The South Australia appellation covers the entire state of South Australia, in the south of the continent, between the Southern Ocean and the Murray River. It is the country's leading wine-producing state, accounting for around half of Australia's national wine output. It brings together around twenty regions with very different profiles, including the Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra and the Riverland. The vineyard area covers close to 75,000 hectares, more than half of Australia's total planted surface. Climate varies widely from one zone to another: warm temperate in the Barossa, cooler under maritime influence in the Adelaide Hills, and continental and dry along the Murray. Soils are equally contrasted, from the deep sands of the Barossa to the limestone-based terra rossa of Coonawarra and the slate of the Clare Valley. No grape variety restriction applies to the appellation, but the vineyard is dominated by shiraz, ahead of cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and riesling. The state has remained free of phylloxera, preserving some of the oldest ungrafted vines in the world.
Grape varieties: Vins rouges : cabernet-sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, syrah. Vins blancs : chardonnay, sémillon, riesling, chenin, colombard, sauvignon
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South Australia produces wine in every style, from broad multi-regional blends to single-region wines when the fruit comes from one area only. Reds dominate, led by shiraz: in the Barossa and McLaren Vale it gives deeply coloured, dense wines with ripe dark fruit, chocolate, pepper and spice notes, ample tannins and strong ageing potential, especially from old, ungrafted vines. Coonawarra produces structured cabernet sauvignon marked by blackcurrant and mint, with firm tannins. White wines stand out through the dry, taut rieslings of the Clare Valley and Eden Valley, driven by citrus fruit and lively acidity that allows them to age for several years, alongside chardonnays ranging from rich and buttery to leaner and more mineral styles depending on vineyard altitude. These wines pair with grilled red meat, game and matured cheese for the reds, fish, seafood and Asian cuisine for the rieslings, and poultry or fish in sauce for the chardonnays.
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