Australia Flashcards
Name 3 regions that make high quality Pinot Noir in Australia
Yarra Valley
Mornington Peninsula
Tasmania
The dry conditions combined with high summer temperatures mean bush fires are a very real risk in certain areas. Explain how this affects the vine and vine growers can avoid this problem
Bush fires can destroy the vineyards and smoke contact with the grapes can cause a pungent taint in resulting wines.
Planting in sites with:
+ cool or moderate climates (e.g southerly latitude)
+ high-altitude locations
Name cooling influences from Australia’s hot climate
+ Ocean
+ River
+ Altitude
How does Shiraz contribute to a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia?
Shiraz gives softness and body to blends ,performing a similar role to Merlot in Bordeaux.
Name 2 classic regions for Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia
Coonawarra
Margaret River
Name one variety each from Italy and Spain gaining popularity in Australia
Sangiovese
Tempranillo
What is the most planted white wine grape in Australia?
Chardonnay
Which region is populer with Sauvignon Blanc in Australia?
Adelaide Hills
What is the classic region for Semillon in Australia?
Describe its style
Hunter Valley.
Harvested early, with low sugar levels and a high acidity.
In the winery, contact with oxygen is kept at min. and inert vessels are used for fermentation and storage.
The resultant wines are light in alcohol and almost neutral in flavour when first bottled, yet they develop extraordinary flavours of honey and toast with bottle age.
The best of these wines can age for 20 years or more.
Name 2 classic regions for Riesling in Australia
Eden Valley
Clare Valley
Name 4 most famous grape varieties from Australia
full-bodied Shirazs
Lime flavoured Rieslings
elegant Cabernets
subtle Semillons that evolve for decades
Which is not a high volume region in Australia?
a) Murray-Darling
b) Mornington Peninsula
c) Riverland
d) Riverina
b) Mornington Peninsula
Which region makes botrytised wines from Semillon in Australia
Riverina
Describe wines from Semillon in Barossa
Baross Valley traditionally made Semillon in a full-body, soft style.
Now they are increasingly made in a fresh, unoaked style from early picked grapes
Name one notable red and white grape variety from Barossa Valley
Shiraz
Semillon
Describe wines from Shiraz in Barossa
Ripe black fruit Full Body Soft tannin Sweet spices from American oak Leather from ageing
Compare Riesling wines from Clare Valley and Mosel
Clare Valley: Intense citrus and lime aromas High acidity Often bone dry in style With bottle age can develop honey and toast characters
Mosel:
Floral and green fruit flavours
Hallmark high acidity
Light body
Lower in alcohol often with residual sugar (eg. Kabinett)
Also can be aged in the bottle, honey, toast, petrol-like
Describe Eden Valley Riesling
Intense lime and grapefruit aromas
A steely character
Marmalade and toasty characters after ten years of ageing
Name grape specialites from Adelaide Hills, Australia
Sauvignon Blanc (refreshing) Chardonnays (elegant with high natural acidities and pronounced citrus and peach aromas) Pinot Noir (still and also grown for blending with Chardonnay for sparkling wine)
Name the distinctive soil type in Coonawarra, Australia
Red, terra rossa soil (over a limestone subsoil)
Explain natural factors for growing Cabernet Sauvignon in Coonawarra, Australia and describe the resulting wine
Under the influence of cold currents from the Antarctic, the maritime climate is moderate.
Cloud cover moderates summer temperatures.
The distinctive red, terra rossa soil over a limestone subsoil, produces concentrated, firmly structured red wines, particularly with hallmark cassis, eucalyptus or menthol aromas.
Name wine speciality of Yarra Valley, Australia
Describe the wine
Pinot Noir
Rich in fruit, with strawberries, plums and dark cherries. Ripe and soft tannins
Added complexity from careful oak handling
The top producers make age-worthy wines.
Important climatic factors in Heathcote, Australia and impact on Shiraz when compared with an example from Barossa
Heathcote is located inland
Cooling influences here come from altitude rather than the ocean giving a moderate climate.
Shiraz wines have a firmer structure and fresher fruit flavours than much warmer Barossa, where ripe black fruits flavours are typical.
Regions that produce wine from old vine Shiraz in Australia
Barossa Valley
Eden Valley
Mc Laren Vale
Name a region in Australia where Marsanne is the speciality
Goulburn Valley, Victoria
Describe climatic factors in Hunter Valley and essential vineyard practices
Hunter Valley region has a hot, humid climate.
High cloud cover and ocean breezes reduce the effect of the heat in the peak of summer.
The region often suffers from unsettled rainy weather at harvest.
Good canopy management techniques are essential to minimise rot. (open canopy)
Most planted grape in Hunter Valley and the characteristics of the wine it makes
Semillon.
The wines it makes tend to be light bodied, with low alcohol, high acidity and flavours that are initially rather neutral but evolve into a complex spectrum of toast, nut and honey flavours with bottle age.
Describe Shiraz wine from Hunter Valley
Black fruit flavours (blackberry and cherry)
Soft tannins
Medium body
Earthy undertone
Name grape specialites from Great Southern region, Australia
Cab Sauv (deep colur)
Shiraz (peppery)
Riesling (floral)
Describe Cabernet Sauvignon style in Margaret River
Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with Merlot in a Bordeaux-style blend.
A number of different styles are produced ranging from elegant and restrained to fruity and powerful.
Describe Chardonnay style in Margaret River
Chardonnays display concentrated stone-fruit aromas and retain high levels of natural acidity
A range of styles are produced using barrel ageing and MLF to add complexity.
Describe Sauvignon Blanc style in Margaret River
Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Semillon
Resultant wines often have attractive gooseberry and tropical fruit aromas with high acidity.
Describe climate of Australia
A diverse range of climates
Due to Australia’s latitude, main growing regions have warm or hot climates
Many of the regions are tempered by their proximity to either the Southern or Indian Ocean or the Murray River system.
Others, such as Adelaide Hills and Eden Valley, are cooled by altitude
Describe natural risks in Australia
In many regions rainfall is low and irrigation in the growing season is essential.
Drought can be a significant problem and in extreme years even the Murray River, which provides a vital source of water for the inland vineyard areas of Riverland and Murray-Darling, can run low.
The dry conditions combined with high summer temperatures mean bush fires are a very real risk in certain areas.
