Australia spent years selling the world cheerful, sunny, great-value reds by the truckload, and did it so well that we rather forgot it also makes some of the most serious wine in the New World.

It is a continent, not a country-sized vineyard, and its range runs from sun-baked power to nervy, cool-climate elegance. Two wines tell that story better than any others.

Barossa Shiraz, the Powerhouse

The Barossa Valley makes Shiraz the way an opera singer hits a high note: full-throated and unforgettable. Rich, spicy, packed with blackberry and dark chocolate, often from old vines that have seen a century of summers. This is Australia's calling card, and it earns the attention.

Hunter Semillon, the Secret Weapon

At the other extreme sits one of wine's best-kept secrets: Hunter Valley Semillon. Picked early, it starts life pale, bone dry and barely 11% alcohol, then transforms over a decade into something toasty, honeyed and profound. Few white wines age so dramatically, or so cheaply.

Cool-Climate Australia

Then there is the cooler side few expect: lime-scented Riesling from Eden and Clare, and taut Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley and Adelaide Hills. Australia is far more than a warm-weather cliche, and the proof is all over the map.