The Australian wine industry is one of the world's largest exporters of wine, with approximately 800 million out of the 1.2 to 1.3 billion liters produced annually exported to overseas markets. The wine industry significantly contributes to the economy's production,exports, and tourism.
Wine is produced in every state, with more than 60 designated wine regions of approximately 160,000 hectares; however, Australia's wine regions are mainly in the southern, cooler parts of the country, with vineyards located in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland. The wine regions in each state produce different wine varieties and styles that take advantage of the particular Terroir such as climatic differences,topography, and soil types. The major varieties are predominantly Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Semillon, Pinot noir, Riesling, and Sauvignon blanc.