Australian Wine

Australian Wines from Great Wines Direct

Australia is the fourth biggest wine exporter in the world, exporting around 750 million litres every year into the international market. Nevertheless, 40% of the wine produced here is consumed domestically and the Australian wine industry contributes significantly to the nation’s economy through tourism, export, employment and production.

The Australian domestic market is worth over $2 billion per year, and Australians consume more than 530 million litres annually, with a preference for white wines over reds. All of the states produce wine, and there are over 60 wine regions in the country, covering around 160,000 hectares of the land surface. Most of the wine regions are in the south due to the cooler climate, and some of the best known vineyards are in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria. Each state produces a range of wine styles and varieties to reflect the local soil types, topography and climate.

The main varieties produced are cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, shiraz, pinot noir, merlot, Riesling, Semillon and sauvignon blanc, however the country’s best wines are made in the regions with cooler climates.

Most of the country’s wines are produced in South Australia however the Tasmanian region has become known as one of the world’s best producers of high quality wine. The Tamar Valley in particular is known for its pinot noirs and chardonnays which thrive in the cool Tasmanian climate. Some other noteworthy wines are made in the Granite Belt region to the extreme south of the state which has a very high altitude and therefore a cool growing environment. Production here centres on the towns of Ballandean and Stanthorpe.

Read our blog: Australia's Wine Wonderland: Exploring the Regions Down Under

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Red 13.5

Yering Station, Yarra Valley, Reserve Pinot Noir 2021 75cl £66.94

Complex and silky smooth, with layers of fresh and dried fruit, toasty, nutmeg spice and earthy notes, this wine has tremendous poise

Red 13

Yering Station, Yarra Valley, Pinot Noir 2023 75cl £24.94

Perfumed notes of red berries, floral notes and sweet spice lead to a palate of great purity, where ripe cherry flavours surround finely knit tannins Long, balanced with bountiful complexity

Red 13

Yering Station, 'Little Yering', Victoria, Pinot Noir 2021 75cl £16.40

Rich and soft with vibrant, plush flavours of juicy cherries and pomegranate, along with a savoury and spicy lift Cool-climate Pinot in a silky, approachable style

White 13

Xanadu, Margaret River, Reserve Chardonnay 2021 75cl £66.53

A poised and elegant Chardonnay with pear, citrus notes and underlying creamy cashew and nougat with zesty grapefruit enveloping a mineral quartz-like core

Red 14

Xanadu, Margaret River, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 75cl £66.53

Quintessential Margaret River Cabernet, with perfumed black fruit aromas and a generous, velvety palate packed with irresistible dark forest fruit and chocolate characters

Red 14

Xanadu, Margaret River, Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 75cl £25.31

A refined and concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon of great class, with characteristic aromas of cassis, mulberry and blue fruits entwined with hints of mocha

Red 14.8

Mount Langi Ghiran, Grampians, 'Mast' Shiraz 2020 75cl £49.64

Supple and concentrated, with forest fruits underpinned by mocha, cigar box and a delicious earthiness Mouth coating tannins lead to an extraordinarily long finish

Red 14.5

Chaffey Bros Wine Co Synonymous Shiraz 2021 75cl £17.83

Deep crimson/purple in colour with a nose of cedar, spice and plum hinting at the mix of dark fruits and chocolate lurking on the rich structured palate The wine shows powerful depth of flavour with plush lingering mouthfeel A careful selection of established low yielding vineyards stretching from the North Barossa townships of Ebenezer and Light Pass through to Lyndoch in Southern Barossa Matured in new and seasoned French and American oak allowing the vibrant mid-palate of dark and light fruit to come to the fore

Red 14

Jim Barry Wines, Single Vineyard The Farm, Clare Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 75cl £24.24

Rich in dark fruits, with olive tapenade, spice and a hint of tobacco leaf through to a supple palate with integrated spicy oak surrounding a core of black berried fruit

13.5

Ocean Eight 'Verve', Mornington Peninsula, Chardonnay 2021 75cl £38.80

The name Verve encapsulates its style, with a vibrant perfume of Granny Smith apple, honeysuckle blossom and lime zest enhanced by stone fruit flavours, long and elegant

White 11

Tahbilk, '1927 Vines', Nagambie Lakes, Marsanne 2016 75cl £28.01

Notes of lemon, grapefruit, toast and classic honeysuckle weave through the rich and textured palate culminating in a zesty, citrussy finish

White 11.5

D Arenberg Old Bean Truck White 2022 75cl £11.16

Bright, fresh and light in alcohol, the Old Bean Truck white has guava, passionfruit and pineapple aromas and a slight waxy note It has sherbet-like tingly acidity, with toffee apple and melon flavours A straightforward, pleasurable wine, this is a McLaren Vale field blend mainly of Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, made by the Osborn family

Rose 12.5

Berton Vineyard 'Foundstone', South Eastern Australia, Rose 2022 75cl £11.57

A refreshing and full flavoured rose with notes of rosehips and strawberry fruit

Red 19

D Arenberg Vintage Fortified Shiraz 50cl 2019 50cl £16.72

Beautiful perfume with blackberry, blueberry and middle eastern saffron spice on the nose Dusty, earthy aromas give way to layers of aniseed and black olive The palate beautifully follows the nose; mouth filling, generous, and not overtly sweet One to cellar for many moons From the first declared vintage in 1928, d'Arenberg fortified wines have been Shiraz based, and the vines that produced the original vintage still provide the grapes for this wine These old vines are stumpy, gnarled and deep rooted, distinguished by their small bunches of highly coloured and intensely flavoured grapes

White 13.5

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Kooyong Beurrot Pinot Gris 2022 75cl | Great Wines Direct

Kooyong Beurrot Pinot Gris 2022 75cl £19.82

The first impression is an inviting aroma of honeysuckle blossom, followed by toast and honey When you take a sip, you immediately notice the beautifully round and generous texture with juicy melon and peach fruit character Then come delicate, creamy oak and complex nuances of flowers and spices All the flavours are kept fresh, precise and balanced by beautifully crisp acidity so it is rich but never heavy Marvellous! If you ever have the chance to taste a white Burgundy made from Pinot Beurrot (not very likely, as they're extremely rare), it will have been made from Pinot Gris Kooyong's Pinot Gris is named after this endangered species, and is very similar in style This is irresistibly delicious now, but if you have superhuman self-control, it will drink well for at least another 2-3 years

Red 14.5

Teusner Wines The G Grenache 2022 75cl £18.83

A wonderfully juicy and bright Grenache! The wine is only just medium bodied, which, when combined with the bright acidity and the complex but fresh aromatic makes it such a refreshing and enjoyable drink that can be enjoyed with almost any food!