wine become easier to swallow from the taste point of view; it has become easier to understand, with grape varietals - Chardonnay, Cabernet Saivignon, Semillon and so on taking the place of fancy names.
The process which began a decade ago with the arrival of Rosemount Jacob's Creek and Lindemans on European supermarket shelves has changed the very style of wine making within Europe itself. It's an appropriate time to reflect on this metamorphosis, for July 1st the starting date for our EU Presidency also marks the beginning of Ireland's first Australia Week, with tastings of Australian wine built into the celebrations.
The first big export push in the mid 1980s coincided perfectly with Australia's new fashion status. Remember Crocodile Dundee, our first sight of Neighbours and the lengthening visa queue at the Australian Embassy? A more sobering factor underpinning booming exports was the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, and Scandinavia's quest for distant sources of uncontaminated wine - soon making Sweden Australia's second biggest market after Britain.
At first, with tradition and lofty status on their side, Europe's winemakers looked down their noses at the gung ho grape processors from Down Under; but with consumers soon buying New World bottles by the container load, it was a brief stand off. Before long, Europe's most dynamic winemakers were going off to Australia to work the vintage and find out a thing or two. Relationships developed, enabling Australia's young Turks to come to Europe in September rather than sit twiddling their thumbs in the antipodean spring sun.
Ten years on, the wine world has arrived at a happy sort of Euro Australian Union, with wines and winemakers shuttling back and forth. Examples? The charismatic, iconoclastic South Australian Geoff Merrill makes a whole range of Italian wines for Sainsburys. Red Winemaker of the Year Peter Dawson of Hardy's (who worked for a time at Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux) is excited about his company's purchase of Domaine de la Baume in Languedoc Roussillo.
In the other direction, Richard Geoffroy, the wizard of Moet et Chandon and Dom Perignon, plays an active part in shaping the splendid sparkler from Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley. Dominique Portet, who grew up at Chateau Lafite, is the winemaker at Taltarni in Victoria. The list goes on and on, encompassing Euro Australian joint ventures like Laperouse in the South of France owned by Penfolds and Val d'Orbieu.
From all this integration we could be forgiven for fretting about global uniformity - a world awash with wines that all taste the same. There are both ad vantages and disadvantages to Australia's tradition of trucking grapes in from long distances and blending, blending, blending to achieve wines of consistent quality and style. A decade ago, in a Europe where opening a bottle could bring disappointment as readily as delight, it seemed a definite plus.
Now, just as we are beginning to complain of boredom, Australia is one step ahead, focusing on regionality. Many of the most interesting bottles these days are coming from small wineries in precisely defined geographical areas - often recently planted - cooler climate regions, capable of producing more subtle, complex wines. In a curious boomerang motion, Australia has been struck by the old French obsession with terroir.
The difference is that Australia's extrovert winemakers, impart as much personality to their wines as any patch of soil. The new wonders of Oz are obviously more expensive than the mass produced blends, but there's every indication that we are prepared to pay for the extra pleasure they offer.
Figures available for Britain, the country with drinking trends closest to our own show that although Australia accounts for just eight per cent of the total wine market, it holds a 25 per cent share for bottles priced at £7 or more. That means about £9 or more here, of course something to bear sorrowfully in mind as you scan the list below.
Drawing up a shortlist of a dozen Australian wines is hopelessly frustrating. How can it represent all the vastly different regions, different grapes, different price levels and balance the reliable industry giants with exciting boutique wineries? What follows is a minute taster.
Sparkling
. Yalumba Cuvee One Prestige Pinot Noir/Chardonnay (quite widely available, about £14). Angas Brut is the best known Yalumba sparkler - but for a few pounds more this one is 10 times more refined. Delicate and delicious.
White
. Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Bin 21 Semillon/Chardonnay 1995 (widely available, £6.59-£6.99). Australia's two main white grape varieties with a dash of Colombard: a pleasant, well balanced wine with citrus and tropical fruit flavours. Good summer drinking.
. Wakefield White Clare
(Superquinn, £6.39, and many other outlets), Chardonnay blended with the indigenous grape Crouchen this time, to produce a refreshingly tangy white wine. Good sentiniental value too. The great, great, great grandfather of winemaker Mitchell Taylor emigrated to Australia from Sixmilebridge, Co Clare.
. Brown Brothers Dr Muscat Blanc 1994 (widely available, about £7.99). Now for something entirely different a zesty, spicy wine to wave under the noses of those weary, been there drunk that souls who equate Australian white with Semillon and Chardonnay. See Bottle of the Week.
. Leeuwin Estate Rhine Riesling 1994 (Searsons, £10.49). For all you new Riesling explorers, another New World smasher, full of power and grace, lime fruit flavours with underlying flintiness and zing. Exhilarating.
. Rosemount Giant's Creek Chardonnay 1993 (McCabes, £10.99). If you've decided you are tired of Australian Chardonnay, seek this out and see how elegant, almost Burgundian it can be. Balmoral is a pet project of Rosemount winemaker Philip Shaw, and a rising star.
Red
. Peter Lehmann Grenache 1995 (very widely available, £4.99 until end June then £5.39). The King of the Barossa may be world famous for his Shiraz, but it's his juicy young Grenache that races off Irish shelves. Bags of sweet fruit and some oak a typically upfront, Australian.
. Cockatoo Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 1994 (very widely available, £5.99). From the hugely talented Geoff Merrill, a lovely soft, juicy wine with cherry and raspberry notes and good acidity in perfect balance. Great everyday drinking.
. Kataook Estate Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1991 (Terroirs, SuperValu Killiney, Mill Wine Cellar Maynooth, Jyini Wines Limerick and some other outlets, about £12). From Coonawarra, the home of top quality reds, a classic Australian Cabernet - opulent and simply gorgeous.
. Hardys Bankside Shiraz 1994 (quite widely available, about £8.50). This big hearted, typically peppery and spicy Shiraz was one of the wines that earned Peter Dawson of BRL Hardy the Red Winemaker of the Year award in the last International Wine Challenge. A good match for the barbecue.
. Best's Great Western Shiraz 1992 (Mitchells, £12.95). Let's squeeze in one more, since no grape variety is more quintessentially Australian that the once maligned Shiraz. This massive, complex wine from a fifth generation family winery is outstanding.
. Adam Wynn Mountadam Pinot Noir 1993 (Wine Vault, Waterford,
Keep an eye out for top quality Australian Pinot Noir - rare enough, but on the increase. This one shows just how exciting it can be. Worth the drive to Waterford!