Australia Flashcards
What are the rules of The Label Integrity Program in Australia?
Requires a minimum of 85% across the boards for grape variety, vintage, and stated region on the label.
During the recovery of phylloxera in Victoria, where did the focus shift in terms of wine production?
Fortified wines from warmer areas.
What are the main grape varietals/styles of wine made in Eden Valley?
Riesling, Chardonnay (white)
Shiraz (red)
- Rieslings are vinified dry.
What are the important GI’s of New South Wales?
Hunter Valley - Hunter GI
Riverina GI
What are the important GI’s of Victoria?
Murray Darling
Rutherglen
Yarra Valley
What are the grapes/styles of wine made in Rutherglen?
Muscadelle (white)
Shiraz, Brown Muscat (red)
Still wines, fortified dessert wines called “stickies”
What is the climate of the Hunter GI?
Hot and humid (among the warmest in AU)
Moderated by wind/cooling effect of sea.
Where is Clare Valley located?
60 miles south of Adelaide.
What is unique about the soils in Coonawarra?
9 mile strip with Terra Rossa soil which is a red soil over limestone base.
What are the main grape varietals of Riverina GI?
(white)
Semillon
Chardonnay
(red)
Shiraz
Merlot
What is unique about the viticulture in Barossa Valley?
Extremely old vines.
Phylloxera has been prevented from reaching this area.
What is the climate in Eden Valley?
Cooler, higher elevation.
Elevation helps acidity in grapes.
What style of harvest do many Australian vineyards employ?
Mechanical harvesting.
What divides New South Wales (north to south) and separates the wet coastal regions from the interior?
The Great Dividing Range
Where is Victoria located?
Southeastern Australia
What is the topography of Hunter GI?
Gentle, flat river valley
Where is Murray-Darling located?
Northwestern Victoria, partially in New South Wales.
What are the two types of wineries that exist in Australia?
Artisanal/boutique
Industrial/commercial
Where is vine growing concentrated the most in Australia?
Cooler, coastal areas moderated by the Pacific/Indian Oceans and also in high-elevation areas.
What is considered one of the great unique wines of Australia?
Hunter Valley Semillon.
What style of wine is Murray-Darling important for?
Bulk table wine.
Where is Hunter GI (Hunter Valley) located?
North of Sydney.
New South Wales.
What are the grapes/styles of wine made in Yarra Valley?
Chardonnay (white)
Pinot Noir, Shiraz (red)
Still and sparkling wine production.
What are the main grape varietals of Barossa Valley?
Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon (red)
What are the main grape varietals of Margaret River?
(white)
Chardonnay
Semillon
Sauvignon Blanc
(red)
Cabernet Sauvignon
Shiraz
Merlot
Where is Australia located?
In the South Pacific Ocean
How many states make up Australia?
6
Where is the important metropolis of South Australia?
Adelaide.
Despite being planted with mostly red grapes, what other wine is Clare Valley known for?
Riesling.
What is Australia’s relationship with technological development in viticulture?
Australia is a world leader due to a strongly innovative culture and dependance due to lack of labor.
Commercial viticulture was established along the souther part of Australia between what two years?
1820 and 1840.
What is the climate in Clare Valley?
Warm continental, hot days and cool nights.
What is the important GI of Western Australia?
Margaret River
What is the climate like in Coonawarra?
Cool, Mediterranean
Where in Australia did phylloxera hit the hardest?
Victoria
What type of soil is in Australia?
Ancient, eroded, nutrient poor.
Great diversity.
What is the climate in Riverina GI?
Hot and very humid.
Where do a majority of Australia’s wine regions exist?
Southeastern part in temperate latitudes near major cities.
What is the importance of large-scale blending in Australia?
Vineyards and wineries in Australia are often widely separated.
Grapes are frequently trucked hundreds of miles to a winery for vinification.
The objective is to attain consistent flavors from year to year.
What is the important metropolis of Victoria, Australia?
Melbourne.
Where is Riverina GI located?
Far inland on western side of Great Dividing Range ub fertile river lands.
New South Wales.
What are similar to the Geographical Indications (GI)’s of Australia?
The AVA’s of the USA.
What affect does the warm, dry climate have on the grapes grown in Australia?
Very ripe grapes.
Difficult to maintain acidity to balance the wines.
What is the climate in Victoria?
Broad range from cool, coastal maritime to continental. Can be very hot the further away from the ocean.
What process is employed to counterbalance the effects of Australia’s warm climate?
Acidification.
What two oceans act as moderators for Australia?
Pacific and Indian.
What style(s) of wine is Riverina known for?
Bulk table wine, fortified wines, and botrytis-affected dessert wines.
What is the climate like in Rutherglen?
Continental with very hot summers.
What styles of wines are produced in Victoria?
Sparkling
Still
Fortified
Dessert
When are grapes in Australia harvested and why?
Grapes are picked at night to preserve freshness and acidity.
What type of packaging/closures is Australia known for?
Any type of alternative packaging.
Bag-in-box, screw caps, crown caps, etc.
What is the climate of Yarra Valley?
Cool, humid, maritime, moderated by ocean.
What are the main grape varietals of Clare Valley?
Riesling (white)
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon (red)
- Mostly dry wine production
What is the climate in New South Wales?
Cooler, wetter near the coast.
Dry and arid inland.
What style of oak aging is used in Australia?
Traditionally, American Oak.
Use of French barriques is increasingly common.
Where is Margaret River located?
Western Australia
What grape is planted in Coonawarra?
Cabernet Sauvignon.
What is the main grape varietal of Hunter GI?
Semillon
What makes up 60% of Hunter GI’s wine production?
White wine.
What are the 6 states of Australia (excluding Tasmania)?
Western Australia Northern Territory Queensland South Australia New South Wales Victoria
What percentage does Riverina represent in terms of Australia’s wine production?
25%
In Australia, what is in relatively short supply?
Labor.
Where/when were the first vineyards of Australia planted?
New South Wales in late 18th century.
What is necessary for many regions, especially the Outback, to become hospitable for vine growing?
Irrigation.
What is the climate of Australia?
Hot, desert interior.
The world’s driest inhabited continent.
Climate is generally inhospitable to viticulture.
What is the climate in South Australia?
Warm, dry, Mediterranean moderated by cool, ocean breezes.
Cooler climates @ higher elevations.
What other country is comparable in size to Australia?
USA
What is the largest wine region in Australia?
Riverina GI (New South Wales)
What is the climate of Margaret River?
Warm, maritime.
Moderated by Indian Ocean.
Where is Coonawarra located?
Southern tip, near the sea, of South Australia.
At what elevation are most of Clare Valley’s vineyards located?
1,300-1,800 feet.
What are the GI categories of Australia from largest to smallest?
Country Australia Southeastern Australia State of Origin Zones Regions Sub-Regions
What is an example of a famous Australian wine that is made with large-scale blending?
Penfolds “Grange”
What are the important GI’s of South Australia?
Clare Valley Barossa Valley Eden Valley McLaren Vale Coonawarra
When did fine wine gain prominence via temperature controlled fermenters in Australia?
1950’s.
An emphasis on what has created a tendency to produce very clean, fruit driven wines in Australia?
Technical precision.
What are the main grape varietals of Australia?
(white) Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Riesling
(red) Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon MerlotGrenache Pinot Noir
What are the main grape varietals of McLaren Vale?
Shiraz, Grenache (red)
What is the largest, most premium wine region of South Australia?
Barossa Valley
What are “stickies”?
Fortified dessert wines known locally in Rutherglen (Victoria).
How would you describe Southeastern Australia?
A massive geographic area comprising of 5 states.
Where is New South Wales located?
Eastern Australia near Sydney.
What is the main metropolis of Margaret River?
Perth
What is the orientation of vineyards in McLaren Vale?
Vineyards slope down toward the sea to maximize exposure to cool breezes.
What stye/grape from Rutherglen is considered one of the world’s great sweet wines?
Muscat.
