The Riverina is located in Southern New South Wales. The region is generally flat in topography with elevation ranging from 94-221m. The climate is hot and dry. With around 400mm annual rainfall, irrigation relies heavily upon the Murrumbidgee River . The soils range from red sandy earths to brown clay loams. Vital Statistics: Griffith Airport | Map Coordinates | 34° S, 146 ° E | | Altitude | 140 m | | Mean maximum temperature (°C) | 23.8 | | Mean minimum temperature (°C) | 9.9 | | Sunshine hours, Oct-Apr | 2140 | | Mean daily sunshine (hours) | 7.8 | | Annual rainfall | 424 mm | | Growing season rainfall | 238 mm | Relative humidity Oct-Apr, 3 pm Avg | 36% | | Harvest | Early Feb - Early May |
Being the second largest wine producing region in Australia, the Riverina produces 15% of Australia's total grape production. Annual grape production in 2006 was almost 300,000 tonnes from vineyards covering an area of over 15,000 hectares. Viticultural endeavours are based around the City of Griffith and town of Leeton. Climatic conditions support reliable grape growing with moderate to high yields and minimal disease load. The predominant varieties grown are Shiraz and Chardonnay (22% and 20% of 2006 yield respectively), but third variety produced in abundance is Semillon (16%). Semillon grapes, when picked at normal maturity, are used in generic table wine styles, but the region's humid autumn conditions favour the development of the fungus ‘Botrytis cinerea' and selected blocks of Semillon grapes are left on the vine post maturity for the ‘noble rot' to shrivel the grapes, evaporating their water content and concentrating the sugar and acid levels, and creating the luscious Sauternes-style dessert wine, for which the region is internationally reknowned. |  |
