South Australia

Adelaide Hills

The Adelaide Hills is located just 15 to 20 minutes East of the Adelaide city centre and is considered one of the most beautiful with a diverse range of tourism opportunities. With a maximum height of 710 metres above sea level most of the premium sites exist on the ridge lines at around 500 to 650 metres above sea level. The region is only 70 km’s long and not very wide but out of this area around 90 wine labels are produced.

It is the high altitude which lengthens the growing season and given its location being further north than Mclaren Vale one would normally expect robust fruit textures to rival that of the Barossa. The altitude gives the district a cool climate aspect and makes the vine feel as though it is actually somewhere more south such as parts of Victoria. The wines retain natural structure and due to the maritime influence the region generally experiences very low disease pressures, especially those on or close to the ridge lines or as the growers would say `facing the sea’.

The core varieties are many;

- Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Traminer, Verdelho, Viogner, Arneis, Fiano & Savignin

- Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiollo, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Grenache, Durif, Montepulciano & Petit Verdot.

The Adelaide Hills experiences higher rainfall than its neighbours and the evenings become quite cool. The nature of the landscape and the altitude do prevent frost and even though the rainfall ranges between 850mm a year in the East of the region on the western side it can get as high as 1400mm a year. The higher altitude locations have a mean temperature of 18.2 degrees which is 2.2 degrees less than the lower locations. This factor changes the natural regional characters of the fruit as the optimal harvest windows are vastly different. For example; Shiraz is best grown in lower sites with an increased average temperature to ripen the fruit `on-time’ and Riesling is grown best on the sites which cradle the ridge lines to harness the structural characteristics that will age the wine over a longer period of time.

The soils are either slightly acidic or PH neutral and are made up of a range of sandy loams and clay loams over deep clay bed. Clay holds moisture well and at higher altitudes will retain vine health longer through dry spells. The ridgelines contain more shale and iron stone with shallow upper soil layers. This controls vigour and focuses the vines energy on fruit production as the nutrients are not in over supply. Drainage is better at the higher altitude because of this shale content and pressure is placed on the need for effective irrigation techniques.

Barossa Valley

Located 60km north of the city of Adelaide the Barossa name comes from the mountain range on the Eastern side of the valley known as the Barossa ranges. The valley extends from Lyndoch for 25km to Stockwell and splits the Mount lofty ranges.

The climate is warm and dry with an average January temperature of 21.4 degrees. The average growing season humidity is around 39% with a mere 160mm of rain falling with in the growing season. Disease pressure is usually low and the regions vines are able to with stand ripening higher yields reducing operating costs. The corporate entities dominate the landscape and the need to harness the best pockets of land continue to drive land prices out of reach of most private entrepreneurs. There are 150 cellar doors that litter the district with many more wineries and vineyards that service an ever growing export market.

The main centres of population are Nurioopta, Tanunda, Angaston, Williamstown, Lyndoch, Greenock and Mount Pleasant. As the region develops there is a realisation of the need to recognise these centres as sub-regions due to the diverse range of soils through the valley.

Northern Barossa; Koonunga, Moppa, Ebenezer and Kalimna, dry and hot with underlying ironstone with good water holding capacity and dry alluvial sands.

Western ridge; Greenock, Seppeltsfeild, Marananga,Tanunda and Gomersal, Dry and Hot with rocky shallow, eroded soils. Reduced fertility lowers vine vigour on the gentle slopes with the rocks absorbing heat during the day feeding that back to the vine at night to provide foe for even ripening conditions producing very fruit rich, black and robust flavours.

Barossa Foothills;, Light Pass, Vine Vale and Bethany, More sheltered and cooler with soils of deep sand and underlying clay providing for elegant structural wines with beautiful aromatics.

Southern Valley; Rowland Flat and Lyndoch, low elevation and higher rainfall the soil is dominated by ironstone with loam and sand over deep clay. The wines have a cooler structural simplicity.

The region sits between 300 and 400 metres above sea level and is home to the oldest Shiraz vines in Australia. Out of the 700 varieties in the Barossa the core varieties grown are;

- Shiraz, Cabernet, Grenache, Tempranillo, Mataro

- Semillon, Riesling, Chardonnay, Viogner

Clare Valley

The Clare Valley is located 120 km North from Adelaide and around 100 km West from the Barossa Valley. The valley itself is around 35 km long and up to 10 km wide with around 50 wineries producing 2% of the national crush. Sitting between 400 and 570 metres above sea level the high altitude and continental climate provide for a cool, long ripening season with low to moderate rainfall. The days are warm and the nights are cool with an average temperature of 21.5 degrees and an average night temperature of just 13 degrees.

The core varieties grown are;

- Shiraz, Cabernet, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir & Tempranillo

- Riesling, Chardonnay, Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc

The region is dominated by family run vineyards over 5 sub regions;

- Sevenhill; Loam over grey clay on rock + Sandy loam over red clay on rock

- Clare; Dark black clay + Red clay over limestone

- Watervale; Red Loam over Limestone

- Polish Hill; Grey Loam over Sandstone and Slate

- Auburn; Red loam Clay, Slate with patches of sandy over Limestone.

Annual rainfall is around 630mm and readily available ground water is low, historically many vineyards have practiced dry farming and the use of dripper irrigation is considered a relatively `new’ technique. The continental climate also ensures that humidity is low and disease pressure is virtually non existent on the more exposed sites.

Clare Valley

The core varieties grown are;

- Shiraz, Cabernet, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir & Tempranillo

- Riesling, Chardonnay, Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc

The region is dominated by family run vineyards over 5 sub regions;

- Sevenhill; Loam over grey clay on rock + Sandy loam over red clay on rock

- Clare; Dark black clay + Red clay over limestone

- Watervale; Red Loam over Limestone

- Polish Hill; Grey Loam over Sandstone and Slate

- Auburn; Red loam Clay, Slate with patches of sandy over Limestone.

Coonawarra – Terra Rossa

The Coonawarra is located approximately 15 kilometres within the South Australian border from Victoria. Within the Limestone Coast region it is about 380km’s from Adelaide. The Terra Rossa starts around a 1 hours drive [60km] from the coastal town of Robe and extends through a 2km wide strip for the next 15km’s.

The region receives around 585mm of rain annually and has an average temperature of 19.1 degrees. The district is extremely frost prone, due to the flat nature of the land and a lack of natural formations providing for natural drainage and air flow. More and more vineyards are investing in frost fighting measures. Coonawarra has a healthy mix of family run entities and corporate sites even though the corporate sites out strip the boutiques in size. Given the nature of such a confined district the Coonawarra vignerons cannot exist without each other. It is a rare relationship that is often expressed best in the tough vintages where vineyards are known to offer fruit to `neighbours’ who fall on tough vintages.

The core wines of the region are;

- Cabernet & Shiraz

- Chardonnay, Riesling & Sauvignon Blanc

The limestone that forms the identity of the region rises up through the upper layers of soil as it has naturally formed a undulating structure beneath the oxidised, iron and minerally rich soils mirroring that of the ancient sea bed which the region was many thousands of years ago. This sea bed allowed for the formation of fossilised marine animal remains to gather and combine/ compact to form the layers of the limestone and is now a rich bed of nutrient. The limestone provides for the healthy backbone we experience in the regions wines and the iron rich deposits fatten out the fruit textures to form balance with the backbone. The fossilised remains provide the balance of nutrients to thicken the skins of the fruit and enhancing natural tannin. These characteristics work together to create wines of class and longevity. They can remind us of Bordeaux and more recently winemakers and owners alike have set out to show that the Coonawarra can be as good, if not better.

As the `waves’ of limestone roll through the district it is often the vineyards that are closer to the crest of these waves which retain greatest consistency from vintage to vintage. These waves continue right through to the northern side of Padthaway and Wrattonbully districts where the main difference seems to be temperature, as the further inland the higher the average temperature and more robust and the fruit textures. The limestone is porous and allows for excellent drainage and represents the oldest soils of the limestone coast. The limestone also offers a near perfect soil PH allowing a natural optimisation of nutrient uptake for the length of the growing season.

Cabernet is king these days however it was Shiraz [Hermitage] which gave the district it reputation many years ago. Even though the varieties of Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc grow well here it is the hard natural backbone which often detracts from popularity.

Eden Valley

Located around 72km North East of the city of Adelaide on the eastern boundary of the Barossa Valley wine region, it is classified within the Barossa Zone viticultural district and has one sub-region called High Eden. Winemaking has existed here for 150 years since Joseph Gilbert first planted vines at Pewsey Vale Estate in 1842.

With an elevation of between 380 metres at its northern boundary and 600 metres in the south the district is cooler than the valley floor of the Barossa. Growing conditions can be very hard through out the region and the growers are sparsely populated compared to the Barossa Valley. More recently more boutiques investors have entered the district with the region now supporting over 1,782Ha of vines with the ratio being around 50% red and white production. This is a district where brands come to source structural premium fruit for both domestic and export trades.

Annual rainfall is around 730mm and the average temperature is 19.3 degrees, humidity is an issue and disease pressure is a significant concern. The nature of the landscape does prevent frost as the free draining valleys and altitude often push the inversion layers down the valley walls in the south whereas in the northern districts the average temperature is generally higher preventing the occurrence of frost completely.

The high Eden district in the south is cooler due to the increased altitude and the ground is considered harder growing due to the many rocky out crops, restricted upper surface soil layers and high sand content in the bulk of the soils. The fruit in these vineyards are generally highly sought after for Riesling production and contract fruit prices can reach higher than average prices for the greater region. The soil is less fertile naturally restricting vigour and the vines are reliant on drip irrigation as ground water is not accessible at these altitudes.

At the lower altitudes in the north red production increases as the elevated temperature will enable the fruit to achieve optimal ripeness more consistently and the soils are slightly more generous.

Generally the soils fall into the following brackets

- Grey to brown clay-loam sand with sub-soils of weathered rock

- Ironstone gravels, quartz gravels + rock fragments in upper layers

- Patchy sandy soils with underlying weathered mica-schists, minimal water holding capacity

The core varieties grown are;

- Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viogner, Pinot Gris

- Shiraz, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Grenache.

Site selection is important through this district as it is diverse in its ability to provide for the premium grape production of Australia and the World. Which sees 53% of all export head to the United States annually.

Langhorne Creek

Situated on a broad flood plain near the Bremer and Angas Rivers the region is 78 km’s from the city of Adelaide and is inside the Fleurieu viticultural district of South Australia. Extending south for 40km’s from the town of Langhorne creek the region encompases Lake Alexandrina which is a major cooling factor for the district during the warmer growing months. As it is the southern ocean offshore winds that blow across the lake that act as the cooling element.

Irrigation is primarily by flood through man made gates to control the flow and often occurs in late winter when the vines are waking up. The waters off the Bremer and Angas rivers are high in nutrients and Lake Alexandrina is considered to be the largest fresh water lake in Australia. Even though days can be hot with lifted humidity the average January temperature is only 19.9 degrees. Elevation above sea level is a low 30 metres with the more recent plantings being higher and 100% drip irrigated. The relatively low rainfall of 140mm during the growing season makes Langhorne creek ideal viticulture country as it means most elements are controllable

In the early 1990’s vine plantings where holding at 440Ha, this quickly changed when corporate Australia discovered the benefits of the deep nutrient rich soils and today plantings exceed 6000Ha. But what followed was multiple Jimmy Watson trophies and international marketing campaigns that has sustained the growers ever since.

The soils are deep alluvial sandy loams that have been built up over centuries of natural flooding and the layers vary from red-brown sandy loams to dark-grey sandy loams. Patches of black clays are spread through the soil profiles and the soils offer a strong water holding capacity. The soils promote strong vine vigour, and generous vine canopies which can withstand ripening and maintaining significant sized yields. This keeps the operational costs of farming low and attractive to investors of all sizes.

The core varieties grown are;

- Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese, Grenache

- Chardonnay, Verdelho

Cabernet and Shiraz are the predominant plantings and make up 70% of production and it is the deep, rounded, liquid velvet and black fruited character of the region which has seen it become an Australian essential. Its long ripening season assists it to retain its premium wine reputation and will see it continue for a long time to come.

McLaren Vale

Famous for its maritime climate and rich, bold red wines the region is more than just another grape growing site.

The climate is a Mediterranean influence with around 580 – 700mm of rain a year. The mean temperature of the district is 19.37 degrees and the viticultural district saw a maximum temperature in 2012 of 40.9.

The core varieties grown are;

- Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Tempranillo

- Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Viogner

The crushed volumes range between 35,000 to 59,228 Tonnes annually as the region is heavily influenced by the market demand for product. McLaren vale has become a corporate dominated district and ever since Thomas Hardy and john Reynell first planted the `current’ Seaview Estate and Tintara estates in the late 1930’s and early 40’s they have jostled for positioning over the minerally rich soils and the proximity to town. Some old timers believe that the best parcels of land have always existed closer to the town of McLaren Vale. Most land values will reflect this and some believe that this has been the driving factor behind the boutiques gradually moving to sites away from town.

The soils range between fertile red-brown earths, Terra Rossa [limestone], rendzina, soft sands and dark cracking clays. The best fruit is thought to come from the sheltered valley floors as opposed to the ridge lines. One could imagine that this may mean that the valley floors are closer to the limestone deposits and also contain more fertile iron rich soils. Thus adding to the depth, intensity, natural structure and aging ability of the wines. In saying this most of these sites range between 100 and 320 metres above sea level.

The region itself extends from the Mount Lofty Ranges in the east, Blewitt Springs in the north, Sellicks Hill Range to the West and the coast to the south.

The sub-regions are;

- Blewitt Springs; High altitude, deep sandy soils.

- McLaren Vale Town; Iron limestone, chalky rock with thin layers of clay loam. Calcium rich and slightly alkaline

- Seaview; Red clay over limestone to sand on marly limestone to grey loam on clay

- McLaren Vale Flat; Significant clay content with patches of sand

- Willunga; Grey Clay over limestone with pockets of red earth

- Sellicks Foothills; Thin soils, red loams.

Mt Benson

Located 300km from Adelaide the district sits in between the towns of Kingston and Robe two cray fishing port towns on the South Australian coastline. Recently discovered by corporate Australia and quickly expanding it is turning out to be a place where a slice of Terra Rossa can be harnessed as it becomes more scarce further north in Coonawarra and Padthaway.

The south western corner of the Limestone Coast and part of the district that was covered in water millions of years ago resulting in the formation of the limestone bed layered with fossilised crustaceans. It is the iron rich clay that oxidises to form the rusty oranges that the region is famous for but more importantly it is the water holding capacity of the unique Terra Rossa combined with the naturally mineral rich earth that is the key to its vitality.

The district receives an average of 483.2m of rain annually meaning that drip irrigation is essential and is usually sourced from the abundant under ground water aquifer that underlies the region. Offshore winds are a constant in this part of the Limestone Coast and this tends to dry out disease events before affecting the fruit. It is not guaranteed and most growers will operate with a minimal spray program as a more `protection’ application if not more advanced. The wind does prevent frost and is one of the most appealing factors for growers searching for location alternatives to the Coonawarra.

The mean January temperature is 24.6 degrees and the altitude is between 5 metres and 50 metres meaning that the extended sunshine hours and lifted temperature of the district are great for ripening Cabernet.

The core varieties grown are;

- Cabernet, Shiraz, Merlot, cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, pinot Noir

- Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Verdelho, Viogner.

The region is young, but in coming years it will continue to grow and investment increases. If there was a region where corporate Australia where needed to expose a region this is it. Producing wines of elegance, balanced structure and fruit power the wines are known to express a saline character reflecting the maritime and limestone influences of the district, creating wines that will age beautifully.

Padthaway

Located 300 km’s south of Adelaide the region is 62km long and 8km wide. It follows the Riddoch highway and traverses the western slope of the Naracoorte ridge to the east and flat viticultural country to the west side.

The region is north of the Coonawarra and is the last site where the famous Terra Rossa is present as the region has been influence by sea migrating inland some 21 million years ago and again 2 million years ago. As a result calcarus limestone deposits were left behind which now form ridges and underground wave formations. These ridges run parrellel to the current coastline and are sought after viticultural sites by many investors. The majority of Padthaway sits on the ridge known as the West Naracoorte Range.

The soils are as diverse as the region is large with now over 4,000 Ha of vines. The region was predominantly for fruit production many years ago but now many brands are appearing from a range of corporate and family entities. The corporate plantings do dominate the landscape as they have since the early 1960’s and this is one of the regions where the corporate and family estates cannot do without each other.

Red-brown earths, 15-40cm of light brown loamy sand or sandy loam surface over a red or reddish brown medium to well structured clay. Rubbly lime (calcrete) occurs at a depth of 40-75cm.
Brown soils, 15-25cm brown or grey brown fine sandy loam surface soil over grey, grey brown, or yellow brown mottled friable clay. Soft rubbly lime, calcrete, or sheet travertine (calcrete) is present at 30-60cm usually at about 40 m.
Mixed shallow soils including black or dark grey clays 15-30cm deep over hard limestone (calcrete).
Deep sands.

The altitude is 50 metres above sea level making it lower than the Coonawarra but being further north the mean January temperature is higher at 20.4 degrees. This shown through more heat degree days, 1610 versus 1430 for the Coonawarra. The additional heat does intensify the fruit making it good for blending with multiple regions of Australia. Annual rainfall is a low 502mm and it is no wonder that disease pressure is moderately low. This allows the farmer to maximise yields on the nutrient rich earth lowering costs of production significantly.

The region is a wealth of water and the underwater aquifers are the source for all drip irrigation through the district and the reason that Seppelt first planted vines back 1964. Water depth can vary from as little as 3 metres to more than 30 metres meaning that the cost of sinking a bore can be unpredictable at best. Padthaway is extremely frost prone but the location inland does lift temperature mitigating the coldest events that can cause significant damage.

Riverland

The Riverland is Australia’s largest wine region accounting for 25% of the national production and 50% of the national crush. Located 240km North West of the city of Adelaide and just inside the South Australian border with Victoria, the ideal growing conditions mean that the region also accounts for the greater percentage of wine exported annually. Of the 411,000 tonnes of grapes processed in 2012 the bulk is Chardonnay and closely followed by Shiraz.

The region is a low 20 metres above sea level and being so far inland means that average sunshine days are high. The location means that the climate is dry with a very low relative humidity of 33%. Disease pressure is extremely low as average rainfall is also a low 135mm during the growing season. This means that the district must irrigate and in years gone by flood irrigation was the preferred method. Also placing 100mm PVC pipes punctuated with holes through the root zone under the vines has proved successful in better managing the water resource and maximising the benefits to supporting the high yields required in the district.

The soils are;

River Valley; Sandy loam over clay subsoils. Fine clay and silt deposited by the meandering of the Murray River

Mallee Landscape; Soils consisting of sands over lime and clay layers within an undulating landscape.

Currently there are over 1100 grape growers who are predominantly contracted to the corporate entities who supplement their cooler climate product with the Riverland to reduce the landed unit cost of wine through out the world. This makes the region vulnerable to the market fluctuations and in times of `glut’ many growers simply walk away from blocks as rising water costs soon out way the fruits contracted value.

The core varieties grown are;

- Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Grenache, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Durif, Montepulciano, Mouvedre, nebbiollo, Barbera, Zinfandel, Ruby Cabernet,

- Chardonnay, Verdelho, Colombard, Savignan, Viogner, Pinot Gris, Chambourcin, Fiano, Graciano, Arneis, Moscato, Lexia, Gewurtztraminer, Vermentino

And many more.

Wrattonbully

Located 40km North of the famous Coonawarra towards the town of Naracorte. The bulk of the vines in this district are under 10 years of age and are within the prized Terra Rossa district of the Limestone Coast.

The underlying limestone dunes rise up to 30 metres as apposed to the Coonawarra where they rise to 5 metres. This differance in elevation provides for natural airflow and coupled in with good site selection where most vineyards are positioned on the gentle slopes of the region the district is not considered a major frost prone zone, although in a region where the neighbours to the south and north being Coonawarra and Padthaway are extremley frost prone one can never count it out completely.

Mean January temperature is 20.4 degrees with around 1503 heat degree days durring the growing season and between 561mm and 640mm of rain annually. Disease pressure is low due to the moderate rainfall but the region is a long way inland meaning that humidity is low and the climate is warmer and dryer. The climate remains cooler growing and most vineyards are between 75metres and 100 metres above sea level.

This district is fast becoming a major investment zone for viticulture and the core varieties grown are;

- Cabernet, Shiraz, Merlot

- Chardonnay,

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