Australian Wine Districts

Adelaide Hills

Vineyard area: 4 000 hectares.

Adelaide Hills is one of Australia’s coolest and most elevated wine regions.

Adelaide Hills

Sauvignon Blanc is the most planted grape, and is often referred to as the benchmark for Sauvignon Blanc in Australia. Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc are fresh, aromatic, and easy-drinking with flavours of citrus, ripe tropical fruit, gooseberry and herbs.

The Chardonnay wines are elegant wines with refreshing acidity.

Adelaide Hills is also Australia's leading region for high quality Pinot Noir. Typically medium-bodied with ripe cherry and strawberry fruit and soft tannins.

Adelaide Hills Shiraz is the opposite of the big, bold Australian Shiraz. Adelaide Hills is the leader in stylish, refreshing, elegant cool climate Shiraz. Wines with modest alcohol, attractive pepper and spice aromas, fine tannins and acid structures.

The region makes some of Australia's best Sparkling Wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Black Grapes	White Grapes
Pinot Noir Shiraz	Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc
Soil	Climate
Sandy. Brown Loamy Sand. Grey-Brown Loamy Sand.	Very Hilly. High Altitude. Cool Climate. Best suited for early ripening grapes.

Barossa Valley

Vineyard area: 11 500 hectares.

Picture credit: wineaustralia.com

Barossa Valley brought premium Australian wines to the world. It is home to some of the oldest continuously growing Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mataro (Mourvèdre), Grenache and Riesling vines in the world, dating back to the 1840s.

The Shiraz from Barossa Valley is world famous. It is bold with rich flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant, plum and cherry.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is rich with flavours of blackcurrant, black olive and mint.

Grenache is lighter with flavors of raspberry, strawberry, and pepper. It is often blended with Shiraz and Mourvedre to a classic GSM blend (Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvèdre).

Sémillon is most often made fresh and unoaked.

Black Grapes	White Grapes
63% Shiraz 13% Cabernet Sauvignon 7% Grenache 3% Mataro 2% Merlot	4% Chardonnay 2% Sémillon 1% Riesling
Soil	Climate
Red Sandy Soils. Grey Sandy Soils. Brown Sandy Soils. Low Fertility Clay Loam.	Mediterranean. Cool and Wet winters. Warm and Dry Summers. Drought Hazard. Warm vineyards on the valley floor. Cooler vineyards up in the hills. Dry, sunny days and cool nights ensures consistent, timely ripening.

Eden Valley

Vineyard area: 2 200 hectares.

Picture credit: wineaustralia.com

Eden Valley is one of Australia's top cool-climate wine regions.

It has a long tradition of making world-class elegant Riesling with intense citrus flavors.

The region also produces cool-climate Chardonnays with rich flavours of melon, green apple and nuts.

Ready to drink, smooth Shiraz, with vibrant fruit flavours is unique to Eden Valley.

Deeply coloured, full-flavoured, elegant, Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has excellent ageing potential.

Black Grapes	White Grapes
27% Shiraz 10% Cabernet Sauvignon 4% Pinot Noir 3% Merlot	30% Riesling 13% Chardonnay
Soil	Climate
Clay Loam. Loamy Sand.	Warm Summer. Sunny Days. Winter Rain.

Clare Valley

Vineyard area: 5 100 hectares.

Riesling is Clare Valley's signature wine. It is light, fresh, with citrus and lime flavors.

Clare Riesling represents 20% of the total amount of Riesling crushed each year in Australia.

Shiraz is full-flavoured with notes of blackberry, spice and mint.

Cabernet Sauvignon is dark and rich with black cherry flavours. Often blended with Shiraz for the bold and uniquely Australian Shiraz/Cabernet Blend.

Black Grapes	White Grapes
Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon	Riesling
Soil	Climate
Limestone. Broken Slate.	Warm Climate. Warm Summer. Cold Nights. High Day/Night Temerature Differences. Afternoon Breezes. Cold Winters with Rain.

Coonawarra

Vineyard area: 5 800 hectares.

Coonawarra is known for quality wines.

Conavarra Soil

Terra rossa soil over white limestone at Coonawarra. © Wine Australia.

Conavarra Wines

Coonawarra makes some of the world's best Cabernet Sauvignons. Powerful and rich, with classic flavours of blackcurrant, blackberry, dark cherry, and mint. The best can age for decades.

The Shiraz is very food-friendly and often lighter than those from warmer Australian regions.

Merlot is relative new in this Conawarra. It produces full-flavoured, interesting and age-worthy wines, often blended with Cabernet.

Black Grapes	White Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot	Chardonnay
Soil	Climate
Terra Rossa. White Limestone.	Dry and Moderate Summer. Chilly Nights. Cold Winters. Consistent cloud cover contributes to cooler temperatures.

Mclaren Vale

Vineyard area: 7 500 hectares.

Shiraz is the signature wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon is full-flavoured, rich and able to age for decades. It thrives here due to the cooling of ocean breezes.

McLaren Vale has old Grenache vines dating back as far as the late 1800s. Grenache is still used in classic GSM blends (Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvèdre), but single Grenache wines are now star performers.

Black Grapes	White Grapes
53% Shiraz 19% Cabernet Sauvignon 7% Grenache	5% Chardonnay
Soil	Climate
Wide Variety of Soils.	Mediterranean. Warm Summers. Ocean Breezes. Mild Winters with Rain.