Eden Valley and Clare Valley are accredited with producing Australia’s finest Riesling. These are generally dry, medium-bodied, with high acidity and pronounced citrus fruit notes (lime, lemon). As good Rieslings do, they will age well, developing notes of honey and toast. Some may develop smoky aromas, not unlike petrol, but don’t let that put you off.

Although it makes great reds too, Clare Valley’s cool nights help give this area its reputable name, with fantastic growing conditions. Very minerally, again, sometimes with a note of lime, these wines are typically bone dry in youth, developing great toasty notes with age. These are wines designed for food, particularly in their youth as they may seem a little intense at first (again, generally speaking).

Eden Valley is the one that got me taking Australian Riesling to heart.  Situated in the hills on the eastern flank of Barossa Valley (Clare and Eden are the two valleys that make up the official Barossa region), it is not so far from Clare, but its Rieslings are quite different. More floral, juicy and less austere in youth, they also take on a toastiness with bottle age.

So here’s another few regions that’s got to be added to the “must try” list of those avid Riesling fans. I think the most accessible Rieslings are those of the New World. Starting with New Zealand, you should move to Eden & Clare Valley before conquering Alsace and Germany. But then, who ever listens to me anyway?

From our own range, Cascabel produces a world-class Riesling from Eden Valley, achieving 5 stars from renowned wine critic James Halliday.