AUS: Tasmania

Question 1

Tamar Valley

Answer 1

Tasmania (northern - most planted subregion)
* 40% vineyard share
* Cool maritime
* known for elegant Pinot Noir, Chard, sparkling, Riesling
Tamar Ridge, Jansz, Bay of Fire

Question 2

Pipers River

Answer 2

Tasmania (NE)
* coolest subregion; consistent maritime winds, rainfall. Up to 270M elevation
* well-drained, ancient gravel beds
* Pinot Noir, Chard
* Pipers Brook, Bay of Fires, House of Arras, Ninth Island, Jansz

Sparkling wines dominate

Question 3

Coal River Valley

Answer 3

Tasmania
* most important in S. Tas
* a little inland, a little warmer, a little more sun

Tolpuddle Vineyard (named for “Tolpuddle Martyrs”, 1830 group of convicts punished for forming a secret agrarian union)

Question 4

What separates Tasmania from Australia?

Answer 4

Bass Strait
*also funnels precipitation to Tamar, Piper’s
*closest to Victoria

Question 5

Jansz

Answer 5

Méthode Tasmanoise only (Chard, PN, PM)
* est 1986; Andrew Pirie x Roederer. Owned by Hill-Smith Fam aka Yalumba
* name pays homage to explorer who discovered Tasmania

Question 6

Capital of Tasmania?

Answer 6

Hobart

Question 7

Northern Tasmania subregions

Answer 7

1. Pipers River
2. Tamar Valley (almost 40% of the vines in Tassie)
3. North West Coast

Question 8

Southern Tasmania subregions

Answer 8

1. Derwent Valley
2. Huon Valley
3. Coal River/Richmond
4. The East Coast
   (5. D’Entrecasteaux Channel - up and comer)

Question 9

3 major rivers in Tasmania

Answer 9

Tamar River
Pipers River
Derwent River
Coal River

Question 10

Top 5 Tasmania grapes, most planted to least

Answer 10

1 Pinot Noir (1400ha; 40%)

#2 Chardonnay (~600ha; 20%)
#3 Sauvignon Blanc (Coal River, Tamar Valley)
#4 Pinot Gris
#5 Riesling

[77% of Chard, 31% of PN harvest went to sparkling in 2019]

(read: whites overall outweigh reds, but PN has the largest share per grape)

Question 11

Tasmania’s 1st plantings

Answer 11

1823 (prior to S. Aus, Victoria)

Question 12

Tasmania’s most important subregion?

Answer 12

Tamar Valley
* most planted (historical headstart)
* production still centers here

Question 13

Tasmania climate

Answer 13

Cool maritime
* Southern Ocean is biggest influence
* east = drier, sunnier. Rain shadow from western mountains
*north sees precipitation from Bass Strait

Question 14

Queensland wine

Answer 14

Rather unimportant. Not a great climate

• 1st vineyard = 1965
• Shiraz dominates

Granite Belt GI
South Burnett GI

Question 15

Tolpuddle Vineyard

Answer 15

Coal River Valley
Tasmania

Question 16

Oldest Tasmanian wineries

Answer 16

1. Providence Vineyards (est 1956)
2. Moorilla Estate (1958)

Question 17

Size of Tasmanian vineyard?

Answer 17

2048 ha (2022) - approximately same size as Barolo

Question 18

Tasmanian soils

Answer 18

Dolerite and basalt bedrock - island’s form due to lots of volcanic activity

Question 19

Relationship between lots of sun and cool temps

Answer 19

Increased sun without a corresponding increase in heat = enhanced phenolic ripeness without a corresponding increase in sugar ripeness

Aka, depth of flavor + freshness. More flavor without the alcohol.