Wineries are spread through every state and territory of Australia, but we will focus our attention on the more prominent southern portion of the continent. Vine growing in Australia is concentrated in the southeastern corner of this vast country. Keep in mind that Australia is about the size of the U.S.

A large proportion of Australian wine comes from the four largest wineries, all headed by the vast Southcorp. One in every four bottles of Australian wines comes from one of these companies, including Penfolds and Lindemans. In focusing on quantity over quality, many of these producers have sacrificed structural complexity to the altar of simple fruit flavor.

Many Australian wines have a confident, user-friendly style. Bottle labels are frequently playful and eye-catching, with an emphasis on the export market.

Australia is better able to grow and harvest grapes more economically than California, Europe, and South Africa. Minimal pruning and mechanical harvesting keeps costs down. Although Australia is well known for producing good, quaffable inexpensive wines, many of their top-notch Shirazes are truly spectacular.

What Grapes are Grown in Australia?

Shiraz - Australian Shiraz is the new Merlot; it is very popular right now. Australian Shirazes are richly concentrated and loaded with ripe, jammy berry fruit. They are bold and spicy and may have hints of eucalyptus or mint.

Cabernet Sauvignon- Australian Cabernets are big, bold, and rich. They tend to have ripe black fruit and soft tannins that drink well young. You may often find the telltale Australian aromas of mint or eucalyptus.

Grenache- Some spectacular Australian wines are 100% Grenache or a Rhone-style blend of Grenache and Shiraz. This blend may also include another Rhone varietal, Mourvedre (sometimes called Mataro).

Chardonnay-Australia’s cooler climates succeed in producing fruity, medium-bodied, unoaked Chardonnays.

Riesling-Australian Rieslings are light-bodied and dry, with intensely focused flavors of lime.

Semillon- Unoaked Semillon is a distinctly Australian white wine.

Where in Australia are these grapes grown?

Western Australia:

Margaret River—cooler, good for whites

South Australia:

The best two vineyard locations for Australian Shiraz are the Barossa Valley and the McLaren Vale. Other good regions in South Australia are Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley, Langhorne Creek, Padthaway, and Coonawarra.

Mclaren Vale

In this region, vineyards lie only a few miles from the western coastline and are not protected by mountains. Slightly cooler climates from oceanic exposure lead to a slightly more elegant, though still extremely potent, wines.Best vineyard sites are located on more hilly terrain, a characteristic that McLaren Vale exhibits much more than the Barossa.

Barossa Valley

About 50 miles northeast of McLaren Vale and sheltered from cooler weather by the Barossa ranges and the Mount Lofty mountain range.The majority of the region, except the ranges, is completely flat and rests on valley floor. Drought conditions for most of the year make drainage problems associated with flat land in other parts of the world a non-issue.

Victoria: Geelong and Yarra Valley are located here.

New South Wales: The Hunter Valley’s cooler climate produces crisp whites..