Australian wine has no native grapes, and "Vitis vinifera" varieties were introduced from Europe and South Africa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Some varieties have been bred by Australian viticulturists, for example Cienna and Tarrango. Although Syrah was originally called Shiraz in Australia and Syrah elsewhere, its dramatic commercial success has led many Syrah producers around the world to label their wine "Shiraz". About 130 different grape varieties are used by commercial winemakers in Australia. Over recent years many winemakers have begun exploring so called "alternative varieties" other than those listed above. Many varieties from France, Italy and Spain
Mondeuse blanche Mondeuse blanche Mondeuse blanche is a variety of white grape almost exclusively found in and around the Savoy (Savoie) wine region in France. With just of plantations in 1999, it leads a dwindling existence and is used primarily in the VDQS wine Bugey and the AOC Vin de Savoie. DNA typing has established that Mondeuse blanche is the mother of the Syrah grape, with Dureza being the father. Despite their similarity in names, Mondeuse blanche is not closely related to Mondeuse noire, or Mondeuse gris. Grapes just called Mondeuse are usually Mondeuse noire rather than Mondeuse blanche. In the 20th