Hewitson Ned & Henry's Shiraz 2011 / 750 ml.

Located in South Australia, Barossa Valley is Australia's best known viticultural area and home to some of its finest wines. The hot, dry growing season results in tiny grape yields, but the grapes that are produced are generally full of character. Barossa Valley is best known for its Shiraz (Syrah), a grape that does just fine in these conditions, but also produces some standout Cabernets.

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.