Australia Flashcards
Australia’s primary white grape varieties:
Chardonnay Riesling Semillon Muscat Sauvignon Blanc Chenin Blanc Verdelho Viognier
Generalities about Australia’s wine…
Country’s fruit dominated, easy drinking; Wines such as Shiraz have immense appeal.
Australia’s red wine grape varieties:
Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Grenache Pinot noir Merlot
What is LIP?
Label Integrity Program
Introduced in 1990
Guarantees all claims made on label (vintage, variety, region, etc)
85% for vintage, variety and origin
Geographic indication categories:
- Produce of Australia: most general designation, no vintage or variety allowed on label, not a GI’s
- South-Eastern Australia super zone: enormous appellation covering most producing areas
- State of origin: next most specific category (south Australia is a state)
- Zones: large area of production (Barossa is a zone within south Australia)
- Regions: smaller area within a zone (Barossa valley and Eden Valley are zones within Barossa)
- Sub-regions: even smaller appellations within a region (high Eden is a sub-region within Eden Valley)
Australia’s wine producing states are…
New South Wales Victoria Tasmania South Australia Western Australia Northern Territory Queensland
What is the largest GI (geographical indication) in Australia?
South Eastern Australia super zone
New South Wales was established in _______
Late 1870
New South Wales white grapes are:
Semillon
Chardonnay
Riesling
New South Wales red grapes:
Shiraz
New South Wales climate:
Hot, humid in spots, cyclonic rain at harvest possible, shore breezes, difficult to cultivate wine grapes due to fungal diseases
New South Wales soils…
Wide cross-section, alluvial, red clay, sand, clay
New South Wales notable GI’s
Hunter valley (over 100 wineries) Established in the 1960's by penfolds Whites predominate (rosemount's Roxburgh estate) Hilltops Mudgee Tumbarumba Orange
Victoria white grapes:
Chardonnay
Riesling
Muscat
Victoria black grapes:
Pinot noir Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet franc
Define the climate in Victoria…
Cool maritime coastal regions vs hot Mediterranean inland areas separated by Australian Alps
Define the soils at Victoria…
Mix of alluvial, volcanic, granite, clay, sand
Victorias’s wine styles:
Wide range of styles (sparkling, still, fortified)
Victoria’s notable GI’s:
- Yarra Valley: Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon based wines
- Rutherglen: Fortified muscat and Muscadelle (some of world’s greatest dessert wines)
Other Victoria’s GI’s are…
Heathcote Bendigo Mornington Peninsula Geelong Murray Darling
South Australia generalities…
Produces 55% of Australia’s wine
Largest wine companies based in Barossa
Fruit from Riverland used for mass produced blending
South Australia’s grapes are…
Shiraz
Cabernet Sauvignon
Riesling
Many more
South Australia’s climate:
Cool southern to warm northern inland, altitude contributes cool evenings in hill areas
South Australia’s soils…
Limestone, clay, loams
