The Gippsland wine region defies easy classification. It is a zone under the Australian GI system, rather than a region. The area is so large and vineyards are so dispersed that each vineyard tends to have its own climate.

At the western end of the region the vineyards on Phillip Island share much more in common with the Mornington Peninsula wine region than with the rest of Gippsland. Towards the eastern edge of the region the climate is in transition from the winter rainfall pattern of the rest of Victoria to the summer rainfall pattern of coastal New South Wales.

The region is bounded on the south east by Bass Strait and by the Great Dividing Range and snowfields to the north. The South Gippsland sub-region has a more maritime climate, while on the other side of the Strzelecki Ranges West Gippsland is more remote from the sea.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz are the most common varieties grown in the region. An increasing number of wineries are using Pinot gris, the success story of the nearby Mornington Peninsula.

Total production in the region is low and it seems that the future of Gippsland wine will be dominated by small wineries which need to produce very good wines to remain viable.

There is an abundance of tourist attractions in the region. Some of the things that you can see while visiting the cellar doors include the Ninety Mile Beach, the Gippsland Lakes, several National Parks, rainforests, the rugged coastal scenery of Wilsons Promontory and the wild beauty of the mountains in the Great Dividing Range. There are many accommodation options and tour operators, or you can arrange your own discounted package of fly, drive and hotel booking with expedia.com

See a reader's comments on visiting this region

Gippsland's mild climate supports a wide variety of agriculture producing high quality food products, and of course the Bass Strait fisheries are just offshore. Many restaurants specialise in the local produce, just the thing to enjoy with Gippsland wine. You can browse some of these at Menulog

Some of the wineries using alternative grape varieties in the Gippsland wine region include

• Ada River Pinot gris
• Bass Phillip Gamay
• Bass River Pinot gris
• Brandy Creek Wines Pinot gris, Meunier, Tempranillo
• Djinta Djinta Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier
• Jinks Creek Winery Marsanne, Pinot gris, Sangiovese
• Kongwak Hills Winery Malbec
• Kouark Pinot gris, Viognier
• Lochmoore Pinot gris
• Lyre Bird Hill Gewurztraminer
• Moondarra Nebbiolo, Picolit, Pinot gris
• Mount Markey Pinot gris
• Noorinbee Selection Vineyards Harslevelu, Malbec, Mammolo, Petit verdot
• Nyora Vineyard and Winery Colombard, Pinot gris, Verdelho
• Purple Hen Wines Viognier
• Sarsfield Estate Mourvedre
• Silverwaters Vineyard Pinot gris
• Tanjil Wines Pinot gris
• Toms Cap Gewurztraminer
• Wild Dog Winery Cabernet franc
• Windy Ridge Vineyard Gewurztraminer, Malbec

More information about Gippsland Wine Region

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See reader Lisa Hill's story about the Gippsand Gourmet trail