Riverland Wine region 

A traditional wine region shrugging off its reputation for cheapies  to produce some stunning new wines 

The Riverland Wine Region of South Australia is an irrigated region along the Murray River from the border with Victoria downstream to Blanchetown. Renmark is the major city in the region. It was established when the surrounding districts were developed for irrigation by the Chaffey Brothers.

Other towns along the Murray in this region include Berri, Loxton, Barmera, Waikerie, Morgan and Blanchetown.

Vermentino fermenting at 919 Wines in the Riverland. This variety from Southern Italy is quite suitable to the warm conditions in the Riverland.

The climate is hot and continental. Evaporation rates are very high and viticulture in this region is impossible without irrigation. Although the region is not well known it produces almost 25% of Australia's wine grapes.

It is fair to say that until recently the Riverland Region was seen mainly as emphasising quantity over quality, but recent changes in technology and attitude have lead to some interest in producing quality wines.

Since the turn of the century the varietal profile of the region has changed markedly. Although the mainstream varieties Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay still dominate the acreage statistics, newer varieties more suited to hot summers are increasingly important.

A quick glance at the list of producers and varieties will show the rich diversity of varieties here.

Whistling Kite Wines are among the Innovative winemakers transforming the Riverland Wine Region

Alternative varieties in the Riverland Wine region

A list of the producers and their alternative varieties in the region can ve found in this Substack article

Bassham Nero d'Avola - another alternative variety in the Riverland Wine Region

Subscribers to Vinodiversity Community get invites to Darby's Special Taste and Talk Sessions. 

Pictures from South Australian WIneries

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Visiting the riverland region

The Riverland region has a wealth of tourism infrastructure and attractions.  Many of the wineries in this region have cellar doors.  you can quickly explore the accommodation options using the search box below.