South Australia is the state with the largest volume of wine production in the country. One center of importance is the area around Adelaide. This city on the southern coast of Australia is home to the notable agricultural college Roseworthy, which can be compared to the U.C. Davis of Australia, producing many of its finest winemakers. 
McLaren Vale is a region located south of the city of Adelaide. Here the climate is more influenced by the sea, and produces mild summers, a cool spring during harvest, reliable rain, and little danger of frost or droughts. The soil is sandy and loamy, and black grapes predominate here, such as Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet.
On the other side of Adelaide Hills lie the Barossa Valley to the west and the Eden Valley to the east. In the Barossa, the climate is hotter and drier, with cold winters. The region is known above all for full-bodied Shiraz. 
North and slightly west of the Barossa is the Clare Valley, also known for its Riesling. The climate here is hot and dry, with soils similar to the Barossa.
In the southeastern corner of South Australia lies another famous Australian region, Coonawarra. This region is known for its limestone soils, described as “terra rossa” because of its red color. This area, some 250 miles south of Adelaide, has very cool coolest temperatures for South Australia. The Cabernets that the region is known for show good acidity, firm tannins, and clean, well-defined fruit character.