ClimateĬoonawarra's proximity to the Southern Ocean (37 miles/60km away) gives it a mild maritime climate, with Mediterranean effects in the summer moderated by the cool breezes coming off the sea. Vines are prevented from penetrating the soil beyond the Terra Rossa by a hard layer of said calcium carbonate keeping vigor restricted. Vineyards on this soil benefit from good drainage with the pH slightly alkaline thanks to the dissolving calcium carbonate. The reddish color of the soil is caused by iron-oxide (rust) formations in the clay with the soil also rich in silica and other nutrients. After the melting of the ice caps exposed this limestone base, it was the maritime winds from the Southern Ocean that brought silt deposits from nearby plains. The region's prime land, which has this reddish-brown topsoil over a thick layer of soft limestone, covers a narrow strip 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) long and around 1km (0.6 miles) wide. The Terra Rossa soil found throughout is the key factor in the Coonwarra terroir. The region is one of the very few regions in Australia strongly defined by the earth in which the vineyards are planted. Many other well-known wine producers followed suit, including Penfolds and Yalumba. Vines were first planted here in the last decade of the 19th Century by Scottish settler John Riddoch, but it was not until the 1950s that the region received some serious attention when the famous Wynns winery was set up. It was accredited with its GI (Geographical Indication) status in 2003. The region is located in the far south-east of the state, adjoining the border with Victoria south of Wrattonbully. The Manjimup and Pemberton Regions have formed the "Southern Forests Wine Association", to pool their resources and efforts, promoting the interests of these two otherwise independent Regions.The famous Terra Rossa soil of the Coonawarra At the national level, there is a governing body for all of Australia, being "Wine Australia" (they provided the above region map). In general, in WA, there is a Wine Association for each of the Regions and an overarching body for the state, known as "Wines of Western Australia". Due to Swan Valley being so well known, with its high concentration of wineries, most people think that Swan Valley is the Region, and relatively few people tend to know that it's actually a Subregion of Swan District. The oldest wine growing area in WA is the Swan Valley. However, all of WA's wine areas have a great deal to offer and are well worth exploring, both in terms of their quality wines and for tourism purposes. The best known WA Region, nationally and internationally, is Margaret River. Of the nine Regions (R), only two of them contain Subregions (S) and all lie entirely within Zones 3 and 4, as follows: The whole of Western Australia's land area is divided into the following five wine Zones:Įastern Plains, Inland & North of Western Australia On this website, you can browse information about all wineries and vineyards, which are grouped by Region and then Subregion, or by Zone where no Region has been defined. These are contained in just two of the Zones, located in the lower southwest corner of the state. The majority of WA wineries and vineyards are within the nine Regions. Western Australia (WA) has five wine Zones, nine Regions and six Subregions, which are formally defined and officially designated as Geographical Indications (GIs) of Australia.
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