Different occasions call for different types of wine, although discount wine tastes best of all.

Most wines are quaffers; just made to sip and enjoy without too much thought. But then there are others that are there to impress, with their style and finesse, on special occasions. Sitting at the beach, a cheap yet enjoyably drinkable quaffer will do very nicely. But then as a gift for someone who likes a good drop of red wine, a bit more care is needed. So how do you find a good bottle of wine from the countless number to choose from?

One important factor that is a guide to a wine’s quality is where the grapes have been grown. Like any plant, grape vines grow poorly in some environments or areas and prosper in others. Can you imagine eating pineapples or mangoes grown in Tassie? Probably not which is because the climate is not right for tropical fruits.

Vines are no different as a number of factors can result in some grape varieties producing great wines in some regions and yet producing bland wines in other regions. It all has to do with climate and soils but the important thing to remember is the classic grape/wine region combinations, for discount wines or dare I say, cheap wines.

Here is a guide to some combinations worth looking out for.

Chardonnay
Regions: Beechworth, Margaret River, Adelaide Hills, Geelong, Macedon Ranges, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Hunter Valley, Orange, Tasmania

Riesling
Regions: Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Frankland River, Canberra, Tasmania

Semillon
Regions: Hunter Valley, Margaret River, Barossa Valley

Sauvignon Blanc
Regions: Adelaide Hills, Margaret River

Shiraz
Regions: Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Heathcote, Grampians, Pyrenees, Beechworth, Yarra Valley, Hunter Valley, Canberra

Cabernet Sauvignon
Regions: Coonawarra, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Margaret River, Yarra Valley

Pinot Noir
Regions: Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Gippsland, Macedon Ranges, Beechworth, Adelaide Hills, Tasmania.