South Australia

Grape-growing and winemaking play a large part in the state’s economy, with 76,378 hectares of vineyard and produces the equivalent of 100’s of millions of bottles of wine annually. South Australian wines are exported to over 100 countries, with the major markets in the UK, USA, Canada and New Zealand.

The land has a rich wine heritage, dating back to the arrival of its first grapevines in 1836 with the advent of European settlers. Wineries were established from the 1840s on, and vineyards have since spread into the best grape growing areas of the state.

South Australia also produces a wide range of wine styles, from premium bottle fermented sparkling wine to luscious, ancient fortifieds; from fresh, crisp whites to powerful reds with the capacity to age for decades.

The world loves South Australian wines.

Quick Facts

South Australia has:

• 43% of Australia’s vineyard area
• 49% of Australia’s wine production
• 60% of Australia’s wine exports
• 25% of Australia’s wineries
• A Mediterranean climate with warm/hot summers and cool, wet winters.
• A large proportion of Australia’s oldest vineyards, with century-old vines in several different regions.
• Production of more than half of all Australian wines that are rated as ‘Exceptional,’ ‘Outstanding,’ or ‘Excellent’ in the latest Langton’s Classification

Wine Regions of South Australia