With its diverse climate—it’s hard to believe mediterranean temperatures, alpine pockets, and subtropical maritime zones coexist on the same island—and topography, as well as its wide ranging soils, Australia is home to some of the best wine in the world. While wine production in Australia only began in the early 19th century—still in its infancy compared to the likes of France, Italy, and Georgia—it has rapidly become a core part of Australian society and culture. As a nation, we’re proud of our winemaking industry, with many Australians opting to “drink local” rather than imported wines.
While Australian wines don’t have a legally protected geographical indication status, shiraz (or ‘syrah’ in French) is inextricably associated with the country, with the grape varietal a core part of the wines produced in the Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, and McLaren Vale. However, the Australian wine industry goes beyond bold, jammy reds. And, the best Australian wine regions extend further than the Hunter Valley (the birthplace of Australian wine) and heavy hitters like Margaret River and Barossa, with the country’s cool climate wine scene steadily growing — simply look at the thriving vineyards in Tasmania, Orange, and the Mornington Peninsula.
Here, we’ve put together the Australian wine regions worth visiting — and the drops you need to try at each.
The best wine regions in South Australia
Adelaide Hills
Influenced by its cool climate, high altitude, and the unyielding passion of its world-class winemakers, Adelaide Hills are home to some of the country’s most elegant cool climate wines. While wine came to the Adelaide Hills as early as the late 19th century, the challenges associated with producing cool climate wines meant most vines were subsequently removed. The Adelaide Hills wine region as we know it today was reborn in the 1970s and is now home to dozens of producers and a diverse array of varietals, particularly chardonnay, pinot noir, shiraz, and sauvignon blanc. The region’s sparkling chardonnay is particularly renowned for its crisp acidity, while its cool climate shiraz poses a sophisticated, balanced alternative to the bold, full-bodied warm climate varieties from the nearby Barossa Valley.
Top red grape varietals: pinot noir, shiraz
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay, sauvignon blanc
Notable wineries: Bird in Hand, Shaw and Smith, Nepenthe, Penfolds Magill Estate, Hahndorf Hill Winery, Sidewood
Best wines to try: Nepenthe Altitude Sauvignon Blanc, Hahndorf Hill White Mischief Gruner Veltliner, Sidewood Adelaide Hills Sparkling Pinot Noir
Barossa Valley
Likely the most prominent wine region in Australia, the Barossa Valley is home to the oldest vines in the country. Producing preeminent big, bold reds, the Barossa Valley is less than an hour’s drive from the Adelaide Hills — but miles away in terms of style. Its mediterranean climate is ideally suited to full-bodied red wines, robust rieslings, and fortified wines, with the Barossa Valley most famous for its plush, tanninic shiraz. While many of the winemakers in the Barossa Valley have been in the region for generations, there’s also a growing crop of new winemakers who are experimenting with interesting grape varietals and winemaking techniques—think organic and biodynamic farming, the use of amphorae for fermentation, extended skin contact, and minimal intervention—to unite tradition with modernity.
Top red grape varietals: shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, grenache, mourvèdre/mataro
Top white grape varietals: riesling, sémillon
Notable wineries: Chateau Tanunda, Grant Burge, Teusner, Tscharke, Langmeil, Rockford
Best wines to try: Tscharke Shiraz Shiraz Shiraz, Langmeil Live Wire Riesling, Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre
Clare Valley
Tucked away in the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley is one of the most beautiful wine regions in Australia. Its continental climate with warm to hot summer days tempered with cool afternoons and evenings results in slow ripening vines that boast a delectable complexity, while its varied soil typologies—from terra rossa red soil to limestone and broken slate—allow a diverse array of wine styles to thrive in the region. The Clare Valley is known for its aromatic riesling which balances minerality and acidity with drinkability, as well as its savoury, medium- to full-bodied cabernet sauvignon and shiraz.
Top red grape varietals: shiraz, cabernet sauvignon
Top white grape varietals: riesling
Notable wineries: Paulett, O’Leary Walker, Wendouree, Pikes, Mount Horrocks
Best wines to try: Paulett Polish Hill River Riesling, O’Leary Walker Cabernet Sauvignon, Wendouree Shiraz Mataro
McLaren Vale
The birthplace of wine in South Australia, the McLaren Vale region is one of the country’s most preeminent wine regions. Nestled between the Gulf St Vincent and Mount Lofty Ranges, it boasts a mediterranean climate that lends it to producing characterful red wines from traditional varietals like shiraz, grenache, and cabernet sauvignon; the former notable for its dark chocolate, intense fruit (think blueberry and plums), liquorice, and spicy notes. While McLaren Vale is most famous for its noble varietals, its coastal conditions are allowing newer Italian varietals like vermentino, fiano, and nero d’Avola, and the French roussanne to thrive.
Top red grape varietals: shiraz, grenache, cabernet sauvignon
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay, vermentino
Notable wineries: Samuel’s Gorge, D’Ardenberg, Yangarra, Serafino
Best wines to try: Yangarra Roussanne, D’Ardenberg The Sun Surfer Fiano, Coriole Estate Shiraz
Coonawarra
An oft-overlooked Australian wine region, Coonawarra is often bypassed in favour of more prolific South Australian viticultural hubs like the Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley. While it’s a few hours from Adelaide, this region is well worth the drive — its cool, maritime location and rich friable terra rossa soils result in restrained medium- to full-bodied reds with the ability to age gracefully.
Top red grape varietals: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay
Notable wineries: Penley Estate, Wynns, Redman Wines, Katnook Estate
Best wines to try: Redman Shiraz, Wynns Michael Shiraz, Little Giant Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
The best wine regions in Tasmania
When it comes to wine regions, Tasmania is often discussed as a monolith. While it’s recognised as a single geographical indicator, Tasmania is comprised of several subregions which all have their own idiosyncrasies. Its cool temperatures are similar to the Champagne region of France, meaning around a third of Tasmania’s wine production is sparkling. However, the region’s output of still chardonnay and pinot noir is steadily increasing.
Naturally, the maritime climate is well suited to pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, and riesling, with Tasmanian wines recognised for their crisp, acidic, vibrant flavours.
Tamar Valley
The state’s oldest vine-growing subregion, the Tamar Valley accounts for the bulk of Tasmania’s wine production. Like the rest of Tasmania, it’s best known for its pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc, and sparkling. However, it has a more temperate climate than other parts of the state, which—combined with its clay-limestone soils—allow the Tamar Valley to produce relatively intense reds like merlot and cabernet sauvignon too.
Top red grape varietals: pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, merlot
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc
Notable wineries: Tamar Ridge, Josef Chromy, Pipers Brook
Best wines to try: Josef Chromy Pinot Noir, Tamar Ridge Pinot Noir
East Coast
Equally notable for its rugged natural beauty as its wine culture, Tasmania’s East Coast offers a stunning backdrop for the subregion’s pinot noir, riesling, and chardonnay. This cool climate subregion benefits from a maritime climate and sunny, relatively dry conditions, resulting in wines with natural acidity and vibrant, aromatic flavours, often with good ageing potential. In addition to still wines produced with noble varieties, the East Coast also makes crisp rosé (typically with pinot noir grapes) and refined sparkling.
Top red grape varietals: pinot noir
Top white grape varietals: riesling, chardonnay
Notable wineries: Devil’s Corner, Milton, Craigie Knowe, Mayfield Estate
Best wines to try: Devil’s Corner Resolution Riesling, Milton Gewürztraminer
Coal River Valley
Situated just north of Hobart, the Coal River Valley is a relatively new addition to the Australian wine landscape. With cool, dry conditions, its chardonnay, riesling, and pinot noir have a crisp acidity and a fresh, balanced structure.
Top red grape varietals: pinot noir
Top white grape varietals: riesling, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc
Notable wineries: Puddleduck, Pooley, Tolpuddle, Frogmore
Best wines to try: Radenti Sparkling, Frogmore Pinot Noir, Puddleduck Bubbleduck
Derwent Valley
Southern Tasmania’s Derwent Valley sits on the Derwent River, not far from Hobart—and a stone’s throw from MONA. You’ll find the usual suspects here—pinot noir, chardonnay, and reisling—with the subregion home to Stefano Lubiana, one of the state’s pioneering biodynamic wine producers.
Top red grape varietals: pinot noir
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc
Notable wineries: Stefano Lubiana, Moorilla, Meadowbank
Best wines to try: Stefano Lubiana Chardonnay, Moorilla Muse Extra Brut Rosé
Pipers River
The north-eastern subregion of Pipers River sits above Launcheston, and—thanks to its higher, cooler climate, similar to that of France’s Champagne region—specialises in sparkling wine. It’s home to Jansz, the state’s only wine region specialising in sparkling, as well as the lauded House of Arras.
Top red grape varietals: pinot noir
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay, riesling
Notable wineries: Jansz, House of Arras
Best wines to try: Jansz Vintage Cuvée, House of Arras Blanc De Blancs
The best wine regions in New South Wales
Orange
Orange is located in western New South Wales and boasts some of the highest altitude sites in the country — the entire region sits above 600 metres, with the highest sites reaching 1100 metres. Combined with its cool temperatures and volcanic soils, the grapes in Orange are slow to ripen, building flavour while retaining acidity and resulting in lively white wines with crisp, tart flavours and a welcome touch of minerality. The pinot noir here is subtle, with complex minerality and soft tanninic notes, while cabernet sauvignon and merlot are often blended to form complex, medium-bodied reds.
Top red grape varietals: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz, pinot noir
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling
Notable wineries: Printhie, Ross Hill, Rowlee, Philip Shaw, Swinging Bridge, ChaLou
Best wines to try: Printhie Swift Cuvée, Rowlee Nebbiolo, Swinging Bridge M.A.W. Pinot Noir
Mudgee
Sitting north of Orange and around a four-hour drive from Sydney via the Blue Mountains, Mudgee is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions. Surrounded by rolling hills, the countryside escape is home to a small but thriving cool climate wine scene populated with both multi-generational winemakers and new organic and biodynamic upstarts.
Mudgee is known for its big, intense reds, producing dark, fruity cabernet sauvignon and robust shiraz. Notably, there’s been an emergence of new varietals like sangiovese, barbera, and vermentino.
Top red grape varietals: shiraz, merlot, cabernet sauvignon
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay, semillon, pinot gris
Notable wineries: Craigmoor, De Beaurepaire Wines, Yeates
Best wines to try: Craigmoor Sparkling Chardonnay, Huntington Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Hunter Valley
You can’t talk about Australian wine regions without talking about the Hunter Valley. The birthplace of Australian wine, the first vines were planted in the Hunter Valley in 1832 thanks to James Busby, who brought thousands of vine cuttings from Europe. Home to some of the most renowned names in Australian wine—like Tyrrell’s, Brokenwood, Mount Pleasant, Audrey Wilkinson, and Tulloch Wines—the Hunter Valley continues to evolve and develop, with a new generation of innovative young winemakers entering the fray. Traditionally, the most famous grape varietals in the Hunter Valley have been semillon and shiraz, with the region’s warm climate and red loamy soils resulting in crisp, zesty semillon with the ability to age gracefully and develop toasty, honeyed notes and savoury, medium-bodied shiraz which provides a welcome contrast to the bolder, full-bodied styles present in warmer wine regions. However, it’s also worth looking into the grape styles introduced to the area by the aforementioned new blood, with young winemakers experimenting with tempranillo, barbera, and fiano.
Top red grape varietals: shiraz
Top white grape varietals: semillon, chardonnay
Notable wineries: Tyrrell’s, Winmark, Brokenwood, Margan, Audrey Wilkinson
Best wines to try: Mount Pleasant Semillon, Tyrrell’s Stevens Semillon, Latitude 32 Hunter Red, Brokenwood Tempranillo
The best wine regions in the Australian Capital Territory
Canberra District
Surprised? Don’t be. With a continental climate defined by its extremes—hot, dry summers with sudden drops in temperature come nightfall and cold, crisp winters—and a varied topography, the Canberra District poses an enticing location for the new generation of experimental, forward-thinking winemakers. Still in its relative infancy, the Canberra District is an exciting up-and-coming wine region, with noble varietals shiraz and riesling joined by new crops of alternative varietals designed to court the modern palate — think grüner veltliner, tempranillo, sangiovese, and gamay.
Top red grape varietals: shiraz, pinot noir, gamay,
Top white grape varietals: riesling, chardonnay, viognier
Notable wineries: Mount Majura, Clonakilla, Contentious Character, Poachers Vineyard, Lark Hill
Best wines to try: Mount Majura Tempranillo, Contentious Character Crisp In Your Cakehole
The best wine regions in Victoria
Yarra Valley
Known as the birthplace of the Victorian wine industry, the wine industry in the Yarra Valley is now in its second incarnation. While vines were first planted in 1838 and the industry quickly took seed, wine production ceased in 1921 due to increased demand for fortified wines. The wine region as we know it today is the result of replanting in the 1960s, with the Yarra Valley becoming known for its cool climate classics — predominantly chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and shiraz. Today, the region is suffused with a youthful energy and forward-thinking spirit, with innovating winemakers bringing a fresh approach while respecting the heritage of the area. The usual grape varietals have been joined by nebbiolo, arneis, gamay, and
gruner veltliner, which thrive in the cool conditions.
Top red grape varietals: pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay
Notable wineries: Seville Estate, De Bortolli, Yering Station, TarraWarra
Best wines to try: De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate Arneis, Trapeze Gamay Rosé, TarraWarra Nebbiolo
Mornington Peninsula
The maritime climate of the Mornington Peninsula results in pours befitting of its bucolic surrounds, with the seaside region having built a reputation for its fine wine. The surrounding water and cooling winds that blow through the region create perfect conditions for late-ripening grape varietals like chardonnay and pinot noir, while a diverse array of soils creates microsites suitable for growing pockets of shiraz, pinot gris, tempranillo, and arneis.
Top red grape varietals: pinot noir
Top white grape varietals: pinot gris, chardonnay
Notable wineries: Pt. Leo Estate, Red Hill Estate, Montalto, Principa Wines
Best wines to try: Ocean Eight Pinot Noir, Avani Pinot Gris (Skin Contact), Stonier Pinot Noir, Kooyong Chardonnay
The best wine regions in Western Australia
Margaret River
Located three hours south of Perth in Western Australia, the Margaret River is the most geographically isolated wine region in the world, with over 8000 kilometres of open ocean to the west before you hit Africa. Sitting in a world of its own, the Margaret River has six unofficial subregions, each of which are in close proximity to the ocean. It has a mild to moderate mediterranean climate, with cooling ocean winds providing vines respite at night. The Margaret River is known for its balance of robust and elegant characteristics in its wines, with cabernet sauvignon and merlot blends, chardonnay, and semillon and sauvignon blanc blends. Those desirous of powerful, Burgundy-esque chardonnays need only look to the Margaret River, with the region’s output distinguished by its intensity, savoury flavours, lively acidity, and minerality.
Top red grape varietals: cabernet sauvignon,
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay, semillon, sauvignon blanc
Notable wineries: Leeuwin Estate, Vasse Felix, Brown Hill Estate, Cullen, Voyager, Woody Nook
Best wines to try: Leeuwin Estate Siblings Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc, Vasse Felix Chardonnay
The best wine regions in Queensland
Granite Belt
Along with New South Wales’ Orange, Queensland’s Granite Belt is one of the highest altitude Australian wine regions. Occupying a stretch on the eastern spine of the Great Dividing Range, the high elevation allows the vines on the Granite Belt to overcome the trials typically associated with a subtropical location. Defined by its low humidity, cold nights, occasional spring frosts, and subtropical monsoons, the Granite Belt has emerged as an interesting cool climate wine region. As well as noble varieties cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and shiraz, the unique conditions of the Granite Belt have also facilitated the growth of verdelho and viognier. The region is best known for its strong, tanninic shiraz and soft oaked chardonnay with stone fruit flavours.
Top red grape varietals: cabernet sauvignon, shiraz
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay
Notable wineries: Ballandean Estate, Symphony Hill, Ravenscroft
Best wines to try: Ravenscroft Vermentino, Symphony Hill Amphora Shiraz
Enjoyed this guide to the best Australian wine regions? Explore more on our drinks section.
Words by Theo Rosen & T. Angel
