To know a wine, one has to know the region and here is a brief peek into the grape escapes of Australia. The country is vast, and while large tracts of it will never see grape vines (most of the centre of Australia is just desert), there is still great diversity among our 65 wine regions.
Some touch the coast, others straddle the mighty River Murray, while still others hug the hills and valleys in the country’s south-east corner. The differences in climate, soil and topography are enormous, which shows in the wines.
I have a particular affinity for the state of South Australia. I think the state’s 18 wine regions present a perfect snapshot of Australian winemaking diversity, with three in particular standing out.
The Barossa is arguably the best known region in Australia and there, among the gentle rolling hills, you will find some of the oldest vines in the world. The Mediterranean climate, with its warm, dry summer days and cool nights, is ideal for growing luscious, full-bodied Shiraz.
To the south, the Coonawarra is famous for its unique ‘terra rossa’ – a thin layer of rich red soil over a limestone aquifer — which produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. Cooling breezes from the nearby Southern Ocean ensure the grapes ripen slowly and evenly, producing depth, complexity and fine tannins.
In contrast, the Adelaide Hills is one of Australia’s most vibrant cool-climate regions and one of the most diverse in terms of soil and topography. The hills create a wide range of mini-climates and the vineyards tend to be small in area and often on steep slopes with multiple aspects. Here Chardonnay and Pinot Noir produce exemplary sparkling and crisp elegant table wines.
Perhaps not surprisingly, these are the regions we selected for our range, which was created to showcase varietal wines that truly reflect the character of each region and are distinctive in flavour, aroma and style.
As a winemaker who loves crafting wines which express the region, I couldn’t be happier.
The writer is the chief winemaker at Jacob’s Creek.
