Australian Gourmet Traveller - (01)January 2021 (1)

SAMANTHAPAYNEexploresa misunderstoodwine

region that’s earning international renown.

Riverland

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

D

rivetwohoursnorth-eastofAdelaide

andyou’llfindyourselfina wineregion

thatcrushesmorethana quarterof

Australia’swinegrapeseachyear.Whileit

doesn’tboastthehistoryofneighbouring

Barossa,orhavetheflashofMcLarenVale,

theRiverland’scontributiontoAustralian

wineis nolessimportantthanitsneighbours.

Whenyoufirstlookat thelistofRiverland

winemakers,it’sa Who’sWhoofbignames

producingupwardsofa halfa millioncases

of wine annually, which often leads to the

assumptionthattheregionproducesa high-volume

oflow-qualitywine.Thiscouldn’tbefurtherfrom

thetruth.It’sthismisconception(andveryaffordable

landprices)thathasledaward-winningviticulturist

AshleyRatclifftochampiontheregionandbuild

a groundswellofexcitementaboutfruitfromthe

Riverlandformorethana decade.

RatcliffmakeswineundertheRiccaTerra

label,butalsosuppliesfruittowineriesacross

thecountry– a processthatheoverseesclosely

toensurequality.“Wecontroleverystepofthe

process,” he says. “The vines are hand-pruned

Samanthais
a sommelier,
writerandwine
consultant.
@sl_payne

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