The fact that Australia's climatically inhospitable continent produces any wine at all sometimes seems like a prime example of tenacity over terroir, but our cousins are paragons of perseverance and obstinacy. The vast area of Western Australia has slowly worked itself into 9 distinct wine growing regions with the most famous being Margaret River. Here, top rated cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz, plus white varietals semillon and sauvignon blanc, thrive in the typically gravely, loam and clay soil; it can boast producing around 20 per cent of the country's high end premium wine. With the climate in Australia's largest state typically having hot, dry days and cold nights during summer months, spicy red and whites are produced, although the region's wines are known for their elegance as opposed to their power.