History
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The South Eastern Australian geographical indicator existence is the result of legal wrangling between the ever-expanding Australian wine industry and bureaucrats of the European Union, traditionally Australia's most important consumer base. EU law states that, when labelled with the grape variety from which they are made, imported wines must also bear the name of an officially recognized geographical area of origin. As a significant proportion of Australian wine, is blended from wines made in multiple states, South Eastern Australia was created as an official labeling term.
Australia's larger producers have been known to create a "South Eastern Australia" wine in order to blend wine parcels from multiple regions as this helps wineries to maintain a more consistent style for a particular wine label or brand from year to year, regardless of vintage conditions. Geographical DescriptionSouth-Eastern Australia is a Geographical Indication covering the entire south-eastern third of Australia. This area's western boundary stretches 2000 km across the Australian continent, from the Pacific coast of Queensland to the Southern Ocean coast in South Australia. This vast viticultural "super zone" effectively encompasses every significant Australian wine region outside Western Australia. Rainforest, mountain ranges, scrubland, desert and dried-up riverbeds occupy the majority land within the South Eastern Australia zone. It is only in cooler, coastal areas that vineyards play any significant role in the landscape. The GI covers the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in their entirety, and also the south-eastern halves of both Queensland and South Australia.
Premium Grape Varieties Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Semillon ,Sauvignon Blanc |
Total Vineyard Size 78,637ha Elevation Varies Harvest Season Late January - May Winkler Index II - III Temperature Varies Climate Warm Dry - Cool Season Rainfall 226-1280mm |
