Australia is an incredible country for wine lovers.
We have world-class vineyards, historic wineries, tiny family producers, spectacular wine regions and some seriously good bottles to discover.
But enjoying Australian wine isn't just about opening a bottle at home.
From exploring a cellar door in the Yarra Valley to tasting aged Riesling from Clare Valley, there are plenty of ways to experience Australian wine.
Here are 12 experiences every wine lover should try at least once.
1. Spend a Day in the Yarra Valley
If you're based in Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is one of the easiest wine regions to explore.
Just over an hour from the city, it's home to beautiful vineyards, cellar doors, restaurants and some of Australia's best cool-climate wines.
Make a day of it.
Taste Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, have lunch overlooking the vines and finish the afternoon with a bottle of something you discovered along the way.
2. Taste Pinot Noir in Tasmania
Tasmania has become one of Australia's most exciting regions for cool-climate wine.
Its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are particularly impressive, with naturally high acidity, freshness and elegance.
Visit regions such as Tamar Valley, Coal River Valley and the Huon Valley and you'll quickly understand why Tasmanian wine has attracted so much attention.
Even better: compare a Tasmanian Pinot Noir with one from Victoria.
Same grape. Completely different personality.
3. Try a Proper Margaret River Chardonnay
Margaret River is one of Australia's great premium wine regions, and its Chardonnay deserves your attention.
The best examples combine citrus and stone fruit with texture, acidity and subtle oak.
If you've only tried inexpensive Chardonnay before, seek out a good Margaret River example.
It might completely change your opinion of the variety.
4. Drink Shiraz in the Barossa
Some wine experiences are simply classics.
A great Barossa Shiraz is one of them.
The region's warm climate and old vineyards can produce incredibly rich, concentrated wines with layers of dark fruit, spice and savoury complexity.
Try a young bottle alongside an older Barossa Shiraz if you get the opportunity.
It's a great way to understand how wine changes with age.
5. Discover an Unknown Australian Winery
This might be our favourite recommendation.
Forget the famous names for a moment.
Find a small producer you've never heard of.
It could be a tiny family vineyard in Gippsland, a new producer in the Yarra Valley or a winemaker experimenting with an unusual grape variety.
Some of Australia's most exciting wines are being made by people who haven't yet become household names.
And discovering them before everyone else is part of the fun.
6. Compare the Same Grape From Different Regions
This is one of the easiest ways to learn about wine.
Buy three bottles of the same grape from different regions.
For example:
Pinot Noir: Tasmania vs Mornington Peninsula vs Yarra Valley
Chardonnay: Margaret River vs Yarra Valley vs Tasmania
Shiraz: Barossa vs Heathcote vs Grampians
Taste them side by side.
You'll quickly realise that the grape variety is only part of the story.
Climate, soil, elevation, winemaking and vineyard site can completely change the character of a wine.
7. Try an Australian Riesling With Age
Australian Riesling is one of the country's great wine bargains.
Young Riesling is fresh, aromatic and vibrant.
But give a good bottle several years in the cellar and something fascinating happens.
The wine can develop deeper, more complex flavours while retaining its beautiful acidity.
Clare Valley and Eden Valley are particularly famous for age-worthy Riesling.
If you've never tasted an aged Australian Riesling, put it on your list.
8. Drink Wine From an Old Vineyard
Australia is lucky to have some remarkably old vineyards.
Some vines have been producing grapes for generations.
Older vines can produce wines with concentration, complexity and a strong sense of place.
Look for terms such as Old Vine, Old Vines or specific vineyard information on the label.
Then ask the producer about the vineyard's history.
There's something special about drinking a wine made from vines that were planted decades before you were born.
9. Try an Alternative Grape Variety
Australia isn't just Shiraz, Chardonnay and Cabernet.
Our winemakers are increasingly experimenting with varieties from around the world.
Try something different:
Fiano
Fresh, textured and increasingly popular in warmer Australian regions.
Vermentino
Bright, aromatic and excellent with seafood.
Nebbiolo
Structured, aromatic and fascinating with food.
Sangiovese
Fresh, savoury and brilliant with Italian cuisine.
Grenache
One of Australia's most exciting red varieties.
You might discover a new favourite.
10. Visit a Winery During Vintage
If you ever get the chance to visit a winery during vintage, take it.
Vintage is when the winery comes alive.
Grapes are arriving, presses are running, fermentations are starting and everyone is working around the clock.
It's messy, exhausting and fascinating.
You'll never look at a bottle of wine quite the same way after seeing how much work goes into producing it.
11. Open an Australian Wine From Your Birth Year
This is one for a special occasion.
If you can find a bottle from your birth year — or another meaningful year — open it.
It doesn't have to be an expensive wine.
The fun is in seeing how wine develops over time and sharing something with a story attached to it.
Just make sure the wine was actually designed to age.
12. Find a Wine You Absolutely Love
Perhaps the most important experience of all.
Don't worry about ratings.
Don't worry about trends.
Don't worry about whether someone else thinks the wine is “important”.
Find a wine that makes you want another glass.
Then remember what it was.
The grape. The region. The producer. The vintage.
And start exploring from there.
The Best Part About Australian Wine
Australia's wine industry is incredibly diverse.
We have famous regions and tiny emerging ones. Ancient vineyards and brand-new plantings. Traditional varieties and exciting newcomers.
You can spend a lifetime exploring Australian wine and still have plenty left to discover.
And you don't need to travel thousands of kilometres to do it.
You can start with three bottles on your kitchen table.
Pick a grape.
Choose three different regions.
Open them side by side.
Taste.
Talk about them.
And most importantly — enjoy them.
At Purvis Cellars, we're constantly searching for wines that make us stop and say, “That's interesting.”
Some come from famous regions. Others come from producers you've probably never heard of.
That's what keeps wine exciting.
There's always another bottle to discover.