16. Australia Flashcards
What percentage of total wine crush is made up by sparkling wine? How many litres?
Less than 6%
66 million litres (18-19)
What is the domestic to export split?
80 domestic 20 export
What kind of styles are made in Australia?
Almost all styles.
Key styles include TM from classic Champagne varieties, Tank method Prosecco, Moscato, Sparkling Shiraz and Pet-nat
What regions are most important for sparkling?
Tasmania, Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills, Alpine Victoria and NSW
What is the Tasmanian wine production like?
Small in volume, but successful in terms of quality.. Sparkling makes up for 40% of total production.
What is the difference between Piper’s Brook and Tamar Valley?
Tamar valley is much warmer than Piper’s, as it is sheltered from the Southern ocean. It harvests two weeks earlier.
What regions in Tasmania are cooler?
The Southern regions, with the exception of Coal River (which is why it makes nice Pinot Noir)
How are the cool regions of Tasmania able to ripen grapes?
Sunlight intensity is higher than Champagne because of it’s far southern latitude.
What are the main climatic challenges for growing in Tasmania?
Spring frost and high rainfall.
Coulure in the early season, botrytis in the late season
Where is large volume sparkling wine grown?
South Eastern Australia - Riverland, Murray-Darling - which accounts for the vast majority of Australian sparkling wine
What kind of viticultural practices are common in South Eastern Australia?
Irrigation
Mechanisation
High yields
Early picks
What is different about grapes grown for sparkling Shiraz?
Grown in warmer climates like McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley.
Picked at full ripeness, the same as for still wine
What kind of regulations are in place for Traditional Method sparkling in Australia?
Quality producers look to Champagne for processes, but are not restricted by it’s rules.
What category is emerging as popular in TM?
Late disgorged - with more than six years on lees, as led by Arras and Jansz
Where do Tasmanian producers make their wines?
Larger producers will press on Tasmania, and then transport to the mainland for production.
What is the general style for a quality TM sparkling from Australia?
Medium+ to high acid
Medium alcohol
Med- to med+ body & intensity
What method is used for Sparkling Shiraz?
High quality producers use Traditional method.
Others can use Tank, Transfer or carbonation.
What are the typical characteristics of sparkling Shiraz?
med- to med acid med to high alcohol med ripe, soft tannins 20g/L RS med to full bodied med to pronounced intensity
What is the importance of Moscato in the Australian sparkling wine market?
Growing in importance domestically. Particularly pink moscato.
When was the first Australian Prosecco released? By whom?
When did Italy change the name of the name of the PDO to Prosecco?
2004 by Dal Zotto
Italy changed the name in 2009.
What is the general method of production for Australian Prosecco, and what quality level is most common?
Tank method, generally good to very good quality as it is made mostly by small producers with a focus on quality.
What has been one of the outcomes of the success of Tasmanian sparkling in regards to business structure?
Lots of the smaller wineries from Tasmania have been bought by large companies. Eg Accolade (Bay of Fires/House of Arras) and Brown Brothers (Tamar Ridge)
What percentage of Australian domestic wine consumption by volume is Australian sparkling?
11% which is considerable
What areas of the Australian sparkling market are growing, and which areas are declining?
Prosecco, followed by Moscato and then Pet-Nat are growing.
There is a decline in Sparkling Shiraz
