The State of Victoria (pop’n: 5.5 million) is a little smaller than Michigan in terms of land area. Victoria has more wine regions and more wineries than anywhere else in Australia, with about 26,000 hectares under vine. It is a region of diversity, bordered at the top by the Murray River and to the south by the turbulent Bass Strait (next stop, Tasmania). Warm fruit growing areas are the staple of the flat north-west, cool climate coastal zones surround the Port of Melbourne, and the Great Dividing Range (the world’s third largest mountain range) terminates in Victoria’s eastern flank.
The above map shows a selection of Victorian wine regions. Each possesses its own climate (and micro-climates) and soil types. The extremely technical reader should note that under Australia’s Geographic Indications hierarchy, the various regions coagulate into six overarching “Zones”.