Orange
A Cool-Climate Wine Region in the Central West
On the lands of the Wiradjuri people.
schedule 1 min read / Updated Apr 2026
A cool-climate wine region built around the extinct volcano of Mount Canobolas, three and a half hours west of Sydney. Orange sits 862 metres above sea level, which is why the grapes ripen slowly and the four seasons are actually distinct (including snow in winter).
Orange was established in 1846 and is set in the volcanic soils around Mount Canobolas, an extinct volcano that is the highest point between the Blue Mountains and Perth. The altitude gives the region a cool continental climate that is rare in mainland Australia and allows elegant, Burgundian-style chardonnay, pinot noir, shiraz and riesling to ripen here.
The region has more than 60 cellar doors, most of them small and family-run. Philip Shaw, Ross Hill, Printhie, Swinging Bridge, and Brangayne of Orange are the best-known producers. The April F.O.O.D. Week and the October Orange Wine Festival are the two biggest events of the year.
Outside the vineyards, the Mount Canobolas summit has a 1,395 metre lookout reached by road, and the surrounding forest park has alpine ash and waterfalls. The town itself is elegant, with wide tree-lined streets, a number of heritage pubs, and one of the best regional food scenes in the state.
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- Bandstand, Cook Park, Orange NSW.jpg · User: (WT-shared) Puzzlement at wts wikivoyage aka... · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bank of N.S.W., Orange A2824866h.jpg · American & Australasian Photographic Company · Public domain
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