From Hunter to Yarra, Here Are the Best Wine Regions and Vineyards to Visit in Australia
By Oscar Davis
If you’re a wine connoisseur who loves relaxing after a hard day of work with a glass of wine and a cheese platter, you might have
considered vacationing in countries known for quality wine. Australia undoubtedly meets the mark, with more than 100 grape varieties grown across the country and resultant wine that ranks among the world’s best.
However, choosing a region to visit can be challenging, especially since so many produce delicious wines worthy of your attention.
If you’re having difficulty planning your itinerary, it can be worth adding some of the following regions to your must-visit list.
| HUNTER VALLEY WINERIES
Wynwood Estate Waverley Estate Ivanhoe Wines Peppertree Wines Gartelmann Wines Audrey Wilkinson Winery Bimbadgen Winery |
Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley is known as Australia’s oldest wine region, and it’s only within a short three-hour drive of Sydney by car. Here, wine-growing businesses like Tastes of the Hunter Wine Tours produce a variety of wines like Chardonnay, Semillon, Verdelho, and Shiraz.
At least three-quarters of vineyard land in Hunter Valley is dedicated to these varieties, as well as Pinot Noir and Merlot, with the remainder being used for less popular types like Traminer, Barbera, and Viognier.
Margaret River
Margaret River is one of the most famous wine regions in Western Australia. Wine grapes are grown in some of the oldest soils in the world, and customers get to reap the rewards of wine grower efforts with varieties like cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay.
| MARGARET RIVER WINERIES
Snake+Herring Windance Estate Clairault Streicker Wines Rustico at Hay Shed Grace Farm Montague Estate |
Natural fermentation and organic and biodynamic practices are integral to the quality of wines produced in Margaret River, and people travel from far and wide to enjoy the offerings at the many dozens of cellar doors and wineries.
King Valley
If you’re passionate about Italian heritage, you don’t always have to travel to Italy to immerse yourself in it. Instead, you might just need to take a trip to King Valley, just a three-hour drive from Melbourne.
King Valley has a rich Italian heritage, which can shine through in the wine produced in the region. Whether you’re looking for a thirst-quenching and fruity Moscato or a Prosecco to start the afternoon right, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for. King Valley is also known for having more than 1,500 hectares of vineyards, with the most popular wine varieties being Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Prosecco, and Chardonnay.
Some of the best vineyards here include: Brown BrothersPizzini WineryDal Zotto WinesLa CantinaWood Park WinesPolitini Wines
Yarra Valley
Yarra Valley surrounds the Yarra River in Victoria, Australia, and is well known for a wide variety of attractions, like the Californian Redwood Forest and Yarrambat Park. However, wine lovers also love exploring Yarra Valley because it’s the oldest wine-growing region in the state.
| Yarra Valley Winery Tour
Steels Gate Wines |
The very first grapes were planted in the Yarra Valley in 1838, and they’ve been grown there ever since. There are more than 2,800 hectares of vineyards in the Yarra Valley, most of which are Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz. Chardonnay has also long been associated with the region, especially since some of the cooler wine regions, such as Yarra Valley, produce leaner, acid-driven Chardonnay styles.
Australia Wine Tours can take you through this gorgeous valley on a wine tour that departs from most top hotels in the area.
When you start planning your next vacation, consider letting your passion for wine lead the way. You might then end up in some of the most beautiful parts of Australia, sampling wines preferred by connoisseurs around the world.
Oscar Davis is a freelance writer and wine lover from Leeds, UK.
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