The Adelaide Hills is one of Australia's most charming wine regions, it is also home to a large number of premium wine and food producers.

The first vines were planted in the Hills in 1839, the climate is 5ºC cooler than on the neighbouring plains, making it a haven for many Adelaidians during the hot summers.


The lowest vineyards in the region are sited at an altitude of around 400 metres, & the annual rainfall can vary between 700 & 1250 millimetres per annum. This cool climate is ideal for growing apples, pears, strawberries, & cherries, making it also ideal for Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc & cool crisp Chardonnay.

The grapes grown in the region are mostly the earlier ripening varieties. The high altitude, the wet and cool spring, and dry summers allows the fruit to mature fully at a much slower pace than in other regions.

The Barossa Valley, with its strong German heritage is a place full of character.

Most renowned for its opulent styles of Shiraz, the region also produces fine examples of Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon & Shiraz.

The Barossa Valley is Australia's best-known wine region, both nationally & internationally, & is South Australia's most visited tourist destination. Only 70km North of the beautiful city of Adelaide, the Barossa Valley has a unique beauty of its own.

Australia's oldest vineyard is planted in the Barossa at the Langmeil Winery, one of the earliest established in the region. Nuriootpa, Tanunda, Seppeltsfield, Stockwell, Light Pass, & Greenock are towns in the North of the Valley.
In the cooler South of the Valley, Rowland Flat, Lyndoch, and Williamstown contribute to some of Australia's premium wine labels.

Nestled within the South Australian bush land vineyards of the Clare Valley are some of Australia's finest. Perfumed Riesling, delicate Semillon, aromatic Shiraz & elegant Cabernet Sauvignon are some of the highlights of this region.

The landscape of the Polish Hill River sub-region is indicative of the delicate, elegant wines that emerge from the Clare Valley.

The softly undulating hills of the Clare Valley lie 130km North of Adelaide, and one hour's drive west of the Barossa Valley.

The entire Clare Valley wine region covers a length of 35km and ranges between 5 - 10kms in width. It is broken up into five sub-regions; Sevenhill, Clare, Watervale, Polish Hill River, and Auburn.

These sub-regions are reflective of the different interweaving valleys and creek-beds, and thus the differences in soil-type, altitude and climate.

The Rutherglen region is fortified wine country. Two of the highlights from this remarkable wine region include the unique styles of fortified Muscat and Tokay.

Rutherglen in the North East Victoria Zone is an important producer of fortified wines & red table wine. All the vineyards & wineries straddle the top half of the region the northern boundary of which is marked by the Murray River. The main towns are Rutherglen and Wahgunyah.

Many of the wineries and vineyards today were established before the turn of the 19th century. This signifies the region's ability to deal with the twin scourges of phylloxera & economic depression. They weathered both by introducing resistant root stock and by producing heavy reds and fortifieds.

This is flat country sitting at an elevation of between 150 and 250 metres. The soils are alluvial, deposited over aeons by the Murray River.

The climate is warm and dry with good rainfall during the growing season.

The King Valley region produces a range of wine styles due to the variance in elevation. Chardonnay has proved highly successful with its rich, yet mellow flavours & Cabernet Sauvignon is flavoursome & generous with soft tannins.

Take the King Valley Road from Wangarratta, following the course of the King River to its source in the Great Dividing Range & you would have travelled the length of the region. Your journey would see you begin at Wangaratta, a mere 150 metres above sea level, & if you thought while on high you would never be warm again, by the time you got down to the valley floor you would once more be feeling the heat.

The climatic variability is great making this region one of the most diverse in terms of grape varieties grown & wine styles.

You will be treated to a great drive with spectacular views as you climb up to Whitlands where you will encounter the first of the King Valley vineyards.

Margaret River, with its stunning coastline & world-class wineries, is one of Australia's most inspiring wine regions.

With its maritime influenced climate, Chardonnay along with red & white Bordeaux-style blends are particularly successful. As vineyards aged & more vineyards & wineries were established the region began to hone its reputation, winning medals & trophies for their creative blends & distinctive styles.

The region has become famous for its fruity, dry whites, Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz.The region runs along the coast from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin in the south. The Margaret River flows east to west through its centre and the Blackwood River flows southwest to Augusta.

The land is undulating with maximum elevation at 90m, the soils are gravelly sandy loams. The region is large & varied being divided into six sub-regions.

The climate is warm maritime with cooling breezes off the Indian Ocean. Most rain falls in autumn and winter.

Marlborough is at the top of the South Island, and can be easily reached by air or ferry from Wellington.

The city of Blenheim is at the region’s heart, and is just a short 20 minute drive from the breathtaking beaty of the Marlborough Sounds.

Over the hills and to the south are the Awatere Valley and the seaside town of Kaikoura.

Marlborough is New Zealand’s largest wine growing region. It has an enviable international reputation for producing the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world. It also makes very good Chardonnay and Riesling and is fast developing a reputation for high quality Pinot Noir.

Of the region’s ten thousand hectares of grapes (almost half the national crop) one third are planted in Sauvignon Blanc.

With its distinct maritime climate, the Mornington Penninsula produces a vast array of quality wines. Traditional varieties of Chardonnay & Pinot Noir.

Mornington Peninsula is famous for its bay beaches as well as its Chardonnay & Pinot. The Mornington Peninsula wine region takes in the whole peninsula starting at Mt Eliza just below Frankston.

The main towns amongst the vineyards & Dromana, Red Hill South, Merricks and Moorooduc. The region's climate is dominated by strong winds that sweep across Port Phillip Bay on its western flank and Bass Strait to the south.

The region has a hills district rising 250m above sea level. Although rainfall is reliable supplementary irrigation is required at times during the growing season.

The region's reputation is building around Chardonnay & Pinot Noir. The red volcanic soils also grow a fine Shiraz. Other varieties grown include Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Gris and Riesling.

Orange is a high altitude region positioned on the slopes of Mount Canobolas, producing wines with elegant structures & refined & intense fruit characters.

Orange is the highest region in Australia, & one of the coolest with winter snows.The Orange region lies between the Cowra and Mudgee regions in the Central Ranges Zone.

The dominant feature of the area is the extinct volcano Mount Canobolas. Here lies the clue to the region's soils, they are basalt based & rich. From the summit of Mt Canobolas 1,400m to the lower slopes around 600m, the distinct seasons bring snow & frost in the winter, golden evenings in the spring & autumn.

Orange is strong in its production of fruity & aromatic whites, Chardonnay & Sauvignon Blanc are distinctive, & Pinot Gris is showing promise.

Amongst the reds, Cabernet Sauvignon its blends with Merlot & Cabernet Franc are distinctive, many good Pinot Noir & Shiraz are produced.

The Pyrenees is a region dotted with high quality boutique wineries. Fragrant Shiraz and complex Cabernet Sauvignon excel throughout the region.

The Pyrenees Region is in the Western Victoria Zone. The Pyrenees Range is part of the western reach of the Great Dividing Range. The Avoca River runs north-south through the region.
The beautiful Pyrenees Ranges as seen from Warrenmang Vineyard.

The climate is temperate with variations due to altitude. Much of the vineyard area lies between the towns of Avoca, Redbank and Moonambel.


Soils are acidic, sandy loams with quartz grains, a good draining quality.

The region is very scenic and there are plenty of cellar doors for the wine traveller a number of which are along the Sunraysia Highway, the main route from Ballarat to Mildura.

Productive since the 1860s, the Sunbury Wine region is renowned for some lovely wines. Elegant Chardonnay & concentrated Shiraz are just two of the wine styles to search out.

On Melbourne's edge just north-west of Melbourne Airport, the region includes Keilor & Sunbury, Diggers Rest and Rockbank, extending to Bacchus Marsh.

Further on in the same direction is the Macedon Ranges which it borders at the 400 metre contour line.

Sunbury's chief grape varieties are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir & Shiraz. They grow in alluvial soils on the flat and on basalt based loams on the slopes.

The region has hot summers and cool winters made cooler by strong winds which blow in from the south.

With its terra rossa soil & passionate winemakers, the Coonawarra region can't help but make fine wine.

With Cabernet Sauvignon the undoubted star, the region is renowned for the production of some of Australia's greatest red wines.

Coonawarra lies within South Australia's Limestone Coast Zone. The climate is Mediterranean with cooling maritime influences off the Southern Ocean. Rainfall is low especially during the growing season, necessitating irrigation. The surrounding country is flat, frosty & poorly drained.

The famous Terra Rossa is red-brown topsoil laid over a thin layer of calcrete sitting on a white limestone base. This soil gives the wine its terrior or flavour of the soil.

Black soil areas are interspersed amongst the Terra Rossa and these soils produce quite different wines. And there lay the difficulty, how to impose bureaucratic neatness on nature.

The Great Southern is a large and diverse region, home to many of Western Australia's most successful and individual wineries.

This whale shaped island signifies the dominance of whales & dolphins in
the waters off Albany.The Great Southern Region is a large region running along the south coast of Western Australia. Lake Muir marks its western boundary & the Pallanup River marks the east. There are two other rivers the Frankland to the west & the Kalgan which enters the ocean near Albany.


The region has five sub-regions, Albany, Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker & Porongurup. The main town is Albany, followed by Denmark, Porongurup, Mount Barker & Rocky Gully.

The climate is maritime influenced Mediterranean, with significant differences reflected between the sub-regions.

The Mudgee wine region is rich in both natural beauty & fine wine. Powerful and concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the regional highlights with its complex flavours & ageing potential. Chardonnay is the strongest white variety, with pronounced peach and fig flavours.

Mudgee is the big brother of the Central Ranges wine regions. The Great Dividing Range flanks the region on three sides hence its Aboriginal name meaning "Nest of the Hills".

Elevation ranges between 470m and 1080m. This beautiful undulating country has rich volcanic soil laced with quartz. Its climate is mild with cool summer nights (extending the ripening period) and spring and summer rain. Water is also on occasion sourced from the Cudgegong River that runs south-east into Lake Windamere.

Mudgee Shiraz & Cabernet Sauvignon have earned the region a reputation for full-bodied wines that carries over to its white varieties, the largest planting of which is Chardonnay.

The Riverina is the workhorse of the New South Wales wine industry. Large volumes of technically proficient wine are consistently produced. However the highlight of the region is the luscious dessert wine, Botrytis Semillon.

The Riverina in the Big Rivers Zone is the pump-house of the New South Wales industry. Riverina produces the bulk of the state's grape harvest. The region is larger than all the other NSW's regions combined, extending west to Broken Hill, south-east to Albury & north-east to Parkes taking in the fruit and vegetable baskets of Leeton and Griffith.

Murrin Bridge is the first indigenous wine label produced in Australia. The grapes are grown in Wiradjuri country the indigenous name for country taking in the Riverina.

Major varieties grown in Wiradjuri country (Riverina) include Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Marsanne, Semillon, Verdelho, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, & Shiraz.

The Geographe region is small & compact with a strong reputation for the production of fine wine. Chardonnay, Semillon, Shiraz, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon are the most widely planted varieties.

The Geographe Region takes in the curve of land on Geographe Bay and extends inland. The main towns of Bunbury and Busselton lie on the Bussell Highway that runs from Perth, through the region, to Margaret River and Augusta in the south.

The coastal area has been dubbed 'tuart country' after the soils, which are deep, sandy and overlaying limestone. These soils drain well but are low in nutrients. The region is dissected by the Capel, Collie and Ferguson rivers, which have deposited alluvial soils that are much higher in nutrient content.

The climate, essentially Mediterranean, is cooled and humidified by the Indian Ocean.The region took off as a grape growing area after the First World War when an influx of Italian immigrants set about producing wine.

The Eden Valley is a region of rugged beauty. The cool climate provides ideal conditions for the production of high quality Riesling, Chardonnay and elegant red wine.

The Eden Valley is a cool climate region nestled between 400 and 600 metres in the Barossa Range, part of the Mount Lofty Range. It is actually not a valley but takes its name from the township of Eden Valley.


The region has one sub-region, High Eden in the south. The main towns are Moculta, Keyneton, Eden Valley and Springton.

It is rough, rocky country that belies its ability to produce wines of great delicacy and finesse. The star performer is Riesling with great attention also given to the production of Chardonnay and Shiraz.

The Swan River meanders through
the District all the way to Perth. It runs along the coast just south of Guilderton and it north west boundary extends up to the town of Wannamal .

Wineries are found around the towns of Gingin and Yanchep. However, the main concentration of wineries and vineyards are in a narrow band along the Avon River just north of Midland & the head of the Swan River around Guildford. This area is now designated the Swan Valley sub-region.

The alluvial soils of the Swan Valley & its proximity to Perth saw early horticultural development. Vines were planted in the 1800s for both wine and fruit and production became quite substantial by the 1860s.


The main table wine varieties are Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Semillon Verdelho Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. The climate is excellent for growing Muscat Gordo Blanco and Muscadelle producing the region's highly regarded fortified wines.

The Yarra Valley is a picture-book region - a landscape of great beauty - a terrior that makes great wines.

The Yarra Valley is famous for the Burgundian varieties of Chardonnay & Pinot Noir as they are particularly suited to the cool climate. The Valley also has extensive plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc & Merlot - produce excellent examples of cool climate Shiraz.

The wine region is officially in the Port Phillip Zone. It borders - on the towns of Emerald and Cockatoo to the south. Most wineries & vineyards are centred round the towns of Coldstream, Healesville & Yarra Glen & the historic Lilydale.

The valley is surrounded by the Great Dividing Range east, Plenty Ranges west & Dandenongs south. Altitude range: 50 - 400m. The climate is cool, frost is a problem as are strong cold winds.

The soils are acidic, grey-brown coloured loams occur mainly in the south & rich red volcanic soils in the north & west of the region.