With 1000 wineries in around 60 wine growing regions, Australia is consistently one of the top ten wine producing countries in the world.
The United Kingdom now imports more wine from Australia than it does from France. In 200 years the Australian wine industry has grown from a few small plantings to an industry which exports to over 100 countries and is renowned throughout the world for its quality and innovative techniques. Australia now has some of the oldest grape vines in the world because during the 1800’s many of Europe’s established vineyards were destroyed by disease.
There are more than 60 wine regions in Australia, this number keeps growing annually. Australia’s most important state for wine production is South Australia, whose capital is Adelaide. South Australia makes about 50 percent of Australia’s wine. While many vineyards in South Australia produce inexpensive wines for the thirsty home market, vineyards closer to Adelaide make wines that are considered among the country’s finest.
Among these fine wine regions are:
Barossa Valley: North of Adelaide, this is one of Australia’s oldest areas for fine wine; it’s a relatively warm area famous especially for its robust Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache, as well as rich Semillon and Riesling (grown in the cooler hills). Most of Australia’s largest wineries, including Penfolds, are based here.
Clare Valley: North of the Barossa Valley, this climatically diverse area makes the country’s best Rieslings in a dry, weighty yet crisp style, as well as fine Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
McLaren Vale: South of Adelaide, with a mild climate influenced by the sea, this region is particularly admired for its Shiraz, Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay.
Adelaide Hills: Situated partially within the Adelaide city limits, this fairly cool region sits between the Barossa and McLaren Vale areas and is the home to rather good Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz.
Limestone Coast: This unique zone along the southern coast of South Australia is an important area for fine wine, both red and white, thanks to the prevalence of limestone in the soil. Two of the six regions within the Limestone Coast zone are famous in their own right — the cool Coonawarra for some of Australia’s best Cabernet Sauvignon wines, and Padthaway for its white wines, particularly Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling.
New South Wales, with its capital, Sydney, is Australia’s most populous state and the first to grow vines; today it makes 31 percent of Australia’s wine. High-volume production of everyday wines comes from an interior area called the Riverina. Fine wine, for now, comes from three other areas:
Hunter Valley: An historic grape-growing area that begins 80 miles north of Sydney. The Lower Hunter, with a warm, damp climate and heavy soils, produces long-lived Semillon as its best wine. The Upper Hunter is a drier area farther from the coast.
Mudgee: An interior area near the mountains. Mudgee specializes in reds such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon but also makes Chardonnay.
Orange: A cool, high-altitude area making distinctive white wines and also very good reds.
The other wine regions in Australia include the states of Victoria and Western Australia, and the island of Tasmania.
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