First Drop Half & Half | Barossa Shiraz Monastrell 2010 / 750 ml.

South Australia has a warm climate with little precipitation during the growing season, making it difficult for winemakers to irrigate their vineyards. This means smaller yields for the farmers, but the stress on the vines from the shortages of water also results in a higher quality fruit. For that reason, many of Australia's best wines come from South Australia and it's best known district, Barossa Valley. You'll find lots of Shiraz in South Australia, naturally, but you'll also find some great Cabernets, Rieslings, and Chardonnays.

When casual wine drinkers think of Australian wine, they probably think of the critter-laden labels of Yellow Tail and The Little Penguin, among others. And while large wine companies dominate the Australian list, there are also a great number of smaller producers creating highly-rated, award-winning wines.

The majority of Australian wine is produced in South Australia, with most of that (those “critter wines”) carrying a South Eastern Australia appellation. Subregions such as Barossa Valley, Coonawarra and McLaren Vale are home to smaller producers and higher quality wines. Victoria and New South Wales are also significant regions, and wines from Western Australia are reaching America in increasing numbers.

Though Shiraz is the grape most associated with Australia, they’ve also had great success with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling and Grenache.