This category lists wineries and informational resources relevant to Australian wine and wine country.

Overview of The Australian Wine Industry

There are over 30 major winemaking regions in Australia, and over 1000 wineries in the country. Except for Tasmania, the premium growing regions of Australia lie above 40 degrees of latitude, which is above the zone normally considered cool climate. The warm growing climate is ideal for wine production and in 1999 Australia produced almost AUS$3.5 million (US$2.2 million) worth of wine.

The major export markets are the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Canada and Japan. In 1997-98, exports reach 192.3 million liters to a value of US$544.2 million.

Some of the better known wine producing areas in Australia are:

• South Australia--The Barossa, Clare Valley, Riverland, Southern Districts and Coonawarra
• Victoria--Northeastern Victoria, Great Western and Mornington Peninsula
• New South Wales-The Hunter Valley and Riverina
• Western Australia--Swan Valley and Margaret River

While the majority of wineries are privately owned small or boutique ones, four companies (Southcorp, BRL Hardy, Orlando Wyndham, and Mildara Blass) account for around 70 percent of total Australian production. There are ten Australian wine companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

Information provided by cscott. Sources: Australian Wine Institute, US Department of Commerce.