Australia / New Zealand

Question 1

Australian Wine Business

Answer 1

• 80% domestic / 20% exported
• export sales have risen in recent years
• sparkling is less than 6% of AUS total wine production

Question 2

Australian Sparkling Wine Styles

Answer 2

Almost all methods are employed:

• traditional method (classic Champagne grape blends)
• transfer method
• tank method (Australian Prosecco, Moscato, Shiraz)
• carbonation
• Pet Nat

Question 3

Traditional Method Sparkling Wine Regions in Australia

Answer 3

• Tasmania
• Yarra Valley
• Adelaide Hills
• Alpine regions of Victoria and New South Wales - on higher altitude sites

Question 4

Tasmania

Answer 4

• 40% of total wine grape production is for sparkling wine
• varied climate; coldest areas (south) are cooler than Champagne but have higher sunlight intensity due to latitude
• largest producers source fruit from around the island to gain necessary volumes - blending grapes from cooler and warm regions for balanced wines
• no sub zones, just Tasmanian
• spring frosts and high rainfall are main challenges
• couloure in early season and botrytis later
• many producers grow fruit on the island and transport pressed juice to complete fermentation, etc on the mainland

Question 5

Inexpensive Sparkling Wine Growing Areas

Answer 5

Labelled “Southeast Australia”:

• Riverland
• Riverina
• Murray-Darling

Question 6

Sparkling Shiraz

Answer 6

• grown in warmer regions (Victoria, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale)
• picked at same time as typical still wines
• made like a normal still wine (including MLF) and may or may not spend time in oak
• outstanding wines made by traditional method - acceptable made by transfer, tank or carbonation
• deep in color, medium acidity and ripe but soft tannins balanced by dosage
• can be distinctly fruity or may have more savory complexity from extended oak prior to second fermentation
• autolytic notes not overt
• usually released after 1 to 2 years

Question 7

Sparkling Moscato

Answer 7

• pink moscato very popular
• made from grapes in many different areas, tending to warmer climates
• tank method (higher quality) or carbonation (lower quality)

Question 8

Australian Prosecco

Answer 8

• rapidly growing segment
• main region is the King Valley
• if exported to the EU, must be labeled as Glera
• made by tank method to obtain a light fruity style
• off dry to medium dry
• made mostly by smaller producers with a focus on quality

Question 9

New Zealand overview

Answer 9

• mainly traditional method wines from Chardonnay or Pinot Noir in Brut style

Question 10

New Zealand Growing Regions

Answer 10

• sourced from around the two islands
• cooler climate of the South Island are better suited to elegant sparkling wines with crisp acidity
• Marlbourough has highest production of grapes destined for sparkling wine
• Central Otago up and coming
• Gisborne on the north island has large volume brands with less finesse

Question 11

Marlborough Growing Region for Sparkling Wine

Answer 11

Advantages:

• low risk of late frost or hailstorms
• northwest wind helps to remove air moisture
• must be irrigated due to the free draining alluvial soil but there is good access to clean water from a constant underground water table
• harvest typically 2 weeks before still wine
• potential alcohol levels of 10-11%

Question 12

New Zealand Sparkling Winemaking

Answer 12

• typically a Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend
• highest quality are traditional method but transfer method used by biggest producers
• many wineries do not have equipment or knowledge of sparkling winemaking and thus send final still wine to a contract facility for tirage. Bottled wine is then returned for aging and sent away again for disgorgement and dosage
• usually 18 months of lees aging
• Brut wines with dosage varying from 6-12g/L RS