Australian Wine Regions

Adelaide Hills (South Australia): Located in southern Australia, this is a high altitude, cooler climate region. Petaluma is its most famous winery.

Barossa Valley (South Australia): In southern Australia, this huge, well known viticultural area north of Adelaide is the home of some of the titans of Australia's wine industry (i.e., Penfolds, Henschke, and Yalumba). It is the source for Australia?s finest wines, including spectacular old vine Shiraz cuvées produced by Cimicky, Rick Burge, Elderton, Greenock Creek, Rockford, Veritas, Torbreck, and Yalumba. Lastly, Australia?s most renowned wine, Penfold?s Grange, is largely a blend from selected Barossa vineyards.

Bendigo (Victoria): Bendigo is an up and coming area, although it has a long history as a wine producing region. Balgownie, Jasper Hill, and Wild Duck Creek are the finest wineries. Victoria (Victoria): The best-known sub-regions of Victoria are Goulburn Valley, Bendigo, Geelong, Yarra Valley, and Rutherglen, all within a day?s drive of Melbourne.

Clare Valley (South Australia): Located north of Adelaide and the Barossa Valley, this beautiful area is known for its white and red wines. A number of high quality wineries call Clare Valley their home, including Clos Clare, Grosset, Pikes, Kilikanoon, Tim Adams, and Knappstein. Some surprisingly fine Riesling emerges from this area, and don?t discount the high quality reds.

Coonawarra (South Australia): Coonawarra is among the most respected red wine growing areas of Australia. Situated in south Australia, west of the Goulburn Valley, top wineries such as Penley, Parker, Highbank, Majella, and Katnook pull their grapes from Coonawarra.

Geelong (Victoria): Southwest of Melbourne near the coast is the small area of Geelong.

Glenrowan (Victoria): Located in northeastern Victoria, this hot area is famous for its chewy red wines, especially the Shiraz.

Hunter Valley (New South Wales): Less than a 3 hour drive from Sydney is Australia's famed Hunter Valley. It is to Sydney what the Napa Valley is to San Francisco and the Médoc is to Bordeaux ? a major tourist attraction and popular source for Australia's wines. Originally this area was known for its rich, exotic, full bodied red wines from the Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, but more recently Chardonnay and Semillon have proven successful as well. No doubt because of their size and the intense competitive spirit here, this area's wineries are well represented in the export market. In spite of this region?s renown, considerable quantities of mediocre, industrial swill emerge from both the "lower" and "upper" Hunter Valley.

Great Southern (Western Australia): In the remote southwestern tip of Australia, approximately 150 miles south of Perth, is a vast, burgeoning viticultural area called Great Southern. Apple orchards thrive more than vineyards, but wineries such as Howard Park, Mount Barker, Frankland Estate, and Alkoomi have well-deserved good reputations.

Margaret River (Western Australia): In the very southwestern tip of this country is the Margaret River viticultural zone. Australian wine experts claim that Australia's most French like Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays come from this area, which produces wines with higher natural acidities. There are many fine producers located here, including the likes of Vasse Felix, Moss Wood, Leeuwin Estate, Cullen, and Pierro.

McLaren Vale (South Australia): The traditional fare of this hot area south of Adelaide was high alcohol, thick, rich Grenache wines. This has all changed in the last 5 years with the advent of cold fermentations and the emergence of more serious producers. Some of the giants of the Australian wine business are in McLaren Vale, including Hardy's and its higher quality sibling, Reynella. Smaller wineries, producing some of Australia?s most exciting wines, include Kay Brothers, Clarendon Hills, Noon, d?Arenberg, Coriole, Maxwell, and Fox Creek.

Mudgee (New South Wales): Located in New South Wales west of the famed Hunter Valley, Mudgee (an aboriginal name meaning "nest in the hills") with its cool nights and hot days has proven not only to be a fine red wine area, but also a consistent source for tropical fruit scented, luxuriously rich Chardonnays. For whatever reason, the wines of Mudgee also tend to be less expensive than those from other top areas.

Padthaway (South Australia): This southern Australian viticultural area has developed a following for its value-priced white wines, especially the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Sadly, Padthaway vineyards have proven how easy it is to produce industrial quantities of uninspiring white and red wines. Among the brightest lights are the wines produced by Sparky and Sarah Marquis, and the efforts of importer Dan Philips, all of whom admirably prove that quality and value can be married.

Pyrenees (Victoria): The attractive, rolling hill countryside of the Pyrenees, northwest of Melbourne, forms a triangle between Redbank, Moonambel, and Avoca. The top wines are the reds from the Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz grapes. Wineries of note include Redbank, Taltarni, and Dalwhinnie.

Riverland (South Australia): Located in South Australia, Riverland is to Australia what the San Joaquin Valley is to California. This vast source of grapes of mediocre quality is dominated by huge cooperatives and producers who turn out Australia's jug wines and bag in the box generic wines. Some big enterprises have their jug wine business centered here, including Penfolds. While most of the wines from this area are decidedly insipid, some good value, fresh whites at bargain basement prices can be found.

Rutherglen (Victoria): Rutherglen is synonymous with Australia's fortified sweet wines, many of which are extraordinary. The famous sweet, nectar-like, ageless Ports and fortified Muscats and Tokays of William Chambers, Campbells, Stanton and Kileen as well as Seppelt are made from Rutherglen grapes.

Swan Valley (Western Australia): This hot, arid area in Western Australia, just northeast of the coastal city of Perth, produces large framed, muscular red wines and increasingly better white wines.

Yarra Valley (Victoria): This is Australia?s most fashionable viticultural area as well as a darling of their wine press. Its proponents (the provincial Australian wine press) argue that the climate and resulting wines come closest in spirit to those of Bordeaux and Burgundy in France. I am not convinced. Located in Victoria, this is a cool climate area outside Melbourne, and every major red and white glamour varietal is planted, from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir to Chardonnay, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer. There is much more "sizzle" than substance for most wines from Yarra Valley.