Australian Wine Regions Overview

Australian Wine Geographical Indicators

Australian wine regions - overview Australia is a large country - The Margaret River in Western Australia is further from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, than Jerez in Spain is from Warsaw in Poland. Notwithstanding the distinctive multi-national approach to wine, Australian wines are not all the same. South Australia The Clare Valley is a very pretty winding and wooded region just two hours drive north of Adelaide and is renowned for its Riesling. Its history of wine making dates back to 1840 when English settler John Horrock planted his first vines. Just an hour northeast from Adelaide is the Barossa with its 50 vineyards claiming to be the best-known wine region. It has the highest concentration of headquarter bases of the largest wine makers in Australia as well as the largest concentration of bottling plants and industry service providers. The Barossa Valley and McLaren Valley are makers of big wines, especially Shiraz. Australia's finest and best known wines are from here - Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace and many other wines, wines that received up to 99 points from Robert Parker. Since 1830 these regions were settled by very different groups of migrants with their own unique cultures, lifestyles and religion, ranging from English farmers to Silesians (now part of Poland). Most Australian wine regions take their influence from migrants. Adelaide Hills lies only half an hour from Adelaide and shines with Chardonnay, Pinot and Sparkling wines. Between 1840 and 1900 there were some 195 grape growers and wine makers in this area and it is said that the first export took place from here in 1845 when the first wine was sent to Queen Victoria.

Adelaide Hills lies only half an hour from Adelaide and shines with Chardonnay, Pinot and Sparkling wines. Between 1840 and 1900 there were some 195 grape growers and wine makers in this area and it is said that the first export took place from here in 1845 when the first wine was sent to Queen Victoria. Coonawarra is a cooler region and it has developed an affinity, in Australia and the world, for Cabernet as well as Cabernet blends. The area is very small, approximately 20 kilometres long and 1.5 kilometres wide and it has a thin layer of red soil (terra rossa) over limestone.

Victoria

Grampians was once known as Great Western for its well-known sparkling wines. The Grampians region began during the gold rush in the 1850's and with the influx of thousands of migrants and their cultures. The cool-climate regions of Gippsland, Macedon and Geelong concentrate on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, while the warmer Central Victoria is specialising in powerful and fruity red wines. Fortified wines are the specialty in the hot region of Rutherglen. Here in Victoria we find the oldest vines in the world that were planted in 1860, claims Chateau Tahbilk, as well as 100-year-old Shiraz vines cloned from vines planted in 1860 by Swiss colonials.

New South Wales

The Hunter Valley's history began back in 1788 on the shores of Sydney Harbour. However it wasn't until 1830 that James Busby, whom is considered to be the father of the Australian wine industry, planted vines and is now renowned for Semillon and the distinctive Shiraz. Hunter Shiraz is as distinctive as the region's Semillon, with its unique earthy and leathery flavours. The Hunter Valley is possibly Australia's best-known wine area internationally and its proximity to Sydney ensures its position as Australia's most visited wine region. The Big Rivers region has gained recognition for its botrytis wines.

Western Australia

The Margaret River region has gained international recognition for its Chardonnay and Cabernet wines. The more newly developed and isolated Great Southern is becoming known for its Shiraz and Riesling. In just over 30 years this quiet farming community predominantly relying on the dairy industry was transformed into a flourishing international wine industry. The area of Margaret River produces only 1% of the total wine production in Australia, however this 1% translates to some 20% of the premium wine market. The region dates back to the early twentieth century when large numbers of small plots were planted for family use by European immigrants.

Queensland

Queensland's most well known wine region is the Granite Belt, which takes advantage of its high altitude to make an assortment of cool-climate wines. Tasmania The home of the small-scale boutique wineries, with only very few moderate-sized companies on the island. Although they encompass their determination beyond chardonnay and pinot noir, aromatic whites like Riesling and sparkling wine may become their best and most important wines.

Australian Wine Geographical Indicators

General information

Geographical Indication (GI) is an official description of an Australian wine zone, region or sub-region. Its main purpose is to protect the use of the regional names under international law, limiting its use to describe wines produced from wine grape fruit grown within specified GI.

Geographic Indication can be likened to the Appellation naming system used in Europe (France - Bordeaux, Burgundy) but is much less restrictive in terms of viticultural and winemaking practices. The only restriction is that wine, which carries the regional name, must consist of a minimum of 85% of fruit from that region.

The use of Geographical Indications in Australia commenced in 1993 when the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Act (1980) was updated to enable Australia to fulfil its Agreements with the European Community (EC) on Trade in Wine and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. This came about in response to Australia's increasing wine exports to EC countries during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The official wording of the Act is to "provide the legal means for interested parties to prevent use of a geographical indication identifying wines for wines not originating in the place indicated by the geographical indication in question".