Top 5 Red Wine Varietals and Regions Where These are Best Grown

Australian red wines have made a mark on the international platform for their exquisite quality and distinct flavours. This mini-continent is blessed with red wine in almost every conceivable style, hailing from different wine regions that are diverse in every aspect. Each wine region of Australia is famous for producing a particular variety which captures the unique regional elements in every drop.

From Shiraz to Sangiovese, Cabernet blends to Merlot blends, red sparkling to red fortified, Australian red wines cover an extensive range. It will not be an exaggeration if we say that the land of kangaroos is also ruled by red wines. Each variety has individual delicacies to explore, even a single variety grown in two different regions will have distinctive varietal characters.

There are so many options available that it becomes almost difficult to select which red variety should be chosen from a given region. To make it a bit easier, we have prepared a list of varieties and the popular regions where their fine varieties are grown. This list will help you to instantly pick your favourite variety from its best-grown region.

We have shortlisted top 5 varietals - Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Grenache. Shiraz is the most popular variant among these, having cemented Australia’s position as a global leader. Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are climbing the charts too, while Merlot and Grenache styles have strengthened their positions in the cool climate regions. Besides these top 5 red wine varieties, there are certain Spanish and Italian varieties grown in Australia too. These include variants of Tempranillo, Barbera and Sangiovese.

Here’s a list of top 5 red varieties and the regions where they gain the best flavours.

You can also check out the cellaring potential of red wines to age your favourite red well. Because hard work and lots of patience behind making every wine is worth getting some attention. Cheers!