GI

The largest of Australia’s geographical indications (GI’s) are the states which divide the country. The harsh climate of the continent makes viticulture impossible in most parts with only the states of Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania suitable for quality wine grapes. Much of the viticulture in these states is also concentrated nearer the coasts away from the heat of the central continental climate where rain rarely reaches. Where grapes are grown further inland, altitude is usually a major factor. In Western Australia, grapes are rarely transported to the rest of Australia due to the large distance they would need to travel which would mean a high risk of oxidation. The rest of Australia has a more concentrated area of vineyards meaning grapes are often used across different zones and regions. To simplify labelling, the South Eastern Australia zone was created to allow producers to make wines from grapes grown across multiple zones. South Eastern Australia is the largest GI other than ‘Wine of Australia’