THOUGH it is less than an hour from the famous Coonawarra vineyards, the wine of Mount Gambier is yet to make much of an impact.
Terry Strickland hopes that will change within the next six months or so, when Mount Gambier's application to receive official geographical indication status as a winegrowing region is approved by the industry's governing body.
"There's a clear definition of place if a bottle has your name on it," said Mr Strickland, president of the Mount Gambier Regional Winegrowers, located 430km southeast of Adelaide.
"In marketing and promotion terms, it's going to be an advantage."
If Mount Gambier's application is successful, it will become the 63rd recognised Australian wine region. The sheer numbers sit uncomfortably with Wine Australia's push to get overseas consumers focusing on specific winemaking regions in an attempt to promote a more expensive drop.
Paul Henry, general manager of market development at the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, said the industry had to push forward the best-known regions sometimes at the expense of others. "We've got to be realistic about what we're trying to achieve," he said.
"We need to choose those regions that have got the greatest chance and the greatest opportunity to have some obvious consumer recognition.
Mr Strickland is confident Mount Gambier can compete with more established vineyards, reckoning his pinot noir stacks up with Adelaide Hills pinot, "if not better", and that the cool climate of South Australia's southeastern corner bodes well, with predictions of warming temperatures.
"I'm hoping it doesn't happen until long after I'm gone," he said. "Being cooler to start with, we think we're going to be in a better position than a lot of other regions when those one- and two-degree shifts start taking place."
Mount Gambier is not among 16 regions chosen to be part of a new marketing campaign to be launched later this year.
Coonawarra, the Barossa and Hunter valleys, Margaret River and Mornington Peninsula are among other established areas on the list.
"You lead with your strongest suit, or your most established proposition, and you use those to seed the idea that regionality is relevant in the discussion of Australian wine around the world," Mr Henry said.
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