20 Australia Flashcards
1
Q
Overview of Australian Sparkling Wines
- market
- method
- styles
?
A
- Sparkling less than 6% of Australia’s wine production, but still 66m litres (2018)
- 80% domestic
- 20% export (risen in recent years)
- growth in export = cont demand from int consumers
- All methods - traditional, transfer, tank and carbonation
- Styles
- Traditional - typical Champ var (PN, CH/Meun blends) fermented in bottle, malo c Y/N dep on producer
- tank method : Aus Prosecco) /Moscato /Sp Shiraz
- carbonation : sparkling Shiraz /other aromatic var
- small Pet Nat
- Premium trad metho spw
- m-/m+ int citrus, apple; m+/hi acid; m alc; m-/m+ body (style,lees~f body autolysis)
2
Q
Climate and grape growing for Australian sparkling wine
A
-
Cooler regions -
-
Yarra Valley (Dom Chandon), Adelaide Hills, alpine regions of Victoria; New South Wales at altitude
- High acid, mod pot alcohol (due to slow sugar accumulation); ripe, med intensity fruit
- yields for premium production are lower, so prices higher
-
Tasmania leading region (see sep card)
- 40% of total wine production is SW (successful)
- Climate is varied - warmer Tamar Valley, Coal Valley
- Cooler Pipers River
- South part of island is general cooler (coldest are colder than Champagne) high sunlight int due to latitude
- Producers source fruit from different locations to make up the reqd quantity and blend for balance.
- Sub-zones have not been decided - region remains “Tasmania”
-
Yarra Valley (Dom Chandon), Adelaide Hills, alpine regions of Victoria; New South Wales at altitude
-
Challenges in premium areas:
- Spring frost, high rainfall
- Coulure early in the season, BBR later
-
Inexpensive SW - fruit from
- Riverland, Riverina, Murray-Darling (labelled South Eastern Australia
- Vast majority of SW produced in Aus
- Irrigation essential, mechanisation standard
- Fruit picked early, lower alc, higher acidity, avoid ripe fruit notes
- 2-3 x the yield of the premium/cooler areas; prices 1/4
-
Exception to the above: Shiraz
- must come from warmer sites for intensity of flavour and richness
- grapes picked same time as for still wine
- yields high for inexpensive, low/mod for premium
- warm regions: Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, central Victoria
3
Q
Winemaking for Traditional Method Australian sparkling
A
- NV, vintage, prestige cuvée, rosé
- Time on lees varies, often 3 + yrs (premium producers)
- Some prod follow Champagne standards/ timing (i.e. 12m, 15m tirage to rel OR longer)
- New “late disgorged” 6 yrs + (Jansz, Arras)
- Some prod follow Champagne standards/ timing (i.e. 12m, 15m tirage to rel OR longer)
- Most Tasmanian producers press grapes on island, but complete winemaking on mainland (eg Bay of Fires).
- Refrigerated juice or base wine transported to own wineries on mainland for second ferment.
- Smaller Tasmanian producers complete wine on island by hand and using machinery like gyropalettes
- Prem trad method wines:
- may or may not undergo malo c
- m+/h acidity, m alcohol; body and flavour cb m- to m+ depending lees ageing/fruit/style
- lighter styles softly fruity;
- fuller body wines have prom autolytic notes
4
Q
Winemaking for Transfer, Tank & Carbonation Australian sparkling
A
- Inexpensive to mid priced sparkling
- blends fm cool, moderate and warm climate regions
- some have regional designations
- Varieties vary - Chard, PNoir, Moscato, Glera/ Prosecco
- Generally:
- fruity, some intensely so, citrus to peach/ apricot, grapey Moscato.
- Dry to med-sweet, l/m alcohol, L/m body, m/m+ acidity
- No autolytic (some in transfer).
- Big brands Brown Bros, Jacob’s Creek, Yellowglen -
5
Q
Winemaking for Australian sparkling shiraz
A
- made like normal still red (inc malo),
- may be oak aged
- trad method: v good - OS
- Tank/transfer/carbonated: acc - good
-
Profile
- Deep colour (ruby to garnet), m/pron int fruit or savoury (oak), m/full body; m-/m acidity, m/h alcohol, med, ripe/soft tannins balanced by dosage (>20g/l RS)
- Styles from fruity to more savoury (if oak maturation pre 2nd ferment).
- Autolytic notes often masked by other flavours
- Usually released after 1-2 yrs, though some late disgorged have extended lees ageing.
6
Q
Winemaking for sparkling Australian moscato
A
- Growing sector, esp pink Moscato eg Innocent Bystander
- High quality small production Moscato made by tank method,
- most cheaper examples made by carbonation
- Grapes grown in varied warmer climates
- low alchol, med acidty, off-dry to sweet, distinctly fruity with classic grapey Muscat flavours.
- Acceptable to good.
7
Q
Winemaking for Australian Prosecco
A
- Rapidly growing important market segment
- Main region King Valley - Prosecco its flagship sparkler
- Was planted in Australia before Italy changed use of name from variety to PDO in 2009
- Dal Zotto launched first Australian Prosecco 2004
- If exported to EU must be labelled Glera
- King Valley region legal battle trying to use Prosecco in eg China, arguing its a variety, not a region
- Small producers - focus on quality
- Tank method for light, fruity style.
- light, fruity delicate peach; m+ acidty, m alc, l/m body,
- Off-dry to med dry,
- Good to v good
- Some carbonated
8
Q
Winemaking for sparkling Australian Pet Nat
A
- Made by small, natural winemakers in several regions, several varieties
- White rosé or red
-
Style:
- cloudy, semi to fully sparkling; Usually dry, m+ acid, m alc, l/m+ body, flavour m/pron.
- Often yeasty characteristics with fruit flavours
9
Q
Structure of wine business in Australian Sparkling
A
- Made by full range from huge corporations to small artisan producers
-
Success of Tasmanian trad method has led to significant acquisitions and consolidation
- Brown Bros bought Tamar Ridge
- Accolade owns House of Arras and Bay of Fires
Sales 4 messages:
-
80% domestic, 20% export
- SW = 11% of domestic wine sales by vol
- Australian Prosecco reached 3.5ml mark in 2017
- UP Moscato prod x3 2014-17 though behind Prosecco
-
DOWN Sparkling Shiraz
- success of other sparklers?
- trend to lower alcohol?
- interest in foreign wines
- increasing interest in Pet Nat in domestic wine bars
