The Wrattonbully region is located just to the north of Coonawarra, in southern South Australia, about 3 hours by road from Adelaide. It shares the same "Terra Rossa" soils as its more southerly neighbour though the average temperatures are slightly warmer, leading to more reliable ripening. Red varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz dominate the plantings.

McLaren Vale, a half hour or so south of Adelaide, is often referred to as Australia’s mid palate, due the reliable conditions meaning the wines are almost always universally ripe and generous. This seems to cover almost all varieties, from Chardonnay that is can be silky textured and complex, especially from the more elevated vineyards to the north. Reds offer blackfruit and milk chocolate scented Shiraz, full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and varieties such as Sangiovese and Tempranillo show their varietal charms with big hearted, gorgeous fruit flavours.

About an hour and a half’s drive north of Adelaide the Barossa Valley has one of the longest histories of continuous viticulture in the Australian wine industry with initial plantings in the early 1840’s.

More noted for reds than whites, it is world famous for its distinctly rich, ripe examples of Shiraz, often with rich, dark plum fruit characters and hints of chocolate. Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Mouvedre/ Mataro also perform well and Zinfandel appears to be a rising star.

Semillon is the dominant white, usually matured in oak and riper and softer than the Hunter style.

The Coonawarra has a long and distinguished history of grapegrowing and winemaking in Australia with grapes first planted in 1890. The well drained terra rossa soils combined with a maritime climate (it is only 60km from the coast) and a relatively stable, cool and dry ripening period leads to reliably ripened, fine flavoured grapes.

Red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon in particular, are the dominant planting, along with Shiraz and Merlot. Chardonnay and Riesling and even some Sauvignon Blanc are also produced.

The home of the vine in New South Wales this region, a 3 hour drive north of Sydney is justifiably world famous for the unique style of Semillon (early picked, unwooded and ageworthy) and distinctly earthy, soft textured Shiraz. Chardonnay also fares well here and fruit filled examples of Verdelho are sought after. It’s a pretty touristy area, where golf courses fight it out with vineyards for the best bits of land.

While it can sometimes seem a little tacky, there’s more than flashy cellar doors. The warmish, humid climate and particular soil types make delicious, distinctive wines.

Probably Australia’s most picturesque wine region nestled along the coast, four hours south of Perth. Most noted for the vibrant white blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, its warm maritime climate also produces wonderfully complex, full bodied Chardonnays and some of Australia’s best Cabernet Sauvignon. The reputation is also growing for Shiraz and varieties such as Tempranillo and Zinfandel. Am yet to see a Pinot Noir from the area I’d want to buy. It is quite the tourist mecca now, and if you ever get sick of tasting at the many cellar doors there’s the most amazing beaches to laze about on.

The small Geographe region is situated immediately to the north of the Margaret River vineyards. With a similar warm maritime climate it produces similar styles to its more famous neighbour, particularly Sauvignon and Semillon blends and Chardonnay along with reliably ripe examples of Shiraz and Merlot. (thanks to AWBC for the map)