Australia has a story to tell. Although the United States has warmly embraced its critter wines and its small producers of cult shiraz, there is a fine-wine dimension to the Australian wine industry that has been in existence for more than 100 years, and it keeps getting better.

The Australians export a lot of their wine, but they also consume it too. Interestingly, the wine styles that are most popular in the United States are not what are in vogue in Australia. Whereas the U.S. market enjoys the power and intensity of a ripe and raisined shiraz with lots of impact, oak and alcohol, the Aussies prefer more elegantly balanced bottlings that are unabashedly medium-bodied.

Whereas the American market still myopically sees chardonnay as the only belle at the ball, Australians dance with dry, mineral-laden rieslings and honey-nut semillons on a regular basis.

"There is a misconception that Australia produces monolithic, alcoholic wines, that that is the Aussie style," states Paul Henry, general manager of the market development department of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corp., known stateside as Wine Australia.

"In fact, the high-alcohol movement is a modern aberration and not traditional," continues Michael Hill Smith, Australia's first Master of Wine. "Grange (Australia's prestige red icon) is never higher than 14.5 percent alcohol. The wines that you enjoy in the U.S. don't have the same following in Australia."

Makes sense. It's quite tough to drink those fruit-bombs and Molotov cocktails when the mercury crests at 100 degrees in the Outback.

Addressing a room full of wine industry professionals in a lecture and tutored tasting in New York last week, both gentlemen were out to prove a point: The world of wine Down Under, like the country itself, is bigger and more diverse than well-made mega-brands and cult collectibles. Flying under the radar of the wine-consuming public is a plethora of lesser-known, good-quality white and red wines that might not ring a bell, but will after you try them.

The Jansz "Vintage Cuvee" (2003) sparkling wine from Tasmania is a stunning bubbly with clean, bright apple fruit, a touch of cherry and a delicate hint of brioche. The bubbles are pinpoint; the mousse frothy. It flat-out tastes like "more."

"Although Australia has been making sparkling wine since 1880, there has been a big qualitative jump since 1980," Smith said. "We've had the process down for a long time, but now we're focusing on the right sites. Cooler sites deliver wines with nice lift. We're avoiding the heaviness and coarseness found in sparkling wines made in warmer climates."

"Tasmania will make its statement in sparkling wine," Henry said. "It's a very special patch of dirt."

Tasmania's cooler climate has allowed the grapes to preserve their freshness. The fact that the island focuses only on chardonnay and pinot noir in the sparkling cuvee is testimony to the commitment to quality.

"People don't think of Australia when they think pinot noir," Smith said, "but pinot noir is very fashionable in Australia. At the consumer level, people can quote clone numbers. Tasmania has a climate that works and the producers are fanatics. Granted, you don't have to be clinically insane to make good pinot, but it definitely has an advantage."

Riesling is not something the average consumer associates with Australia either, but wine cognoscenti sure do.

"In Australia, the 1970s represented the Golden Age for riesling; everybody [in Australia] drank it," Smith continued. "It is fresh, vibrant and age-worthy, tight with a nice acid line. It is good young and it is good old."

We in the United States drank a lot of riesling also in the 1970s, but it wasn't Australian, which is a pity. Last year, in Decanter's annual World Wine Awards competition, an Australian riesling won best riesling in the world in the under-$20 and over-$20 categories (Yalumba Y Series Riesling 2006, S. Australia and Pewsey Vale "The Contours Riesling Museum Reserve" 2001, Eden Valley, respectively).

As a wine-consuming public, we've been missing the boat, but there's still time to get on board. If you like the kinetic acidity, crunchy fruit and heady aromas of New Zealand sauvignon blanc, you'll love Australian riesling. It's dry, and that's sweet!

Long before chardonnay, riesling and semillon shared the white wine throne Down Under.

"Semillon is idiosyncratic and the most interesting white we produce," Smith said. "And it is truly great in the Hunter Valley. Interestingly, the great years for Semillon are the wet years. The grapes are picked early to avoid rot. The wine tastes like battery acid for about 10 years, then it transitions into something gorgeous."

We tasted the 1998 Tyrrell's Vat 1, Hunter Valley Semillon. In the course of a decade, it had left its citrusy youth and matured into an indescribable melange of strawflower and honey-toasted cashew. The acidity was bright and the wine had grip. Loads of extract.

"Aged semillon is a schizophrenic wine," Smith said. "Its golden hue hints of a barrel regimen, but it sees no oak. The nose promises a full-bodied wine, but it's quite lean on the palate."

For many, Hunter Valley semillon is an acquired taste. It takes patience to wrap your head (and your taste buds) around it. But that is something Australians don't hesitate to do. In their wines, they search for nuance vs. impact. They eschew cartoon flavors and look for something genuine. That's the Aussie lifestyle. And I'm all over that, mate. You should be, too.

Lisa Airey is a certified wine educator. E-mail her at thewinekey@aol.com.

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