Australia Flashcards
Is Australia in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere?
When does its vineyard cycle (budburst) start and when does it end (harvest)?
Southern Hemisphere
Vineyard cycle starts in September/October and harvest is in March/April.
What is the climate of Australia ?
Warm and hot climates
What are the factors influencing climates in Australia ?
Tempered by proximity of the Ocean or the Murray river system
Adelaide hills and Eden Valley are cooled by Altitude
Producers seek sites with cool or moderate climate and plantings
What are the bodies of water surrounding Australia?
Indian Ocean to the west;
Southern Ocean to the south;
Tasman Sea separating Australia and New Zealand
A region’s warmth can be tempered if it is proximal to one of these bodies of water.
What are the climatic hazards in Australia ?
Low rainfall, managed with irrigation
Bush fire are a very real risk, smoke affect the vines
What is the hierarchy of Australian wine growing areas (GIs)?
From largest to smallest:
Zones: large areas which can cover a state or several states with similar climatic conditions (e.g. Limestone Coast zone).
Regions: smaller in size than zones, but wines must demonstrate consistent and recognizable traits that differ from nearby regions (e.g. Margaret River, Clare Valley).
Subregions: smallest in size, these areas must have distinct traits and be within one region (e.g. Polish Hill River subregion within Clare Valley).
What is the most planted red grape of Australia?
And the most planted white grape?
Shiraz (most planted of either color)
Chardonnay
What are the black grapes grown in Australia ?
Shiraz
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Pinot Noir
Grenache
What are the white grapes grown in Australia ?
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Semillon
Riesling
Select which style of Shiraz matches with a hotter region and which style matches with a cooler region:
full bodied and intensely fruity
lean, peppery
Give an example of a hot region and a cool region.
Hot region: full bodied and intensely fruity, earthy, spicy, leather
Hunter Valley, Barossa Valley
Cool region: lean, peppery
Geelong, Heathcote
With which grape is Shiraz blended in Australia ?
Cabernet Sauvignon, performing a similar role to Merlot in Bordeaux
What are some broadstroke differences between Australian Cabernet Sauvignon and Australian Shiraz?
Aussie Cabernet is often darker in color with firmer tannin, higher acidity, and blacker fruit characteristics (black currant, black plum, black cherry), with oaky toasty notes.
Aussie Shiraz tends to have softer tannin, redder fruits, and peppery notes.
Name 2 classic regions in Australia known for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Margaret River and Coonawarra
The best examples of Australian Pinot Noir come from:
warm to hot sites
cool to moderate sites
northern region
Give an example of an Australian region known for its Pinot Noirs.
Cool to moderate sites
Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Tasmania
Medium body, meidum alcohol, flavours of cherry and strawberry
What do some Australians call the Mourvèdre grape?
Mataro
What sun-loving, late-ripening red grape is well suited for Australia’s warmth?
Grenache
Describe the differences between everyday Australian Chardonnay and high-quality Australian Chardonnay (where they come from and what style to expect from each).
Everyday
blended from various regions
Peachy flavours
can be unoaked or oaked (using chips/staves)
High Quality
from cool to moderate regions
well balanced and integrated thanks to thoughtful use of lees aging, malolactic fermentation, and/or barrel maturation
Give four examples of Australian regions known for their high-quality Chardonnays.
Adelaide Hills
Mornington Peninsula
Yarra Valley
Margaret River
Which Australian wine region is known to produce benchmark Sauvignon Blanc?
Describe the characteristics
Adelaide Hills
passion fruit, high acidity
What is the classic Australian region for Semillon?
Hunter Valley
s
What is the profile of a classic, young Hunter Valley Semillon?
Harvested early
Light body
Low sugar levels
High acid
Low alcohol
Minimum oxygen contact, ininert vessels
Neutral flavors
Can evovle into toast, nut and honey with bottle age
Best examples Can age for 20 years
What is the profile of Semillon from other regions in Australia ?
Western Australia: More herbaceous style, could be mistaken with Sauvignon
Barossa Valley : Fuller bodied style, however early picked unoaked version is increasing
What is the profile of a classic, young Australian Riesling?
Very citrusy (lime, lemon, grapefruit)
Develop into toast honey and petrol
Unoaked
High acid
Dry to barely off-dry
Classic (and exceptional!) Rieslings are known to be grown in these two South Australian GIs.
Clare Valley and Eden Valley
Tasmania and Great Southern region have also a reputation for more floral Rieslings
The South Eastern Australia super-zone covers what areas?
This vast super-zone covers the whole South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.
Wines labeled South East Australia are known to be:
High volume brands made from blended fruit producing inexpensive wine
Which heavily irrigated, Australian GIs are major sources of grapes for big brands?
Riverina in New South Wales
Riverland in South Australia
Murray-Darling in Victoria
Can produce high yields of healthy grapes bu lack the flavour concentration of High-quality areas . Blending from other regions may enhance these wines. The choice of blending depend of style, and grape variety
Besides bulk wine, Riverina is well known for making a special wine. What is it ?
Sweet botrytised wine made from Sémillon ?
What 6 regions in South Australia do you need to know?
Barossa Valley
Eden Valley
Clare Valley
Adelaide Hills
McLaren Vale
Coonawarra
South Australia produces approximately how much of Australia’s total annual production?:
The majority
The heart of fine wine production in South Australia is ________ Valley.
Barossa Valley
What is the climate of Barossa Valley?
Warm and dry
What are the red grapes that come from Barossa Valley?
Shiraz (old bush vines)
Cabernet Sauvignon
Grenache
What is the profile of a classic Barossa Valley Shiraz?
Full body
Soft tannins
Ripe black fruit
American oak
As they age, Barossa Valley Shiraz develop notes of spice and leather.
If a wine comes from the Barossa Zone, what appellation does it take?
What are the 2 regions in Barossa Zone?
Barossa
Barossa Valley
Eden Valley
What white grape is grownin Barossa Valley
unoaked semillon
What is the difference between a wine labeled ‘Barossa’ and ‘Barossa Valley’?
If a wine is labeled with its GI as ‘Barossa’, it means the grapescan come from both Barossa Valley and Eden Valley.
If a wine is labeled with its GI as ‘Barossa Valley’, it means the grapes came just from Barossa Valley.
Eden Valley is to the ________ of Barossa Valley, and Clare Valley is to the ________ of Barossa Valley.
Which of these (Clare and Eden) has a cool to moderate climate, and which has a warm climate?
Eden Valley is east of Barossa Valley - has cool to moderate climate
Clare Valley is northwest of Barossa Valley - has warm climate
Eden Valley is best known for which grape?
What other grapes are grown successfully there?
Riesling - citrusy, steely, best have marmalade and toasty characters
Other grapes: Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
What is the climate of Clare Valley?
warm climate is tempered by cool afternoon breezes and cold night
Vineyard sare planted at altitude (300-400m) some even as high as 570m.
What does the climate of Clare Valley inelcuence the wines grown there?
Wines become intensely aromatic and structured thanks to the diurnal shift, with the Rieslings being dry, citrusy with high acidity. Can develop honey and toast characters
Other grape :
Shiraz is fragrant, powerful and structured
Cabernet sauvignon is also grown
What is the climate of Adelaide Hills?
What factors influences climate ?
Moderate climate
Rains in winter
Planted in altitude
irrigation is often necessary in summer
What grapes are most often found growing in Adelaide Hills GI?
Sauvignon Blanc (best known)
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Adelaide Hills makes some sparkling wine blending Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
All vineyards in Adelaide Hills are planted above ______m in altitude.
400m
Where is McLaren Vale in relation to Adelaide?
What is the climate like in McLaren Vale?
South of Adelaide, on the coast
Warm (ocean breezes help cool it down)
What style of wine dominates McLaren Vale?
Dry, concentrated, intense red wines with soft tannins + dark fruits.
Based on Shiraz, Grenache, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
What is the climate of Coonawarra?
Narrow strip of land of 1.5km by 15km
Climate is moderate
cloud cover from oean and cold curent moderates temperature
What makes the soil in Coonawarra so distinctive?
What grape grows well here and what special characteristic does it have?
The soils in Coonawarra are terra rossa (red clay) over limestone.
Coonawarra is known for its firmly structured, Cabernet Sauvignons that are scented with eucalyptus, menthol, and cassis.
Shiraz, Merlot and Chardonnay are also planted
In which zone is Coonawarra
Limestone Coast
What is the coolest state on Australia’s mainland?
Victoria
Why does Victoria have some of the coolest vineyards on the mainland?
Ocean breezes (coming up from Antarctica)
Wine regions around Melbourne, particularly Yarra Valley, get cool enough to grow these grapes to make this style of wine.
Chardonnay + Pinot Noir
Sparkling wine
What 5 regions in Victoria do you need to know?
Yarra Valley
Mornington Peninsula
Geelong
Heathcote
Goulburn Valley
What is the mountain on wich altitude vineayrda are planted in Victoria ?
The great dividing Rnage
What are the grapes grown in the lower slopes of Victoria?
Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon
Fresher and lighter in style than from hotter regions
Where is Yarra Valley in relation to Melbourne?
East
What is the overall climate of Yarra Valley?
Cool to moderate maritime
What is the specialty grape of Yarra Valley?
Pinot Noir
While Yarra Valley has a sweeping cool to moderate maritime climate, it has a range of elevations and aspects.
What does this mean for the style of Yarra Valley wines?
There will be a range of styles that come out of this diverse geography.
Due to the varying elevations and aspects, many different grapes can grow here – though none will ever be as full-throttle as those from Barossa Valley.
What is the style of wines of Yara valley ?
Pinot noir is the speciality
high-quality table wines
Excellent sparkling wines
Which grapes are grown in Yarra Valley?
Pinot Noir (more importantly), Chardonnay, shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon
Describe the Yarra Valley Pinot noir profile
Rich in fruit, strawberries, plums, dark cherries
Tannins areRipe, soft,
careful oak handling adds complexity
Where is Mornington Peninsula in relation to Melbourne?
South (it’s a coastal region)
What is the climate of Mornington Peninsula?
What are the climate hazards ?
Cool to moderate maritime
wet and windy weather can distrub flowering and harvest, and the vintages can vary
Mornington Peninsula is known for these two grapes.
Pinot Noir - light and deciate / more structures bu always pure fruit characteristics
Chardonnay- vitrus pear appel aromas, high acidity softened by malolactif conversion
Geelong:
where is it
what is its climate
major grapes planted
West of Melbourne
Cool/moderate maritime
Pinot Noir: earthy aromas
Shiraz : fresh and peppery
Chardonnay: complex, concentrated, full bodied (known for its Chardonnay)
Heathcote:
where is it
how does it get cool
what is its climate
major grapes planted
Inland, center of Victoria
Cooled by altitude
Moderate climate
Shiraz : firm structure, fresher fruit
Cabernet Sauvignon
Chardonnay
(Sangiovese and tempranillo have shown promise)
Goulburn Valley:
where is it
warmer or cooler than Heathcote
how is it cooled
major grapes planted
East of Heathcote
Warmer than Heathcote
Cooled by lakes and creeks
Shiraz, Marsanne
Marsanne is a specialty of Goulburn Valley (citrus fruit, developing honey with bottle age)
New South Wales’ most important GI is ______.
What grape is this GI known for?
Hunter Valley GI
Semillon
Where is located new south wales?
inland from Sydney
on wester slopes of the great divinding Range
vineyards on planted in altitude
What is the climate of hunter valley ?
What factors are influencing climate?
Hot and humid
High cloud cover , ocean breezes
Rain at harvest ( meaning good canopy management)
What is Hunter Valley’s weather threat?
Rain at harvest
What are the GIs in New South Wales that have slightly cooler conditions to Hunter Valley?
What makes them slightly cooler?
Mudgee
Orange
Cowra
Higher-altitude vineyards – though because the regions are still quite warm, the wines they produce are concentrated + structured (mostly Chard + Cab Sauv).
Besides Semillon, what two other grapes have major plantings in Hunter Valley?
Chardonnay : oaked and unoaked styles
Shiraz: blackfruit flavours , soft tannins, medium body, earthy underton
What is the only wines not part of the Wouth Eastern Australia super-zone?
Western Australia
What coastal winemaking region is roughly 200km south of Perth and has a warm Mediterranean climate?
Margaret River
What is the climate of Margaret River ?
Warm Meditarrean climate
Rainfall is High, but mainly i winters
What are the white grapes in Margaret River GI?
Chardonnay : Concentrated stone fruit and tropical fruit, high acidiy, range of styl with barrell and MLC
Semillon
Sauvignon Blanc L often blended with semillon for gooseberry and tropical fruit aromas
They can be bottled as monovarietals or blended together.
What red grape is Margaret River best known for?
Cabernet Sauvignon : elegant and restraint or fruit and powerful
bottled varietally or blended with Merlot
What are the nested regions of the Great Southern region?
Frankland River
Mount Barker
Known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Riesling
What is the climate of Tasmania?
What helps keep it cool?
Cool maritime climate
Winds off the Southern Ocean
What are the principal grapes grown on Tasmania?
Whites
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Pinot Gris
Reds
Pinot Noir
Cabernet Sauvignon
Known for sparkling wine, but make excellent still wines
Between Tasmania’s cool climate and its plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, what style of wine is it well poised to make?
Sparkling wine
Tasmanian producers use méthode traditionelle. The sparkling wines from Tasmania represent some of the best examples in the country.
What are the climate of each region?
Cool -moderate
- Eden valley (altitude
- Clare Valley (altitude)
- Adelaide hills (altitude)
- Coonawarra (moderate)
- Yarra Valley
- Mornington Peninsula
- Geelong
- Heathcote
- Tasmania
Warm
- Barossa Valley
- McLaren Vale
- Goulbern valley
- Hunter Valley
- Margaret River
