New South Wales

New South Wales (NSW) was the first Australian state to be colonised and consequently the first State to produce wine in Australia. The first grape vines were brought from the United Kingdom and planted in what is now the heart of Sydney.

Unlike Victoria and South Australia, NSW did not experience the 19th century prosperity of the gold rush and as a result their wine industry did not flourish at the same rate.

NSW has a diverse range of climates that are suitable for wine growing.

This includes Alpine regions across the top of the Great Dividing Range where the grapes are grown at higher altitudes, coastal areas dominated by the Hunter Valley which are popular with tourists, warmer climate regions such as Riverina and Perricoota which are west of the Great Dividing and the northern portion of the state including Swan Hill and the Murray Darling.

Approximately 20% of the Australian national wine production is in NSW. This state is home to one of Australia's best known wine regions; the Hunter Valley. Other regions such as Cowra, Canberra, Griffith and Mudgee have also grown in notoriety in more recent years.