South Australia is the pre-eminent wine producing state in Australia and plays a lead role in all sectors of the wine industry - growing, producing, testing, packaging and supplying.
South Australia is the major contributor to Australia's total wine exports and its strong wine sector has helped to position Australia as the largest New World wine exporter and fourth in the world after France, Italy and Spain.
On this page:
Wine regions
Facts and figures
Research and development
Industry groups
Wine regions
South Australia is perfectly suited to wine production, with a diversity of regions, climates and soils - from the warmer climate of the Barossa Valley to the maritime climate and terra rossa of the Coonawarra. The State's wineries are concentrated in four key locations:
- the south-east of South Australia - around Coonawarra and the Limestone Coast
- north of Adelaide - in the Barossa Valley, Eden Valley and Clare Valley
- in regions surrounding Adelaide including the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek
- the north-east of South Australia - the Riverland.
Profiles of South Australia's wine regions can be found on the website of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation.
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Facts and figures
South Australia's wine industry is a major contributor to the State's economy. The figures listed here are for the 2009-10 year - the latest 12-month period for which figures are available.
- South Australia produces almost 474 million litres of wine - 47% of Australia's total.
- It produces almost 682,000 tonnes of wine grapes - 42% of Australia's total crush.
- It has about 76,500 hectares of vines to harvest - 50% of Australia's plantings.
- It exported a total of 448 million litres of wine - 58% of Australia's total.
- Gross wine revenue is $1.7 billion.
The value of wine exports reached $1.7 billion in the year to 30 June 2011 - about 10% of South Australia's goods exports.
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Research and development
South Australia is home to world-leading research and development institutions:
It also offers education programs in viticulture, wine science and wine business at TAFESA, the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia.
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Industry groups