Orange

Photo Credit: Destination NSW

The Orange wine region is defined as the area above 600m in the local government areas of Orange, Cabonne and Blayney and can be usefully described as a circle around Orange. The Orange region is ideal for grape growing and winemaking because of the combination of geology, soils, climate and temperature. Together these factors combine to produce grapes and wine of distinct flavour and colour. The climate perhaps plays the biggest part in giving Orange some distinct natural advantages - the cool temperatures during the growing season coupled with dry autumn conditions are ideal for grape growing.

Mount Canobolas, an important geological feature also plays its part, not only giving the district its rich basalt soils but also, because of its altitude, giving greater reliability to the rainfall. The climate and soils also influence the selection of varieties for planting. The region is planted to 60% red wine varieties and 40% white wine varieties - which says something about the region but also says something about the national palate in the 21st century.

Of the red varieties in the Orange region, Shiraz (27%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (14%) are the most widely planted with Merlot (12%) and Pinot Noir (5%) also featuring in many vineyard plantings. The early planting of Shiraz in the region was limited but expanded rapidly during the 1990s as the region proved itself a quality Shiraz region. The best sites for Pinot Noir are likely to be at the cooler, higher altitude sites. There are also small areas of other, newer varieties – Sangiovese, Barbera, Tempranillo and Zinfandel. As the region matures vignerons are focussing on refining variety selection with the advantage of decades of experience. This and clonal selection are likely to see some shifts in sub-regional specialisation over time.

In the whites, Chardonnay (15%), Sauvignon Blanc (11%), Pinot Gris (6%) and Riesling (3%) are the main varieties, examples of which have won national and international recognition. Plantings of Pinot Gris are expanding but it comes off a low base so may never challenge Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc as the most widely planted white variety in the region. There are small areas of Viognier, Semillon, Marsanne, Arneis, Verduzzo and Gewurztraminer, all of which have made fine wines. 

Useful Contacts

Wines of Orange

Orange 360

NSW Wine Industry Partners

Upcoming Events

23 & 24 March 2024

NSW Wine Cellar Door at The Rocks

The Rocks Market brings you their new NSW Wine Cellar Door! Savour and explore the offerings of Scarborough Wine Co., Mercer Wines, Horner Wines, and Latitude 32 Wines, each showcasing their finest creations.

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27 May 2024

Sydney Trade Tasting ~ Young Guns

The next NSW Wine Sydney Trade Tasting of 2024 will take place in May in a central CBD location, and will be focusing on wines from up and coming winemakers.

21 May 2024

Pinot Noir Masterclass

DPI NSW and NSW Wine are hosting a Pinot Noir Masterclass in the Hunter Valley. More information to follow shortly.

mid 2024

NSW Sommelier's Wine List Awards

The next NSW Sommelier's Wine List Awards will open in mid 2024. To find out more about these Awards and see who were the 2023 #nswwinestar click below.

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November 2024

NSW Wine Awards Presentation

Join the Governor of NSW at a lavish lunch at ICC Sydney and be amongst the first to hear which NSW wines and winemakers have been crowned the best of the best in 2024.

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