Oceania

Australia

Australia now challenges the Old World across Shiraz, Cabernet, Chardonnay and Riesling.

Australia has one of the youngest but most confident wine industries on earth. Vine cuttings arrived with the First Fleet in 1788, yet it took more than a century and a half - driven by the success of Penfolds Grange in the 1950s - for the world to take Australian wine seriously.

Today Australia is the benchmark for many varieties: Shiraz, rich Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra and Margaret River. Its regions span a huge range of climates, from the hot, old-vine Barossa to the cool island of Tasmania, which now challenges Burgundy for Pinot Noir.

Australian wine is known for generosity of fruit, sure-footed winemaking and excellent value at entry level. It is a superb starting point for anyone exploring wine beyond the classics.

🍷 Wine fact: Australia is the fifth-largest wine-producing country in the world, yet its winemaking history began just over two centuries ago.

Continent

Oceania

Winemaking since

1788

Signature grapes

Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Regions

All regions →

Barossa Valley

South Australia, an hour northeast of Adelaide; Australia's most famous red-wine region.

Hunter Valley

New South Wales, two hours north of Sydney - one of Australia's oldest wine regions.

Margaret River

Southwestern Australia, on the Indian Ocean, about three hours south of Perth.

Yarra Valley

Victoria, just an hour east of Melbourne - cool-climate country of hills and forests.

McLaren Vale

South Australia, south of Adelaide, between the Mount Lofty Ranges and the sea.

Clare Valley

South Australia, a hundred miles north of Adelaide, set among gum trees and hills.

Coonawarra

South Australia's southeast, near the Limestone Coast on the Victoria border.

Adelaide Hills

South Australia, just 15 minutes east of Adelaide, sprawling across the cool Mount Lofty Ranges.

Mornington Peninsula

Victoria, an hour south of Melbourne, a cool peninsula wrapped by Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait.

Tasmania

The island state off southern Australia - Australia's coolest wine region, south of the mainland.

Canberra District

Cool-climate high country around Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory and southern New South Wales, ringed by the Brindabella ranges and the Bungendore plain.

Notable Wines

All wines →

red

Penfolds Grange

Barossa Valley · 2024 (representative vintage)

Penfolds Grange is an red wine from Australia, in the Barossa Valley region (South Australia, an hour northeast of Adelaide; Australia's most famous red-wine region.), made principally from Shiraz. Australia's most storied red — a multi-region Shiraz icon since 1951.

$500–$900 est. retail

red

Henschke Hill of Grace

Adelaide Hills · 2024 (representative vintage)

Henschke Hill of Grace is an red wine from Australia, in the Adelaide Hills region (South Australia, just 15 minutes east of Adelaide, sprawling across the cool Mount Lofty Ranges.), made principally from Shiraz. Australia's most beautiful Shiraz, from pre-phylloxera vines in the Eden Valley — Penfolds Grange's great rival.

$600–$1000 est. retail

red

Torbreck RunRig

Barossa Valley · 2024 (representative vintage)

Torbreck RunRig is an red wine from Australia, in the Barossa Valley region (South Australia, an hour northeast of Adelaide; Australia's most famous red-wine region.), made principally from Shiraz. The Barossa Shiraz that channels Côte-Rôtie — old vines, great extraction and a Rhône-like lift.

$150–$250 est. retail

red

Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier

Canberra District · 2024 (representative vintage)

Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier is an red wine from Australia, in the Canberra District region (Cool-climate high country around Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory and southern New South Wales, ringed by the Brindabella ranges and the Bungendore plain.), made principally from Shiraz. Australia's most famous cool-climate Shiraz, co-fermented with a splash of Viognier in true Côte-Rôtie fashion.

$90–$140 est. retail

white

Grosset Polish Hill Riesling

Clare Valley · 2024 (representative vintage)

Grosset Polish Hill Riesling is an white wine from Australia, in the Clare Valley region (South Australia, a hundred miles north of Adelaide, set among gum trees and hills.), made principally from Riesling. The benchmark Australian Riesling — bone-dry, taut and built to age for a decade or more.

$35–$55 est. retail

white

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay

Margaret River · 2024 (representative vintage)

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay is an white wine from Australia, in the Margaret River region (Southwestern Australia, on the Indian Ocean, about three hours south of Perth.), made principally from Chardonnay. Margaret River's flagship Chardonnay — frequently ranked among the world's greatest whites.

$90–$150 est. retail

Wine Styles

Winemaking History

· The first grapevines arrived in 1788 with the First Fleet. Early attempts were hampered by climate and disease, and winemaking remained a modest enterprise through the 19th century.
· The industry's turning point was the 1951 debut of Penfolds Grange, created by winemaker Max Schubert, which proved Australian Shiraz could age into a collectable wine.
· The 1980s and 1990s brought explosive export growth. In parallel, cooler regions like Margaret River, the Adelaide Hills and Tasmania established a more precise, food-friendly style.

Buying Australia Wine

› Look for regional descriptors such as 'Barossa' or 'Margaret River' rather than generic 'South Eastern Australia' blends to get character.
› For age-worthy cellar purchases, Penfolds Bin and Grange, Henschke and Moss Wood are benchmark names, but smaller growers offer friendlier prices.
› Check the alcohol percentage - many big mainstream Aussie reds sit at 14.5%+. Cooler-region producers offer more balanced, food-friendly wines.