McGuigan Chardonnay Viognier

IRISH consumers buy more wine from Australia than from any other country, giving them a market share of around 27%, much of which is driven by the large brands.

While we all love to imagine our wine being made by a small farmer in mucky boots, the reality is that most of the wine we consume is made by large industrial companies, and believe it or not this is not a bad thing as what the large brands offer is consistency.

Penfolds was founded in Adelaide in the mid-19th century, making them one of Australia’s oldest wineries. I was lucky enough to taste my way through their Bin Series wines a few weeks back, many of which have now achieved legendary status.