A GUIDE TO WINE TASTING &  DRINK DRIVING  IN THE GREAT SOUTHERN

Enter the Great Southern and you have arrived at a place of stunning wines, abundant fresh produce and magnificent natural beauty.  Let your mind and body unwind and refresh with the cystal clear air and pounding surf.  Meander along country roads sampling the freshest fruits from the orchards and wines from the region.  Revive in a local restaurant savouring the finest gourment produce and wine of the region.
The climate of the Great Southern Region is perfect for growing grapes with cool, dry summers and wet winters.  The region's many microclimates results in a great range of products and styles as is evident by the wine varieties.  First plantings of wines occurred in 1965 and the industry now boasts some 35 cellar doors outlets.

 As one of Australia's largest wine producing areas, it contains five wine sub-regions, all within a 30 minute to 1 hour drive.  Mt Barker is the most versatile of the wine regions producing excellent reisling, cabernet, pinot noir, and shiraz varieties.   Denmark, where the karri forest meets the Southern Ocean, is better known for chardonnay and pinot noir.  The limey rieslings of Frankland have had great success with cabernet and shiraz.  Albany has gained an enviable reputation for chardonnay and pinot noir, whilst the Porongurup district , named after the 1200 million year old granite upon which it is perched, is noted for the reisling variety.

If you plan on visiting  the Great Southern Wine Region and sampling our wonderful, award winning wines  - Please Don't Drink & Drive.

Regular Police patrols are conducted throughout this region and drivers can be tested at random for alcohol consumption. 

Drivers on a full (unconditional) licence must not have a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC*) equal to or exceeding 0.05%, while probationary drivers must not equal or exceed 0.02%.  The safest blood alcohol is zero as even a small amount of alcohol can affect your judgement while driving.  An alternative is to plan your trip by appointing someone to be 'the skipper' ~ a driver who doesn't consume alcohol.

(* See below for a futher information on BAC)

Alcohol is a factor in one in three road deaths. 

Alcohol makes you less aware of danger and will;

• Make it hard for you to concentrate on your driving
• Slows down your reaction time if something unexpected happens
• Makes you feel more confident, which may lead you to take risks
• Relax you, making you more likely to fall asleep at the wheel
• Upset your vision, especially at night, and your hearing

A GUIDE TO 0.05 AND WINE TASTING Within any one hour period: 5 Standard 20ml tastes of wine will put you dangerously close to the legal limit.

After drinking the only way to reduce your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the passing of time.  Drinking coffee, chewing gum, taking a cold shower, exercising, using a breath freshener or making yourself vomit will not reduce your BAC level. This is a guide only. The best way to stay under the 0.05 legal limit is DON'T DRINK & DRIVE

REMEMBER
If you have been drinking, feeling sober is not a safe indicator of whether you are under  0.05 BAC.  You may feel sober, especially if your BAC is reducing , but you could still be over the legal limit and your driving skills be impaired.

What is BAC?
Blood Alcohol Concentration is a measurement of the amount of alcohol in your body.   It is measured in grams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood A measurement of 0.05 BAC means that your body contains 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

Carbonated alcoholic drinks like champagne and sparkling wines or spirits mixed with soft drink can cause your BAC to rise more quickly than other alcoholic drinks

This page was designed and published by the Great Southern Public Health Services on behalf of the Community Alcohol Program, proudly sponsored by Healthway.