39. Australia Flashcards
Describe the climate of Australia.
- varies widely
- warm or hot climates
- tempered by proximity to either the Indian Ocean or the Murray River system
- tempered by altitude
- rainfall is low
- irrigation essential
- drought common
- Murray River runs low
-wikemakers look for high altitude spots
What are the biggest climate issues in Australia?
- drought
- brush fires (fires, smoke taints the wines)
What is Australia’s most popular variety? What are the styles and where are they made?
Shiraz (Syrah) Style 1: (warmer regions) Hunter Valley, Barossa Valley -full body -intensely fruity -earthy -spicy -leather aromas with age
Style 2:
(cooler regions) Geelong, Heathcote
-leaner
-peppery
-Styles 1 and 2 can be combined in a multi regional blend
What does Shiraz add to a blend? With what grape(s) is it typically blended?
adds softness and body to blends with
-Cabernet Sauvignon
What are the 5 main black grapes of Australia? What are 4 others?
- Shiraz
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
- Pinot Noir
- Grenache
OTHERS
- Petit Verdot
- Mataro (Mourvedre)
- Sangiovese
- Tempranillo
Describe Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. Name the 2 classic regions for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Coonawara, Margaret River
- darker
- firm tannins
- high acidity
- ripe black fruit (black currant, black cherry)
- often toasty oak notes
Describe Australian Merlot.
- typically blended with Cabernet Sauvignon
- provides body and flesh
- plummy fruit
Where do the best examples of Australian Pinot Noir come from? Name 3 regions. Describe the wines.
-cool or moderate sites Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Tasmania -medium body -medium alcohol -medium to high acidity -cherry, strawberry
What grapes are perfect for Australia’s hot regions?
late-ripening varieties
- Grenache
- Petit Verdot
- Mataro (Mourvedre)
- Sangiovese
- Tempranillo
Name the top 4 white varieties in Australia. Which is the most widely planted?
- Chardonnay *
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Semillon
- Riesling
Describe the styles Australian Chardonnay. Where is each style from?
Style 1:
- basic
- blend of fruit from different regions
- unoaked; peachy
- oaked with chips or staves; toast; vanilla
Style 2: cool-to-moderate regions: Adelaide Hills, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley warm regions: Margaret river -high quality -balanced -fresh, vibrant fruit -lees, MLF, and/or oak maturation
Where is Sauvignon Blanc grown? Describe the wines.
Adelaide Hills
- concentrated passion fruit
- refreshingly high acidity
What is the main region for Semillon? Describe the winemaking techniques and the resulting wines in this region.
Hunter Valley
- harvested early (low sugar, high acidity)
- inert vessels
- low alcohol
- neutral in flavor when first bottled
- develop with bottle age: honey, toast
- can age for 20 years
What 2 regions (other than Hunter Valley) is Semillon grown? Describe the styles.
Western Australia
-herbaceous (could be mistaken for SB)
Barossa Valley Style 1: -fuller body -softer style Style 2: -early picked -unoaked
Describe Australian Riesling.
- youth: pronounced citrus fruit (lime, lemon, grapefruit)
- age: toast, honey, petrol
- unoaked
- high acid
- dry or slightly off dry
- some sweet
Where are Australian Riesling grown? How do they differ?
Eden Valley, Clare Valley (South Australia)
Tasmania, Franklin River sub region (Western Australia) - less citrusy, more floral)
What regions are a part of the South Eastern Australia Super Zone?
- South Australia
- Victoria
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- high volume brands
- source fruit from fertile, irrigated vineyards
What are most of the South Eastern Australia Super Zone wines like? What are the main subregions?
- high volume brands
- sourced fruit from fertile, irrigated vineyards
- lack concentration
- South Australia - Riverland
- Victoria - Murray-Darling
- New South Wales - Riverina
How can the wines of South Eastern Australia Super Zone be enhanced?
Blending in components from Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, or McLaren Vale
What is Riverina known for? Why?
- production of botrytised wines from Semillon
- autumn morning mists and fogs = noble rot
Where is the majority of Australian wine produced?
South Australia
-south and east
wine can be soured from all over the region (can be very high quality) and blended; labelled South Australia
Describe the climate of Barossa Valley. What grapes are grown here?
- warm, dry climate
- old bush vine
- Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache
Describe Barossa Valley Shiraz.
- full body
- soft tannins
- ripe black fruit
- sweet American oak
- age: softens, leather, spice
What is the most notable white variety in the Barossa Valley? What’s the most common style?
Semillon
-fresh, unoaked style
Where must wine labelled Barossa come from?
Barossa zone
-can be made from fruit sourced from Barossa Valley and Eden Valley
Describe the climate of Eden Valley. Where is it located?
- cool to moderate climate
- varies with altitude
- hills to the east of Barossa Valley
Describe Eden Valley Riesling.
- outstanding quality
- cooler vineyards
- intense lime and grapefruit
- steely character
- longevity: marmalade, toasty character (10 years)
What grapes are commonly grown in Eden Valley?
Riesling, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon
Describe the climate of Clare Valley. Where is it located?
- warm climate
- tempered by cool afternoon breezes, cold nights
- northwest of Barossa Valley
- altitude (300-570 meters)
Describe Clare Valley Riesling.
- dry
- intense citrus and lime aromas
- high acidity
- age: honey, toast
Describe Clare Valley Shiraz.
- fragrant
- powerful
- structured
What wines are made in Clare Valley?
Riesling, Shiraz, long aging Cabernet Sauvignon
Describe the climate of Adelaide Hills.
- moderate climate
- all vineyards planted above 400m
- rainfall in winter
- soils don’t drain well
- irrigation necessary
What wines are made in Adelaide Hills? Describe the styles.
- Sauvignon Blanc
- refreshing - Chardonnay
- elegant
- high natural acidity
- pronounced citrus, peach - Pinot Noir
- Sparkling wines (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir)
Describe the climate of McLaren Vale. Where is it located?
- warm climate
- tempered by cool afternoon ocean breeze
- on the coast, south of Adelaide
What wines are made in McLaren Vale? What’s the style?
reds: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache
- depth, complexity
Describe the climate and geography of Coonawara. Where is it located?
- narrow strip of land 1.5 km wide by 15 km long
- red, terra rossa soil over a limestone subsoil
- moderate, maritime climate
- cooling current influence from Anarctic
- cloudy
What is the main grape of Coonawara? Describe the style.
Cabernet Sauvignon
- concentrated
- structured
- cassis
- eucalyptus
- menthol
- age well
What other grapes are grown in Coonawara?
Shiraz, Merlot, Chardonnay
What region offers some of the coolest vineyard locations on the Australian mainland? What grapes are grown here in the high altitude vineyards? What grapes are grown in the lower slopes?
Victoria
- moderating ocean breezes
- mountainous elevation
Altitude: -Pinot Noir -Chardonnay -Sparkling wine -Riesling -Sauvignon Blanc Lower Slopes: -Shiraz -Cabernet Sauvignon
How does Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon differ in Victoria?
- lighter in style
- fresher
Describe the climate of Yarra Valley. Where is it located?
- cool to moderate, maritime
- north-east of Melbourne
- wide variety of altitudes
What wine is the specialty of Yarra Valley? Describe the style.
Pinot Noir
- rich in fruit
- strawberries, plums, dark cherries
- soft, ripe tannins
- careful oak aging
- can be age worthy
What other wines are made in Yarra Valley?
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz (lighter style)
- Chardonnay
- Sparkling wine
Describe the climate of Mornington Peninsula. Where is it located?
- coastal
- south of Melbourne
- cool to moderate maritime climate
- wet, windy at flowering and harvest
What wines are made in Mornington Peninsula? Describe the styles.
Chardonnay
- citrus, pear, apple
- high acid
- MLF
Pinot Noir Style 1: -light, delicate pure fruit Style 2 -structure -pure fruit
Describe the climate of Geelong. Where is it located?
- cool to moderate maritime climate
- west of Melbourne
What is the main white grape of Geelong? Describe the wine.
Chardonnay
- quality
- complex
- concentrated
- full body
-used with Pinot Noir in Sparkling wines
What are the main black grapes of Geelong? Describe the wines.
Pinot Noir -earthy Shiraz -fresh -peppery
What are the 5 main subregions of Victoria?
- Yarra Valley
- Mornington Peninsula
- Geelong
- Heathcote
- Goulburn Valley
Describe the climate of Heathcote. Where is it located?
- inland Victoria
- cooling influence from altitude, not sea
- moderate climate
What are the popular wines and styles in Heathcote?
Shiraz
- firm structure
- fresh fruit
Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon. Sangiovese, Tempranillo
Describe the climate of Goulburn Valley. Where is it located?
- east of Heathcote
- warm
- moderated by lakes and creeks associated with the Goulburn River
What are the top wines of Goulburn Valley?
Shiraz
Marsanne
-youth: citrus fruit
-age: honey
What is the main subregion of New South Wales? Name 3 other subregions.
Hunter Valley
- Mudgee
- Orange
- Cowra
What region has the longest history of winemaking in Australia?
New South Wales
Describe the vineyards of New South Wales. Where is it located?
- inland from Sydney
- slopes of the Great Dividing Range
- altitude
Describe the climate of Hunter Valley.
- hot, humid climate
- high cloud cover
- ocean breezes
- very rainy - requires good canopy management
What is the most planted grape in Hunter Valley? Describe this wine.
Semillon
- light body
- low alcohol
- high acidity
- young: neutral flavors
- age: toast, nut, honey
What other grapes are grown in Hunter Valley? What are the styles?
Chardonnay
-oaked and unoaked
Shiraz
- black fruit (blackberry, black cherry)
- soft tannins
- medium body
- earthy undertone
What are the only wines not part of the South Eastern Australia super zone?
Western Australian wines
What is the most renowned region of Western Australia?
Margaret River
Describe the climate of Margaret River.
- warm, maritime climate
- high rainfall (winter)
What is the the main black grape of Margaret River? Describe the wines.
Cabernet Sauvignon
- blended with Merlot
- range of styles (elegant, restrained; fruity, powerful)
What are the the main white grape of Margaret River? Describe the wines.
Chardonnay
- concentrated stone fruit
- high levels of natural acidity
- range of styles
- barrel aging, MLF
Sauvignon Blanc
- often blended with Semillon
- gooseberry, tropical frit
- high acid
What is the Great Southern region known for? Where is it located? Name 2 subregions.
Western Australia
Includes subregions: Mount Baker, Franklin River
Cabernet Sauvignon -deeply colored Shiraz -elegant, peppery Riesling -floral
Describe the climate of Tasmania.
- cool, maritime climate
- coolest by prevailing westerly winds off the Southern Ocean
What types of wines is Tasmania known for?
-prime source for the base wine of sparkling wine
-solid still wines
Varietals:
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon
What is the Australian GI hierarchy?
Zones
> Regions
» Subregions
What is a Zone? Give some examples.
Larges area without any particular qualifiying attributes
- can be states (e.g. South Australia)
- can cover several states (e.g. South Eastern Australia)
- can be parts of a state (rarely seen on labels)
What is a Region? Give some examples.
- Can vary in size
- smaller than zones
- must have consistent and distinct qualities from the neighboring region
Coonawara, Clare Valley, Margaret River
What are Sub-Regions?
Notable areas with distinct and unique qualities
- must fall within one region
- some regions covered by several zones
Give an example of a zone hierarchy.
- Eden Valley is a region within the Barossa zone.
- Barossa zone is within the South Australia zone
- South Australia Zone is within the South Eastern Australia Zone
What is the benefit of the zone hierarchy?
Gives producers a variety of options when it comes to making up their blends
