The South Australian Wine Story

This unique heritage positioned South Australia to guide and inspire the growth of a mature and sophisticated wine industry into the second half of the 20th century. As high-quality wines emerged to establish the reputation of regions like the Clare Valley and the world-renowned Coonawarra, a hub of industry leadership was developing in South Australia, creating what can only be described as Australia’s “Wine HQ”. Wine Australia – the Government body that regulates and promotes Australia’s wine and sets the industry’s research priorities – is based in Adelaide, as are the organisations that represent the nation’s winemakers and grape growers, and a critical mass of both research power and whole-of-wine supply chain wine education, encompassing viticulture, oenology, wine marketing and wine business. Wine’s future thinking begins in South Australia, and there are significant rewards. Wine contributes more than $2.2 billion to the South Australian economy, second only to mining. South Australian wine is exported to more than 100 countries. Few wine regions anywhere in the world capture the meaning and spirit of “terroir” quite like the Coonawarra. The focal point is the famous “terra rossa”: a cigar-shaped band of rich soil just two kilometres wide and barely 20 long that is so distinctively red it is clearly visible from the air. But there are other factors at play as well. The shallow underlying limestone ridge, pure underground water and a maritime climate that produces long cool ripening seasons all help create unique and distinctive conditions that have made the name Coonawarra synonymous with truly great Cabernet Sauvignon. As James Halliday, Australia’s most influential wine writer, notes in his definitive Australian Wine Companion, “in South Australia, Coonawarra stands supreme, its climate … strikingly similar to that of Bordeaux”. The result is “perfectly detailed Cabernets”. The maritime influence is even more pronounced, though less uniform, in the McLaren Vale, where the sweeping vistas take in a mix of rolling vineyards and rugged coastal scenery. This is one of Australia’s most picturesque and environmentally conscious wine regions, as well as one of the most geologically diverse in the world. Significant differences in soil, topography and weather conditions exist in very close proximity, creating an exciting range of options for wineries with vision. The Mediterranean climate has helped winemakers successfully embrace Spanish and Italian varieties such as Barbera, Fiano and Tempranillo, but Shiraz remains McLaren Vale’s standard- bearer. James Halliday calls it one of the “ancestral homes” of Shiraz in Australia. The Barossa Valley and Clare Valley are among the others. The Clare Valley is actually even better known as prime Riesling country. This inland region at the base of the Mt Lofty Ranges endures warm to hot summers, but cooling afternoon breezes help slow the ripening process. This allows for elegant, finely structured Rieslings that are respected worldwide. James Halliday notes that for well over 100 years the Clare Valley and nearby Eden Valley “stood above all others” in Australia for premium Riesling. They remain the benchmark. Provenance Distinctive styles from special places The South Australian Wine Story 03