"Timothy Hartley" > wrote in message
...
> In message .
> au>
> "Martin Field" > wrote:
>
>> Australian winemakers have a long history of cultural cringing - that is,
>> using European, mainly French names for their wines.
> Was it then cringing or an honest recognition, if not of roots, at
> least of grafting at a time when there was much more to be learnt from
> Europe than to teach?
>> Most finally stopped
>> this pathetic practice after being dragged into the late twentieth
>> century
>> by litigation and international trade treaties.
>
> You mean the lawyers, diplomats and politicians actually achieved
> something?
>
>
>> But a few winemakers have short memories - a stroll through retail liquor
>> aisles will reveal the increasing usage on Australian labels of the
>> Frenchified term syrah (Ooh bloody la la) instead of the good ol' Aussie
>> shiraz.
> Just as well - we don't want any confusion between the two for the
> poor ignorant fellow who might buy the wrong one of the two and expect
> to get wine.

>
>> Consumers beware, Australian wines labelled syrah will undoubtedly
>> carry a premium price. Wine marketing tosseurs (******* in Australian)
>> have
>> a lot to answer for.
>
> Thanks for the warning - I think I may stick to the Rhone with or
> without varietal labels.

> Tim Hartley

Points well taken Tim. Understandably early Oz winemakers used terms
familiar to them from their homelands to describe their pioneering efforts -
as also happened in other new world areas - eg South Africa, America, South
America. In Australia the problem of passing off Oz wines with European
names was well-recognised in the very early 1900s. Oz winemakers were too
lazy to do anything about it until forced to do so nearly a century later.
Cheers!
Martin