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Australian wine: State by state

Thursday, July 05, 2012

Wine is produced in every state of Australia, with approximately 160,000 hectares under vine in 60 appellations. Located mainly in the south where the climate is cooler, the individual terroirs produce quality wines that utilise the topography and soil types of specific areas.

The major Australian varieties are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Semillon, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, and wines labelled by varietal must constitute at least 85 per cent of the wine.

South Australia
About 50 per cent of the wine Australia produces comes from this region – cooler climate Sauvignon Blancs to bolder Shiraz, which prefers the heat of the Barossa Valley. The vineyards are irrigated and some of the best known wine Australia produces comes from this region.

Victoria
There are more wineries in Victoria than any other state, but production is a third of the total due to a lack of bulk wine-producing areas. Shiraz and Chardonnay are predominant with plantings of Viognier, Pinot Noir, Graciano and Tannat, which produce the range of wine Australia is famed for: fortified Madeira and Muscat, fuller bodied red wines and crisp lively whites.

New South Wales

This region is the gateway of Australian wine tourism, boasting small wineries and large estates and supplying some of the highest quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Semillon in Australia. The bulk of boxed wine comes from the Big Rivers zone in this region.

Western Australia

The Swan Valley is the warmest region that Australian wine producers harvest. With Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Verdelho varietals, some of the highest quality harvests, beginning as early as January, come out of Western Australia. However, the south-western tip has increased in significance as the benefits of the Atlantic current and onshore westerlies produce a more temperate climate suitable for viticulture.

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