Buy Good Wine and Eat Good Food

A revolution has occurred in the last few years in the Australian food scene with the move away from large chains to more independent establishments. In metro areas, wholefoods supermarkets and organic produce markets are popping up in between the cracks left by the large retailer. Wine merchants and choice in the wine market has similarly been influenced and people are now changing their consumer habits. So what is behind the change? The Buy Wine Online team hit the streets to investigate.

There is no denying consumers want choice. We want to be able to pick the foods that are right for us. But beyond this, in a country which is becoming increasingly conscious of the impact of diet and products on our health, more and more people than ever before are seeking out suitable alternatives.

At the top of the list is the popularity of organic produce, especially organic fruit and vegetables. Organic produce is a welcome alternative to mass produced products as it offers products free of chemicals, grown in a natural and sustainable way. Organic produce has proven so popular even the large supermarket chains have introduced alternatives in their fresh and even canned food ranges. Organic food often has a richer flavour and because of their nature of growth are often influenced heavily by the seasons- which is great news for the home cook who's looking for new ways to prepare dishes and challenge themselves in the kitchen. It's even more fun when accompanied by a tour of the wine of Australia in your cooking experiments. It's definitely a very fun excuse to indulge a few new recipes and buy good wine and do some food matching!

Another new favourite are whole foods. Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. Whole foods are extremely popular with allergy sufferers who are tired of having little extras snuck into their food production, or people who are looking to ensure a greater control of the fat, sugar and salt contents in their diet. Whole food supermarkets and specialty shops are popping up on the consumer market, as are a variety of different whole foods restaurants and cafes and even brands and products on the everyday supermarket shelf. Even if you are stuck for choice, by law in Australia, added chemicals to food must be listed, so if you wish to avoid chemicals and other additives, you can do so by reading the label prior to making your purchase.

If you really want to go the whole way with whole foods or organic produce, there are also many captivating Australian wines available to suit. Vineyards such as Henschke in South Australia or Cullen in Western Australia make no secret of their movement towards organic wines and the use of sustainable farming practices with many others joining forces with them. Peter Lehmann wines are another fine example and are fast becoming one of many available on the market. And as most people who eat and drink healthy on a regular basis will agree, the quality and taste is usually preferable!