Australia Flashcards
What percent of the Australian wine market does sparkling wine represent? What is this amount in annual liters?
Less than 6%, equaling 69 million liters
What percentage of Australian sparkling wines is consumed locally? What percentage is exported?
78% domestic
22% export
What is the trend in exported Australian sparkling wine?
Rising, indicating increased demand
What are the principal styles of Australian sparkling wines? What grapes are used?
All sparkling styles can be found, including a small amount of Pet Nat. Common grapes include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier, Glera, Moscato, and Syrah (Shiraz).
What regions of Australia are typical production areas for sparkling wine? Are these regions warm or cool?
Tasmania, Yarra Valley, Adelaide, and the alpine regions of Victoria and New South Wales. These are cooler sites.
Warmer sites such as Barossa Valley are needed ripen Syrah for sparkling wine production.
Which Australian region is leading in the production of high quality traditional method wines?
Tasmania
When does Tasmania’s history of sparkling wine production begin? How much of its wine grape production is put to sparkling wine?
Sparkling wine began to emerge there in mid-1980s following a partnership between Champagne Louis Roederer and Heemskerk.
30% of wine grapes are used in sparkling wine production.
What are the important sparkling wine producing zones of Tasmania? How do they compare to each other and generally?
Tamar Valley - on the north coast, protected from Southern Ocean winds, warmer than Piper River and harvests about two weeks earlier
Piper’s River - north coast, cooler than Tamar Valley
Southern Tasmania - the coolest on the Tasmanian Island, cooler than Champagne but with higher sunlight intensity (some valleys are sheltered and can be he warmest sites on the island, e.g. Coal Valley)
Are larger sparkling wine producers in Tasmania able to produce wines exclusively from a subzone?
No. They must source grapes from around the island to ensure they have enough volume, balance, and quality in their wines.
Where is Coal Valley located in Australia? What is its significance in terms of climate?
Southern Tasmania. It is sheltered from the Southern Ocean and has some of the warmest temperatures in Tasmania despite its latitude.
What are the risks to the grapes used in premium Australian sparkling wine production?
Spring frosts and high rainfall are the main issues, though coulure and botrytis can also be problematic
Where are the grapes for inexpensive Australian sparkling wine grown? How are they typically labelled?
Riverland, Riverina, and Murray-Darling
They are usually labelled “South Eastern Australia”
What proportion of Australia’s sparkling wine market is comprised of inexpensive sparkling wine?
The vast majority
What vineyard management and harvest techniques are necessary to produce grapes in Riverland, Riverina, and Murray-Darling?
Irrigation, mechanized harvest, and high yields.
How do the prices of sparkling wine grapes from South Eastern Australia compare to those from cooler Australian climates? Why?
Prices of grapes from Riverland, Riverina, and Murray-Darling are about 1/4 the price of grapes from cooler sites. The yields are between 2-3 times greater in those regions.
What climates are best suited for the production of sparkling Syrah in Australia? Why?
Warm climates. Syrah must ripen fully in order to have desirable richness and intensity.
Compared to Syrah used in still wine production, when are Syrah grapes for sparkling wine production in Australia picked?
They are both picked at the same time
Which Australian regions are capable of producing quality Syrah for sparkling wine?
Any warm region, though Central Victoria, Barossa Valley, and McLaren Vale are especially suited for it.
What types of yields can one expect from Syrah used in Australian sparkling wine? What price ranges do these yields equate to?
High yields tend to produce inexpensive wines.
Moderate yields are used in premium and above priced wines
What styles of traditional method wines are produced in Australia?
A range of styles from dry to sweet that includes non-vintage, vintage, prestige cuvée, and rosé
What is the standard for lees contact in Australian traditional method wines?
No legal nor formal standard, though most quality minded producers see Champagne as an example.
A significant number of the best Australian sparkling wine producers use extended (3+ years) aging as standard
What is “late disgorged” wine? Which producers are leading this phenomenon?
A category of Australian wine that is increasing in popularity. It refers to wine that has been aged on the lees for 6+ years. Jansz and Arras are current production leaders.
How does the geographical position of Tasmania affect how large sparkling wine producers create their product?
The grapes are harvested and pressed on the island, but transported to the mainland to complete the winemaking process.
What is the production process of large Tasmanian sparkling wine producers?
Harvest and press the grapes in Tasmania
Transport the refrigerated juice (or base wine) to mainland Australia
Complete the first and/or second fermentation with specialized equipment
How do small Tasmanian sparkling wine producers produce traditional method wines?
The production occurs entirely on the island with the entire process completed by hand, but possibly assisted by gyropallette.
What is the character of premium traditional method wine from Australia?
Medium (+) to high acidity
Medium alcohol
Medium (-) to full body depending on lees aging
Lighter styles will have soft fruity notes (citrus and apple) while fuller styles will have more autolytic character
Malolactic is at producer’s discretion
Where do Australia’s transfer, tank, and carbonation method wines come from?
Any of Australia’s cool, moderate, or warm climates. The winea are often blends of multiple regions.
What varieties are commonly used in the production of Australia’s transfer, tank, and carbonation method wines?
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Moscato, and Glera
What is the character of Australia’s transfer, tank, and carbonation method wines?
Dry to medium-sweet
Medium to medium (+) acidity
Low to medium alcohol
Light to medium body
Tend toward fruit driven, varietally specific flavors (no autolytic character)
Who are the major producers of Australian transfer, tank, and carbonation wines?
Brown Brothers, Jacob’s Creek, and Yellowglen
How is the base wine for Australian sparkling Syrah produced?
Like any other still Syrah wine. Malolactic is necessary and some oak may be present.
What type of secondary fermentation is used for Australian sparkling Syrah? Which methods are typically used for the various quality levels?
Traditional method is typically used for very good to outstanding quality wines
Transfer, tank, or carbonation may be used for acceptable to good quality wines
How much dosage does Australian sparkling Syrah have compared to sparkling white and rosé wines?
Slightly higher to accommodate the mouth drying effect of tannins
What is the character of Australian sparkling Syrah?
Deep ruby to garnet color
Medium (-) to medium acid
Medium ripe, soft tannins
Medium to high alcohol
Medium to full body
Some level of dosage for balance
What amount of residual sugar is typical in Australian sparkling Syrah to balance the tannins and alcohol in the wine?
20 g/l
What types of flavors can be expected in Australian sparkling Syrah?
Anything ranging from fruity flavors to more complex savoury aromas from oak maturation prior to secondary fermentation.
Autolytic notes tend to be masked by Syrah’s other characteristics.
How long is Australian sparkling Syrah aged on the lees during secondary fermentation?
Usually after one or two years though some are “late disgorged” examples.
True or False
Sparkling Moscato is a growing segment of the domestic Australian sparkling wine market
True, especially Pink Moscato
Where do the grapes for Australian sparkling Moscato get sourced from?
A number of different regions, though usually the warmer climates
What production methods are used in Australian sparkling Moscato? What quality wines are they associated with?
Tank method is used for higher quality, smaller production sparkling wines
Carbonation is used for inexpensive to mid-priced wines
What is the character of Australian sparkling Moscato?
Off-dry to sweet
Medium acid
Low alcohol
Fruity with distinct grapey Moscato flavors
What is the legal status of the name “Australian Prosecco”?
Australia continues to use the term despite the EU’s recognition and protection of the region in 2009 on the basis that the name was used before the change. Australian Prosecco exported to the EU must be renamed “Glera.”
Legal battles continue over the ability for produce to use this term in other regions.
What is the principal region for the production of Australian Prosecco?
King Valley
What is the market potential for Australian Prosecco?
High. It is a rapidly growing segment of the Australian wine market and is being developed as the flagship wine of King Valley.
When was the first Auatralian Prosecco released? Who produced it?
2004 by Dal Zotto
What method is used to produce Australian Prosecco? Why?
Tank method in order to produce a light, fruity style
Some carbonated versions are available
What is the character of Australian Prosecco?
Off-dry to medium dry
Medium (+) acid
Medium alcohol
Light to medium body
Delicate white peach flavors
True or False
Australian Prosecco is commonly made by large producers
False. Small, quality focused producers are the majority of production
Is Pet Nat common in Australia?
No. A handful of small, often natural winemakers produce Pet Nat in several regions
What is the style of Australian Pet Nat?
White, rosé, or red
Slightly or fully sparkling
Can be quite cloudy
What is the character of Australian Pet Nat?
Dry
Medium (+) acid
Medium alcohol
Light to medium (+) body
Medium to pronounced intensity
Yeasty and fruity flavors
Is consolidation occurring in the Australian sparkling wine market? Why or why not.
Yes. Sparkling wine in Australia is made by producers ranging from major corporations to small houses. The success of Tasmanian sparkling wine has led larger producers to purchase smaller producers.
What percentage of Auatralia’s domestic wine sales are sparkling wine?
11%
Which sparkling wine styles are improving and receding in Australia?
Australian Prosecco and sparkling Moscato are on the rise. Australian Prosecco production reached 3.5 million liters in 2017. Moscato tripled in production from 2014 to 2017.
Sparkling Syrah is declining
Pet Nat is finding increased interest in domestic wine bars
