Australia’s first vineyards were planted in 1788 in a small area near the Sydney Harbour Bridge with varieties being introduced from Europe and South Africa. Today you will find vineyards throughout all 62 designated wine regions totalling 170,000 hectare; however these Australian wine regions are mainly in the southern, cooler parts of the country. Current export figures place Australia as the fourth largest exporter of wine, with only about 40% of production consumed domestically, selling to more than 100 countries around the world and contributing $5.5 billion to the nation’s economy. The country has no native grapes; major varieties are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Semillon, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Wines are often labelled with the name of their grape variety, which must constitute at least 85 percent of the wine.

Let’s take a look at some of Australia’s important wine regions as below :