Swan Hill

Large, productive Australian wine region situated about 235 miles northwest of Melbourne; the main town in the area is Swan Hill. It straddles the Murray River, with vineyards in both the Big Rivers Zone of new south wales and the North West Victoria Zone of victoria. The climate in this region is hot and dry, which means vineyards require constant irrigation, which is provided by a system first developed in the late 1800s. Irrigation's turned this vast, hot, arid area into a garden spot not only for grapes but also for lots of other produce. Vines here are vigorous, producing high yields and generally less than the highest-quality wines. Most grapes are destined for Australia's inexpensive and popular bag-in-box (or cask) wines. The wine regions along the Murray River-Swan Hill; the murray darling region, just northwest; and the riverland region west of Murray Darling in south australia-generate 50 percent of Australia's wine production. sultana, muscat, chardonnay, and columbard are the most widely planted varieties. There is considerable Shiraz (syrah) acreage, as well as cabernet sauvignon.