At a dinner in Toronto, a diverse collection of wines from Australia’s Victoria state offered a reminder that the country’s wine story extends well beyond its most familiar regions
Australian wine has come a long way since the 1990s, when bottles of Lindeman’s, Wolf Blass and Hardys were familiar sights at family dinner gatherings. Those labels helped shape my early impressions of Australian wine, but the country’s wine landscape has evolved considerably since then. Today, there is a much broader story to tell, one that extends well beyond the brands and styles that first introduced many Canadians to wines from Down Under.
That evolution came into focus at a recent dinner at George Restaurant in downtown Toronto, hosted by Wine Victoria, the industry body representing the state’s wine sector. Over the course of a multi-course meal, we explored a dozen wines spanning several regions and varieties, from chardonnay and pinot noir to sangiovese, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon.
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What struck me most was the freshness and balance running through many of the wines, particularly the reds. Both cabernet sauvignons we tasted demonstrated how compelling the variety can be when expressed through a cooler-climate lens: vibrant fruit, savoury complexity and an underlying freshness that made them natural companions for food.
It was a welcome reminder that Australian wine cannot be reduced to a single style.
A different side of Australian wine
Victoria is home to more than 20 wine regions, each shaped by its own combination of altitude, geography and climate. Compared with the warmer, more established production areas of neighbouring South Australia, many parts of Victoria offer cooler growing conditions that can help preserve acidity and aromatic definition.
Giant Steps (courtesy of Wine Victoria).
The state is also home to a considerable number of smaller, family-owned wine businesses. Their scale and regional focus offer a different perspective on Australian wine, one in which individual vineyards, local conditions and a sense of place often take centre stage.
That diversity was evident throughout the dinner. The wines moved from the saline, citrus-driven character of vermentino to the restrained mineral profile of chardonnay from Gippsland, followed by aromatic pinot noir and a range of reds with distinctly different expressions of fruit, spice and savoury character.
For me, the two cabernet-based wines I tasted were among the most persuasive of the evening. Neither wine needed to be oversized or overly extracted to command attention. Their appeal lay in their balance, with fruit, structure and freshness working together in a way that encouraged another bite of food and another sip of wine.
These are precisely the kinds of qualities that make cool-climate cabernet worth exploring. They also challenge the assumption that Australian reds must be defined by warmth, richness and ripe fruit alone.
An opportunity in the Canadian market
The dinner comes at an interesting time for Victorian wine producers looking to establish a stronger foothold in Canada.
Since 2025, most U.S. alcoholic products have been removed from provincial distribution and retail systems, creating new opportunities for international producers to build relationships with Canadian buyers and restaurant operators. For Victoria, the opening is timely, but its ambitions extend beyond replacing wines from another market.
Fallen Giants Vineyard (courtesy of Wine Victoria).
Wine Victoria is increasing its investment in Canada following an inaugural trade program in February 2026. Its October return brought a larger delegation and expanded tasting opportunities, with the goal of building longer-term relationships with importers, provincial liquor buyers, retailers, sommeliers and hospitality professionals.
CEO Stephanie Duboudin attended the Toronto dinner, alongside Scott Burton, the organization’s general manager of export programs. Their presence underscored the importance Victoria is placing on developing the Canadian market through direct engagement and education (a visit to Vancouver was to immediately follow their brief stay in Toronto).
The trade figures offer encouraging context. In the 12 months to June 2026, Australian wine exports to Canada increased 13.2 percent in volume and 19.6 percent in value. Over the same period, Victoria’s shipments to Canada grew 5.1 percent in volume and 27.3 percent in value, suggesting that the state’s growth is being driven disproportionately by value rather than volume.
Victoria’s export profile also reflects its premium positioning. According to the figures shared for the program, only about 10 percent of the state’s wine is exported, with the remainder consumed domestically. That leaves considerable room to develop international markets, although building distribution and consumer awareness takes time.
(Photo by KIM LANDY 2020)
For Canadian buyers, the challenge will be to look beyond familiar Australian labels and discover what the state’s individual regions have to offer. That means making room for wines that may not yet have broad distribution, but that bring something distinctive to a restaurant list or retail selection.
The wines tasted at George offered a compelling starting point. Their diversity was impressive, but it was the balance, freshness and food-friendly character of many of them that stayed with me.
Canada’s changing trade landscape may provide an opening for Victoria. The more important question is whether its wines can earn a lasting place in the market once the immediate circumstances have passed.
Based on what I tasted, there is good reason to believe they can.
Wines tasted
Foreign Friends ‘Jeanne’ Savagnin 2025 — King Valley
Aromatic and inviting, with dried ginger and fragrant notes of peach and nectarine. Grown at 328 metres and fermented in old French barriques, with 30 percent undergoing malolactic fermentation, it balances expressive fruit with a savoury, gently spiced character.
Chalmers Vermentino 2025 — Heathcote
Crisp and vibrant, with lime cordial, grapefruit and lychee complemented by a saline, sea-spray character. Whole-bunch pressed and wild fermented, the wine spent six months on lees, contributing texture while preserving its refreshing profile.
Bass Phillip Premium Chardonnay 2024 — Gippsland
A standout chardonnay – one of the very vest tasted all year! – combining stony minerality and a flinty, struck-match character with creamy depth and piercing acidity. White peach, Meyer lemon and toasted hazelnut add complexity to a restrained, finely textured wine with impressive precision.
Dexter Chardonnay 2024 — Mornington Peninsula
White peach and white flowers lead into sea spray, nougat and a stony, river-pebble character. Fresh herbal notes of Thai basil, fennel and wild mint provide lift.
Dilworth and Allain Doug’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024 — Macedon Ranges
Distinctively aromatic, with cherry and plum layered over pepper, woodland herbs, twigs and earth. Its unusual dill-like, almost pickle-savoury note gives the wine an individual personality. Grown at 530 metres.
Giant Steps Circle of Fifths Pinot Noir 2024 — Yarra Valley
Bright crimson in colour, this juicy, elegant pinot noir offers ripe strawberry, black raspberry, rose and lavender, with a hint of cinnamon stick. A blend of single-vineyard wines, it incorporates 40 percent whole bunches and 50 percent carbonic maceration.
Pizzini Pietra Rossa Sangiovese 2024 — King Valley
A characterful, high-altitude sangiovese with a layered mix of plum, savoury herbs and warming spice. Oak maturation adds complexity and structure while allowing the wine’s fruit and savoury personality to remain central.
Chalmers Nero d’Avola 2024 — Heathcote
Bright, juicy and fruit-forward, with lifted violet aromas, berry compote and cherry-candy notes balanced by a refreshing cranberry-like crunch. Wild fermented and made without oak, it offers an energetic expression of the Sicilian variety.
Fowles Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Shiraz 2022 — Strathbogie Ranges
A plush, cool-climate Shiraz from vineyards more than 600 metres above sea level. Dark berry fruit and distinctive Davidson plum meet baking spice and vanilla, building layers of complexity.
Mount Langi Cliff Edge Shiraz 2024 — Grampians
Blackberry, black cherry and wild raspberry form the core of this fresh, cool-climate shiraz, with white pepper and violet adding aromatic lift. Its fruit-forward profile is balanced by a savoury, peppery edge, reflecting the region’s cool conditions and low rainfall.
Best’s Great Western Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 — Great Western
Fresh leafy aromas mingle with vibrant red and dark berries, followed by hints of tobacco. The palate brings together ripe berry fruit, baked fruit and dark chocolate, with freshness lending definition to this classic regional expression of cabernet sauvignon.
Indigo Vineyard The Hannafords Cabernets 2022 — Beechworth
A structured blend of 65 percent cabernet sauvignon, 25 percent merlot and 10 percent petit verdot. Dark berry fruit and chocolate provide the core, while ten months in French oak, including just five percent new oak, adds subtle integration without overwhelming the fruit.
– Carmelo Giardina is the principal editor of VineRoutes
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