In February 2011, I rode my BMW GS Adventure 1200 through 10,000 miles (16,000 kms) around the most important wine regions in Australia.

It was a great experience and we even got to swim with big white sharks off the coast of Port Lincoln.

When Shiraz became very popular in the US (early 2000’s), most of the big wineries flooded the market with wines that were commercially driven and mass produced. This put Australia on the map and consumers got used to fruity, jammy, and high in alcohol wines.

After visiting 19 family-owned wineries from Sydney to Melbourne, Adelaide and Tasmania, I can assure you that Australia has a wide diversity of wines to offer. The good thing is that beautiful gems can still be found in small wine stores around the US. So, support your local community and find those wines, you will enjoy them.