Australia: Back to the big five: Spain – France – Italy – USA – Chile
Other next ten – Argentina – China – Germany – India – New Zealand – Portugal – Romania – South Africa – Turkey
Countries index – Winemaking – Grapes
| Australia: It has spent millions of dollars on building a brand around Shiraz – it’s version of Syrah. This marketing paved the way for wine production to triple since 1990. Today it produces Shiraz and Chardonnay, the two varieties are almost half of the total wine production. By sheer volume, South Australia and New South Wales (for Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon), and Victoria (for Pinot Noir) are the major wine regions of Australia. South Australia’s most prestigious growing area is close to Adelaide, Barossa Valley (its also known for Shiraz) – Phylloxera hasn’t yet infected the vineyard soils in Barossa,  Image source: vineyards.com The most popular winegrowing areas are: Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Coonawara, Heathcode, Hunter Valley, Margaret River, McLaren Vale, Mornington Peninsula, Rutherglen, Swan Valley, Tasmania, Yarra Valley. |
QUICK LINKS TO REGIONS
[News]
[Tasm]
REGION-BY-REGION
| New South Wales: New South Wales is Australia’s most populated state. Its wine production is outstripped by its consumption, though it ranks second-largest producing area, at around 30%. Much of its production is along the Darling and Murray River. The ‘Big Rivers’ zoneproduces mostly box wine and mass-produced wine brands such as Yellow Tail. The first Australian vineyard was said to be planted in New South Wales in 1791 using vines from South Africa. This was on a site that is now the location of a hotel on Macquarie Street in Sydney. This first effort was not going well and the British government was asked to assist. They sent to French prisoners-of-war, assuming all French people knew someting about wine – they did not! In 1824, James Busby was awarded a land grant for 800 hectares (1,980 acres) along the Hunter River which he planted with grapevines. In 1831, Busby toured Europe and collected over 600 vine samples and sent them back to Sydney. Many survived and were successfully cultivated in New South Wales – from there they spread across Australia.  Image source: vineyards.com Areas: Big Rivers (Perricoota, Riverina, Murray Darling), Central Ranges (Cowra, Mudgee, Orange), Hunter Valley (Broke Fordwich, Pokolbin, Upper Hunter Valley), Northern Rivers (inc Hastings River), Northern Slopes (inc New England Australia), South Coast (Shoalhaven Coast, Southern Highlands), Southern New South Wales (Canberra District, Gundagai, Hilltops, Tumbarumba), Western Plains (most popular emboldened) Grapes: Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Saperavi, Shiraz (20%), Tempranillo White: Chardonnay (20%), Colombard, Grüner Veltliner, Muscat, Riesling, Sauvingon blanc, Sémillon, Verdelho, Viognier  Image source: aroundtheworldin80harvests.com Kangaroos are a specific Australia- vineyard problem. If hungry, they eat the grapes and can strip a vineyard of its crop in a couple of nights. | Tasmania: Tasmania was one of the earliest regions in Australia to be planted with vines. It provided the original cuttings for vineyards in South Australia and Victoria. Some 40% of Tasmania’s wine production is of sparkling wines, a proportion higher than any other Australian wineproducing region. Though it is responsible for less than 1% of Australian production. It is considered as one wine region though it has seven areas.  Image source: vineyards.com Areas: Coal River Valley, Derwent Valley, East Coast, Huon Valley, North West, Pipers River, Tamar Valley Grapes: Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Meunier, Pinot noir White: Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot gris, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc  Image source: wineaustralia.com Image source: therealreview.com |
[Quee]
[Vict]
| Queensland: The first vines were planted in the Granite Belt region and Roma in the 1860s. It, and South Burnett, are today the most important wine producing areas. In recent times vignerons have gone beyond the traditional varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sémillon and Shiraz, and introduced alternative varieties like Tempranillo, and Viognier – and others.  Image source: wineandvinesearch.com Areas: Brisbane and the Scenic Rim, Darling Downs, Gold Coast Hinterland, Granite Belt, North Burnett, Somerset Valleys, South Burnett, Sunshine Coast, Western Downs (most popular emboldened) Grapes: Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Durif, Grenache, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Petite Verdot, Sangiovese, Shiraz, Tempranillo White: Chardonnay, Fiano, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, Verdelho, Vermentino, Viognier  Image source: winetourism.com | Victoria: With over 600 wineries, Victoria has more wine producers than any other Australian wine-producing state but ranks third in overall wine production (is not into bulk wines). Victoria has produced wine since the 19th century, its high point being the 1890s when it was responsible for half of all wine produced in Australia. But phylloxera was hard on Victoria wine and it did not fully recover until the 1950s.  Image source: vineyards.com Areas: Alpine Valleys, Beechworth, Bendigo, Geelong, Glenrowan, Heathcote, King Valley, Macedon Ranges, Mornington Peninsula, Murray Darling, Pyrenees, Rutherglen, Sunbury, Yarra Valley (most popular emboldened) Grapes: Red: Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dolcetto, Durif, Graciano, Lagrein, Marzemino, Merlot, Mondeuse, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir, Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Saperavi, Shiraz, Tannat White: Chardonnay, Muscat, Petit Manseng, Marsanne, Pinot Grigio/Gris, Riseling, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, Vermentino, Viognier  Image source:: wine-searcher.com |
[Saus]
[Waus]
| South Australia: The earliest recorded evidence of vine planting was in 1836 by a settler named John Barton Hack in Chichester Gardens, North Adelaide. In 1838 George Stevenson planted a vineyard in Adelaide and was producing wine by 1841. John Reynell planted a vineyard with 500 cuttings obtained from Tasmania in 1841, and was producing wine in 1843. Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold 1844, planting vine cuttings from southern France which he had brought with him when emigrating.  Image source: vineyards.com Areas: Adelaide, Barossa (Barossa Valley, Eden Valley), Far North (South Flinders ridges), Fleurieu (Currency Creek, Kangaroo Island, Langhourne Creek, McLaren Vale, Southern Feleurieu), Limestone Coast (Coonawarra, Mount Benson, Mount Gambler, Padthaway, Robe, Wrattonbully), Lower Murray (Riverland), Mount Lofty Ranges (Adelaide Hills [Lenswood, Piccadilly Valley], Adelaide Plains, Clare Valley), South-eastern Australia (most popular emboldened) Grapes: Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Peninsulas, Pinot noir, Shiraz (35%) White: Chardonnay, Fiano, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, Image source: savoredjourneys.com | Western Australia: Western Australian is Australia’s largest state, it extends across the western third of the continen. It produces less than 5% of the country’s wine output. The Swan Valley, established in 1829 by Thomas Waters, is the historical centre for wine production in Western Australia. In 1970 some 90% of the state’s wine was grown in the Swan Valley, by 1980 the figure had dropped to 59%, and by 1996 to just 15%.  Image source: vineyards.com Areas: Blackwood Valley, Geographe, Great Southern, Manjimup, Margaret River, Peel, Pemberton, Perth Hills, Swan District Grapes: Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot noir, Shiraz White: Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon,  Image source: australianwine.com |
Wines of Australia
Image source: thehamperemporium.com.au
Back to the big five: Spain – France – Italy – USA – Chile
Others in next ten – Australia – China – Germany – India – New Zealand – Portugal – Romania – South Africa – Turkey
