What grows best where — and why

Australia is one of the world’s great wine-growing countries, not because it grows one style well, but because it grows many styles exceptionally well. From warm inland valleys producing bold, full-bodied reds to cool coastal and high-altitude regions known for elegant whites and sparkling wines, Australia’s diversity is its greatest strength when it comes to wine making.

Whats good about this if you are are travelling around Australia and you like the occasional wine, you get to try everything from the source, the various styles, also great food and it is an enjoyable way to spend a day or two.

What grows best in any wine region comes down to a handful of fundamentals: climate, rainfall, soil, altitude, and proximity to the ocean. These factors influence how grapes ripen, how much flavour they develop, and ultimately the style of wine that ends up in the glass. A Shiraz grown in the Barossa will taste very different from one grown in a cooler region like the Yarra Valley, even though it’s the same grape.

Understanding where different grape varieties thrive helps make sense of Australian wine labels and regions, and it also adds a new layer of enjoyment when travelling the country. Whether you’re visiting cellar doors, planning a detour through wine country, or simply choosing a bottle at the local store, knowing what grows best where turns wine from a mystery into a story of place.

Wine Regions

Below is a list of what each region is best known for regarding wine types/taste.

Western Australia

• Margaret River – Cabernet Sauvignon & Chardonnay
• Great Southern – Riesling, Pinot Noir

South Australia

• Barossa & McLaren Vale – Shiraz
• Clare & Eden Valley – Riesling
• Coonawarra – Cabernet Sauvignon

Victoria

• Yarra Valley – Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
• Mornington Peninsula – Cool-climate Pinot
• Macedon Ranges – Sparkling & aromatics

New South Wales

• Hunter Valley – Semillon & Shiraz
• Orange – High-altitude cool climate wines

Tasmania

• Tamar & Coal River – Sparkling, Pinot, Chardonnay

Queensland

• South Burnett – Semillon, Shiraz
• Granite Belt – Chardonnay

Our Experience

We are not wine experts, but maybe could be described as budding wannabe connoisseurs.

We enjoy our wines especially in the cooler months. I am primarily a Shiraz guy, while Cathy is a Sauvignon gal. We also like the occasional Gewurztraminer and various other types of wine.

We have spent time at Stanthorpe wineries in QLD over the years. It’s a popular area to visit from Brisbane. We would often go home with boxes and boxes of wine meant to last 6 months and only lasted a month or two. It is certainly a great place to visit with plenty of places to stay.

Added to our list recently is Clare Valley in SA, where we picked up a few Shiraz wines, which is not what they are known for. Cathy feels that the Clare Valley has nicer red wines than Stanthorpe. She is not a red wine fan.

We stayed at Brinkworth about 20 mins north of Clare Valley and an excellent spot to camp. You can stay closer however we couldn’t find anything dog friendly at the time.

Our review of Brinkworth RV Park

We went to Auburn and the first winery we came to had 4 sites for camping and dogs allowed. We had a chat with them and turns our they hadn’t selected dog friendly in WikiCamp. All fixed now. Lesson here is to call and double check cause you just never know.

Port Lincoln also had a few wineries and although they were nice, Clare Valley, in our opinion, is still a winner.

We have just started our journey in WA coming across the Nullabour and looking forward to trying out a few Western Australia wineries.

---

Thanks for reading Australian Wine Regions. Shadow, the van, and the two of us will catch you at the next campsite.

If you like this type of content, please consider signing up for our newsletter.

---