Australia Flashcards
Location
White and Rose Wines
Premium Sparkling Wine
Tasmania Yarra Valley Adelaide Hills Victoria (alpine region) New South Wales (alpine region)
Location
White and Rose Wines
Inexpensive Sparkling Wine
Riverland
Riverina
Murray-Darling
“South Eastern Australia”
Location
Sparkling Shiraz
High Quality (typically have region on label)
- Barossa
- McLaren Vale
- Clare Valley
- Coonawarra
- Rutherglen
Cheaper (can be blend of regions)
- Riverland
- Riverina
- Murray-Darling
Climate
White and Rose
Premium: coolest regions
- sea breezes (Tasmania)
- altitude (Australia)
Irrigation required in R/R/M-D
Vineyard
White and Rose
Premium: think Champs
Cheap: early picking for bulk wines
Vineyard
Sparkling Shiraz
Grapes selected for ripe fruit and soft tannins
Grape Varieties
Char and PN, small plantings of PM
Muscat family grapes for lightly sparkling wines (tank and carbonation)
Shiraz (and occasionally others)
Winery
White and Rose
Premium, Inexpensive and Sparkling Shiraz
Most expensive: traditional - extensive lees aging
Other premium: transfer method with high volumes
Inexpensive: tank method and carbonation (clean, fresh, fruit flavours). Acid additions for warm region grapes.
Sparkling Shiraz:
Premium = traditional method
Lighter styles = tank method or carbonation
Styles
Full range: Non-Vintage, Vintage, Rose, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs
85% for region, variety, and/or vintage
Important trade structures
Producers specialize in sparkling or make a sparkling to complement their wider product range
Most producers own some vineyards, larger businesses may buy extra fruit
Winemakers federation of Australia and Wine Grape Growers Australia - associations provide support, information, professional development, voice to government - not negociants or cooperatives
History
1820 - first Tasmanian vineyard planted in Hobart
1848 - gold medal at Paris Exhibition for Tasmanian wine
1843 - Hunter Valley winery - nonclassical grapes
1956 - introduction of tank-method introduced
1980 - Traditional method wines on mainland with classic grapes
1990 - sparkling red wine’s peak (though made since 1890’s)
Important Producers
Large Volume:
- Pernod Ricard, Jacobs Creek
- Accolade Wines, Omni and Sir James
Premium Producers
- Hill Smith Family, Jansz Tasmania
- LVHM Australia, Domaine Chandon
- Accolade wines, Arras and Bay of Fires
