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John Beeston is a respected Australian freelance wine writer - who if this book is anything to go by - has traversed much of the 247,000 acres of the world's eighth largest wine producing country while sampling broadly from the 7.9 hectolitres of wine produced annually.
The Wine Regions of Australia is a comprehensive guide to the country's wine areas. Beeston takes readers on a tour of the country, region-by-region and provides insight into the geographical influences of this vast and varied land.
With the continuing popularity of Australian wines, we've become familiar with the names of the wine producing regions like the Barossa, Yarra and Hunter Valleys, Margaret River, Limestone Coast and Coonawarra and with the bold, the cheeky and the refined wines that appear on our store shelves and in our glasses. Beeston's book, with it's detailed maps (more than 50) and farm gate descriptions, gives the lowdown on land under vine, grapes grown, owners, winemakers, leading wines and even hours of cellar door sales.
In writing this book, Beeston sought to produce "a valuable vineyard guide for those wine enthusiasts who love to travel" and that "this work will be of some interest to those who may one day become winegrowers themselves." He has succeeded in this and in writing a book that has plenty of meat for the serious enthusiast and quick facts for the casual quaffer.
On reading The Wine Regions of Australia, you'll come away with a greater understanding of what makes a down-under wine truly unique, a greater thirst and a yen to travel the wine roads of Australia.
Reviewed by Judith Lane, wine writer | 
