Australia Flashcards
Provide some of the key points in Australia’s history (phylloxera, export, vineyard area)
- Great parts phylloxera free due to strict quarantine regulations -> some of the oldest plantings worldwide
- 1850s: phylloxera outbreak in Europe gave Australia a golden opportunity
- 1980s: shift to export market -> marketing and making wine more accessible
- Vineyard area increased singificantly until late 2000s and then fell again to 146,000 ha
- Many shifted more towards quality production
Between what latitudes do vineyards spread?
- Mostly 30-37°S (comparable to Southern Europe)
- Some 41-42°S (Tasmania)
On a high level, what are the main climatic influences?
- Low latitude -> intense sunlight
- Cooling influences from the ocean -> relatively flat, so maritime influence can reach far inland
- Some mountain ranges that provide cooler sites through altitude
- Mountain ranges create barrier from topical weather and provide rain shadow
- Drought is a constant threat
What is the production level and how does it compare to other countries?
- 12.6 mn hL
- 7th largest, not far behind Chile and Argentina
What is one of the main threats and how is it countered?
- Lack of water
- Most vineyards rely on irrigation
- Water historically mostly from rivers, but they start to dry out
- Regions with higher rainfall build reserves, other rely on underground water sources
- -> Efficient irrigation systems and sustainable water usage are critical
What effect does the intense sunlight have on wine growing?
- Vines grow vigorously
- Plantings of old vines naturally combat high vigor
- Newer plantings use Scott-Henry or Smart-Dyson to manage vigor and ensure even ripening
In general, how is the degree of mechanization?
- Heavily mechanized because of
- wide vine spacing
- flat or gently sloping land
- high labor costs
- remote locations of vineyards
- Nevertheless, some harvest by hand, esp. for most expensive wines
What is a general issue with the soil and how is it managed?
- Salinity (not enough rainfall to carry away the salt deposits)
- Managed through
- -> suitable rootstocks
- -> changing irrigation patterns (e.g., larger volumes at less frequent intervals)
What is a major threat because of the heat?
- Bush fires
- Smoke taint
How much of the vineyard area is farmed sustainably and why?
- 25%
- Low humidity -> low risk of fungal diseases
What are two general natural hazards and what can be done against it?
- Birds: Netting
- Kangaroos: No solution
What is the balance between black and white varieties and what are the top 5 varieties grown (incl. %)?
- Black: 54%, White: 46% -> roughly equal
- Shiraz (24%)
- Chardonnay (21%)
- Cabernet Sauvignon (15%)
- Merlot (7%)
- Sauvignon Blanc (5%)
How are wine bottles typically sealed?
Screwcaps (even at premium prices)
Describe the typical style of Shiraz from hotter and cooler regions and name examples (intensity, aromas, body, tannin, alcohol)
- Hotter regions, e.g., Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale
- Pronounced intensity
- Dark fruit, earthy and spicy notes
- Full body
- High levels of soft tannins
- High alcohol
- Cooler regions, e.g., Yarra Valley, Grampians
- Less intensely fruity
- Red and black cherry and black pepper
- Less full-bodied
- Medium alcohol
What is the general trend regarding the style of Shiraz? And how is it achieved?
- Trend is towards less intense, more approachable styles
- Less extraction
- Whole bunch fermentation
- Lower levels of new oak
- Very good and outstanding quality Shiraz is often made in open fermentation tanks with manual or mechanised punch downs for soft extraction of tannins
In what ways is Shiraz used in blends?
- Rhône-style ‘GSM’ blends
- Shiraz-Viognier blends
- Shiraz with Cabernet Sauvignon to give softness
How is Cabernet Sauvignon used, how does it compare to Shiraz and what are the two most important regions?
- Made as single varietal and blends
- Generally, higher in acidity and tannins than Shiraz
- Coonawarra: eucalyptus aromas
- Margaret River: often blended with Merlot for a riper, less herbal style
How is Merlot used?
- Widely used in blends (esp. with Cabernet Sauvignon)
- Also a full range of single varietal wines
Where is Pinot Noir grown, what techniques are used and what is the resulting style?
- Cool and moderate regions: Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Tasmania
- Techniques: whole bunch fermentation for aromas, cold maceration to enhance color and flavors, and stem inclusion to influence the tannic structure
- Style: medium body/alc and high acidity
Grenache
How is it mostly used, what is the trend, where is it grown, and what is the traditional and modern style?
- Mainly Rhône-style blends
- Increasingly used as single varietal from old bush vines in McLaren Vale, Eden Valley and Barossa Valley
- Traditional style: low acidity, high alcohol, jammy-fruited style and matured in new oak
- Modern style: greater freshness, higher acidity, slightly lower alcohol (sometimes whole bunches or stem inclusion)
What is the trend in Chardonnay winemaking? Describe the difference between inexp. and high quality wines and how the latter are made.
- Trend towards earlier picking and leaner style
- Inexpensive wines: tank-fermented, sometimes with a little oak influence
- High quality wines: ripe fruit (often citrus and peach) balanced by medium to medium (+) acidity and well-integrated oak
- Techniques: ambient yeasts, high level of solids, barrel fermentation, lees ageing, and barrel maturation. Malo depends on climate and desired style
Where is Sauvignon Blanc planted, where do some of the best examples come from and where are they made in another style?
- Widely planted across cooler and hotter regions
- Best examples from Adelaide Hills
- Usually fermented in stainless steel, some use lees contact or barrel fermentation
- Margaret River: Bordeaux-style blend with Semillon
What are the two styles of Pinot Grigio/Gris produced and where do the best examples come from?
- Neutral Veneto style: picked early
- Riper, spicy, full body Alsace style: picked later
- Best examples from: Mornington Peninsula and Tasmania
What are the three types of wines Semillon is used for and where do distinct examples come from?
- In blends with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
- Single varietal:
- Hunter valley: low alcohol, high acidity, unoaked style (neutral in youth, great aromatic complexity with bottle age)
- Barossa Valley: fuller-bodied, higher alcohol, oak maturation
- Sweet wines from Riverina (botrytis)
Where is Riesling grown, what is the typical style and how are premium wines made?
- Cooler regions: Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Great Southern, Canberra, and Tasmania
- Some sweet wines
- Mostly dry with high acidity
- Premium wines often only made with free-run juice (high sugar and acidity levels and low phenolic compounds)
Where are Muscat Gordo Blanco and Colombard grown and for what are they used?
- Grown in hot, inland regions of Riverland, Murray-Darling, and Riverina
- Muscat Gordo Blanco (Muscat of Alexandria): cheap blending partner in still wines, also used for sparkling Moscato
- Colombard: neutral, cheap blending partner (e.g., with Chardonnay)
What are the three categories of Geographical Indications (GIs)? Name some examples.
- Zones: no rules (e.g., South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales)
- Regions: consistent and distinct quality (e.g., Coonawarra, Clare Valley and Margaret River)
- Sub-regions: particular climates, topography and soils (only 14 registered so far)
What is an advantage regarding the GIs?
- Greater labeling options
- Zone is mostly used for multiregional blends
What is the LIP and what are the rules?
- Label Integrity Programme
- At least 85% of vintage, variety, or GI
- For blends, varieties need to be listed in descending order
Wine Business
How is the landscape in terms of small and larger companies?
- Mostly smaller companies (but falling)
- Many small growers sell grapes to larger companies
Wine Business
Name some of the five biggest companies. For how much of exports do they account?
- Accolade Wines, Casella Family Brands, Treasury Wine Estates, Pernod Ricard, and Australian Vintage
- 87% of all exports
Wine Business
What is Wine Australia, how is it funded and what does it do?
- Government authority
- Funds and coordinates research and development
- Money from a levy on grape growers
- Controls export of wine
- Promotes Australian wine
- Key aims: increase the demand, competitiveness, and quality image of Australian wines
Wine Business
How much of production is exported, what are main export countries and what is special with China?
- 2/3 of production is exported (5th largest world wide)
- UK, China, the USA, Canada and Germany
- Free Trade Agreements with China, however, exports dropped in 2020 when China imposed tariffs
Wine Business
How did sales evolve in the domestic market and what are the main drivers of sales?
- Domestic sales increased slightly
- Cellar doors are very important, particularly to smaller wineries
- Wine tourism is well-established (esp. near big cities)
- Producer websites with online shops are another common method of direct-to-consumer sales.
Wine Business
What is a trend regarding varieties in recent years?
- Less-common varieties popular in domestic market
- More difficult to sell on export markets (higher prices and competition)
