Australia - General Flashcards
When did vines first arrive on Australia?
1788
With First Fleet of British prisoners
When did the vine begin to flourish in Australia?
Spread from New South Wales throughout the southeast by 1850 with free European settlers (bc of gold)
What two famous Australian brands sprung up as small wineries to meet demand in the 1850s? Who now owns these brands?
Penfolds
Lindemans
Now owned by Treasury Wine Estates
What happened to domestic demand for wine once the gold deposits depleted? What did this lead to?
- Domestic demand fell
- producers had to export to survive, or remain small and localized
- this division still exists
When did phylloxera strike Australia?
Late 1800’s
What State of Australia was phylloxera contained to? What happened as a result regarding most important wine regions in Australia?
Confined to Victoria, decimated industry
Victoria had been most important region, but South Australia emerged as most important
How much of Australia’s wine is produced annually in South Australia?
~50%
Most large wine groups HQ there
What style of wine was the focus in AUS at the turn of the 20th C? (early 1900s)
Until when?
Sweet, fortified wines
From post-phylloxera until 1970s
80% production was sweet wine during that time
What factors brought AUS to the global forefront by the 21st C?
- surge in quality of lower level wine
- new technology
- changin consumer preferences
- skyrocketing domestic consumption
What are two technological advances that helped AUS in the late 1900s?
- Developed bag in a box
- Early proponent on Stelvin closure
Where does AUS fall in terms of largest wine exporting countries?
4th behind Italy, France, Spain
4 components of the heard of AUS commercial winemaking?
technical proficiency
mechanical harvesting
irrigation
BLENDING!
Two important research institutions in AUS?
Australian Wine Research Institute
-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)
Both in Adelaide
Would you expect the techniques of cultured yeasts, acidification and micro-oxygenation in AUS?
Yes, at mass market level
Is chaptalization legal in AUS?
NO! Grapes have no problem ripening
Why is mechanical harvesting a thing in AUS? What does this lead to in terms of plantings?
Lack large population and source of cheap labor
-plant accordingly - flat lands not crazy slopes
When do mechanical harvests often occur?
At night to preserve freshness and acidity
How does minimal (zero) pruning help wine quality in AUS?
restricts vigor
Is irrigation utilized in AUS? Two regions that couldn’t function w/o?
YES - vital
Riverland in South Australia
Riverina in NSW
-both unsuitable for viticulture w/o irrigation
What give AUS the edge in terms of lower price point wines?
- large companies (14 winemakers made 70% of wine in 2008) can make fruity accessible wine more cheaply than Cali, South America and Old World
- can regulate and assure quality and consistency bu BLENDING!
Is blending used for high end AUS wines or just cheap?
Across the board!
Grange!!!
Who originally made Penfolds Grange? What was first vintage?
- Max Schubert
- 1951
- Debuted as Grange Hermitage
-BLENDS from many vineyards across several regions
usually has small amount Cab Sauv
What did limiting spread of Phylloxera do for vine age in AUS?
- Some of the oldest vines in the world
- some over 150 yrs old
- own rootstock
Name some of AUS top bottles from old vine parcels
- Penfolds - Grange
- Yalumba - Octavius
- Clarenden Hills - Astralis
- Torbreck - RunRig
