Southern Fleurieu Wine Region

The Southern Fleurieu Wine Region is located immediately to the south of the more famous McLaren Vale Region, bounded by a line from Sellicks Beach to Willunga . The largest town in the region is Victor Harbour, well known as a seaside resort and as a whale watching centre.

Wine Regions and Zones

The Geographic Indications (GI) system in Australia groups Wine Regions into Zones. This leads to a source of confusion here as there is a Fleurieu Zone which includes five regions, namely Currency Creek, Kangaroo Island, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, Southern Fleurieu

You can find out more about Geographic Indications and Australian Wine regions in James Halliday's Wine Atlas of Australia

The Fleurieu Peninsula was named after the French explorer and politician Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin as he mapped the south coast of Australia in 1802.

Topography, Climate and Varieties

This part of the Fleurieu Peninsula is more undulating than McLaren Vale and hence there is greater range of microclimates. Vineyards tend to be smaller, seeking to exploit suitable sites among the hills and valleys.

The influence of the sea to the south and west is a moderating influence on the climate which follows the Mediterranean pattern of cool wet winters and hot dry summers. The Southern Fleurieu Region is considerably cooler than McLaren Vale.

Although there was some viticulture in the area in the nineteenth century most of the wineries now in the region are relatively new.

The Southern Fleurieu Wine region produces mainly red wines with the Australian favourites Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot the principal varieties.

White wine in this region comes mainly from Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Semillon, although Pinot Gris and Viognier are now used by a few growers.

Wineries in the Southern Fleurieu with Alternative Varieties

Visiting the Southern Fleurieu

The region is quite close to Adelaide and can be visited as a day trip or as part of a wine tour to McLaren Vale. The main resort town is Victor Harbour. It has an abundance of accommodation for weekends or longer stays. Away from the hustle and bustle of Victor Harbour there are other country and seaside options for extending your stay.

Southern Fleurieu wineries also attract passers-by driving to Cape Jervis to embark on the ferry to Kangaroo Island.

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The Future of the Southern Fleurieu Wine Region

The benign climate as well as suitable topography and soils bode well for the the future of this region. Its location close to Adelaide and the seaside resorts is also an asset. At the moment its main problem is that nobody much has heard of the region.

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