The Winery Bare Necessities of Australie du Sud

Discovering the wine region of Australie du Sud

SouthAustralia is one of Australia's six states, located (as the name suggests) in the south of the vast island continent. It's the engine room of the Australian wine industry, responsible for about half of the country's total production each year. But there's more to the region than quantity - countless high-quality wines are produced here, most from the region's signature Grape, Shiraz. These include such fine, collectible wines as Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, Torbreck The Laird and d'Arenberg The Dead Arm.

South Australia's wine portfolio is heavily weighted towards Powerful red wines, most of which are made from Shiraz. Another grape variety that thrives here is Cabernet Sauvignon, the best examples of which come from the Limestone Coast in the far south-east of the state (notably Coonawarra, Padthaway and Robe). Grenache has also proved well suited to the South Australian Climate and winemaking style, particularly when combined with Shiraz and Mourvedre (also known as Mataro in Australia) to create the classic Australian GSM blend. European varieties as diverse as Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano and Petit Verdot are also present in South Australian vineyards, but only in small quantities.