Australia & New Zealand Flashcards
Name the 6 main wine regions of Australia.
Western Australia South Australia New South Wales Tasmania Victoria Queensland
Which state of Australia annually produces 51% of the nation’s grapes and has most of the country’s largest wine groups are headquartered there?
South Australia
From the post-phylloxera period until the 1960s, approximately 80% of Australia’s production consisted of _____ wines.
sweet, fortified
Where is Adelaide?
South Australia
Is chaptalization allowed in Australia?
In which parts?
No, it is not allowed anywhere in Australia.
What is the blending philosophy of Australian winemakers?
How does this carry from the mass-market to the highest levels of quality?
They believe in regulating and assuring quality and brand consistency by blending over vast tracts of land, often spread over several states.
This holds true with some high-quality wines, such as Penfold’s Grange.
Why does Australia, even while being one of the newest countries, have some of the oldest vines in the world?
After the late 1800’s spread of Phylloxera, officials took strict and immediate measures to combat its spread, confining it to Victoria and a portion of New South Wales.
As a result, the other regions of Australia have some 150+ year old vines, planted on their own rootstocks.
Name 3 cult Australian Shiraz/Shiraz blends.
Penfold’s “Grange”
Henschke’s “Hill of Grace”
Yalumba’s “Octavius”
Name 2 more newly acclaimed Australian Shiraz/Shiraz blends.
Clarendon Hills’ “Astralis”
Torbreck’s “RunRig” Shiraz
Which Australian authority maintains oversight over the wine industry?
When was it established?
Wine Australia.
1981
How does harvest/release time differ for wines in the southern hemisphere?
It occurs 6 months earlier.
What problems have troubled the wine industry of Southeastern Australia?
In what years?
Severe droughts in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009.
There was also a terrible series of brushfires in 2009, caused by the drought.
Where were the first Australian vineyards planted?
BONUS: In what year?
New South Wales
1788
What is the name of the mountain range that runs along the edge of Eastern Australia?
How does it affect the climate?
The Great Dividing Range
It separates the wetter, coastal portion of Eastern Australia from the more arid interior.
What are the wine regions of Australia called? (PGI, AVA, etc)
GI - Geographical Indication
Where is the Riverina wine region?
What is it known for?
What big producer sources much of their fruit from Riverina?
It is in Western New South Wales, Southeast Australia.
It is known for efficient, mass produced wine.
[yellowtail]
What is “Noble One”?
Who produces it, and where?
It is a botrytis-affected sweet wine made from Semillon.
It is made by De Bortoli, in the Riverina GI of Western New South Wales.
Name a top Hunter Valley Semillon.
Tyrrell’s “Vat 1,”
What is the climate like in Australia’s Hunter Valley?
subtropical, and one of the warmest climates in Australia.
This is mitigated by high amounts of humidity, rain, and wind.
Where is the Canberra District?
In the inland Southern New South Wales zone of Australia.
What is the name and producer of the fine Australian wine made from Shiraz co-fermented with a small percentage of Viognier?
Where is it made?
Clonakilla’s Canberra District Shiraz, Canberra District, New South Wales, Australia.
Which state of Australia is the smallest?
Which is the coolest?
Victoria is the smallest AND coolest state in mainland Australia.
Tasmania is the coolest overall.
Where is the Yarra Valley?
What are its two distinct soil types?
Australia, New South Wales, in South Central Victoria.
The soil is divided between grey-brown sandy loam and red basalt-derived soils.
How does the climate differ between coastal and inland regions of Victoria?
Coastal Victoria is cooled by sea breezes blowing up from Antarctica, and the Port Phillip zone surrounding the city of Melbourne has a cool maritime climate, experiencing winter average temperatures lower than Bordeaux or Burgundy.
The inland zones of North East Victoria, North West Victoria, and Central Victoria experience a more continental climate, typified by a large diurnal temperature shift.
Which two Australian GIs are shared between the regions of Victoria and New South Wales?
Murray Darling
Swan Hill
Which two subregions of Victoria are known for sweet wines?
Rutherglen
Glenrowan
