Victoria
Victoria
By the end of the 1800s, Victoria was Australia's primary wine producer until production was eradicated by the dreaded vine disease phylloxera. Following extensive planting and re-planting over the past century, Victoria today is the most diverse wine region in Australia and probably the most exciting. In the north-east corner of the state producers in Rutherglen make some of the world's best fortified Muscat wines, while around Melbourne the Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley produce elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from cool-climate vineyards. Further north the Great Western region is home to an Australian anomaly, sparkling Shiraz, while the Central Victoria regions of Heathcote, Bendigo and Goulburn Valley all deliver peppery, concentrated Shiraz wines. The huge variety of soils, climatic conditions and growing regions will see Victoria continue to diversify its output well into the future, with many producers looking to innovate further by experimenting with even more exotic varieties that suit their patch of dirt.
