South Australia | Wine Terms

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South Australia

Australia’s most important wine state, South Australia is located in the south central part of the country. It’s bounded on the south by the Southern Ocean; on the east by the states of Queensland, NEW SOUTH WALES, and VICTORIA; on the west by the state of WESTERN AUSTRALIA; and on the north by the Northern Territories. Its capital city is Adelaide, which contains more than two thirds of the state’s population. South Australia’s wine industry started in the late 1830s, and by the beginning of the twentieth century, it was becoming the dominant wine-producing state. Today, it produces between 45 and 55 percent of the nation’s wines. It has over 150,000 acres of vineyards and is continuing to plant more each year, although recently the growth rate has slowed slightly. One distinct advantage for South Australia’s wine industry is the fact that PHYLLOXERA hasn’t infested the vineyards here as it has in some other states. And South Australia has an ongoing quarantine system to ensure that the vineyards remain phylloxera free. About two-thirds of the state’s production is red wine. Using the Australian GEOGRAPHIC INDICATIONS system, South Australia officially has eight major ZONES and fifteen REGIONS (although more are being approved all the time). Some 145 miles northeast of Adelaide lies the Lower Murray Zone, which contains the RIVERLAND region. This hot, irrigated region produces about 50 percent of South Australia’s wines. The other remote zone (farthest from Adelaide in the state’s southeast corner) is the Limestone Coast Zone. It contains well-known regions like COONAWARRA and PADTHAWAY, as well as some other regions (some quite new) like BORDERTOWN, MOUNT BENSON, MOUNT GAMBIER, ROBE RANGES, and WRATTONBULLY. Some of Australia’s best CABERNET SAUVIGNON wines come from Coonawarra. A number of other zones surround Adelaide. Just to the northeast is the Barossa Zone, which includes the BAROSSA VALLEY and EDEN VALLEY regions. The Barossa Valley, along with the HUNTER VALLEY in New South Wales, is Australia’s most famous wine region. Just south and slightly west of the Barossa Zone is the Mount Lofty Ranges Zone, which includes the CLARE VALLEY, ADELAIDE HILLS, and Adelaide Plains regions. Farther south is the Fleurieu Zone, which includes the regions of CURRENCY CREEK, MCLAREN VALE, LANGHORNE CREEK, and Southern Fleurieu (all of which are located on the Fleurieu Peninsula), as well as the KANGAROO ISLAND region, which lies 10 miles off the coast. Two other zones, The Peninsulas and Far North, do not have much VITICULTURAL activity at this point. The ADELAIDE zone name can be used on labels for wines that include grapes from the following wine regions in the Adelaide area: Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Langhorne Creek, and McLaren Vale. In addition, South Australia grapes can make their way into wines under the gigantic region called SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA that covers three states and parts of two others.

Related Links: Bordertown, Mount Benson, Victoria, Western Australia

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