Imagine having a crystal ball twenty years ago and peering into the future of Australian wine. At the time, Robert Parker was at his epoch and many Australian winemakers were embracing Shiraz. Not just any Shiraz, but big, bold, luscious wines that could have been mistaken for sump oil with their thick density and black as night colour. Australian Shiraz was on top of the world, with 100 point scores showing, apparently, that some of our wines were the equal of the best from around the world. It was a great time to have old Shiraz vines in the ground. Unsurprisingly, many believed that this ancient land and Shiraz as a grape variety had found its deserved place among other heavyweights with their centuries of wine history, and who can blame them. Some of our top winemakers were even criss-crossing the globe and seen as leaders in their field with skills in high demand. These were heady times indeed. And while Australian Chardonnay was certainly popular, it did not have the star power of Parker in its corner. 

Today we have a very different story as the global palate has pivoted. Had the industry had a crystal ball it probably would have spread the risk, headed to cooler climates as a priority, planted less Shiraz and, just maybe, put more eggs in the Chardonnay basket. In retrospect, going long on Shiraz was always a bit of a risk, as the grape trails behind other grape varieties in popularity globally. Even the famed hill of Hermitage was prized most of all for its white wines until relatively recently. Any overseas trip to a top restaurant in the US or Europe and perusal of the wine list can confirm, with a meaty section for Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir while Shiraz or Syrah is lucky to get a handful of pages. For whatever reason, Shiraz has never got the kudos it deserves and, while Parker’s interest certainly moved the needle, it remains very much a second tier grape variety in many people’s eyes, a niche option as one US importer described it in no uncertain terms. “What’s the difference between COVID and Shiraz? You can get rid of COVID.” Ouch. Similarly, while a recent move into alternate varietals is admirable, it is tough seeing some other grape varieties gaining traction and international buyers choosing our Tempranillo and Sangiovese, for example, over wines from Spain and Italy respectively. 

It was probably Chardonnay that was the first grape to really build international excitement around the Australian category in the lead up to the end of the twentieth century. Our sunshine in a bottle wines from the 80s offered a generosity of flavour with personality which was thoroughly unique at the time. Many of these wines were relatively simple, with clumsy use of oak, but that did not matter too much, such was their significant overall appeal. They were exciting wines and showed the aspirations of leading winemakers to put Australian Chardonnay on the map.

Yet it was Shiraz that was chosen to be the leading light, no doubt driven by the success of Penfolds as well as the unique qualities of Grange and Henschke’s Hill of Grace. Was it simply that our male dominated industry of the time was much more comfortable parading macho wines around the world than even considering the quality of our Chardonnays? Even Pinot Noir has had its moment in the sun, driven by excitement from winemakers in Southern Victoria, sommeliers, retailers and the press. This most challenging of grape varieties, which is really suited to only a small number of Australian regions, has been feted and generated vast amounts of discussion and column inches despite its relatively small footprint. 

But has our true star been there all along in full view waiting for the industry to wake up to the fact that pound for pound Chardonnay is probably Australia’s greatest gift to the wine world with examples that genuinely can compete with and beat the best from around the globe? And there is plenty to choose from with numerous quality regions spread from the west to the east coast which can produce a myriad of styles to suit every taste. Plus 20,000 hectares of largely mature vineyards are already in the ground which is 10% of global stocks. In 2024 Chardonnay had the highest crush volume across the country, beating Shiraz for the first time since 2013. Quality tick, volume tick, diversity tick.

At the top end winemakers are hitting it out of the park with stylish and finessed wines but, unfortunately, the same can not be said further down the spectrum. In many cases a fabulous resource is being wasted with boring, simple wines often made with fruit off vines carrying big crop loads and set to be just good enough at their price point, and these are the wines that dominate supermarket shelves. All the knowledge of how to make great Chardonnay is left behind in wines that lack aspiration, ambition nor any chance to help build a compelling Australian Chardonnay story. As an industry it is time to do better, for trailblazers to get the nation’s Chardonnay into gear by putting resources into more nuanced winemaking and consumer education both here and abroad to elevate Australian Chardonnay to where it should be – at the very top of the tree. So what are you waiting for?