Australian Wine Regions

Australia is a absolutely massive country. While much of this landmass is covered in desert and vast scrub land (all these areas are beyond where most people live and so are called the 'Outback'), the fertile coastal areas display a diverse array of landscapes, soils and offer many wine regions for us to explore.
Australia currently counts more than 60 wine regions , totalling approximately 160,000 hectares of vineyard area, with Australia now taking it's place as the fourth largest wine exporter in the world, sending it's wine far and wide.

Settle in, grab your notebook, and prepare for a big lesson today, as this country is definitely well-known for wine, and it's going to take a while to discuss all these wine regions even in brevity.
Simply click on the area of Australia you wish to learn about, and away you go!

South Australia:

South Australia is arguably the biggest player in the Australian wine industry, with large production, high quality production, icon wines and ancient vines all sharing this huge region, which has the state capital, Adelaide as it's centre but spreads out in all other directions from there.

Click here to learn about the wine of South Australia!

Victoria:

The state of Victoria has more wine producers than any other within Australia with over 600 wineries.
Add to that over 20 wine regions and you're going to take a while to learn them all.
In recent years, the quality and character of Victorian wines has become apparent, with several regions achieving cult status.

Click here to learn about the wine of Victoria!

Western Australia:

Although Western Australia is the largest state of Australia,  comprising of the entire western third of the country, it's wine regions are all huddled in the cooler climate of it's South-Western tip. 
Western Australia only accounts for around 5% of Australia's wine production, however produces nearly 26% of what is considered Australia's premium wines.

Click here to learn about the wine of Western Australia!

New South Wales

New South Wales was the first area in Australia to start growing and producing wine. The world famous Hunter Valley wine region is located in the North of the state and helped put Australian wine on the world map.
For many years, New South Wales was the most prolific wine producing state in the country, and still remains as one of the most important regions for wine, with both large and small wineries flourishing.

Click here to learn about the wine of New South Wales

Tasmania:

The island state of Tasmania is located South of the Australian mainland and in recent years has become one of the nation's most respected wine regions.
Today it is known for world class Pinot Noirs, Rieslings, Chardonnays and Sparkling wine.
It's cool, maritime climate is unlike anything else in Australia and truly sets it apart from the crowd.

Click here to learn about the wine of Tasmania

Queensland:

The 'sunshine state' of Australia's North-East is a more recent entry into the world of wine due to it's location close to the Tropics, but has grown rapidly over the last several decades and is now supplying quality wines for the large tourism market it hosts.
Most vineyards in Queensland are planted away from the coast as significant elevation.

Click here to learn about the wine of Queensland

Australian Capital Territory (ACT):

A special mention goes out to the Australian Capital Territory. While very few vineyards are actually planted within the small territory, there are over 30 wineries within New South Wales and the Territory itself that are within 30km of the capital of Canberra.

This area is now commonly known as the 'Canberra District Wine Region', and while young and small there are some amazing wineries in this area.  Read through the New South Wales Wine Region to learn more about the Canberra District.

One producer of note that many have heard of is 'Clonakilla Winery' whose consistent high quality production has made it a two time finalist for 'Australian Winemaker of the Year'.
Clonakilla's Shiraz/Viognier is also hailed by wine writer and judge James Halliday as "an icon wine, one of the best in the country".
So while there is not a lot to be said about the area within the Capital territory itself, the area surrounding it is full of potential.