By Andy Young
Adelaide has become the newest member of an international association of wine cities across the world; the Great Wine Capitals Global Network.
The network will mean a greater international exposure for Adelaide as well as opportunities to create collaborations within the wine industry.
South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill made the announcement during a showcase of South Australian food and wine in San Francisco last week.
“South Australia excels in producing premium wine and providing exceptional wine tourism. These industries are crucial for our economic growth and creating jobs in our regions,” Weatherill said.
“Being a member of the Great Wine Capitals will ensure these industries continue to grow.”
Weatherill added: “South Australia has some of the oldest vines in the world and we produce half of Australia’s bottled wine and almost 80 per cent of the nation’s premium wine.
“Our capital city is the gateway to all 18 of South Australia’s regions from the Barossa, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley, Coonawarra and Riverland.
“There are more than 200 cellar doors within an hour’s drive from Adelaide and a number of large wine companies have their production bases in South Australia.
“Adelaide is also home to the National Wine Centre and all national wine industry representative and research bodies, including Wine Australia, the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, Wine Grape Growers Australia and the Australian Wine Research Institute.”
Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago said becoming a Great Wine Capital made perfect sense.
“It’s very exciting and timely to witness Adelaide joining such a well-respected global wine network. I believe our South Australian wine and food industries and culture will benefit greatly from the opportunities this will create – now and into the future,” Gago said.
Adelaide was invited to join the global network which also includes San Francisco/Napa Valley (US), Bordeaux (France), Bilbao/Rioja (Spain), Cape Town (South Africa), Mainz/Rheinhessen (Germany), Mendoza (Argentina), Porto (Portugal) and Valparaìso/Casablanca Valley (Chile).