The Riverland is Australia’s largest winegrape region by tonnage produced. It is located north-east of the city of Adelaide, about 200km inland. The climate is Continental – long sunny days give way to noticeably cooler nights.
The GI region is 4105 km2 in size and has a total of 22,032 hectares of vineyards. The main varieties grown in the region are Shiraz, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Riverland Regional Snapshot 2023-24
Regional Snapshots are one-page profiles updated annually of individual Australian wine regions. They provide at-a-glance summary statistics on: climatic characteristics, viticulture data, winegrape production, and winegrape price and export sales data for wine, compared against the same statistics for the whole of Australia.
Download now22,032 ha
Total Vineyard Area
34° 23'S
Latitude (southernmost point)
0-99m
Altitude
148mm
Growing season rainfall
Top varieties grown in Riverland
Climate
- The Riverland climate is Continental, resulting in long sunny days and noticeably cooler nights.
- Long sunshine hours ensure fruit ripens fully and low relative humidity results in little or no disease pressures.
Soil
- The soils of the Riverland vary significantly. The two main types are river valley soils, consisting of sandy loams over clay subsoils, and Mallee soils on higher ground, consisting of wind-blown sands over lime and clay layers.
- Soils within the river valley, comprising loams and clays, were formed when fine clay and silt particles were deposited over the flood plain by the River Murray.
- On higher ground, the Mallee landscape is characterized by depressions and rises and consists of windblown sands over lime and clay layers.