New South Wales - Orange
Diversity is the key to the success of the Orange Wine Region
Diversity in elevation, diversity of terroir, and diversity of wine styles are all important aspects of wine. The wonderful wine variety can be tasted at various cellar door outlets around Orange. There are sleek and sophisticated tasting rooms, as well as rustic and charming ones that ooze country style. Additionally, there are award-winning restaurants, cafés and wine bars in Orange. This is the place to be for wine lovers. The key to Orange's rapid success (the first commercial vines weren't planted until 1980) is its multifaceted terroir. The Orange Wine Region has a footprint that includes the town of Orange and parts of the surrounding Cubbon and Brainy Shires, with well-defined boundaries at a lower elevation of 600 meters.
THE CLIMATE
The highest vineyard in the region is 1000 meters above sea level. These highlands have a dramatic impact on Orange's climate. Summers are warm (but rarely hot) during the day, cool at night, and cold, frosty, and occasionally snowy in the winter. These weather patterns help define Orange as a cool climate wine region. Add to this the wide variety of vineyard profiles and complex geological topography, and it's no wonder Orange winemakers are able to grow such a diverse variety of grapes and produce such an impressive collection of wine styles. There is none.Â
THE SOIL
The ancient volcanic deposits of Mount Kanoboras, which dominate the surrounding terrain, contribute greatly to the unique terroir of the Orange region. Areas that offer opportunities to grow grapes that express their own terroir, from deep, well-drained basalt clays and silts that predominate between 800m and 1000m to less fertile sedimentary soils on low slopes between 700m and 900m. Vines (and countless more) throughout.
INTRODUCING THE WINES THAT MADE THE ORANGE GREAT
Chardonnay joins Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris in cooler locations
favoring Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
