Australia has over 160 grape varieties distributed on 146,244 hectares (ha) across all six states, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland (see Australian wine). These activities are concentrated largely in the southern part of the continent where the terroir - that is, soil types, local climate, availability of irrigation and so on - is suited to viticulture. Together, the three sectors of the industry, grape growing, winemaking and wine tourism, play a major role in Australia's economy. In the 2018–2019 financial year, they contributed AU$45.5 billion to the national income. In addition, many other businesses benefit from the services they provide to the wine industry.
Wine grape varieties - overview
As of 2018, the ten most widely planted varieties were:
Syrah (Shiraz), 40,000 ha Cabernet Sauvignon, 25,000 ha Chardonnay, 21,000 ha Merlot, 8,000 ha Sauvignon Blanc, 6,000 ha Pinot Noir, 5,000 ha Sémillon, 5,000 ha Pinot Gris, 4,000 ha Riesling, 3,000 ha Muscat of Alexandria, 2,000 ha Wine Australia's "Vintage Report 2020" said the largest crush was Shiraz ("376,000 tonnes, accounting for 25 per cent of the total crush") and the second-largest was Chardonnay ("285,000 tonnes"). While the grape varieties listed above have continued to be the backbone of the wine industry over time, growers have discovered less well-known and hardier varieties, especially from Spain, Portugal and Italy, which suit Australia's hot, dry conditions well. Now there are almost 160 other varieties in Australia's vineyards. Some varieties, including those often called "rare varieties", are planted only in small quantities and are being used by winemakers for specialised products. Other varieties, including many already widely used overseas, are experiencing an ever-increasing demand in the Australian industry either for use in wines carrying their names on the labels or in the blending process. These include Arneis,Barbera, Durif, Fiano, Gamay Noir, Grüner Veltliner, Lagrein, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Saperavi, Tannat, Tempranillo, Vermentino and so on, all of which are dealt with below.
Government legislation and operation structures The wine industry operates under the Wine Australia Act 2013 and the Wine Australia Regulations 2018. They define the relationship between the Australian Government and the industry as a whole, including the grape growers, winemakers and various representative bodies, as exercised through the relevant Minister, set out the standards by which the industry must operate and penalties that will apply if these are not met, and establish two federal governing bodies, Wine Australia (WA) and the Geographical Indications Committee (GIC).
Wine Australia WA describes its function as supporting "a competitive wine sector by investing in research, development and extension (RD&E), growing domestic and international markets, protecting the reputation of Australian wine and administering the Export and Regional Wine Support Package. The Wine Australia Act 2013 makes WA responsible for the enforcement of the rules and regulations regarding the labelling of wine. WA described these rules and regulations as "complex"; unsurprising because, apart from those set out in this Act, additional labelling requirements arise from the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code under the Legislation Act 2003, the National Measurement Act 1960, and the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Everything that appears on the label except the illustration is governed by legislation from one or more of these sources. WA assists the industry by publishing and distributing guides that explain how the legislation should be interpreted. Specific to the information provided on the tables below in the columns headed "Grape" and "Location - growers and makers", the regulations governing the description of the grape variety and the region in which the grapes were grown are spelt out on WA's website.
Geographical Indications Committee GIC's primary role, as WA explains, is to "consider applications for the registration and omission of new Australian and foreign GIs (ie Geographical indications) having regard to the criteria set out in the Act, and in accordance with the administrative processes prescribed under the Act and the accompanying regulations."
Zones, regions and sub-regions Australia has 27 wine zones within which there are 65 regions. Some contain smaller sub-regions of which there are 14. Each zone, region and subregion is located within a particular state, has a defined geographical boundary and has gained registration through the GIC according to the Wine Australia Act 2013. The operation of the GIC, the processes and criteria by which it determines whether a zone may or may not be registered, and other matters are laid out in "Division 4 – Australian geographical indications" of this Act. After gaining registration through GIC, a zone, region or subregion gains a GI. This means that winemakers within the relevant zones, regions or sub-regions are allowed to label their products in specifically defined ways. This system is designed to protect consumers and investors against false claims and there are defined legal penalties for those who fail to follow the directives. Some vineyards and wineries are operating in areas not qualified to be granted GI registration because there are too few similar businesses nearby. As has already happened elsewhere, with the ongoing growth of the wine industry and the establishment of new vineyards, some areas may eventually qualify for GI status.
Use of road transport Some winemakers make the bulk of their wine from grapes grown in their own vineyards. But many winemakers rely on other winegrowers to supply grape juice for their use, and not all winegrowers are winemakers as well. This means some winegrowers sell part or all of their output to others, and for an industry spread across all six states on a large continent, road transport plays a major role in moving stock from one place to another.
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