Wines from South Australia
Discovering the wines from South Australia
As the name suggests, South Australia is occupying the southern part of the vast continent. This, which is one of the six states in Australia, is also an important wine territory.
The wine experts call it as the engine room of the Australian wine industry because it’s responsible for almost half of the country’s total wine output every year.
But wait, the region is not only meant for quantity, but several high-quality wines are also made here.
Moreover, it is also home to some of the most popular regions, historic wine estates, and the oldest vines in Australia.
Today, let’s try to discover the wine regions of South Australia here. So, continue reading…
South Australia’s Geography and Climate
Geographically, the state has spread over 1200 kilometres from east to west and is bordering every other state of Australia, except Tasmania.
The measurements from north to south are not so clear and it’s man-made.
On its southern side, the border has been formed by the arching coastline of the Great Australian Bight.
It’s at the eastern edge of the arch that the clear majority of viticultural activities are taking place.
As such, the climate in South Australia differs greatly from one area to another. The more interior parts are found to be intensely hot, while the regions closer to the coast are cooler.
Thus, the southeastern corner of the state is cooler and less arid than the northern parts, which are too hot and dry for vine cultivation.
In the viticultural zone, the climate is being moderated by two gulfs that are bringing cool waters from the Southern Ocean.
A low annual rainfall is reported throughout the region, thereby, making irrigation necessary to counter droughts.
Like climates, the soils are also found to be varying largely from part to another. The most common types of soils are Terra Rosa, limestone-marl, sandy, and clay loam.
South Australia’s Top 5 Wine Regions
South Australia is home to as many as 18 wine regions, which is why it is called as “World’s Great Wine Capital”.
As you might be aware, Australian wine appellation system (GI) draws the definitive boundaries for the wine regions, thereby, dividing them into zones, regions, and sub-regions.
In South Australia, we can find a fourth GI called as “super zone” that comprises a group of adjoining wine zones. As of now, only one such super zone exists, which is “Adelaide super zone”.
Now, let’s see other wine zones and wine regions of the state here:
Barossa zone
Barossa zone includes the wine regions of Barossa Valley and Eden Valley with High Eden sub-region.
Fleurieu zone
Fleurieu zone includes the wine regions of Currency Creek, Kangaroo Island, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, and Southern Fleurieu.
Mount Lofty Ranges Zone
Mount Lofty Ranges zone includes the wine regions of Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Plains, and Clare Valley. Lenswood and Piccadilly Valley are the sub-regions of Adelaide Hills.
Far North Zone
Far North zone includes the Southern Flinders Ranges wine region.
Limestone Coast zone
Limestone Coast zone includes the wine regions of Coonawarra, Mount Benson, Mount Gambier, Padthaway, Robe, and Wrattonbully.
Lower Murray Zone
Lower Murray zone includes the Riverland wine region.
The Peninsulas Zone
The Peninsulas zone covers the Yorke Peninsula and a portion of Eyre Peninsula.
Apart from these wine zones and regions, there is another wine region called “South Eastern Australia” wine region.
South Australia’s Wines and Wine Grapes
Typically, the state’s wine portfolio is found to be mainly focused on stronger red wines.
Most of these are made from the region’s signature variety, Shiraz.
Another variety that thrives well here is Cabernet Sauvignon that is coming from the Limestone Coast.
Besides these, we can also find the following grape varieties in the South Australian vineyards:
- Grenache
- Mourvedre
- Tempranillo
- Nebbiolo
- Montepulciano
- Petit Verdot
- Riesling
The white wine grapes that are cultivated in the region are:
- Chardonnay
- Semillon
- Roussanne
- Viognier
- Verdelho
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Tharani Rajamanickam
Winewriter
I am Tharani, I have Bachelors degree in Biotechnology. I am passionate about the wine industry and continue to explore, learn and share and I bring in a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help you keep updated with best wines in the world. Stay tuned..
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