Western Australia is the largest of the eight administrative zones and territories of Australia. In 2020, it represented just two percent of the national wine production, but has previosly occupied up to 20 percent of the nation's fine wines.
Covering the entire western third of the vast island continent, "WA" (as it is commonly called) spans 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) from east to west. This makes it the second-largest administrative subdivision of any country in the world – bigger than Alaska and Texas combined.
Western Australia
The giant flag at Voyager Estate, Margaret River
© Jonathan Reeve
The Western Australian wine regions are clustered in the state's cooler, coastal, Southwest corner. The Northeastern two-thirds of WA are too hot to support quality viticulture.
The northwest corner is the hottest area of Australia as a whole, with summer temperatures surpassing even those of the country's famous semi-desert "Red Centre". By contrast, the Climate of the southwest WA is relatively cool, tempered by the presence of the Indian Ocean to the west and the Antarctic Ocean to the south and east.
Although it rivals the Hunter Valley in terms of low latitude (lying at 33 degrees South), the climate around the state's southwest cape is more akin to that of Bordeaux, and the most successful Grape varieties here reflect this.
It is no coincidence, that many winemakers from this area aim for a more European wine style than their counterparts further north – or those from New South Wales and South Australia. Margaret River in particular, is renowned for its more-balanced, Elegant wines, which contrast with the Powerful, fruit-driven wines of the regions further east.
Geographically, the wine regions of Western Australia can be split into roughly three groups: those around the state capital, Perth (the Swan Valley, the Perth Hills and Peel); those along the south coast (from Pemberton in the west to Albany in the east); and those around the southern end of Geographe Bay (Margaret River and Geographe).
The vermentino grape variety was widespread in Italy, Sardinia and Corsica. Today, Vermentino is grown in the regions bordering the Mediterranean, mainly in Provence (Côtes de Provence, Bellet), Corsica (Corse Calvi), Languedoc (Côtes du Roussillon, Costières de Nîmes) and the Rhône Valley (Côtes du Luberon). Because it ripens late, Vermentino requires a warm climate for its development and can only be grown in regions with good sun exposure. Conversely, cold or temperate climates do not allow it to ripen properly. Vermentino is only susceptible to powdery mildew. When vinified on its own, Vermentino produces a single-variety dry white wine that is light and full-bodied with a pale yellow color. It can also be blended with other grape varieties such as Ugni Blanc, Cinsault and Grenache, in which case its low acidity makes it light and fresh. Vermentino belongs to the grape varieties of Ajaccio, Corsica and Corbières. The aromas released by this variety are multiple. One can detect notes of fresh apple, green almond, sweet spices, hawthorn, ripe pear and fresh pineapple.
white wines from the region of South West Australia go well with generally quite well with dishes of rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), shellfish or sweet desserts such as recipes of sliced tuna with tomato sauce, panga curry or traditional pastry flan.
On the nose in the region of South West Australia often reveals types of flavors of butter, microbio or oak and sometimes also flavors of tree fruit, citrus fruit or earth. In the mouth in the region of South West Australia is a powerful with a nice freshness.
