Western Australia | Wine Terms

WINE TERMS

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Western Australia

Australia’s largest state, with the Indian Ocean to the west and SOUTH AUSTRALIA and the Northern Territory to the east. Western Australia (popularly known as “W.A.”) covers about a third of the country but only hosts about 10 percent of Australia’s population. Perth, its capital city and also the most populous, has about two thirds of the states’ population. Although Western Australia comprises Australia’s entire western portion, its vineyard areas occupy only a tiny section of the state’s southwestern corner; most of the rest of the state is inhospitable to grape cultivation. The 27,000 planted acres represent about 7 percent of the nation’s total, with wine production only 3.5 percent, the latter indicative of the smaller yields and high-quality wines this state produces. Western Australia’s wine history started in the early 1830s and was centered almost exclusively in the Swan Valley (SWAN DISTRICT) for over 140 years. The Swan Valley is one of Australia’s hottest growing areas. For over 30 years Western Australia vine growers have been seeking cooler growing areas, most of which lie south of Perth. According to the Australian GEOGRAPHIC INDICATIONS system, Western Australia has five major zones and eight regions. Around Perth is the Greater Perth Zone with the aforementioned Swan District region north of the city, the PERTH HILLS region to the east, and the PEEL region just south of Perth. South of this area is the South West Australia Zone, which includes the following regions: the famous MARGARET RIVER, BLACKWOOD VALLEY, GEOGRAPHE, GREAT SOUTHERN, and PEMBERTON. At this writing, Western Australia’s other three zones (Central Western Australia Zone; West Australian South East Coastal Zone; and Eastern Plains, Inland and North of Western Australia Zone) don’t have much viticultural activity.

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