A taste of Terroir: South Australia

Australia’s iconic red soil is known as “terra rossa”, the same type of iron-rich limestone earth found in certain special regions of Italy and in La Mancha in Spain. Unlike the parched vines of La Mancha, however, the cool breezes from cold Antarctic ocean currents and consistent cloud cover keeps South Australian regions like Coonawarra at a maritime climate, ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. Thanks to the cool nights and cold winters, these regions within South Australia ensure vines aren’t stressed by hot summer days and enable grapes to retain the acidity they need to produce structured, intense wines of high quality.

In the Clare Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon is also the main grape, thanks to large drops in temperature between day and night. There are 11 recognised soil types in this one small region, including slate and limestone, and the valley itself provides shelter from summer sun and harsher winter weather. This gives winemakers a lot of variety to work with, and experiment with less traditional grapes and winemaking techniques.

Riverland is Australia’s largest wine growing region. 200km inland, it has a continental climate with plenty of sun. The main grape grown on the 22,032 hectares of vineyards here is Shiraz, with Chardonnay coming in at a close second. The wines made here are full-bodied and full of fruit flavours and much of Australia’s bulk wine comes from these vineyards. 

To the north of Adelaide, Eden Valley is a cooler region with exposure on some of the slopes of its rolling hills. The soil here is hugely varied and studded with quartz, offering winemakers total variety in the style and type of wines they produce. White, high acid grapes do well here, and Riesling and Chardonnay are the most popular. It is also home to some of the highest quality Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia.