Australian wine made its name by being bold and brash – good quality but far from elegant. The last few years have, however, seen a complete volte face, seeing some wines that are so subtle you would be hard pushed to say that they came from the New World, let alone Australia. The bold style still exists, particularly in the more popular brands, but almost all of the smaller independent producers are moving towards precision and terroir-influenced wines, particularly those in the cooler regions rather that the hotter vineyards of south-eastern Australia.