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Adelaide Hills Wine Region

Adelaide Hills is "cool climate" with the folds and undulations of the hills creating a wide range of microclimates - part of the Mount Lofty Ranges which has an altitude of 400 metres or more.

Features:

• 20 min south east of Adelaide
• approx 30 wineries
• wine grapes initially were planted in the region from 1839
• the vineyards in the region continue a tradition begun in 1845 when a hock from Echunga was the first Australian wine exported and drunk by Queen Victoria
• coolest climate of all South Australian wine regions
• lends itself to the production of cool climate varieties such as Pinot Noir

Notable Wineries

• Petaluma
• Leabrook Estate
• Chain of Ponds

Events

• Adelaide Hills Wine Region 2003 Hills Harvest Festival & Photographic Competition Held at restaurants and hotels throughout the Adelaide Hills. When : May

Regional Links

Adelaide Hills Wine Region Inc.
www.adelaidehillswine.com.au

Visit Adelaide Hills
www.visitadelaidehills.com.au/

Barossa Valley, SA

Features

• 1 hour north of Adelaide
• over 50 wineries
• Antique hunting is also popular
• most famous Australian wine region
• where Penfolds Grange Hermitage comes from
• German Luthern influence

Vintage Highlights

• 2001: an excellent year for the reds
• 2002: Rieslings from the higher altitude country

Notable Wineries

• Jacob's Creek
• Penfolds
• Seppelt
• Orlando
• Wolf Blass
• Rockford

Events

• 4th October 2003, Barossa Music Festival
• 25 September 2003 Barossa Wine Show
• 28 March to 3 April 2005 Barossa Vintage Festival

Regional Links

The Official Barossa website:
www.barossa-region.org

Barossa Valley Tours
www.barossavalleytours.com

Bendigo Wine, VIC

The climate and soil of Central Victoria, with its deep soils, spring rain and long hours of summer sunshine, are ideal for growing shiraz and cabernet sauvignon and the region is famous for its rich deeply flavoured varietal wines.

Vintage highlights

• 2001: an outstanding vintage
• 2002: the smaller than average crop has nevertheless produced some tasty aromatic reds

Features

• 150 kilometres or 2 hours north of Melbourne
• The red soils and the warmish summer climate produces deep, dark and sought after shiraz produced by so many of its vignerons.
• 28 wineries
• In 1864 there were more than 40 vineyards and by 1880, 216 hectares with over 100 wineries existed. Phylloxera brought a cruel end to winemaking in 1893 - A gap of over 60 years ended when Bendigo pharmacist Stuart Anderson planted vines at Balgownie in 1969
• Principal white grape varieties:  chardonnay, riesling, semillon
• Principal red grape varieties:   shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir
• Principal wine styles:  shiraz, cabernet sauvignon

Notable Wineries

• Balgownie Estate
• Passing Clouds
• Sandhurst Ridge

Events

• The Bendigo Winemaker's Festival at harvest end
• Bendigo Heritage Uncorked Festival is a moveable feast, taking its patrons on a wine-tasting tour of the heritage sites of the city of Bendigo on both Saturday 11th October and Sunday 12th October 2003

Regional Links

Bendigo Wine Region
www.bendigowine.org.au

Victorian Tourism Bendigo Wineries listing
www.visitvictoria.com

Clare Valley, SA

If we refer to the Internet, we have a choice as to when the first vines were planted in Clare Valley. It was either in 1842 by James Green or in 1851 by Austrian Jesuit monks to make altar wine in 1851.

Features

• 1.5 hrs north of Adelaide the region contains valleys with altitudes ranging from 300 to over 500 metres
• Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz are the most important reds
• Riesling is the most important white, with the Clare Valley regarded as its Australian home
• more than 30 cellar doors in the region within a 15-minute drive from each other
• the Riesling Trail is a popular walking and cycling path

Vintage Highlights

• 2001: good for powerful reds, whites excellent too
• 2002: outstanding year for Riesling

Notable Wineries

• Sevenhill Cellars
• Pikes
• Skillogalee
• Jim Barry
• Tim Knappstein
• Mitchell

Events

• Gourmet Weekend Wine and food weekend is annually in May

Regional Links

Clare Valley Tourism
www.clarevalley.com.au

Coonawarra, SA

Coonawarra is famous for the "Terra Rossa" red-brown topsoil laid over a thin layer of calcrete (calcium carbonate) sitting on a white limestone base. This unique terroir is accepted as a major influence on the quality of the wine, along with the passion of Coonawarra winemakers.

Features

• 380km south east of Adelaide or 4 hours
• cabernet sauvignon is the undoubted star of the region
• the first vineyard was planted in the 1880s at Yallum
• the Founder was John Riddoch, who had come to Australia from Scotland during the Gold Rush
• A map is almost unnecessary since the Cellar Door Sales areas are very close to each other

Vintage Highlights

• 2001: great for the classic Coonawarra reds
• 2002: good year for whites over reds for a change

Notable Wineries

• Jamiesons Run
• Redman Wines
• Wynns Coonawarra Estate
• Zema Estate

Events

• Coonawarra Cabernet Celebration

Regional Links

Coonawarra Vignerons Association
www.coonawarra.org

Coonawarra Visitors Information Centre
www.thelimestonecoast.com

Hunter Valley, NSW

Features

• 2 hours from Sydney
• over 100 wineries
• most luxurious - the champion of wine tourism!
• Ken Duncan the photographer has just opened a new gallery at Pokolbin
• Potters Brewery has got to be worth a look
• De Iuliis Family Winery

Vintage Highlights

• 2000: excellent long lived Semillons, good chardonnays
• 2001: excellent Semillons again

Notable Wineries

• Brokenwood
• Lindemans
• McWillliams
• Rosemount

Events

• Oct 18th Opera in the Vineyards - at Wyndham Estate
• Opera in the Vineyards, one of Australia's hallmark arts events, returns in 2003 to Wyndham Estate in the Hunter Valley staring the sensational Dennis O'Neill .

Regional Links

Official Hunter Valley website
www.winecountry.com.au

Margaret River, WA

Features

• at least 3 hours south of Perth
• 90 km long so plan ahead!
• doesn't need wineries for the tourist attraction - has fabulous surfing and gorgeous Karri forests
• reputation for having expensive wines

Vintage Highlights

• 2001: good balanced, long-lived reds and whites
• 2002: refined and stylish reds and Chardonnays

Notable Wineries

• Cape Mentelle
• Leeuwin Estate
• Amberley Estate

Events

• 13 - 16 November 2003 The Sunday Times Margaret River Wine Region Festival
• 7 & 8 February 2004 Amberley Semillon & Seafood Weekend
  Amberley Estate

Regional Links

• Margaret River Tourism Site
  www.margaretriverwa.com

McLaren Vale, SA

John Reynell is usually credited with planting the first vines in 1838.

Features

• 80km south of Adelaide, 45 min
• 40 wineries
• climate is temperate with reasonably mild summers, cool vintages, and freedom from frost.

Vintage Highlights

• 2001: excellent long-living reds
• 2002: powerful but elegant reds

Notable Wineries

• Chapel Hill
• Pirramimma
• Woodstock
• Wirra Wirra
• Hardy's Tintara Winery
• Seaview

Events

• McLaren Vale Sea & Vines Festival held in June
• McLaren Vale Bushing Festival each October

Regional Links

McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Vistor Centre
www.visitorcentre.com.au

McLaren Vale Winemakers
www.mclarenvalewinemakers.com

Mornington Peninsula, VIC

Red Hill, at the centre of Mornington Peninsula's wine region, is also a centre of specialty cheese-making, producing a range of varieties, many of which are designed to complement the region's wines

Features

• 1 hour south of Melbourne
• 40 wineries and vineyards are open for tastings and cellar-door sales
• a cool climate and fertile soils, the sea's moderating influence helps produce fresh, full-flavoured wines, reds, whites and sparkling
• related gourmet produce, as well as cheese, includes big juicy strawberries, crisp apples and pears

Vintage Highlights

• 2000: an excellent year overall
• 2001: good across all types of wine

Notable Wineries

• T'Gallant
• Dromana Estate
• Red Hill Estate
• The Pig and Whistle

Events

...

Regional Links

Bays and Peninsula Food and Wine Tourism Information
www.melbournesbays.org/hinterland/foodwine.htm

Mudgee, NSW

The Mudgee region of central NSW is famous for its full bodied red wines and for being home to Australian literary giant, Henry Lawson, during his formative years. It is also known as the location of the first Chardonnay grape vine to be planted in Australia.

Features

• 4 hours north west of Sydney
• 28 wineries and vineyards open for tastings and cellar-door sales
• the wine industry was first established in the area by German vignerons in 1858
• rich volcanic soil laced with quartz
• local tours available include: riding around on a 1928 Handcrafted Chevrolet Omnibus (PJ's Vintage Tours); Rough Country Heritage Horse Drawn Tours; or get around by helicopter (Commercial Helicopters, Mudgee Aviation Service)

Vintage Highlights

• 2002: great for the reds
• 2003: a drought vintage - lower quantity, higher quality reds

Notable Wineries

• Huntington Estate
• Lawson Hill Estate
• Mudgee Wines
• Poet's Corner Wines

Events

• September: The Mudgee Wine Celebration
• June: The Henry Lawson Festival (Gulgong)
• July: Mudgee Small Farm Field Days
• November/December: the Huntington Music Festival
• December: Mudgee Cup race meeting
• December/January: the Gulgong Folk Festival

Regional Links

Mudgee Gulgong Tourism Inc
http://www.mudgee-gulgong.org

Rutherglen, VIC

Rutherglen is on the way from Melbourne to Sydney via the Hume Freeway. It is near the Murray River with easy access to irrigation, fertile land and a reliable climate of cool crisp nights and dry sunny days

Features

• approximately 3 hours north east of Melbourne
• Highway, in the easterly corner of the Murray River valley plains
• robust red wines that cellar well for many years, as well as crisp, modern style whites
• best known for its superb fortified wines, especially muscats
• Rutherglen Wine Experience & Visitor Information Centre is a useful source of tourist information

Vintage Highlights

• 2000: excellent overall
• 2001: good for the fortified wines
• 2002: excellent overall, with elegant reds

Notable Wineries

• All Saints Estate
• Morris
• Rutherglen Estates

Events

• 'Tastes of Rutherglen' featuring gourmet food from local caterers in March.

Regional Links

Rutherglen Tourist Information Site
www.visitrutherglen.com.au

Winemakers of Rutherglen
www.winemakers.com.au

Yarra Valley, VIC

Victoria's first wine growing region, began in 1838 when The Ryrie Brothers planted Victoria's first vineyard at Yering Station

Features

• closest region to Melbourne, 50km east
• 55 wineries
• specialises in super-premium, cool climate wines, including sparkling wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Vintage Highlights

• 2002: excellent for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• 2002: excellent overall
• 2002: good for the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Notable Wineries

• De Bortoli

Events

• Yarra Valley Grape Grazing Festival is a weekend of fine wine, food, music and discovery Feb 21-22, 2004

Regional Links

Yarra Valley Winegrowers Association
www.yarravalleywineries.asn.au

Yarra Valley Grape Grazing Festival
www.grapegrazing.com.au

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