Australia Flashcards
When did the Australian wine industry begin to shift heavily towards the export market? What things helped their success?
1980s, with the help of new marketing approaches and modern advertising as well as “accessible” styles of wine
Australian plantings rose rapidly in the late 90s/early 2000s. Since then, plantings have fallen back–why?
Huge oversupply
Many other countries started following Australian model; reduced demand for Australian wines
Australian dollar too strong; made wine more expensive
Droughts pushed up cost of irrigation water/production costs
What has the result of Australia’s recent fall in vineyard plantings and oversupply of wine?
Many growers forced out of business
Producers have shifted focus from bulk inexpensive wine to smaller prod, higher prices
Australia’s flat lands help with what climatic influence?
Nothing impedes the cooling influence of the ocean spreading far inland; also mitigating frost risk
What is the name of the important mountain range in Australia, and what does it do for viticulture?
The Great Dividing Range
creates a barrier protecting SE Australia’s vyds from tropical weather systems
Creates rain shadow (irrigation needed)
What kind of soil types is Australia known for?
a huge variety of very old soils (McLaren Vale: 40 unique soil types)
What are factors that make Australian viticulture very easy, but also some that make it difficult?
Easy: plenty of intense sunshine, relatively low rainfall, low humidity for low disease pressure
Difficult: lack of water, lack of manual labor (also expensive), soil salinity (not enough rain to carry away salts), bush fires, birds/kangaroos
What is the general trend for Australian winemaking, especially for red wines like Shiraz?
Less intense, more approachable styles with less extraction, use of whole bunch fermentation, and reduced levels of new oak
What are some leading regions for Australian Cabernet Sauvignon?
Margaret River and Coonawarra
Where will you most likely find Pinot Noir in Australia?
Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Tasmania (cool/moderate regions)
What is Australia’s most planted white variety, and where will you find it planted?
Chardonnay; found in almost every region
Describe Australia’s Geographical Indications system in terms of hierarchy of areas.
Zones
Regions
Subregions
What will the use of a zone name on the label of a bottle of Australian wine reflect?
Multi-regional blending of grapes
What states does the South Eastern Australia Zone cover? Why was it created?
All of Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania
Parts of South Australia, Queensland
Created to allow blending from grapes grown across the zone (inexpensive, high-volume wines)
What are the three wine producing regions within the Murray-Darling Basin?
Riverland, Murray-Darling, and Riverina
Where will you find Fleurieu, Mount Lofty Ranges, and the Limestone Coast?
South Australia Zone
The Barossa Zone is split into two regions: The ____ and ______. What’s the difference in climates between the two?
Barossa Valley (warmer) & Eden Valley (cooler)
What are the defining features of Eden Valley’s geography?
Rolling, exposed hills that form part of the Mount Lofty Ranges; can be steep enough to limit mechanization
Elevation can be 600m+; climate gets cooler, rainier, windier w/ altitude
How is the region of Adelaide Hills characterized in terms of geography and climate?
Valleys & steep hillsides; cool to moderate maritime climate with altitudes between 400-500m and a high diurnal range
What grapes are most planted in Adelaide Hills?
Cool-climate varieties: SB, CH, PN; also a lot of experimentation with alternative varieties
What is the main geographical difference between Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills?
Clare Valley’s hills are not as steep; mechanization is possible. Also slightly further inland (125km N) with warmer temps and lower rainfall
Which zone are Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills within?
Mount Lofty Ranges Zone
What grapes is Clare Valley most known for?
Shiraz (72% of plantings are black grapes; Shiraz half of that) and Riesling (25% of total plantings)
Where is McLaren Vale located, and what makes it a good growing region for black grape varieties?
Just south of Adelaide, on the northern end of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Warm/hot summer with winds to mitigate disease risk (also good for org/bio viti)
Where will you find significant stocks of old, dry-farmed bush vine Shiraz and Grenache in Australia?
McLaren Vale
Where is Coonawarra in relation to the other South Australia regions?
Set apart, in the far southeastern corner of the state (in the Limestone Coast Zone)
Describe the terra rossa soil of Coonawarra.
free-draining iron-rich loam over hard limestone; alkaline
restricts uptake of nutrients/water, so controls vigor of vine
What is the general quality of wines from the Victoria zone?
Generally high quality, small production, and more expensive than other zones (except for the Murray-Darling Basin)
Describe the climate and geography of Yarra Valley.
Located on slopes up to 350m just NE of Melbourne
Cool to moderate climate, over 1100m/yr (one of wettest regions in AUS)
High humidity, fungal disease pressure
Describe the wines of Yarra Valley.
PN, CH; both medium to light bodied; lean, high acid; region was first to move away from heavy, oaky, full-bodied wines
Describe the climate and geography of Mornington Peninsula.
Cool to moderate climate; windy (frost, disease uncommon); lower rain than Yarra
Moderating effect of ocean extends growing season
Fertile soils (vigor a problem)
Why are land prices particularly high on Mornington Peninsula?
Fierce competition from tourism, golf courses, holiday homes
Where is Geelog located?
directly across Port Phillip Bay to the west of Mornington Peninsula
Where will you find Grampians, Pyrenees, and Henty?
Western Victoria Zone
Which Australian region is particularly notable for its Italian varieties?
King Valley in North East Victoria Zone
What variety is most important in Heathcote? What is the style of wine made there?
Shiraz; diurnal range helps to keep high acidity in grapes
Describe the climate of Hunter Valley Zone.
almost tropical; hot and humid; low altitudes on hills; can have intense tropical storms
Where will you find Mudgee, Orange, and Cowra?
the Central Ranges Zone in New South Wales, to the west of the Great Dividing Range
What are the two most important regions in the Southern New South Wales Zone for their high quality wines?
Hilltops and Tumbarumba
What are Tasmania’s most planted varieties, and what style are they made in?
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; a lot of sparkling wine, but still wines are made in a light to medium bodied style with naturally high acidity; usually some oak and MLF for CH
Why is so little wine from Tasmania exported?
The domestic market is strong; little need for exports; cellar door sales are important because tourism is strong as well
What contributes to Margaret River’s long growing season?
Indian Ocean is a warm influence so temps don’t drop a lot at night
What soils are found in Margaret River?
Gravelly soils–free-draining (irrigation needed), low in fertility (vigor managed)
Where will you find the regions Porongurup, Frankland River, and Mount Barker?
Great Southern in Australia
Name 3 of the biggest producers (by volume) in Australia. What percentage of exports do the top 5 account for?
Accolade Wines Casella Family Brands Treasury Wine Estates Pernod Ricard Australian Vintage 87% of all exports
What three countries are the biggest importers of Australian wine? Which has been the fastest-growing importer?
China, UK, USA; China has been fastest-growing because of China-Australia Free Trade Agreement
Discuss domestic vs export sales for Australian wine.
Domestic sales have been flat vs rising steadily for exports; wines from less-common varieties much more successful in domestic market (hard to sell on export mkt)
