Vines flourish in the warm and fertile Riverina wine region. It’s a natural beauty with a vibrant food scene and home to some of the biggest names in Australian wine.
The Riverina is a diverse agricultural region with a strong food and wine culture influenced by its Italian-Australian population. It’s centred on the regional city of Griffith, and historic villages, national parks and rivers offer more to explore.
The Riverina is one of our most successful grape-growing regions, producing a large volume of grapes that go into world famous wines. It’s also home to Australia’s renowned Semillon dessert wines and curious winemakers exploring alternative varieties that are redefining the region.
Read on for more about the Riverina.
Climate and Altitude
The Riverina is characterised by its flat plains and warm Mediterranean climate, which allows grapes to thrive.
The Environment
The Riverina wine region is in south-western New South Wales. It’s a four-hour drive from Canberra to the city of Griffith.
Climate
The Riverina has hot, dry summers and cool winters, and basks in year-round sunshine.
Soil
The main soil type is red-brown earth. Many soils contain limestone rubble, and these are the soils where most vines are planted.
Top Varieties Grown
SEMILLON
Sweet and rich Semillon dessert wine is the region’s specialty. Semillon grapes are left on the vine for two months after they’re mature to encourage Botrytis cinerea, a type of fungus that dehydrates the grapes and concentrates their sugar.
CHARDONNAY
These are full-flavoured and affordable wines that are ideal to enjoy with food. Chardonnay is also blended with other white varieties.
SHIRAZ
Australia’s most popular red wine has found a true home in the Riverina. Here they make vibrant, juicy wines that are loved by wine newbies and wine geeks alike.
