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Wine from Victoria

A Viticulturally Important State of Australia

Victoria, which is the state in the southeastern part of Australia, is a relatively small region.

But, it is viticulturally important for the country by being the most prolific wine region.

With the history of winemaking dating back to the mid-1800s, the region has grown as a significant wine region in the country.

Today, we can see wineries all over the state with a wide variety of wine styles being produced.

Thus, it becomes the third-largest wine producer in the country only behind South Australia and New South Wales.

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Now, let’s see more about this significant wine region here…

Where is the wine region?

As mentioned above, Victoria is lying in the south-eastern part of Australia and the state’s wine regions can be easily accessed by driving a car from Melbourne.

As such, one can visit the southern, eastern, as well as central wine districts by taking this route.

One can also avail the airline services from Albury-Wodonga to gain access to the northern and central wine regions of Victoria.

Victorian Wine Sub-Regions

As most of you might be aware, Australian wine labelling laws are centred on the appellation system, which differentiates the geographic origins of the wine grapes.

As such, wine zones of Victoria include the following wine regions and sub-regions:

Central Victoria

  • Heathcote
  • Bendigo
  • Goulburn Valley
  • Strathbogie Ranges

North East Victoria

  • Alpine Valleys & Beechworth
  • Glenrowan & Rutherglen
  • King Valley

North West Victoria

  • Murray Darling
  • Swan Hill

Western Victoria

  • Grampians
  • Henty
  • Pyrenees

Port Phillip

  • Yarra Valley
  • Macedon Ranges
  • Sunbury
  • Geelong
  • Mornington Peninsula

Apart from these wine regions, there is another wine region in the state called Gippsland. This is the newest, as well as the least-developed wine region, which is located to the east of the Mornington Peninsula.

Currently, the region is dominated by the plantings of Pinot noir and Chardonnay varieties.

The Climate in Victoria

Climates and subsequently, wine styles in Victoria are found to be varying greatly.

As such, the regions surrounding the Port Phillip are enjoying a moderate to cold type of climate.

On the other hand, the northern regions are found to be experiencing a warmer type of climates and hence, the associated powerful wine styles can be seen here.

In addition to these climate types, the map of the state shows several continental regions like Gippsland and they are experiencing a longer, slower, and cooler vine growing seasons.

Thus, these regions are favouring the cultivation of varieties like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Furthermore, on the northern side, the wine regions like Swan Hill and Murray Darling are popular for their warm growing seasons, thereby, producing low-quality, high-volume, and affordable wine styles.

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Viticulture and Wine Grapes in Victoria

Although the vine cultivation and winemaking in the state was heavily damaged by the infestation of pest phylloxera in the 1890s, the Victorian wine industry resurrected during the 1960s.

As mentioned earlier, Victoria acquires the third spot as the largest wine producer in the country.

This is mainly because of the lack of irrigated areas that can be suitable for mass production.

Also, the state is focusing on the quality-over-quantity wine production. As such, we can see several smaller, boutique wineries all over the state along with some larger, multi-state producers.

We can also witness a vibrant cellar-door culture here. Thus, it is home to over 800 wineries and almost 600 cellars that are found to be distributed across twenty-one wine districts today.

When it comes to wine grapes, Victoria has 150+ grape varieties being cultivated. Of them, the widely planted varieties include the following:

  • Shiraz
  • Pinot Noir
  • Chardonnay
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Viognier
  • Nebbiolo
  • Sangiovese

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Author

Tharani Rajamanickam

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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