Australian Federal Government, Capital: Canberra, 7.6823 million km2, roughly 20 million inhabitants. Largest cities: Sydney (left) with approximately 3.5 million people and Melbourne with about 3 million inhabitants.

Canberra – Australia’s capital

Canberra is a planned city with about 300,000 inhabitants and emerged from the dispute between Sydney and Melbourne. As some of the two major cities were not built in New South Wales at the beginning of the 20th Century, especially the independent “Australian Capital Territory”, which only the government is assumed. The architect Walter Burley Griffin, in his Conception of the capital system, a mixture of triangles, squares and concentric circles selected.
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From Golden Age to cutting edge, L.A. hotels accommodate all tastes

In Los Angeles, a hotel needs screen presence to join the A-list. It must have the right look, set the right tone, create a distinctive appeal that’s somehow unforgettable. In the city that defined the blockbuster, this allure usually entails a generous helping of luxury, an opulence worthy of royalty and heads of state.

But entertainment is the business in Los Angeles, so the kings and queens of Hollywood are the royalty that matters most. Celebrity patronage is the authentication that launches new properties and validates the bona fides of the classics. In Los Angeles, even the grandes dames can’t resist a little name-dropping: “Of course Gable, Chaplin and Marilyn stayed here. Need you even ask?”
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Varietals — wines made entirely or mostly from the single grape variety named on the front label — are the most prominent type of American wine. Most of the great American wines are varietals, and a growing number of wines made from Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir are challenging their European models on sheer quality.

Wine book club ratings for the very best Cabernets match those for the best Bordeaux. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir may not quite match the very best Burgundies, but dollar for dollar they compare favorably. One of the hottest categories is Zinfandel, which in the 1990s came into its own as a profoundly distinctive red wine. There is no European counterpart. Cult favorites made from Syrah, Sangiovese and Viognier are beginning to penetrate the mainstream.
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Spain has always been proud of its national traditions, and its wineries have staunchly resisted the international style of oaky Chardonnays and tannic Cabernets. This Mediterranean country’s top wines continue to be made with native grape varieties in traditional styles. They reward exploration by adventurous wine drinkers.

The most successful wines in every price category are red, primarily those made from the Tempranillo grape, which dominates the regions of Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Navarra and Toro. Cabernet Sauvignon has begun to make an appearance, often blended with Tempranillo, while obscure local grape varieties contribute to the distinctive character of wines from Penedès, Priorato and Somontano. Spain’s wine laws are similar to those of the French appellation system, with the best vineyard regions delimited and regulated.
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Germany produces a compelling variety of mostly white wines from 13 wine-growing regions (including two from the former East Germany). Selecting a German wine appears to be a daunting task, due to the large number of types and styles, and confusion resulting from label nomenclature. By using a few basic guidelines, selecting a German wine is not difficult, given the generally high quality standards most producers uphold. The key factors are finding the appropriate style(s) for your taste and producers you can depend upon.
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If you think of values when you think of Chilean wines, think again. Two red wines in the $50 range are about to be released that by their price and their pedigree seek to place Chile among the world’s top red wine producers. One is made by veteran Chilean vintner Aurelio Montes, and the other is a joint venture between California’s Robert Mondavi wine group and Chile’s Viña Errazuriz.

Leading the charge is Montes Alpha M, which at $54 a bottle is the most expensive Chilean wine to date. The Montes Winery recently introduced its 1996 luxury red at a tasting in New York. The wine is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with some Cabernet Franc and Merlot blended in. It stands apart from other super Chileans, remarkable for its understated elegance.
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Ricardo Claro is not a patient man. The Chilean entrepreneur who owns Santa Rita and revitalized Carmen demands results. Compared with boutiquelike Carmen, visible across the valley, Santa Rita is a corporate behemoth, Chile’s second-largest producer. Yet the winery is aiming for the very top in quality.

The winery’s home is in the Maipo Valley, in the small town of Alto Jahuel. Wine has been made on the property for a century, and the original estate includes a national monument: a vaulted brick cellar where General Bernardo O’Higgins, a hero of Chile’s War of Independence from Spain, took refuge in 1814 with 120 of his followers.
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Concha y Toro is big business. The biggest winery in Chile sold nearly six million cases of wine last year, for total revenues of nearly $75 million. A $25 million investment program is building new wineries and refurbishing old ones, and the company now tends nearly 5,000 acres of vines. The effort is paying off: Concha y Toro is leading the way in Chile.

The winery operates as a number of relatively independent units, which brings the size down to a manageable scale and gives talented winemakers the chance to express themselves. The result is good wines under a variety of labels and at many price points. It’s no wonder the company (which also includes the Walnut Crest brand) is responsible for more than 50 percent of all Chile’s wine exports to the United States.
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A country known for decent, inexpensive wine is combining winemaking talent and financial committment to develop a unique style.

Chile has been known for years as a source of easy-drinking varietal wines at very reasonable prices, and a recent Wine Spectator tasting confirmed the truth of its reputation. We also discoveredthat Chile is developing its own unique style, with wines that are refreshing, balanced and great with food.

If you’re shopping for wines under $10, Chile delivers the goods. Wine Spectator editors in New York tasted 141 reds and whites from Chile and found 16 Best Buys. In fact, only 15 wines cost over $10; Chilean producers are intent on maintaining their value status. Very few wines were frankly disappointing; it’s hard to go wrong in Chile.
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If you’re looking for a solid wine for your buck, Chile is a good country to look to. Its wines largely remain in the $8 to $20 range and do not vary greatly from one vintage to the next. With major producers such as Concho y Toro and Santa Rita, Chile is the third largest exporter to the United States.

• Region
• Grapes
• Wineries
• Further reading

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