Australia – along with Argentina, Chile and the States – is a champion of new world wines. This is plain to see, especially when you hear how much the world’s top collectors fork out for a bottle of Henschke Shiraz or Tolpuddle Pinot Noir to add to their vast, walk-in repertoires.
It’s safe to say that anywhere the wine is collectible the land is sure to be stunning, too, and so there are an abundance of incredible wine regions to visit across our wide land!
From sampling world class Barossa Shiraz to the Margaret River’s Cabernet Sauvignon, here are a few reasons why you should visit Australia’s wine regions:
1. You get to sample some of the world’s best wine
Scrap the whole “new world” thing: Australia makes some of the world’s best wine. We have no need to be humble about it, our incredible viticulturists have been making superb vintages for hundreds of years, maintaining the same recipes and secrets that put us up there with the French and the Italians when it comes to making delectable vino.
And, given that our regions’ vineyards only charge a small cover for the ability to sample some of this unparalleled goodness, it’s easy to see why a vacay in an Aussie wine region is on par with heading for the coast in summer or the alps in winter.
From the Clare to the Hunter Valleys, from Barossa to the Yarra, there is a sheer abundance of incredible wine available for tasting, trialling and taking a bottle or two for future enjoyment!
2. The surroundings are superb
It’s no secret that Australia is blessed with vibrant landscapes, and it should come as no surprise that these incredible landscapes surround our top class wine regions. From the Yarra Valley’s lush forests to Margaret River’s prime surf conditions, through to the Hunter Valley’s rugged bushland, you can be sure that whilst you may go for the viticulture, the natural surrounds are sure to delight you, especially after a glass or two of your new favourite vintage.
3. There are plenty of experiences (& not just wine-based)
Sure, the day’s itinerary revolves around heading to the region’s most reputable, world-beating wineries, but wherever there is fine wine there is also fine food and fine landscapes, and this makes for the perfect adventureland that will mesmerise you far beyond a memorable tasting in a lush vineyard manor house!
Along with wine tasting experiences, you can typically find top class restaurants, enlightening cooking classes, food tastings of everything from cheese to chocolate and everything else, as well as a host of nature-loving experiences that will make one forget even the gnarliest hangover they were nursing just an hour or two before (think hinterland hikes and hot air balloons – if you’re tummy can take it!).
4. You can learn all about Australia’s viticulture industry
Are you working towards becoming a bit of a wine connoisseur? There’s nothing wrong with that – it’s a great hobby to enjoy. However, can you really call yourself a wine expert if the most profound research you’ve done is read a few blogs on the soil that makes Barossa Shiraz so lush, or the temperature that shapes a fine Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon?
Well, maybe, but when it comes to sharpening your knowledge of Australian viticulture there ain’t nothing like the real thing, and the real thing is packing your car and taking a great Australian road trip to one of our most celebrated – and celebrated they are – wine regions!
