Australia

With 2300 wine producers, Australia is known around the world for its wines, and Riesling makes up a substantial portion of its production.

Clare Valley

Clare Valley’s first grape vines were planted in the 1840s. It is renowned as a premium Riesling growing region, and its best wines can be aged more than 20 years.

With a Mediterranean-like climate, Clare Valley has hot summer days followed by cooling afternoon breezes. It has red soils over limestone in the Watervale subregion, broken slate in Polish Hill subregion, deep alluvial soils to the north, and sandy loams to the west.

More than 20 percent of its total vineyard area is planted with Riesling, and of its 50 wine producers, most produce Riesling.

Clare Valley Rieslings are mostly dry and medium dry, with juicy citrus flavors and fine natural acidity. Rieslings of the Watervale subregion tend to be fuller styles, while those of the Polish Hill subregion are tighter wines with plenty of minerality.

Eden Valley

Eden Valley’s viticulture started in 1842 and it bears some of the world’s oldest Riesling vines. It is a prized region for elegant and somewhat austere cooler-climate Rieslings.

The area is heavily reliant on natural rainfall for water (typically caught and stored on farm), and shallow soils necessitate regular irrigation practices. Vineyards are typically located on easterly facing slopes to allow only gentle morning sun exposure. Soils range from sandy loam to clay loam to ironstone gravels, quartz gravels and decomposed schist rock.

Approximately 30 percent of its vineyards is planted with Riesling. Of its 20 wine producers, most make Riesling.

Eden Valley Riesling is typically dry and noted for citrus and white floral aromas, with intense lemon-lime citrus on the palate and mineral acidity that adds great palate length. It ages well, taking a decade or more to develop.

Barossa Valley

Barossa Valley’s first vines were planted in the 1840s by Bavarian settler Johann Gramp on the banks of Jacobs Creek. Those first vines are believed to have been Riesling.

Most vineyards in this region receive supplemental water from external sources or bores. Heat and light is often controlled with the use of trellises. The region has ancient soils comprised of low-fertility clay loam as well as sandy soils that range through gray to brown to red.

The warmer conditions of the Barossa Valley yield mostly dry and medium-dry Rieslings known for their generosity. Barossa Rieslings will develop more quickly than Riesling of the cooler Eden Valley or Clare Valley

Great Southern

The Great Southern region is a newer wine-growing region with vines that were first established in the 1960s. Within this region, the Frankland river subregion is particularly noted for its Riesling.

Some vineyards are fed by natural rainfall, but others require supplementary irrigation. Aspect and slope vary dramatically. Careful canopy and floor management is needed to suit seasonal variations. The region has moderately fertile sandy loams with some derived from granite and gneissic bedrocks that are typically brown to gray-brown in color.

Riesling is one of the most important wines of the region. Great Southern Rieslings are mostly dry and intense, with crisp citrus flavors and herbal notes. They age superbly, reaching their peak within 10 years.