Australia Overview
Wine Regions
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World's fourth largest exporter of wine with approximately 750 million liters a year
– 40% of production consumed domestically
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Australia has more than 60 designated wine regions across the country
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Australia’s wine regions are mainly in the southern, cooler parts of the country
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South Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Western Australia
Tasmania
Queensland
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Has developed a worldwide reputation for its award-winning wines
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Major varietals: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Semillon, Pinot noir, Riesling, and Sauvignon
Blanc
**South Australia considered
“the wine capital”
South Australia
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Known as “the wine capital of Australia”
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Responsible for more than half the production of
all Australian wine
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Mediterranean climate with long summers, mild
winters
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Diversity in geography able to produce a range of
grape varieties
– Cool climate Riesling the Clare Valley
– Big, full bodied Shiraz wines of the Barossa
Valley
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Includes famous regions such as:
– Borossa*
– Clare Valley*
– McLaren Vale
– The Adelaide Hills
– Coonawarra
Barossa Valley
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Home to some of the oldest continuously producing
vineyards in the world
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History of grape growing and winemaking dating back
to 1842
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Incorporates both Barossa Valley and Eden Valley,
making it one of the only areas with warm and cool
climate growing conditions
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Renowned for Shiraz – winning accolades around the
globe
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Other varieties such as Grenache, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Mataro (Mourvedre), Riesling and
Semillon
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Riesling has gained an enviable reputation
• Characteristic crisp citrus flavors
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2 types of soils: brown, loamy sandy to clay loam and
sandy light-brownish grey to dark grey brown soils
Clare Valley
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Settled in the 1840’s
One of the coolest mainland wine-growing regions in Australia
Most famous for crisp, complex Rieslings
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Principal red varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz
Wines are rapidly gaining an international reputation
Series of valleys and uplands with considerable variation in topography and microclimate
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Said to rival the great Rieslings of Mosel in Germany and Alsace
cool to cold nights and warm to hot summer days.
Soil structure varies throughout the valleys from red clays and sandy loams to the red loams over
limestone
Producing only 3% of Australia's total grape crush
Wins 20% of the wine awards available to Australian vineyards every year
Victoria
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East of Southern Australia
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Smaller state that makes 15% of Australia’s wines
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Established a reputation for its sweet, fortified wines made from
late harvest grapes
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Wine production ranges from rich, fortified dessert wines to
delicate Pinot
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500+ wineries
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Principal regions include:
– Central Victoria*
– North East Victoria
– North West Victoria
– Western Victoria
– Port Phillip
– Gippsland
Central Victoria
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Most diverse region in the state
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Known for its temperate climate and 500
million year old Cambrian soil
– particularly well suited for producing
deeply colored, rich Shiraz
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Encompasses chilly mountain ranges, humid
valley plains, fertile river flats, thick forests
and dry, rolling hills
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Produces wines that range from rich, ripe
reds to full-flavored whites
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Famous for: Rhone varietals, Shiraz, cool
climate whites, and sparkling wines
Australia Overview