Orange
Defined by height rather than by a line on a map: only fruit grown above 600 metres counts, on the slopes of an extinct volcano whose land reaches 1,390 metres. It is the one Australian region where altitude is written into the rules.
Known for
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Pinot Noir
- Shiraz
Why Orange tastes the way it does
Every vineyard sits above 600 metres on the slopes of an extinct volcano, so the whole region is cool despite being well inland. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir do well, while Shiraz and Cabernet ripen only on the warmer lower sites. Altitude, not latitude, is the entire climate story.
January averages 21.8°C here and the growing season adds up to 1,608 heat units, which is moderate by Australian standards.
A short history
Fruit growing came first and wine grapes only from 1980. The 600-metre rule is written into the boundary itself, which is unique among Australian regions.
Orange was registered as a protected wine name in 1997, which makes the boundary a legal definition rather than a marketing one.
What your house does to a bottle from Orange
A bottle from Orange ages at the rate its temperature sets, not at the rate the vintage chart says. Barello's model is the physical one: every 10°C above 13°C roughly doubles the rate, and at 25°C or more you are not ageing it, you are cooking it. Pick where you live and where the bottle actually sits.
Choose a city and a spot, and this line will tell you how much faster the bottle is ageing than it would in a cellar.
This is the same model that dates every bottle in Barello. Open the app to run it against your own wine. Or read how to store wine without a cellar, or the wine temperature chart.
Orange in numbers
| Planted vineyard | 1,060 ha | number 23 of 64 in Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Region area | 3,422 km² | 0.31% of it under vine |
| Grapes crushed | 3,423 t a year | 3.2 tonnes a hectare |
| January average | 21.8°C | number 31 coolest of 64 |
| Heat units | 1,608 | warmth added up over the growing season |
| Land in the GI rises | 376 to 1,390 m | the boundary, not where the vines are |
| Registered | 1997 | as a protected name |
Nearby
- Cowra60 km south west, 3.4°C warmer
- Mudgee108 km north east, 1.7°C warmer
- Canberra District182 km south, known for Shiraz Viognier instead
Distances are between the registered centres of each region, so they are as the crow flies rather than as the road goes.
Where these numbers come from
Boundaries and figures: Wine Australia Geographical Indications register, used under CC BY 4.0. Climate figures are the register's own long-run averages, measured in the vineyard. The history and the tasting notes above are Barello's own.