South Australian Wine

Positioned centrally in the southern part of Australia, South Australia shares its borders with Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory. The region also borders the Southern Ocean and the Great Australian Bight, adding a coastal dimension to its landscape.

Covering a vast area of 379,725 square miles, the South Australia wine region is home to globally renowned wine-producing zones, each bearing distinct climatic conditions. Blessed with an ideal grape-growing climate and a diverse terrain, coupled with the expert craftsmanship of local winemakers, South Australia is responsible for more than half of all Australian wine produced.

We offer a wide range of exceptional South Australian wines—many of which are exclusive to Laithwaites.

The wide-ranging topography and climactic conditions across the South Australian wine region allow a variety of grape to thrive, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Shiraz.

South Australia’s wine production history dates back nearly two centuries, with the establishment of the first vineyard in North Adelaide in 1836. Some vineyards in the Barossa Valley still nurture grapevines that are over a hundred years old.

Today, winemakers in South Australia combine traditional techniques with innovative approaches, resulting in award-winning wines bursting with complex flavors.

Each subregion offers wines with unique characteristics. Barossa Valley red wines, for example, are known for their rich flavors of ripe fruit, chocolate and spices, while Coonawarra red wines are famous for their dark fruit flavors and firm tannins.

South Australia is known for producing high-quality wines from several regions, including:

• Coonawarra: Grapes ripen slowly in this subregion, thanks to a cool maritime climate that relieves South Australia’s excessive heat. This, combined with the “terra rossa” red soil, offers constant moisture to the vines, resulting in grapes with concentrated and bright flavors. Coonawarra red wines are celebrated for their deep color and lively black currant, mint and eucalyptus notes.
• Barossa Valley: The Barossa Valley is a region with hot summers, mild winters and abundant sunshine. Its wines derive from grapes that have ripened fully and are packed with delicious flavors, some of which are grown on vines that are over a century old. Shiraz is perhaps the most famous wine from this region—known for its richness, intensity and complexity.
• Clare Valley: Boasting a Mediterranean climate, the Clare Valley is world-famous for its exceptional Riesling wines. The region’s cool climate and high altitude provide an ideal environment for producing this crisp, aromatic, and elegant white wine. The Clare Valley Riesling typically features strong citrus flavors and a steely minerality. Other grapes grown here include Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Semillon.
• Eden Valley: The Eden Valley is a high-altitude region, with a cooler climate that’s ideal for producing Rieslings with exceptional acidity, floral aromas, and flavors ranging from citrus to green apple. Delicate Shiraz wines with high acidity and spicy flavors also hail from the Eden Valley.
• McLaren Vale: Home to a Mediterranean climate that enjoys refreshing sea breezes from the nearby Gulf St Vincent, McLaren Vale is best known for its Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache wines.
• Adelaide Hills: With vineyards situated on rolling hillsides between 1,300 to 2,300 feet above sea level, the Adelaide Hills’ differing altitudes provide an array of microclimates, allowing grapes to ripen at various times and winemakers to create wines with a mix of complex flavors and aromas. The area is celebrated for growing premium Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir grapes.

Some of the most famous wines produced in South Australia include:

• Shiraz (Syrah): Shiraz is the most-planted grape variety in South Australia and is the dominant grape grown in the Barossa Valley. Shiraz wines produced here are typically full-bodied with deep, dark fruit flavors such as blackberry, plum and cherry, often with notes of chocolate, spice and sometimes a hint of licorice.
• Cabernet Sauvignon: Coonawarra is renowned for producing full-bodied, complex and age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon wines.
• Chardonnay: Chardonnay is the most-widely grown white grape in South Australia. Adelaide Hills is celebrated for producing Chardonnay wines with notes of citrus fruits and, when barrel fermented or barrel aged, rich aromas of vanilla and baking spices.
• Sauvignon Blanc: Sauvignon Blanc is a widely popular white grape variety grown and produced in South Australia, most commonly in Adelaide Hills. These refreshing wines are packed with fruity flavors and contain an additional saline quality due to the maritime environment they grow in.
• Riesling: The Clare Valley is home to Riesling, which accounts for over 45% of the region’s wine production. Riesling wines are appreciated for their acidity, minerality and citrus flavors of lemon and lime.
• Grenache: The Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale regions are celebrated for producing Grenache red wines that are medium- to full-bodied with rich notes of red fruit, spice and herbs.