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10 Best Australian White Wines

"Think licks of Turkish delight with fresh white flowers: along with a zesty, ripe mandarin note that could quench any thirst."

10 Best Australian White Wines

Don’t for a second think that Australia is home solely to amazing red wines such as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, oh no. We here Down Under are also masters of white wines, from crisp and thirst-quenching light and dry whites all the way through to fuller, medium-bodied varietals.

The most popular bottles in Australia are without doubt Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, although others such as the Sémillion grape are becoming increasingly popular, especially in the Hunter Valley region.  South Australia, however, is easily the most important wine-growing region (although, not just for white wine, but all Australian wine) with the different sub-regions producing white wines of varying tastes and textures.

Unlike with Australian red wine, which has an overarching producer in the form of Penfolds, there is no real main producer of Australian white wine (although Penfolds does produce some exemplary Chardonnays).

As we’d always say, finding the best Australian white wine for you is as easy as going to some Cellar Doors, trying the wines on offer and seeing how your tastebuds react. After all, wine can become an incredibly expensive hobby if you don’t know what you’re doing (or even if you do, as it happens).

To help make your search for some amazing white wines that bit easier, we’ve put together this list of the best Australian white wines currently available, encompassing different grape varietals and various budgets.

For some extra help and insider knowledge, we’ve previously reached out to some expert Australian sommeliers, to spill the grapes with regards to how to pick a great white wine.

How To Pick A Great White Wine

  • When selecting, start with varietal, then region: “There’s a reason Chardonnay and Riesling attract the most attention from wine lovers worldwide; they are without a doubt the two greatest white wine varietals – and lucky for us they both fare well here in Australia,” (Nick Stamford, Managing Director of MW Wines).
  • Don’t write off vintages from cooler regions. Nick also told us that. “In places like Victoria’s Yarra Valley and Macedon –or even down in Tasmania – the cool climate means grapes are given time to ripen slowly on the vine, developing delicate fruit flavours. These aren’t your 1990s style big buttery chardonnays; it’s a leaner and crisper style.”
  • In the mouth you’re looking for good acid, almost sharp in your mouth (the opposite, a more velvet finish, is known as ‘flabby’ acid and won’t give you the refreshment you need in a summer white).
  • In the store, select a vintage with good quality grapes and minimal intervention in the cellar.
  • If you plan on letting it age, Chiara Danieli, Head Sommelier at Matteo Downtown, says to make sure you buy something acidic: “It’s always very important that a white has high acidity for ageing.” It also, “Needs to be true to the region where it comes from and reflect into the glass the characteristics of the soils and climate.”

Now that you’ve had your crash course in grape slurping, it’s time to step up your summer cellar selection: here are the best producers of white wine in Australia you can rely upon for a delectable drop.

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