Home to Australia's highest altitude vineyards, it's no wonder the region's wine is known as: A Drop Above.

Your first visit to the Orange Wine Region—and every visit after—will quite literally take your wine experience to new heights.

With vines planted near the peak of Mount Canobolas (Gaanha-bula) 1395m above sea level, along the slopes of the Towac Valley and around Lake Canobolas, and on the headwaters of the Belubula River, the diversity in elevation means the region produces an extensive range of varietals and excels as a cool climate wine region. 

Elevation is just one factor that stamps the wines of the Orange Region as being individual and distinct. Mount Canobolas (Gaahna-bula) is an ancient volcano that has weathered to produce rich basalt-based soils – deep red in colour and full of nutrients.

Orange Region has been a revered fruit-growing region since the 1860s and still produces abundant apples, cherries, berries and stone fruit. Vineyards were planted in the 1920s, but it wasn't until 1980 that the focus turned to wine grapes. The Orange G.I. (Geographic Indicator – above 600m) was registered in 1996, with the first Orange Wine Show held in 2002. Today, the area under vine exceeds 1,100 hectares.

 Orange Wine Region is one of Australia's top grape-producing and wine regions, with over 80 vineyards and over 30 cellar doors centred around the town of Orange. In easy reach, many cellar doors are close to one another and easy to visit using the map of the five Orange Region Wine Trails.   

Each cellar door offers visitors a unique wine-tasting experience, varietals and styles. The region's terroir diversity and relative youth offer traditional red varieties with Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, produced as medium body, full flavour.  Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling, and Prosecco are well recognised in the region and Arneis, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Barbera and Montepulciano, and Tempranillo are entering the mainstream.

The Orange Wine Region isn't a 'one size fits all'; exploring its vinous diversity is part of the fun and adventure, and it has made it even more enjoyable in a region that exceeds expectations on every level.

You'll find you want to come back time and time again for that Drop Above.