Other Viticultural Regions in the Basin

Climate

• Riverland
  Stretching along the Murray in South Australia from Renmark to Waikerie, the Riverland produces mainly wine grapes but also some dried and table grapes. Other crops include stone fruits, nuts, citrus, melons and vegetables

• Swan Hill
  Swan Hill district produces wine, table and dried grapes as well as citrus, stone fruits and vegetables. Harvest seaon for grapes mid January to May.

• Menindee
  Apart from the lakes, Menindee's main claim to fame is as the final departure point for the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition in 1860. The fact that a foreman and his men who were supposed to wait for more supplies and then rendezvous with the advance party ended up staying in Tom Payne's Tavern (now Maidens Hotel) for 11 weeks was a major contributing factor in the eventual death by starvation of the explorers.Cotton is the major crop in Menindee. Since the early 1970s about 1,000 acres of table grapes have been planted around Menindee. The main varieties are Flame Seedless, Menindee Seedless, Thompson Seedless and Red Globe. Harvest season is from late December to March. Apricots, citrus, melons and vegetables are also grown on a smaller scale.

  

  Table Grapes being loaded

• Bourke
  Approximately 100 acres of the same varieties of table grapes as Menindee are grown, with the harvest usually commencing 2-3 weeks earlier

• St George
  Cotton and broad acre farming are the major industries here with around 3-400acres of table grapes planted in the past 6-8 years. Harvesting in December.

• Roma
  Vineyards established last century, but no longer a significant viticultural area.
  

• Stanthorpe
  Stone fruits, apples, pears and both wine and table grapes, with grapes being harvested from February to April.

• Riverina
  Also known as the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and centred on the towns of Leeton and Griffith, rice and wine grapes are the main crops with citrus and vegetables other important crops.

• Cowra
  Wine grapes and vegetables.

• Mudgee
  Wine grapes

• Canberra
  With a similar climate to the bordeaux region of France, since grapes were replanted this century in 1971, the district is now producing quality cool climate wines, with the vintage lasting from late March to mid May.

• Rutherglen
  Has had a reputation for producing some of Australia's finest wines for over a century

  

  Spur pruned vine just after bud burst canberra district

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