Australia Flashcards
Australia is the oldest continent T or F?
True - oldest and most eroded, broke away 100 mya
When did vines first come to Australia
1788 - First Fleet; colonists who established vineyards:
Italians in Riverina,
Swiss in Victoria,
Dalmatians in Western Australia
and German Lutherans in South Australia (Barossa)
Mother rock of Australia
Granite
To qualify for status, regions and subregions must have ___ independently owned vineyards of ___ hectares in size
5; 5
What is the significance of James Busby?
He collected 650 varieties from Europe and brought them back to Australia in 1831
Hotspots for riesling in AUS
Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Henty, Great Southern, Tasmania
Hotspots for sémillon in AUS
Hunter Valley,
Barossa (different style),
Margaret (blended with SB)
What are the top 3 wine producing states of Australia from highest to lowest production?
South Australia,
New South Wales,
Victoria
Heritage 5 on Langton’s (1991)
Penfold’s Grange, Leeuwin Art Series, Henschke Hill of Grace, Wendouree Shiraz, Mount Mary Quintet
The Great Dividing Range stretches from ___ to ____
QUEENSLAND (Brisbane / South Burnett GI) southwest through NSW to Grampians VICTORIA
Capital of Australia
Canberra
What are the subregions of Hunter Valley?
Upper Hunter, Broke Fordwich, Polkobin
Clonakilla is from where?
Canberra (NSW), shiraz, viognier co-ferment, cote rotie comparison
Soil of Canberra (NSW - Southern)
“Duplex” soils - clay/loam over hard red volcanic
Climate of Canberra
extreme continental
Key producers of Hunter Valley sémillon?
Tyrell’s (Vat 47)
Brokenwood ‘Graveyard Vyd’ (shiraz), ‘ILR Reserve’ (released after 5-6 years in bottle),
Silkman ‘Blackberry Vyd’,
Mt. Pleasant “Maurice O Shea,” “Elizabeth” Semillon, “Lovedale” Semillon, “Old Paddock and Old Hill” Shiraz
Wyndham’s founding year
1820’s (Hunter - first commercial shiraz) - oldest continuously operating winery in Australia
What are the regional GI’s of the Central Ranges zone (NSW)
Mudgee,
Cowra,
Orange
Mudgee is known for what wine styles?
shiraz and cabernet
Cowras most successful variety?
chardonnay
Best known winery in Orange GI?
Bloodwood
Big Rivers Zone contains which GI’s?
(NSW)
Riverina,
Pericoota,
Murray Darling,
Swan Hill
What is the best known winery of Upper Hunter?
Rosemount (now HQ’s in McLaren Vale?)
Major wine town in Hunter Valley?
Cessnock - near to Sydney
Who Pioneered Riverina and set up irrigation there?
The McWilliams family
Who makes the ‘Noble One’ botrytized sémillon?
De Bortoli (Riverina)
Where are Casella’s vineyards for Yellowtail located?
Riverina
What are the GI regions of Southern New South Wales?
Canberra,
Tumbarumba,
Hilltops,
Gundagai
Who is the winemaker at Clonakilla?
Tim Kirk (Canberra)
What is the climate/topography of Tumbarumba?
Alpine - 300- 800 m altitude
This grape is grown in Northern Rivers (Hastings River) and South Coast (Shoalhaven Coast) to resist humidity, mildew, and produce good color…
Chambourcin (french hybrid)
Prominent wine regions near to Syndey
Hunter Valley,
Canberra
What are the subregions of Adelaide Hills?
What are their calling cards for grape varieties?
Picadilly Valley - chardonnay;
Lenswood - sauvignon blanc
Who makes wine from the world’s oldest grenache vines?
Cirillo (Barossa Valley) 1850
Who makes wine from the world’s oldest shiraz?
Langmeil “Freedom Vineyard” (Barossa Valley) 1843
Name the 5 regional GIs in the Fleurieu zone
McLaren, Southern Fleurieu, Currency, Langhorne, Kangaroo Island
What is the topography of Barossa Valley?
Hills and a flat valley carved by the Para River
What major river flows through the Barossa Valley?
Para - North, South, Jacob’s Creek
What towns does the North Para pass through?
Nurioopta, Tanunda, and Lyndoch
Which zones are contained within the Adelaide Superzone?
Barossa zone,
Mt. Lofty Ranges,
Fleurieu
Southeast Australia GI contains what regions?
Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia
everything except Western Australia - specifically to export varietal wines to the EU (1996) which required a regional appellation
Where did the “Scarce Earth” project originate and what is its goal?
McLaren Vale (first vintage 2011), to highlight individual vineyard sites, wines must be produced from 10+ year old vines, must not be shaded by oak, over/under ripeness, or faults
A sampling of wines from the 2014 vintage of Scarce Earth:
Battle of Bosworth Ding’s Shiraz
D’Arenberg Shipsters’ Shiraz
Wirra Wirra Whaite Old Block Shiraz
minimum age for old vine, survivor vine, centenarian, ancestor (Barossa)
35, 70, 100, 125
2 major soil types of Clare Valley
limestone terra rossa (Watervale),
slate (Polish Hill)
Key producers of Clare Valley?
Grosset,
Jim Barry,
Wendouree,
Kilkanoon
Key producers of Eden Valley?
Henschke,
Yalumba,
Leo Buring,
Pewsey Vale
Who makes ‘Virgilious’ and what is it?
Viognier from Eden Valley - Yalumba
Who makes wine in the unofficial subzone of Currency Creek known as ‘Finiss River’?
Salomon
Who makes John Riddoch cabernet?
Wynn’s - coonawarra
Langton’s Classification origin, number 1 producer
1990 Australia’s leading wine auction house - Always #1 Penfold’s
Langton’s Classification categories
Created in 1990 - Australia’s leading wine auction house created a classification for the wines -
Exceptional,
Outstanding,
Excellent
Most planted grape of Adelaide Hills?
Sauvignon blanc
Body water West of McLaren Vale?
Gulf of St. Vincent - calamari is a specialty
D’Arenberg vineyards are located where?
McLaren Vale
6 subzones of Limestone Coast
Mt. Gambier, Mt. Benson, Wrobe, Wrattonbully, Coonawarra, Padthaway
Climates of Clare vs. Eden
Clare is both warmer and drier but cool nights and cool afternoon breezes mitigate
Soils of Eden Valley
Sandy loam and clay with gravel and quartz
What is the soil type of Adelaide Hills?
grey-brown loamy sands
Climate of McLaren Vale
maritime
Soil of McLaren Vale
gravel and gritty sand over granite
Which region is most likely to use RDI?
(Regulated Deficit Irrigation)
Riverland - “Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area”
The Laird, the Pict, and the Factor are all wines produced by?
Torbreck
Decade Yalumba was established…
1847 (Barossa) or 1849?
Torbreck est.
1994 (Barossa)
Henschke est.
1868 - quality got serious in 1952, fortified’s phased out
Coldest mainland Australian GI in heat summation?
Adelaide Hills
John Duval info
John Duval is an exceptionally well-regarded figure in the Australian wine industry, starting his own winery after 29 years at Penfolds. He held the position of Chief Winemaker of Penfolds from 1986-2002, and founded John Duval Wines the following year in 2003. His wines are small production, more restrained oak.
Notable wines: “Entity” Shiraz “Eligo” Shiraz “Plexus” Shiraz “Plexus” Marsanne-Roussanne “Annexus Grenache
Winemaker from McLaren
Chester Osborne - d’Arenberg
New producers from Riverland
Unico Zela,
Delinquente,
Ricca Terra
Prominent wine regions near to Adelaide
Clare, Barossa, Eden, McLaren, Adelaide Hills
Iconic producers of Barossa Shiraz
Torbreck: RunRig (ancestor, blended with vio)
Descendant (juvenile)
The Laird
Elderton: Command (ancestor)
Langmeil: Freedom (ancestor)
Rockford: Basket Press (good value)
John Duval : Eligo
Standish: the Standish, Lamella
Two Hands: Ares
Iconic producers of Eden Shiraz
Henschke:
Hill of Grace (1860s - inaugural 1958)
Mt. Edelstone (1912 - inaugural 1952)
Yalumba:
Octavius (aged in 100L “octaves”) - 1990 inaugural
Iconic producers of Clare Valley Shiraz
Wendouree
Jim Barry: the Armagh (1968)
Kilkanoon: the Oracle
Iconic producers of McLaren Vale Shiraz
Clarendon Hills: Astralis
D’Arenberg: Dead Arm
Wirra Wirra Waithe
Chapel Hill Vicar
What is Barossa Valley’s claim to fame?
Pre-phylloxera old vine shiraz, enough phenolic ripeness to create velvety soft tannins
Examples of richer, warm-climate shiraz?
Barossa,
Mclaren,
Clare,
Hunter
Examples of savory, cooler-climate shiraz?
Canberra, Central Victoria (Yarra, Heathcoate, Goulburn - Tahbilk)
What are the soil types of Tasmania?
sandstone and schist in Derwent Valley (South);
alluvial in Coal River (North)
Winemaker from Tasmania
Andrew Pirie - Pirie (Tamar Ridge)
Which Australian State has the most wineries?
Victoria
Which Australian State contains the most GI’s? Which has the highest production?
Victoria;
South Australia
Mount Mary winery is located where?
Yarra Valley
Where is the Great Western subregion located?
Grampians GI
When did Black Saturday occur?
2/7/2009 - firestorms killed 173 and damaged 5% of Yarra Valley vineyards
According to the Muscat of Rutherglen Network, what should you expect a wine from the “Rare” category to taste like?
Classic - 10+ years old,
Grand - rancio character,
Rare - 20+ years old
Michel Chapoutier’s Australian brand is based in which GI?
Domaine Tournon,
Heathcote (also vineyards in Pyrenees) Central Victoria
5 drought-affected vintages in Southeast Australia
‘03 (heat wave vintage), ‘04 (ladybug vintage), ‘06 - ’09, ‘12, ‘19
What is the coolest mainland region of Australia?
Macedon Ranges (Victoria)
Giaconda chardonnay comes from which GI?
Beechworth (Northeast Victoria)
Which varieties compose Seppeltsfield Para Liqueur
GSM - First release was in 1978 - a puncheon of wine was first set aside in 1878 (destined to age 100 years)
Which group of immigrants settled Mornington and Geelong?
The Swiss
Key producers of Mornington Peninsula
Classic: Stonier, Paringa, Moorooduc;
New Wave: Ten minutes by Tractor, Kooyong, Yabby Lake
Soil type of Mornington Peninsula
Red Basalt
Where is the Bass Strait located?
Between Australia (Melbourne) and Tasmania
Key producers of Geelong
Bannockburn, By Farr
Key producers of Gippsland
Bass Phillip, Caledonia Australis
Australian icons for Pinot Noir
Bindi (Macedon Ranges), Bass Phillip (Gippsland), Giaconda (Beechworth), By Farr (Geelong)
Prominent wine regions near to Melbourne
Yarra, Mornington, Gippsland, Geelong, Macedon, Rutherglen, Glenrowan
Top wine producer in Pyrenees GI (Victoria)
Dalwhinnie - CS, Shiraz
Heathcote GI (Victoria) is known for what style of wine?
Shiraz from “Greenstone soils”
Jasper Hill,
Domaine Tournon
Where is the Nagambie Lakes GI located?
Goulburn Valley (Victoria)
What is a key winery of the Nagambie Lakes subregion?
Tahbilk - old vine Marsanne & Shiraz (1860s), Mitchelton
What are the 4 categories of Muscat of Rutherglen Network?
Muscat, Classic, Grand, Rare - older ones made up of solera-aged reserve wine
What is Rutherglen Tokay (Now Topaque)?
Fortified Muscadelle - 200 g/L RS
What type of Muscat is used in Rutherglen?
Rutherglen Brown Muscat (rouge a petit grains)
Rough residual sugar of Rutherglen Muscat?
200 for Classic, 300-400 for Grand/Rare
Key producers of Rutherglen?
Morris,
Campbell’s,
All Saints,
Chambers
Key producer of Glenrowan?
Bailey’s
Higher elevation GI’s in North East Victoria?
King Valley, Alpine Valleys, Beechworth - specialize in Italian varieties, PN, CH
Key producer of King Valley?
Brown Brothers
Key producer of Sunbury GI (outskirts of Melbourne)?
Craiglee (shiraz)
What are the 3 most productive regions in Australia?
Murray Darling (Victoria + NSW)
Riverland (South Australia)
Riverina (NSW)
Cyril the Laird 1860s vines the Armagh ILR Reserve Astralis 1927s vines Alea
Henschke - Eden Valley - Cabernet Torbreck - Barossa - shiraz Tahbilk - Nagambie Lakes Jim Barry - Clare Valley - Riesling Brokenwood - Hunter Valley - Semillon Clarendon Hills - McLaren Vale - Shiraz Tahbilk - Marsanne - Nagambie Lakes Grosset - Clare Valley - Riesling
Who was important in the seminal years of Margaret River?
Dr. John Gladstones - slightly warmer than Bordeaux
What is the soil type of Margaret River?
gravel and gritty sand over granite
What are the workhorse varieties of Margaret River?
Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon
Leeuwin est.
1972 (Margaret)
Wilyabrup, Yallingup, and Karridale are informal subregions of…
Margaret River
Winemaker from Margaret River
Denis Horgan - Leeuwin
Hotspots for AUS chardonnay?
Margaret River, Adelaide Hills (SA), Yarra Valley, Mornington, Tasmania, Tumbarumba (NSW)
What Margaret River producer is part of the Langton’s “Heritage Five”
Leeuwin
Which Western Australia GI ZONE contains the most important regions?
South West Zone
What GI regions are in the Western Australia SW ZONE?
Geographe, Margaret River, Blackwood Valley, Manjimup, Pemberton, Great Southern
subegions of Great Southern (Western Aus)?
Mt. Barker,
Frankland River,
Denmark,
Porongurup
What is the most important subregion of Great Southern?
Mt. Barker - shiraz and riesling (Forest Hill and Plantagenet)
Which two Oceans surround Western Australia?
Indian (W) - Geographe Bay, and Southern (S)
What are the soils of Margaret River?
Gravel and loam over granite and gneiss
What is the climate of Margaret River?
temperate mediterranean
What is the Chardonnay clone predominantly used in Margaret River?
Gingin clone (Mendoza/UC Davis - Olmo)
James Halliday’s Wallcliffe (cool subzone) “Golden Triangle” for chardonnay?
Cape Mentelle, Voyager, Leeuwin
T or F - Western Australia is the largest state and contains the most isolated wine regions?
TRUE!
What are the Houghton selections?
Cabernet source material supposedly from South Africa (Houghton - early producer of Margaret River)
Dr. Gladstones proposed what 6 unofficial subregions for Margaret River in 1999?
Yalingup, Carbunup, Wilyabrup, Treeton, Wallcliffe, Karridale
Most important sub zone (and heart of the region) for Cabernet in Margaret?
Wilyabrup - red gravelly loam, home to Vasse Felix, Moss Wood, Cullen
Margaret River flows through what subzone?
Wallcliffe - cooler subzone
Who were the First Five?
Vasse Felix,
Cullen,
Mosswood (Wilyabrup)
Leeuwin, Cape Mentelle (Wallcliffe)
What is the Gladstones Line?
The Eastern boundary of Margaret River - 115.18 degrees - following the Whicher Range
GI’s nested in the Mount Lofty Ranges
Barossa, Eden, Clare, Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Plains
GI’s nested in the Limestone Coast
Coonawarra, Padthaway, Wrattonbully, Mt Benson, Mt Gambier, Robe
GI’s nested in Fleurieu Zone
McLaren Vale, Currency Creek, Langhorne Creek, Southern Fleurieu, Kangaroo Island
GI’s nested in Port Phillip Zone
Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Yarra Valley, Sunbury, Macedon Ranges
GI’s nested in Central Victoria
Bendigo, Heathcote, Goulburn, Strathbogie Ranges, Upper Goulburn
GI’s nested in NE Victoria
Rutherglen, Glenrowan, Beechworth, King Valley, Alpine Valleys
When was Wine Australia formed?
Formed in 1981 to promote and regulate the Australian wine industry. At the time it was named the Wine and Brandy Corporation.
What is the Australian rule for blended wines?
grapes must appear on the label according to their proportion of the blend
When did Australia’s first GI’s come online?
The first GIs debuted in 1994, with the majority of the most important regions of Australia gaining GI protection by 2000.
Cork finished icon wines of Australia
Penfold’s Grange,
Clarendon Hills Astralis
T or F acidification is a common practice in Australia
True
Outstanding vintages for Australian wine
1990, 2005, 2010, 2015
Notable difficult vintages for Australian wine
2011 - intense La Nina brought heavy rain
Is the Limestone Coast included in the Adelaide Superzone?
NO
Penfold’s Chardonnay?
Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay: During the 1990s (Inaugural vintage 1995), Penfolds launched the “White Grange” project, a well-publicized effort to create a white wine that could hold itself to the levels of quality that Grange does. The wine is aged in 100% French oak for 8 months in the 2015 vintage, and the fruit typically comes from Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills.
Top wine of Yalumba
“The Caley”, a blend of Barossa Shiraz and Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon that is aged in the French oak and typically offered around $300. (Also Octavius and “The Signature” Cab-Shiraz blend)
Hill of Grace not made in what vintages?
Hill of Grace was not produced in the following years due to poor conditions: 1960, 1974, 2000, and 2011. The first vintage was in 1958.
When did Penfold’s Grange drop the “Hermitage” moniker?
1989 (inaugural vintage was 1951)
Production of Penfold’s Grange
The wine is generally based on a significant quantity of Barossa fruit but contains grapes from all over, and labeled “South Australia”
It is primarily composed of Shiraz, with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, and aged in new American hogsheads for 20 months.
Recently, the wine was not produced in the 2009 vintage, after several years of heatwave.
Notable wines of Torbreck
“Runrig” Shiraz: One of the most sought after wines of Australia. It is ranked “Exceptional” in Langton’s classification. The wine comes from vineyards in the northwest section, often said to be the best area of Barossa. A prestige bottling, the wine is not produced in vintages lacking in quality, recently 2011, 2008, and 2000.
“The Laird” Shiraz: Actually their most expensive bottling. Sourced from the 5 ha Gnadenfrei vineyard, planted in 1958 to original Barossa clonal vines. Inaugural vintage: 2005
“The Factor” Shiraz
“The Descendant” Shiraz
Seppeltsfield 100-year Para Tawny production
In 1878, Oscar Benno Pedro of the winery set aside one puncheon of wine, destined to age for 100 years, with the first release in 1978.
Produced from red grapes typical of the region, it is also one of the rarest wines in the world, with bottles going for upwards of $2,000 in 2019.
Jim Barry bottlings
The “Armagh” Shiraz, one of the most sought after wines in all of Australia. Inaugural vintage: 1985. Other notable wines: “McRae Wood” Shiraz “Lodge Hill” Shiraz “Cover Drive” Cabernet Sauvignon
Riesling bottlings include:
Watervale
“Florita”
“Lodge Hill”
Clare Valley climate
Very dry and quite warm, but diurnal swings of 30 degrees fahrenheit are common 40 C during day, 1 C at night
Who makes “the Oracle” Clare Shiraz
Kilkanoon
Adelaide Hills Producers
Shaw + Smith: Varietal expressions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, among other grapes.
Bird in Hand
Many well known producers based outside the region also produce wines from here with Penfolds, Wolf Blass, and d’Arenberg represented.
Clarendon Hills bottlings
“Astralis”: First created in 1994, the wine is produced from bush vines planted in the 1920s, fermented with ambient yeast in open-top fermenters. Aging for the bottling is typically 18 months in 100% new French oak. ~9,000 bottles per year are produced, and the wine is bottled under cork.
Other notable wines: “Hickinbotham” Syrah “Romas” Grenache “Hickinbotham” Cabernet Sauvignon “Mortiz” Syrah “Piggot Range” Syrah
D’Arenberg bottlings
The winery specializes in dry-farmed, minimal input vineyards. The wines are known for their iconic red stripe across the label and their futuristic winery.
Most notable wines:
“The Dead Arm Shiraz”: Their most iconic wine based on vines that experienced Eutypa Dieback
“The Coppermine Road” Cabernet Sauvignon
“The Footbolt Shiraz”
“The Laughing Magpie Shiraz”
“Ironstone Pressings” GSM
The winery uses a mixture of French and American oak.
Eden vs. Clare riesling?
Eden slightly richer
Yarra Yering bottlings
Restrained style “Dry Red No. 1”: Bordeaux blend “Dry Red No. 2”: Shiraz and Viognier “Underhill Shiraz” Pinot Noir “Agincourt” Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec
Bindi bottlings
Macedon Ranges - coolest continental region (foothills of Mt. Gisborne) “Block Five” Pinot Noir “Original Vineyard” Pinot Noir “Quartz” Chardonnay “Dixon” Pinot Noir “Kostas Rind” Chardonnay
Glenrowan vs. Rutherglen
Glenrowan powerful, Rutherglen elegant
Rutherglen production methods
Passerillage,
Fortification (similar way to port),
Aging for rancio style under hot tin roofs
Another name for Muscat of Rutherglen
Rouge a petit grains,
Muscat de Frontignan
Rutherglen soils
Rutherglen loam, “Black Dog”
Where are the headwaters and the terminus of the Murray River?
The Murray River flows from its headwaters in the Snowy Alps before forming a border or flowing through the following GIs in order: Tumbarumba Rutherglen Goulburn Perricoota Swan Hill Murray Darling Riverland It then flows into Lake Alexandrina and the ocean.
Notable tributaries include the Murrumbidgee and the Goulburn River.
Clonakilla bottlings
Shiraz-Viognier “O’Riada” Shiraz “Murrumbateman” Shiraz Riesling Viognier
What is Australia’s highest elevation GI?
Orange (Central Ranges) vineyards up to 1300 meters, Mt. Canabolas - producer: Bloodwood
Australian Chardonnay which kicked off the craze
Tyrell’s Vat 47
Best producers in Hunter Valley
Lower Hunter - Polkobin - more volcanic soils as opposed to sandy loam
Louis Roederer partnership in Tasmania
Jansz - Pipers River - North Tasmania
Dalrymple - Pipers River
Key quality producers in South Tasmania
Coal River - Tolpuddle
Heemskerk
Domaine Simha
Pooley
Domaine A for cult Bordeaux blends
Sullivan’s Cove for Australian Whiskey
