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Appellation · Australia

Great Southern

Australia’s largest wine GI by area, in the far south-west corner of the continent, with five distinct sub-regions.

Great Southern GImaritimemoderate
What to expect in the glass

Riesling that is bone dry, limey and taut; Shiraz that is medium-bodied and peppery; Cabernet Sauvignon that is firm and herbal.

About Great Southern

Great Southern occupies the south-western corner of Western Australia and is the largest Australian GI by area, though sparsely planted.

It divides into five sub-regions with quite different climates: coastal Albany and Denmark are maritime and cool, while inland Frankland River and Mount Barker are more continental.

Riesling from Mount Barker and Porongurup is among the best in Australia, and Frankland River Shiraz is peppery and medium-bodied rather than the Barossa archetype.

What the name means

Legal name
Great Southern GI
Type
Australian Geographical Indication (GI)
Set by
Wine Australia
Recognised
1996
Regulates
Origin only. It sets no rules about varieties, yields, ageing or winemaking.

The boundary of the named zone, region or sub-region and the proportion of fruit that must come from it. Like an AVA, it does not prescribe varieties or methods.

Worth knowing

Contains five sub-regions: Albany, Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker and Porongurup.

Grapes

Wines from here

white

Australian Riesling

Bone dry, intensely limey and steely — a category of its own, with almost nothing in common with German Riesling beyond the grape.

red

McLaren Vale Shiraz

Maritime-cooled South Australian Shiraz — a touch fresher and more red-fruited than the Barossa, with a salted-chocolate edge.

What to eat, and how to serve it

Derived from this region’s signature styles. Each is listed separately, because a region does not have one serving temperature.

Australian Riesling

Serve at 8–10°C (fridge cold).

Try with fillet steak, salmon or asparagus.

McLaren Vale Shiraz

Serve at 16–18°C (cool room temperature).

Try with roast chicken, fillet steak or grilled chicken.

Where to go next

Places worth trying if you like this one — neighbours, rivals, and the obvious step across.

  • Margaret River — Western Australia’s premier region, known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Semillon–Sauvignon Blanc blends.
  • Coonawarra — A narrow strip of red *terra rossa* soil producing Australia’s most distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon.
Location

Approximate centroid: -34.60°, 117.60°. WineHQ stores coordinates only where it has them, and does not estimate boundaries it has not sourced.

Sources

Sources consulted