Australia Flashcards
When did the first vines arrive in Australia?
With the first British prisoner ships, in 1788.
What drove expansion of the Aussie wine business in the 19th century?
At first, population growth and gold mining. As the gold dried up, export markets became the focus, namely Britain.
How did phylloxera affect Australia?
They largely quarantined it in Victoria, where it wreaked havoc. This in turn led to South Australia becoming the center of the Aussie wine industry.
What is a hallmark trait of the Australian wine industry today?
Modern technology and technical know how. They pioneered the bag in box technology and were early proponents of the Stelvin screw cap. The quality of lower price point wines from here is excellent.
South Australia accounts for what percent of Aussie production?
How about New South Wales?
South Australia 51%
NSW 25%
Where does Australia rank in the world as an exporter of wine?
5th, behind Italy, France, Spain, and Chile
Which two regions account for almost half of Aussie production?
Riverina (NSW)
Riverlands (SA)
How are Australian wine areas classified?
GI-Geographical Indication (NSW)
Zone - Hunter Valley zone
Region - Hunter Valley
Sub Region - Lower Hunter
What three regions are in the Central Ranges Zone?
In what GI are these?
Mudgee
Orange
Cowra
New South Wales
In what GI will I find the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven Coast regions?
New South Wales-SW of Sydney
In the Southern New South Wales zone, there are 4 regions, name em.
Canberra
Tumbarumba
Hilltops
Gundagai
What zone in NSW is the top producer in the country? What regions are here that drive that? What 2 large producers are here that drive production?
Big Rivers Zone
Murray Darling
Riverina
Casella (Yellow Tail)
De Bortoli
What river divides NSW from Victoria?
What other river irrigates NSW?
Murray river
Murrumbidgee river
Who makes Noble One Botrytis Semillon?
De Bortoli
Riverina, NSW
What is meant by an Australian wine labeled SE Australia?
Blending is a key part of Aussie viticulture. SE Australia allows blending from NSW, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania
What is the producer to know in Canberra District NSW?
Clonakilla
Cooler Climate Syrah
Who are the top two producers in Hunter Valley?
Tyrell’s
Brokenwood
Name a Shiraz producer from Hunter Valley not Tyrells or Brokenwood
Mount Pleasant (Maurice O’Shea)
Viticulture in Victoria started when, and by whom?
1838 Ryrie brothers started a cattle farm in Yarra Valley, named it ‘Yering’.
What 2 Regions are shared with NSW along the Murray river?
Murray Darling and Swan Hill
What zone encompasses Melbourne?
What the climate like here?
Port Phillip Zone
Mediterranean, but cooled by the Southern Ocean. Cooler than Bordeaux.
What is the most important Victoria wine region?
Whats the style of wine from here?
Yarra Valley
Cool climate Pinot and Chard, theres a little Cab and Shiraz also. No new American oak here.
Name 2 iconic producers from the Yarra Valley
Yarra Yering
Mount Mary
Name the wine regions in the Port Phillip zone, aside from Yarra Valley.
Mornington Peninsula
Geelong
Sunbury
Macedon Ranges
What producer can you name in Mornington Peninsula?
How about 2 in Geelong?
Mooroduc
By Farr
Bannockburn
What Geelong sub region historically and today has produced great wines?
Moorabool Valley
What rather large region lies East of the Great Dividing range along the cold SE coast of Victoria?
What producer here is a shining star for Aussie Pinot?
Gippsland
Bass Phillip
their reserve pinot is often the most expensive bottle in Australia.
What region in NE Victoria is known for its stickies?
What is a stickie, what grape is used and what quality tiers are there?
Rutherglen
Fortified Sweet wines made from Muscat.
There are ‘classic’ ‘grand’ and ‘rare’ styles, aged longer and more oxidative as you go up.
What is a Rutherglen Topaque?
Unique stickie made from Muscadelle instead of Muscat
Is there botrytis present in a Rutherglen stickie? When is it fortified?
Botrytis is avoided, fortified after fermentation starts, like Port.
Where are Glenrowan and Beechworth regions?
NE Victoria, by Rutherglen
Where is the Goulburn Valley, Upper Goulburn, and Strathbogie Ranges?
In between Melbourne and Rutherglen.
King Valley and Alpine Valleys regions are in what GI?
Victoria, NE up by Rutherglen
Which wine region sits in central Victoria, just North of Macedon Ranges?
Which region lies just West, and what kind of wines are made here?
Heathcote, just West is Bendigo
Hefty reds, especially Shiraz. Jasper Hill is a producer to know.
What is the Adelaide Super Zone?
In South Australia there are 8 zones, 3 of which surround Adelaide. It covers all 3 and the city name can appear on labels.
Barossa
Fleurieu
Mount Lofty
What 3 zones make up the Adelaide super zone?
Mount Lofty Ranges zone
Barossa zone
Fleurieu zone
What regions make up the Mount Lofty Ranges zone?
Clare Valley
Adelaide Plains
Adelaide Hills
What regions make up the Fleurieu zone?
Kangaroo Island
McLaren Vale
Southern Fleurieu
Currency Creek
Langhorne Creek
What is Southern Australia’s most important zone?
Which two regions are here?
Barossa
Barossa Valley
Eden Valley
Who established the first commercial winery in Barossa Valley?
Johann Gramp, Orlando Wines near Jacob’s Creek in Rowland Flat in 1847
What does the Barossa Valley have an impressive amount of, at over 100ha?
Vines that are over 100 years old.
World’s Oldest Shiraz Langmeil 1843
Probably Oldest Grenache Cirillo 1850
Prob Oldest Mourvedre Hewitson 1853
Australia Oldest Cabernet Sauvignon Penfolds Block 42 1888
What is the Old Vine Charter?
Developed by Yalumba for Barossa old vines.
Old Vines 35 years
Survivor Vines 70 years
Centenarian Vines 100 years
Ancestor Vines 125 years
Whats the climate and terroir like in Barossa Valley?
Hot down on the valley floor. Deep clay and loam with underground water reserves.
What percent of Barossa production is dedicated to Shiraz?
Over 50%
What is the climate and terroir of Eden Valley like?
Running parallel to Barossa but at higher elevation. Soils are much thinner, a bit of clay on granite, water is scarce.
Who first planted Eden Valley Australia?
Joseph Gilbert, Pewsey Vale, 1847 same year as Barossa.
Too hot in Barossa, what white grape is quite successful in Eden? What percent of plantings is it?
Riesling, 25%
Name the icon producer in Eden Valley.
What is their icon Shiraz, and icon Cabernet?
Henschke
Hill of Grace Shiraz
Cyril Henschke Cab Sauv
What other great producers operate in Eden Valley other than Henschke?
Mount Edelstone
Love Over Gold
Powell & Son
Sons of Eden
Two Hands
Pewsey Vale
Who makes these icon Barossa wines?
a) The Command
b) Run Rig & The Laird
c) Menzel
d) The Eye of Ra
a) Elderton
b) Torbreck
c) God’s Hill
d) Glaetzer
Chris Ringland, Greenock Creek, and Rusden are premium producers in what Aussie region?
Barossa Valley
What style of Shiraz is produced in McLaren Vale compared to Barossa?
Its not quite as heavy, but still big. French Oak is much more common here.
What grapes lead plantings in McClaren Vale?
Shiraz is over half, followed by Cab Sauv and Grenache.
What are some iconic producers and wines from McClaren Vale?
Clarendon Hills (Astralis, Shiraz)
Yangarra (High Sands, Grenache)
Hickinbotham (The Peake, Cab Sauv)
Mollydooker (Velvet Glove, Shiraz)
What climatic feature of McClaren Vale is a boon to winemakers?
The windy nature of the region makes organic and biodynamic viticulture much easier. 25% of wineries here are certified organic.
When did the Clare Valley get its start in viticulture?
1851, a winery was built by Jesuits for sacramental wine. A.P. Birks Wendouree came later in 1892.
When did Clare Valley get its start in viticulture?
1851, when a group of Jesuits built a winery for Sacramental production.
A.P. Birks Wendouree came later in 1892.
What is the climate of Clare Valley?
moderate to warm continental, with large diurnal shifts
What grapes are in play in Clare Valley?
Shiraz is most planted, but its not as big as Barossa.
Cab Sauv and Riesling
Polish Hill and Watervale are top sites for what grape in what region?
Riesling Clare Valley
Who makes ‘The Armagh’? What grape is it and from what region?
Jim Barry
Shiraz, Clare Valley
Who makes ‘The Legacy’? What grape is it and from what region?
Taylors
Cab Sauv Clare Valley
Who makes ‘Attunga 1865’? What is the grape and from what region?
Kilikanoon
Shiraz, Clare Valley
Who are 3 Clare Valley Riesling producers to know?
Grosset
Pikes
Mount Horrocks
In what region and at what location was ‘Grange’ first envisioned, by who?
What was the first vintage?
Adelaide Plains at Magill Estate by Max Schubert
1951
What is the South Australia zone down in the SE bordering Victoria?
Limestone Coast zone
What terroir is Coonawarra well known for? Whats the climate like and what grape excels here?
Terra Rosa soils, limestone with high iron oxide content.
Cool Mediterranean, drier here with more sunlight than the Medoc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Whats the icon wine to know in Coonawarra?
Wynn’s John Riddoch
Who pioneered the Coonawarra region and when?
John Riddoch 1891
What three Limestone Coast regions are actually on it?
Mount Gambier
Mount Benson
Robe
Which two regions extend North from Coonawarra?
Wrattonbully then Padthaway
When was Tasmania first planted with vines?
1823
What is the sole GI of Tasmania?
What unofficial regions are important?
Tasmania GI
Tamar Valley is the center of production
Coal River is also a key area of production.
What is the climate like in Tasmania, and comparable to?
What style of wine leads production here?
Similar to Champagne or Rheingau and the Southerly latitude leads to long days for ripening.
Sparkling is 50% of production.
Whats the most widely planted grape in Tasmania?
Pinot Noir
Where were the first plantings in Western Australia and by whom?
Thomas Waters 1829 Swan Valley
What are the 2 GI of Western Australia?
Greater Perth
South West Australia
Who researched where to plant vines in Western Australia in the 1960’s?
Where did he identify?
1966 John Gladstones
Margaret River
Who produced the first commercial wine in Margaret River, and what was it?
Vasse Felix, Riesling
What grape is Margaret River’s specialty? Whats the climate like here?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Mediterranean, a bit warmer than Coonawarra or Medoc
Name 4 leading producers of Margaret River, aside from Vasse Felix.
Cullen
Moss Wood
Leeuwin Estate
Cape Mentelle
What’s Tumbarumba region known for?
Where is it?
sparkling wines made from pinot and chard
NSW, SW of Canberra
What organization maintains oversight of the wine industry in Australia?
Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation
For variety, vintage, and region, what law do Aussie winemakers follow?
85% rule
What producer has been in Goulburn Valley since 1860? In what sub region?
Tahbilk
Ngambie Lakes
Where does the name Barossa come from?
A Spanish battlefield of the Napoleonic Wars
This Aussie winemaker was the third winemaker for Penfolds Grange.
John Duvall
