Here's our list of top Aussie wine varieties and the regions they come from.

It can be confusing keeping up with all the labels in a bottleshop. It's much simpler choosing your wines by regions. So you're into semillon? Search for a bottle from one of our recommended areas and see our easy guide to all wine styles.

Chardonnay
Flavour factor: the chardonnay grape produces different styles of wine, from full-bodied, heavily oaked examples, through to unwooded, dry styles. The style depends on where the grapes are grown - climate and soil have a big effect on flavour. Look at the description on the label!
Best regions: Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula, McLaren Vale and Margaret River.

Riesling
Flavour factor: riesling has lots of citrus lemon/lime flavours with a flowery/honey aroma and a dry finish.
Best regions: Eden Valley and Clare Valley.

Sauvignon blanc
Flavour factor: produces a pungent and intense dry white style often characterised as 'grassy' (read green) that blends very well with semillon. Lots of gooseberry flavours. Drink young.
Best regions: Adelaide Hills and Coonawarra, Yarra Valley. For yummy sauvignon blanc/semillon blends, try the Margaret River wineries. Marlborough in New Zealand produces outstanding sauvignon blancs.

Semillon
Flavour factor: the world's most planted white grape variety is crisp and light on your tastebuds when young, but develops into something richer if it's left in the cellar. Blends well with sauvignon blanc and chardonnay and makes lovely dessert wines.
Best regions: The Lower Hunter Valley produces superb semillon, as does the Barossa Valley.

Verdelho
Flavour factor: this acidic white grape usually produces rich, full-bodied, fruity table wine best consumed within three years.
Best regions: suited to the warmer climates of the Swan Valley and Hunter Valley. A Margaret River verdelho can be racier and drier.

Cabernet sauvignon
Flavour factor: cab sav grapes produce full-bodied wines with a primarily blackcurrant fruit flavour and peppery aroma. Like chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon's flavour depends on where it's grown. Read the description on the label.
Best regions: Coonawarra is one of the best, as is Margaret River. Also Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley and McLaren Vale.

Merlot
Flavour factor: a grape variety that's mostly used in blends, especially with cabernet sauvignon, but there are more and more straight merlots emerging. It's soft and luscious with blackberry fruit flavours.
Best regions: there's no real 'merlot region' in Australia - the production method is what's most important. Having said that, look out for merlots from Coonawarra.

Pinot noir
Flavour factor: pinot noir grows in cooler climates and Australia is finally beginning to make a few decent drops. Much, much lighter than cab sav and shiraz, pinot noir is expensive to produce but when done well, is a delicate wine of great balance and light red flavours.
Best regions: Yarra Valley, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula and Tasmania are producing some world-class pinot.

Rosè
Flavour factor: fresh, light flavours and a sweet pink hue make this a perfect wine for summer - give it a good chill.
Best regions: as with merlot, rosè is more about the production method than the region. The Yarra Valley produces drier rosè, the Barossa Valley has sweeter ones.

Shiraz
Flavour factor: also known as syrah - a name more widely used in Europe. The most popular red grape variety in Australia packs a punch. It's peppery and spicy with fruity notes of blackberry and plum, and ages well for decades.
Best regions: Lower Hunter, Mudgee, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale and, of course, the Barossa, which is famed for its mighty shiraz.
Sparkling red
Flavour factor: a uniquely Australian style of wine that's richly flavoured, sweet and soft, with lots of berry characters. Drink chilled with food.
Best regions: Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.

Sparkling white
Flavour factor: sparkling wine is the generic term that's used for all bubblies produced outside the Champagne region in France (no-one else can call a wine Champagne except for them - it's all very strict!).
Best regions: Tasmania produces wonderful sparkling whites, as does the Yarra Valley and Adelaide Hills.

		Wine region	Known for
NSW		Hunter Valley	Semillon, verdelho, shiraz
		Mudgee	Shiraz
SA		Barossa Valley	Semillon, rosè, shiraz, sparkling red
		Coonawarra	Sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz
		McLaren Vale	Chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, sparkling red
		Eden Valley	Riesling
		Clare Valley	Riesling
		Adelaide Hills	Sauvignon blanc, sparkling white
Vic		Yarra Valley	Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, rosè, sparkling white
		Mornington Peninsula	Chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir
		Geelong	Pinot noir
WA		Margaret River	Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc/semillon blends, verdelho, cabernet sauvignon
		Swan Valley	Verdelho
Tas			Pinot, sparkling white