Australia

Question 1

What are the latitudes for Australia?

Answer 1

Most Australian wine regions = 30-37 S
Some Queensland vineyards and Tasmania = 41-42 S

Question 2

Which region of Australia is protected from tropical weather systems by the Great Dividing Range?

Answer 2

South-eastern Australia

Question 3

Identify why drought may cause problems in Australia, even in areas with higher levels of rainfall.

Answer 3

1. free draining soil
2. long periods of drought/very low rainfall
3. irrigation sources unsustainable/ rivers drying up in hot, dry years
4. climate change

Question 4

Name a region in Australia that has high levels of rainfall, but still need irrigation due to free draining soils?

Answer 4

Yarra Valley. It has 1100m of rain, but clay loam that free drains

Question 5

Which Australian regions experience unusually high humidity levels for Australian wine producing regions?

Answer 5

Hunter Valley
Adelaide Hills
Southern Victoria

Question 6

Name seven grape varieties that have the largest area under vine in Australia.

Answer 6

Shiraz
Cabernet Sauvignon
Chardonnay
Merlot
Sauvignon Blanc
Pinot Noir
Semillon

Question 7

Describe the expected differences between a premium quality Shiraz made in the Barossa Valley and another from the Grampians.

Answer 7

Due to climatic differences in the two regions, Barossa being hotter & Grampians being more moderate wines from Barossa will be bigger, riper, darker fruit, fuller bodied, higher tannin, higher alcohol, and longer finish.

Question 8

Shiraz is often used in GSM blends in South Africa. What name is often used for Mourvèdre in Australia?

Answer 8

Mataro

Question 9

Which of the following barrel styles are most suitable for ageing Australian Grenache?

Answer 9

Large old oak barrels

Question 10

Explain why malolactic conversion may be used to varying degrees on different styles of Chardonnay across Australia.

Answer 10

Depending on climate, Malolactic Conversion may be carried out fully, partial, or not at all. In regions that are warmer, as grapes are more ripe, alcohol is high, flavors are concentrate, malolactic is typically blocked to help preserve acidity and create a more balanced wine. In regions with cool climates, malolactic may be carried out fully in order to decrease acidity, creating a wine with a fuller body and more complexity.

Question 11

How many registered regions are there in Australia?

Answer 11

65

Question 12

What are the minimums to be met to be registered as a region in Australia?

Answer 12

1. 500 tonne production
2. 5 vineyards of 5 ha. in size owned by different companies
3. some regions required further division into sub-regions

Question 13

Which of the following wine producing areas are wholly covered by the South Eastern Australia Zone?

Answer 13

New South Whales
Tasmania
Victoria

Question 14

In Australia, if multiple varieties contribute to a blend, how must this be conveyed to the consumer on the label?

Answer 14

in descending order of how much they contribute to the blend.

Question 15

What is the body, alcohol, acid and fruit characteristic of Riverina Semillon?

Answer 15

med (-) body
high alcohol
low acid
ripe fruit

Question 16

What region are the producers John Duval &
Glaetzer associated with in Australia?

Answer 16

Barossa

Question 17

What region are the producers Henschke & Pewsey Vale associated with in Australia?

Answer 17

Eden Valley

Question 18

What region are the producers Sahw + Smith & Penfolds associated with in Australia?

Answer 18

Adelaide Hills

Question 19

What region are the producers Jim Barry & Wendouree associated with in Australia?

Answer 19

Clare Valley

Question 20

What region are the producers Yangarra, Hardy’s, Mollydooker associated with in Australia?

Answer 20

McLaren Vale

Question 21

What region are the producers Wynns & Katnook associated with in Australia?

Answer 21

Coonawarra

Question 22

What region of Australia produces Shiraz that is typically full-bodied and high in alcohol with high levels of soft tannins and pronounced ripe (and often cooked or dried) black fruit aromas.

Answer 22

Barossa

Question 23

What region of Australia produces Shiraz that is medium to medium (+) acidity and tannins, and pronounced ripe black fruit flavours with a distinctive minty or eucalyptus characteristic.

Answer 23

Clare Valley

Question 24

What region of Australia produces Shiraz that is high acidity, structured tannins, and lower alcohol than Barossa Shiraz. They tend to have ripe but fresh plum and blackberry aromas with sweet spice notes from oak.

Answer 24

Eden Valley

Question 25

What region of Australia produces Shiraz that is usually lighter-bodied than Barossa Shiraz, but still with concentrated blackberry characters and herbal, minty notes. It is sometimes blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Answer 25

Coonawarra

Question 26

What region of Australia produces Shiraz that is deep-coloured and full-bodied with high alcohol levels and pronounced dark fruit flavours. Many have spice characteristics from oak. In the hotter, lower sites, the fruit flavours can become cooked or jammy.

Answer 26

McLaren Vale

Question 27

What is a phylloxera infested zone? & what is usually done about it?

Answer 27

1. Known to have phylloxera present due to previous outbreaks.
2. strict quarantine rules have been enforced.
3. Replanting vineyards with resistant rootstock.
4. reevaluate current grape trends and their site is more suited to growing.

Question 28

What region is known to be a phylloxera infested zone? & why has it not spread?

Answer 28

Victoria.
adherence to the biosecurity laws & creating zones that are either ‘infested’ or ‘excluded’.
Very strict regulations about the movement of plant material and associated equipment between these zones and between states.

Question 29

Which region of Victoria is the coldest of the regions, as it’s furthest southwest and influenced by cold Antarctic winds. The signature variety is Riesling.

Answer 29

henty

Question 30

Which region in Victoria has Temperatures are moderated by altitude despite the fact the region is 130km inland. Some soils are acidic.

Answer 30

Grampians

Question 31

Which region in Victoria is Pyrenees is known for Shiraz, which can be intense and concentrated on lower slopes. The slopes tend to be gentle, making this generally the warmest region.

Answer 31

Pyrenees

Question 32

Define the style of Hunter Valley Semillon, identifying why it is unique. Then describe what makes the region appropriate for producing this style of wine.

Answer 32

While Semillon is a favorite variety in making decadent desert wines, it is the dry, light-bodied, high acid, wines with a few years of bottle age that set Hunter Valley apart from wines of the same grape. Hunter Valley is hot (e.g. summer daytime temps. of 86°F) & humid, with intense sunshine from the low latitudes and almost tropical with its rain falling year-round. Vines receive some respite with daytime cloud cover & cooler nights. These temperature breaks help to slow the ripening of Semillon, which both preserves the acidity and keeps the alcohol low. Growers will often pick early in the harvest season to also help with preserve acid & moderate alcohol; this allows for a wine that is lighter in style. As semillon is light and naturally neutral in its youth, it would likely overwhelm the wines if they were matured in new oak. Thus, there is little to no oak influence. Instead, winemaking techniques are used to enhance the delicate citrus aromas & flavors of the wine: grapes are pressed gently with no skin contact, fermentation in stainless at moderate temperatures is best, & a long bottle aging, sometimes up to five years, encourages a complexity of toast, honey, & hay to develop.

Question 33

Define the style of Margaret River Chardonnay, then describe what makes the region appropriate for producing this style of wine.

Answer 33

Margaret river is a warm region that benefits from the moderating effects of the Indian Ocean. There is little diurnal variation throughout the day, with the warmth persisting into night, making for Chardonnay with ripe fruit characteristics. Grape ripeness and concentration is further aided by free draining soils, plus little rain, and a ridge that shelters and retains warmth for the region. You can expect Chardonnay from the region to be weighty, medium (+) to full bodied, yet balanced by a high acidity. The ripeness of the fruit shows through with concentrated stone fruit aromas. Typically, malolactic is blocked (except in the coldest years); this is because a higher acidity is often best to create a more balanced wine against the fruit concentration. Lees contact & barrel fermentation & maturation are commonplace to further enhance the wines complexity; these practices are possible because the warm climate brings with it a fruit concentration & weight that is great enough for the wine to not be overwhelmed by additional flavors & aromas from the winemaking process.

Question 34

What is a major part of Australian wine sales?

Answer 34

wine tourism; cellar door sale account for 2/3 of domestic sales

Question 35

What % of small wineries in Australia have a cellar door?

Answer 35

70-80%

Question 36

What % of larger South Australia wineries have a celalr door?

Answer 36

50%

Question 37

Name the 5 companies that dominate Australian wine.

Answer 37

Accolade
Casella
Treasury
Pernod Richard
Australian Vintage

Question 38

What are the top markets for Australian exports by value and volume?

Answer 38

Value= China
Volume= UK