Best wineries in the Riverina
Located in southwestern New South Wales, the Riverina region holds around half of the state's vineyards. At the beginning of its vinous history, the area was primarily known for producing fortified wine, pioneered by John James McWilliam in 1912. In the words of James Halliday, "The development of the Riverina as a major wine-producing area was primarily due to the remarkable McWilliam family."
However, with its Mediterranean-like climate, the area attracted a number of Italian migrants in the early 20th century, who built on the opportunities created by the McWilliams and established family-owned estates, some of which are still in business today.
As well as McWilliam's, one of the top-producing wineries in the region is De Bortoli, who have since been joined by names such as R. Paulazzo, Calabria Family Wines, Mino & Co Wines, Nugan Estate and Yarran Wines.
Although it flies under the radar somewhat as a tourist destination, the Riverina is a home to a number of stunning cellar doors and restaurants ripe for visitation. Try a gourmet platter at the Berton Vineyards cellar door, head to Zecca Handmade Italian for amazing local produce, or bring a picnic to enjoy the beautiful gardens on the De Bortoli grounds.
The Riverina's best wines
Following John James McWilliam's pioneering of fortified wine production in the region, his ancestor Glen McWilliam led the move to table wine, developing new technologies for making wine in the hot summer climate. Today, with fortified and sweet wines remaining the flagships of the region, it's no surprise that semillon is one of the top varieties produced. However, you can also find a number of high-quality examples of shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, and a growing number of durif and petit verdot wines on offer.
To get you started, we've put together a list of 20 of the best Riverina wines, all rated 90 points and above by the Halliday Tasting Team.
Sign up to view these tasting notes and ratings
By becoming a member of Wine Companion, you'll have access to the largest database of wines in Australia.
Sign up to view these tasting notes and ratings
By becoming a member of Wine Companion, you'll have access to the largest database of wines in Australia.
Sign up to view these tasting notes and ratings
By becoming a member of Wine Companion, you'll have access to the largest database of wines in Australia.
Sign up to view these tasting notes and ratings
By becoming a member of Wine Companion, you'll have access to the largest database of wines in Australia.
Expand your knowledge with Halliday Wine Academy
Halliday Wine Academy offers an in-depth view of the Australian and international wine landscapes. Select Introduction to Wine to learn about Australian wine and regions or choose from one of our Wines of the World courses to get to know international wines.Wines of the World: Europe explores the iconic wines, regions and laws of France, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Germany and Austria, while Wines of the World: Europe and Beyond delves deeper into Italy, Greece, the Americas, South Africa and New Zealand.
