Wines of the World Series: Spotlight on Australia
We’re excited to continue the 🌍🍷 “Wines of the World Series” with a spotlight on Australia. Let’s explore this diverse and distinct wine country with Wine Australia who have generously agreed to share their content with the Berlin Wine School Community. As there’s a lot to cover, this spotlight will run till the end of the year, highlighting key regions, varieties and styles.
📖Australia key facts:
It is the world’s 6th largest wine producing country (150,000 ha, 1.75 m tonnes of grapes and 1.2 billion litres of wine average annual production).*
Vines were first planted in late 1700s, key wine regions (Hunter Valley, Barossa, Tasmania, etc.) established in 1800s.
Until the mid-20th century, Australia primarily produced fortified wines. A post WWII generation of winemakers and the rise of food & wine culture shifted the industry’s focus toward still wines.
Geographic Indication (GI) system is complex, consisting of zones, regions and subregions.
More than 100 varieties are grown across 65 regions, wine styles range from sparkling to fortified wines.
Although climate varies, it's mostly warm or hot, with drought and wild fires posing a major risk to viticulture.
Most wine regions are in temperate climatic zones in the southeast and southwest.
Winemaking has been traditionally dependant on irrigation.
It has one of the most ancient soils on Earth, soil types vary greatly across regions.
Shiraz is Australia's flagship variety some of the world's oldest Shiraz vines can be found throughout the country.
*As of 2025 and the Wine Australia website.
🔺Australia's "mains":
Main climate factors are:
o Latitude: southern areas are cooler due to the distance from the equator
o Southern Ocean: cooling winds
o Altitude: the highest wine growing areas are in 1000-1200 meters
o Mountain ranges: Great Dividing Range, Mount Lofty Ranges, Darling Scrap
Regions to remember: Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, Coonawarra, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Rutherglen, Canberra District, Hunter Valley, and Margaret River.
The most planted varieties in 2024 were: Chardonnay (23%), Shiraz (21%) Cabernet Sauvignon (11%) Sauvignon Blanc (6%), Merlot (5%).
The biggest export markets for Australian wines are: China, United Kingdom, USA.*
*As of 2025 and the Wine Australia website.
🔎Did you know?
Australia is the world’s sixth largest country and is bigger than Europe.
Bag in box (BiB) for wine packaging was developed by Australian winemaker Thomas Angove in 1965.
Due to climatic challenges, sustainable winegrowing plays a key role.
Wine Australia organize frequent roadshows across the world. Check this overview to find the nearest opportunity to discover Australian wines!
🎓Want to learn more?
Watch this Australia Overview video.
Sign up for the Australia Wine Discovered Program free of charge and get access to a wide range of resources.
Review this Market Insights for the latest number including vintage reports and varieties snapshots.
💬Share your thoughts!
Have you ever visited Australia and any of the wine regions? Do you have a favourite Australian wine? Where in Berlin and Germany can you find and taste some great examples of Australian wines? Share your thoughts!
➡️Coming up: Mediterranean climate zones & regions - Barossa, McLaren Vale, and Margaret River
All resources, maps, images and data courtesy of Wine Australia.