Wine Regions

Australia has a massive variety in climate and geography, which makes it one of the most versatile wine-growing nations in the world. Its wine history dates back to the mid 19th Century when the immigrants to Australia brought with them their wine and food culture.

More recently, Australia has been at the forefront of the new world wine movement, with winemakers experimenting with grape varieties, wine styles, and winemaking techniques. As a result, Australian wines are widely exported and available worldwide, with many of its premium and budget brands having a strong international presence.

Wine is produced in all of Australia's six states, with most being made in the southeast, where the cooler climates are more favourable for viniculture. There are too many great wine regions to list, but some of the most established include Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, and McLaren Vale (South Australia); Margaret River (Western Australia), Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsular, Heathcote and Geelong (Victoria); Hunter Valley and Orange (New South Wales); and Tasmania.

• The Barossa Valley in South Australia is arguably the most prestigious wine region in Australia. With some of Australia's oldest vineyards, it's internationally known for its bold fruity, and high alcohol Shiraz.

• Margaret River in Western Australia emerged as a wine-producing region in the 1970s. They are renowned for their Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bordeaux-style red and white blends.

• Hunter Valley, north of Sydney in New South Wales, is Australia's historic heart of winemaking. Semillon is its signature grape and is regarded as world-class.

• Yarra Valley is the birthplace of Victoria's wine industry, dating back to the early 19th Century. This cool wine-growing region is ideal for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah (a lighter style of Australian Shiraz).

• Coonawarra in South Australia is famous for its red soils and exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon.

• Riverland, Riverland, and the Murray Darling regions are home to Australia's affordable wine producers. With fertile soils and 1000s of growers, these combined regions produce about 40% of Australia's entire wine production.

• Rutherglen in Victoria is the home of Australia's fortified wines with favourable conditions for producing tokajs, muscats, and ports.

• Tasmania is gaining a reputation as an up-and-coming wine region producing excellent Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and sparkling wines.

South Africa has more than 30 distinct wine-growing regions, most of which are in the coastal region around Cape Town, with Stellenbosch at their centre. South Africa is the oldest new world wine region and has been producing wine since 1659. With cold winds from the southern oceans helping to keep vines cool during the hot, dry summers, South Africa has ideal growing conditions for a variety of wines.

Chenin Blanc is South Africa's signature white grape variety and is the most widely cultivated ahead of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Cabernet Sauvignon and home-grown Pinotage (a South African crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut) are the leaders of the reds, with Syrah and other Rhone varietals successfully cultivated in South Africa's many and varied microclimates.

Some key wine areas include Constantia, The Cape Point, Stellenbosch, Swartland, Walker Bay, Elgin, Franschoek, Paarl, and Robertson.

• On the southern slopes of Table Mountain lies the Constantia valley, the original home of winemaking in South Africa, with wines being produced there since 1685.

• The Cape Point is situated on the western edges of the Cape Peninsula. This cool-climate area is recognised mainly for its Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Like Constantia, the vineyards of Durbanville lie very close to Cape Town. The hilly terrain of this area means some of the vineyards are at a slightly higher elevation. This elevation facilitates a significant difference in day-night temperature resulting in slower ripening. Some excellent Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, and red blends have already emerged from this area.

• Stellenbosch is South Africa's second-oldest settlement after Cape Town. The French Huguenots arriving in the Cape found their way to the town in the 1690s and began to plant vines. Stellenbosch is arguably the most famous wine-producing region in South Africa, where Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted grape variety. Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Petit Verdot Pinotage, and Merlot are also grown throughout the region.

• Swartland translated means "the black land". The Swartland district was traditionally a source of robust, full-bodied red wines and high-quality, fortified wines. In recent times this has shifted to produce a variety of red and white wines. Pinotage, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon are being grown in Swartland, as well as Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc.

• Walker Bay is reputed for the quality of its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. The area is also being noticed for the outstanding and consistent quality of its Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Shiraz. The cool climate and weathered shale soils make it an ideal grape-growing region.

• Elgin is only an hour east of Cape Town. The high-lying cool-climate Elgin district, was traditionally an apple-growing region. Now award-winning wines are produced here, with Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz doing exceptionally well in this later-ripening, cooler terroir.

• Franschhoek has retained its distinct French Huguenot character and is regarded as the 'culinary capital of the Cape.

• The Paarl wine district lies north of Stellenbosch and is home to a large variety of grapes. The Paarl produces excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc.

• Robertson is situated on lime-rich soils and is mainly known for its Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. It also produces excellent red wines, particularly Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as fortified dessert wines.

Deep in the South Pacific between the latitudes of 36 and 46 degrees, New Zealand's wine regions extend from subtropical in the north to cool continental in the south with the world's most southerly vineyards. New Zealand's grape-growing climates benefit significantly from being surrounded by the ocean, where no vineyard is more than 120km from the sea. The long sunshine hours are perfect for ripening grapes, while the cool nights help retain that all-important acidity. This combination helps New Zealand produce some truly outstanding wines.

With 80% of New Zealand's wines destined to be exported to international markets, New Zealand produces a variety of different wines. Sauvignon Blanc is by far New Zealand's signature white grape, closely followed by Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Chardonnay. Pinot Noir is the most cultivated red grape variety, with Syrah, Cabinet Sauvignon, and Merlot also produced.

New Zealand has more than 700 wineries spread across ten different wine regions. The variety of microclimates and huge diversity in soil type means that different regions can produce distinctive expressions of the same grape variety. The main wine regions in New Zealand include Marlborough, Hawke's Bay, Central Otago, Gisborne, North Canterbury, Wairarapa, Nelson, Auckland, Northland, Waikato, and the Bay of Plenty.

• Marlborough is situated at the north of the South Island and produces more than three-quarters of all New Zealand wine. Marlborough is generally regarded as Sauvignon Blanc's New World home and won great international acclaim in the 1980s and 1990s. Now Sauvignon Blanc accounts for around 85 percent of regional production. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has bright acidity and is intense, with flavours ranging from tropical and passionfruit to gooseberry and cut grass.

• The Otago wine region is situated in the south of the South Island of New Zealand. This spectacular landscape (think lord of the rings with vineyards) is home to some of the world's best Pinot Noir and impressive white wines. Pinot Noir does particularly well in Central Otago, with boutique winemakers crafting a variety of expressions from across the sub-region. The Otago region also produces excellent Chardonnay and aromatics varietals (Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Gris). With soaring snow-capped mountains and glistening rivers, this is definitely a wine destination to put on your list.

Chile is one of South America's most important wine-producing countries. Chilean wine on the export market has a reputation for reliably good-value wines. However, if you look beyond this, you will see that Chile produces stunning red wines with prices to match.

When it comes to red wines, Chile has been producing the Bordeaux blends and single varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. However, the signature red wine grape of Chile is Carmenere. Although Carmenere originates from the Bordeaux region, Chile has almost all of the world's planting. Other red wine grape varietals you will find in Chile include Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. Chardonnay dominates white wine grape varieties; however, they also produce exceptional Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Semillon (although on a much smaller scale).

The cold Antarctic Humboldt current brings cooling breezes to coastal vineyards, helping maintain essential acidity while grapes ripen slowly. Some of Chiles's leading wine-growing regions include the Central, Casablanca, and Limari valleys, as well as Maule and Bio Bio in the south.

• Casablanca Valley lies between the Andes mountains and the coastal mountain range and is located about 60 km from Santiago. The sea strongly influences the climate, with consistently humid air from heavy morning fogs. The cool climate makes Casablanca ideal for cultivating white grapes, of which almost three-quarters are in Chardonnay. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot are also grown in the Casablanca Valley.

I recently went into one of the best wine stores in Melbourne, Australia, and asked if they had any wine from Uruguay. The chap I spoke to scratched his head and said, "where's that". South America," I replied, "sandwiched between Argentina and Brazil." Again, he scratched his head and replied, "well, if they make wine, we don't carry it." Sadly, that's probably a typical response to a request for Uruguayan wines, which is a shame as Uruguay makes some delicious wines. So let's have a look at what this lesser-known wine-producing country might have to offer.

Uruguay is the fourth-largest wine-producing country in South America. Although wine has been produced there since the 1720s, commercial viniculture began in the second half of the 19th Century. Since then, Uruguayan wines have emerged quietly and steadily onto the world wine stage.

We can't talk about the Uruguay wine industry without recognising Tannat as Uruguay's signature grape. As with many French grape varieties introduced to the new world, Tannat has thrived in Uruguay. Wines from this grape are robust with bold tannins, bright acids, and plenty of black fruit flavours and aromas. In fact, Uruguay has been winning prizes for its Tannat at international wine shows for over 100 years. This international recognition is why Tannat accounts for about 30 percent of Uruguay's vineyard plantings today. The rest is made up of other French varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Uruguay's wines are hugely diverse and express the terroir where they are grown. For a starter, Uruguay has a great diversity of soil types, and it is not uncommon to find weathered granite just a few kilometres away from calcareous limestone. Water also plays an important role in Uruguayan viticulture. With most of Uruguay bordering water, this not only tempers the diurnal range but also provides Uruguay with a warm maritime climate. All these factors account for the variety of expression in wines, even from the same grape varietal.

• The Canelones region owes its success to the fertile soils and undulating hillsides ideal for viticulture. This wine region is home to around 60 percent of the country's vineyards. It also helps that Canelones is a large province surrounding the capital city of Montevideo. With one in three Uruguayans living in Montevideo, this wine region has ready access to a sizable market.

• San José is also well worth a visit. This wine region to the west of Canelones has fertile clay-loam soils and very stable temperatures offered by the three rivers that surround the region. It's seen as the little brother to Canelones and is home to dozens of small boutique producers.

When I think of Argentina, I think of a thick juicy steak and a rich, delicious Malbec. Argentina is the largest producer of wine in South America and has a long viticultural tradition, with wines made there since the 1500s. Until recently, Argentine wines were exclusively for the domestic market. However, over the past 30 years, the country's wine producers have raised quality levels and successfully entered the international market. As a result, Argentina has risen to become an important wine-producing country.

The combination of soils, climate, and high altitude means Argentina is well suited to wine production. In particular, Malbec, Argentina's superstar grape variety, is responsible for producing some of Argentina's most famous wines and putting Argentine wines on the global wine map. Argentine Malbec is characteristically bright and intense with flavours of dark fruit like plum and black cherry. Three-quarters of Argentinian wine production takes place in Mendoza province, which accounts for about 85 percent of the Malbec produced in Argentina. In addition to Malbec, Argentina has significant plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Torrontes, and Bonarda.

Most viticulture in Argentina takes place in the foothills of the Andes, where Mendoza province is the undisputed king of Argentina's wine regions, producing outstanding wines to much critical acclaim. The desert landscapes and high altitude combine to make a unique combination that gives rise to aromatic, intensely flavoured reds.

• The Mendoza region has vineyards that reach as high as 1,500m above sea level. Here the combination of sunshine and cool mountain air means grapes ripen slowly, leading to grapes with balanced sugars, bright acidity, and ripe fruit flavours. Mendoza is located in the rain shadow of the Andes, which means there is little rainfall, so vines are irrigated by cool Andean meltwater.

• North of Mendoza, the regions of Salta and Catamarca are at even higher altitudes, with a vineyard as high as 3000m. With its cold mountain air, the high altitude creates a microclimate where you will find Argentina's signature white grape variety, Torrontes, which makes aromatic, intensely floral white wine.

• Further south, Patagonia, is home to two regions suited to creating wines made from Pinot Noir.