Spanning 350km, the vast Riverina plain on the banks of the Murrumbidgee is the largest wine producing region in NSW. The region has gained an international reputation for dessert wines and value for money table wines. Sweet wines are made from botrytised semillon and matured in spicy French oak. The style is rich, golden and luscious with concentrated apricot flavour and good longevity. De Bortoli’s noble one has achieved icon status as Australia’s most famous sweet wine. The high profile sticky sets the benchmark for dessert wine styles in Australia.
While sweet wines enjoy all the glory, the volumetric thrust of Riverina is geared towards large-scale table wine production. It is the engine room of the Australian wine. The focus is firmly fixed on delivering quality, consistency and affordability. Casella’s [Yellowtail] brand has achieved great success. It is recognised as the most powerful Australian wine brand in the world. The region’s leading table wines include plummy shiraz, chardonnay, semillon blends and cabernet sauvignon. An impressive range of alternative varieties includes durif, petit verdot, tempranillo, sangiovese and verdelho.
Pioneered by the McWilliams family in 1912, the Riverina region has grown to over 20,000 ha of vine. It is the second largest wine region in the country, accounting for over half of New South Wales’ total wine production. Centred around the town of Griffith, Riverina is home large family owned wineries, many of them with an Italian heritage. The region has a hot, dry, continental climate of soaring Summer temperatures. Irrigation is essential and the district is often referred to as the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Warm Autumn weather combining rain, humidity and fog delivers ideal conditions for natural botrytis development. The terroir consists of a flat riverine plain of fertile alluvial soils, red-brown loams flecked with limestone and sandy/gravelly clays. The Riverina region takes a proactive approach in addressing climate change and fosters sustainability and environmental management through their One Vision program.
The annual Riverina wine show features an international sweet wine challenge that attracts entries from around the globe.
