South Australian White Wine Preview with #WorldWineTravel

South Australian vineyard, photo courtesy The Road to Wine

World Wine Travel Group Spends March in South Australia

This week, our group of wine writers and bloggers talk about the white wines from this Australian state. On Friday and Saturday (March 25^th and 26^th) we all post articles about some aspect of the topic. You can chat with us on Twitter Saturday morning at 11am EDT and 16:00 CET (note Europe springs ahead the 27th). We tag our tweets and post articles with #WorldWineTravel making us easy to find.

Take a look further down this post for links to all #WorldWineTravel writer’s articles discussing the region, wines, and food pairings. Along the way, enjoy information and facts about South Australia, which is home to some of the world’s oldest established vineyards.

Wine Regions of South Australia

The state boasts 18 diverse regions, listed here with their total vineyard area. I bet you will recognize a few!

Adelaide Hills- 3,957 ha (9,778 acres)
Adelaide Plains- 567 ha (1,401 acres)
Barossa- 11,609 ha (28,686 acres)
Clare Valley – 5,093 ha (12,585 acres)
Currency Creek – 1,032 ha (2,550 acres)
Eden Valley – 2,169 ha (5,360 acres)
Kangaroo Island – 144 ha (356 acres)  smallest area
Langhorne Creek – 6,069 ha (14,997 acres)
McLaren Vale – 7,438 ha (18,380 acres)
Riverland – 22,032 ha (54,442 acres)  largest area
Southern Fleurieu – 488 ha (1,206 acres)
Southern Flinders Ranges – 5,176 ha (12,790 acres)

Limestone Coast:

Coonawarra –5,784 ha (14,293 acres)
Mount Benson – 54 ha (acres)
Mount Gambier – 274 ha (677 acres)
Padthaway – 4,067 ha (10,050 acres)
Robe – 677 ha (1,673 acres)
Wrattonbully – 2,666 ha (2.5 acres)

Coonawarra railway sign. Source: Wine Australia

South Australia Facts

One of Six States – Australia has six states (similar to a U.S. state)

Location – South central Australia. It runs along the southern end of the Great Australian Bight (open bay) and includes Spencer Gulf, the Gulf of St. Vincent, and the Southern Ocean.

Climate – Extensive coastline and bays bring cooling influences, yet many areas can heat up, making the climate as diverse as the geology and soils. Climatic ranges span from the relatively warm temperate climate of the Barossa Valley to the maritime areas of McLaren Vale, the Fleurieu Peninsula’s Currency Creek, Langhorne Creek and Southern Fleurieu. And finally, the cooler Adelaide Hills region and the hot climate of the Riverland region on the Murray River.

Major White Grape Varieties – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Colombard, Riesling. Note Sémillon, Roussanne, Viognier, and Verdelho are grown too.

Wine Production – A whopping 44% of Australian wine is made in South Australia.

Phylloxera Free – You read that correctly too! The root eating bug didn’t hit this area, thus it contains some of the oldest producing grapevines in the world.

Reduce Use and Conserve – Research and projects abound to help wineries utilize less and reduce outputs (e.g. glass, water, energy, carbon emissions). See SAWIA and Green Industries SA

Sustainable Mindset – Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is a national program for grape growers and winemakers touching the environmental, social, and economic aspects of the business. Both this program and ACO Certification (formerly Australia Certified Organic) are utilized by wineries in South Australia

Internationally Renowned Wildlife Haven – Kangaroo Island is a sanctuary for an extraordinary variety of native wildlife and vegetation.