Australia Wine Overview
Australian wine has a good reputation and is enjoyed not only in Australia but throughout the world.
Australia has over 60 designated wine regions and is the worlds fourth largest wine exporter.
Good quality wine is made throughout the country with South Australia being the most prolific producer.
Although this just scratches the surface (as there are over 60 regions), a selection of just some of the many wine regions throughout Australia are shown on this page.
Victoria.
The Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley is similar to the Hunter Valley because it is relatively close to a major city ( and The Hunter Valley being close Sydney) and therefore has become established as a major tourist centre.
It is possible to take day trips from Melbourne and taste wine at over 20 cellar doors including some well known brands such as De Bortoli and Domaine Chandon (owned by Moet and Chandon). Dandenong is a small town 30 miles east of Melbourne and south of the Yarra Valley.
The Dandenong Ranges is an area dense with wildlife. Colourful birds, tall fern trees, Mountain Ashes, beautiful gardens, lakes and flowers create a breathtakingly vivid backdrop of oranges, greens, blues, reds and yellows.
Victoria.
Mildura
Mildura is located in the north west of Victoria and is famed for its citrus cultivation and of course its wineries.
In fact some of Australia's biggest and most well known wineries are based here because of the excellent conditions for grape cultivation. More...
Victoria.
The Grampians
The Grampians are located in the mid west of Victoria. The wild sandstone formations form the western extremity of the Great Dividing Range.
Some of the peaks stretch to 1000 metres mirrored with 1000 different species of native plants. The landscape is painted in a fauna of beautiful colours when in bloom, and wildlife roam freely in their natural habitat.
This is a truly beautiful area, where roads lead to picturesque lakes and inlets of immense beauty.
Grampians wineries are also becoming established and there are over twenty to visit in this area and the Pyrenees region, further east. More...
Western Australia.
Margaret River
The Margaret River region is located on a promontory about 280 Km (170 miles) south of Perth and is surrounded by the ocean on three sides.
Margaret River is rapidly gaining a well deserved reputation both in Australia and internationally and is most well known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc as well as a host of other varieties.
New South Wales. Hunter Valley
The Hunter Valley is a thriving New South Wales wine producing and tourist region, around 2-3 hours comfortable drive north of Sydney.
The Hunter Region is split into the Upper and Lower Hunter.
Most of the visitable wineries are in the Lower Hunter with some notable exceptions eg. the multi award winning Rosemount Estate in the Upper Hunter.
The Lower Hunter has been long established as a tourist retreat with a good selection of accommodation, cellar doors and restaurants. more...
South Australia. The Barossa Valley
The Barossa Valley, less than an hour from Adelaide is one of the most well known of the South Australian wine regions if not in Australia.
The area consists of softly rolling hills forming shallow fertile valleys which combine with the perfect South Australian Mediterranean climate to produce one of the best wine producing regions in Australia.
The Barossa Valley is also at the top of many Australians favourite holiday destinations since it combines beautiful countryside, picturesque villages as well as fine food and wine. More...
South Australia. The Coonawarra
The Coonawarra region, renowned and almost revered for its wineries, is located in the far south east of South Australia.
This relatively small elliptical shaped strip of rich volcanic terra rossa soil is close to the border with Victoria and part of the famous 'Limestone Coast' region.
It is impossible to say there is one 'best region' in Australia as conditions change from year to year and there is such a diverse range of excellent wine growing areas in the country, however, the Coonawarra has certainly produced some exceptional wines. More...
South Australia. The Clare Valley
The Clare Valley is another of the fabulous wine areas South Australia has in abundance.
The Clare Valley is famous for its Shiraz and especially its Riesling which is regarded as amongst the very best in the world, ranking alongside the Mosel and Alsace.
The region was originally settled by English, Irish and Polish immigrants in the mid 1800's and even today there is much evidence of the early influences. More.
Queensland.
The Granite Belt
The Granite Belt is a relatively young and up and coming wine region close to the New South Wales - Queensland border near the towns of Tenterfield and Stanhope and within the area encompassed by The Darling Downs.
There are over 30 wine producers including Jester Hill Wines, Felsberg Winery, Ballandean Estate, Whiskey Gully Wines.
Tasmania.
Pipers River
George Town is near the award winning 'Pipers River' Wine region.
The cool temperate climate found in this region of Tasmania is ideal for grape cultivation which has resulted in a thriving wine industry.
