Geology, soils and climate of Western Australia's wine regions

Authors

Peter J. Tille
Angela Stuart-Street, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western AustraliaFollow
Peter S. Gardiner, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western AustraliaFollow

Files

Publication Date

12-2022

Series Number

4925

Abstract

This bulletin details what is special and unique about the geology, soil and climate of the south-west of Western Australia (WA), an area that encompasses the state’s 9 wine regions.

We have arranged the information into 2 parts:

• In Part 1, we broadly describe the special geological, soil and climate features of the south-west of WA to provide context for the wine regions.

• In Part 2, we describe the geology, soil and climate of the regions and subregions of the Geographical Indications (GI) scheme (administered by Wine Australia) for WA.

Through this work we have found that the wine regions of south-west WA are unique and special in many ways and believe that the combination of characteristics contribute to the south-west’s reputation for producing the grapes that make fine wines. Although we are still a long way from fully understanding the interactions between environmental conditions and wine production in WA, 3 features of the south-west stand out:

• the ubiquitous ironstone gravelly soils

• the ancient granitic geology

• the influences of afternoon sea breezes, such as the Fremantle and Albany doctors.

This study only describes the regions contained within the GI scheme’s South-west Australia Zone and the Greater Perth Zone. The other GI zones in WA have no regions allocated to them, despite the presence of a few isolated vineyards. Viticulture in these other zones is mainly limited by climatic conditions, water availability and isolation.

Number of Pages

360

ISSN

1833-7236

Publisher

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

City

Perth

Keywords

viticulture, wine regions, geology, landforms, soils, climate, Western Australia

Disciplines

Environmental Studies | Food Studies | Geology | Geomorphology | Other Environmental Sciences | Physical and Environmental Geography | Soil Science | Sustainability | Viticulture and Oenology

Comments

The Geology, soils and climate of the Margaret River wine region is an extract of this bulletin that has been tailored to the specific needs of the Margaret River wine region. It contains local soil names and soil-landscape zones and systems maps.

Recommended Citation

Tille P, Stuart-Street A and Gardiner P (2022) ‘The geology, soils and climate of Western Australia’s wine regions’, Bulletin 4925, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australian Government.

Maps

Maps are not included as part of the complete document download. If this report contains a map, it will be available in the individual parts list below.