The warm and vast Murray Darling wine region is a hotspot for nature holidays, delicious local produce and a growing list of premium and alternative drops.
The Murray Darling is Australia’s second-largest wine region, home to a diverse range of wine styles, activities and a vibrant food scene. Straddling the Murray River, it’s a haven of rivers, wetlands and forests.
The first vines were planted in 1888 and the region's small producers are building on the firm foundations of the past while adding interest with innovative wines and alternative varieties.
Read on for more about the Murray Darling.
This warm, low-lying region basks in the hot sun, with low rainfall during growing season.
The Murray Darling region spans Victoria and New South Wales, stretching west to the border of South Australia. The city of Mildura sits at its heart. You can drive to Mildura from Adelaide in a little over four hours or fly from Sydney or Melbourne.
Summers are hot and winters are mild. Being inland, nights can get quite cool.
The soil here is unique to the Murray River system, ranging from brown to red-brown loams and sands and supporting vigorous vine growth.
Chardonnay is an important variety in the region, producing crowd-pleasing wines with bold tropical fruit and citrus flavours.
These are the red wines that helped make Australian wine famous around the world. Deliciously rich and robust red wines that are ideal for immediate drinking.
Mediterranean varieties are perfectly suited to the warm climate of the Murray Darling wine region, and a growing list of wineries are producing wines such as Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Sangiovese and Barbera.