Natural discoveries and new ideas
Life slows down in the Riverland wine region, where boats drift down the Murray River snaking through a green and brown landscape that shimmers in the summer sun. Water sports, national parks and limestone cliffs make it a dream destination for nature lovers, while fruit orchards and sprawling farms are a constant reminder that this is a food bowl of Australia.
About two and a half hours northeast of Adelaide in South Australia, this vast, inland region encompasses five major towns – Barmera, Berri, Loxton, Renmark and Waikerie – and around 1,000 wine grape growers. Vineyards hug the banks of the life-giving Murray River, which provides essential irrigation to the long-established wine industry.
The Riverland has been at the heart of Australian wine for decades – it’s the largest wine-producing region in the country. Its grapes have gone into popular and affordable wines poured around the world. Despite this, the Riverland still flies under the radar. But things are changing. Growers, makers and wine lovers are rediscovering what makes this region unique. And exciting new things are brewing.
Forging an alternative future
The Riverland wine region built its reputation on classic varieties like Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, and these still dominate plantings. But look closer and you’ll find a growing array of alternative varieties in vineyards dotted across the region.
Young winemaker Con-Greg Grigoriou is helping to lead the revolution. Under his popular label Delinquente, this Riverland-born, fourth-generation producer handcrafts small-batch, single-vineyard wines from unique vines. His MO is alternative varieties like Vermentino, Nero d’Avola and Negroamaro. And his bold, bright wines proudly showcase the region.
“That bright blue sky and the red dirt and long days, the bright sunshine, that’s what I’m trying to convey in the bottle and through the varieties that we work with,” says Con-Greg. “For me, it is about trying to transport the drinker to somewhere they might not immediately think of in Australian wine. The Riverland is probably not something that people think of all that often.”
Pushing boundaries to set the Riverland apart
You’ll also find alternative varieties thriving in the vineyards of Ricca Terra. Almost 20 years ago, seeing an opportunity to challenge tradition, Ashley and Holly Ratcliff planted Mediterranean varieties largely new to the region, including Fiano, Tinta Barroca and Montepulciano. The pair now craft premium alternative wines and grow nearly 30 different varieties, all suited to the region’s warm climate.
“We don’t want to be seen as a stuffy wine producer,” says Ashley. “We want to be seen as the people that are having fun and trying to make change and creating an image for our region that’s a bit different. I’m really passionate about showing people that the Riverland can produce some really high-quality wines.”
Thanks to a new wave of boundary-pushing makers, the Riverland wine region is becoming a hot spot for exciting and unexpected wines. These sit alongside the region’s well-loved classic wines, from rich Chardonnay to full-flavoured Shiraz. And it all comes together – the grapes, the food, the river, the sun – to create a dynamic wine destination.
