Hamish Anderson

The delights of an Australian wine tour

Australia has had the good sense to plant many of its best vineyards in areas of beauty and near cities. The former makes them inspiring places to visit, while the latter provides trade for tasting rooms, hotels and restaurants to flourish. Sydney has the historic Hunter Valley a few hours to the north. The warmth, humidity and rain make it far from perfect for growing grapes and yet it is successful, in part because of easy access from the city. You could spend weeks in Melbourne visiting vineyards: Yarra Valley to north-east or Mornington Peninsula to the south are good places to start. Tasmania is also only a short flight away.

South Australia is responsible for more wine than any other state. Its charming capital, Adelaide, is the de facto centre of the industry: great historic regions such as the Barossa Valley are within easy reach. Western Australia’s production is tiny, but its reputation is rightly large, and in Margaret River it has a region of wine, stunning beaches and untouched landscapes. We are blessed with great availability of Australian wine in the UK, but there is no substitute for drinking them in situ. 2015 Finest Tingleup Riesling, Great Southern, Western Australia £8, Tesco Made by the excellent Howard Park, this is a dry, tingly Riesling with lime curd and flowers – it cries out for warm weather and seafood. 2013 D’Arry’s Original d’Arenberg, McLaren Vale, South Australia £11, Morrisons This is full of rich, brambly fruit and fresh spice. If you are in Oz, it is made for the barbecue; back home, in February, think a warming stew. 2013 Chardonnay, Tolpuddle, Tasmania £34, The Wine Society Chardonnay of international calibre. It is effortlessly understated and yet has so much going on: grapefruit, peach, cream and smoke.