Australia Study Guide Flashcards
Penfolds and Lindemans are now owned by what company?
Treasury Wine Estates
What two events further decimated the Australian wine industry following the mass exodus of gold prospectors in the late 19th century?
Economic recession and phylloxera
Australia has successfully confined phylloxera to what two states through strict quarantine laws?
Victoria and parts of New South Whales
How did Phylloxera benefit South Australia?
It decimated the Victorian wine industry, Australia’s most important wine area in the late 1800s, clearing the way for South Australia to emerge as the continent’s largest region of production.
What did the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901 do to aid the wine trade in Australia?
It relaxed inters trade trade barriers
What % of Australia’s annual production comes from South Australia?
50%
What style of wine was Australian production geared towards in between the post-phylloxera period until the 1960s?
About 80% of Australia’s production consisted of sweet and fortified wines.
What 4 circumstances led to a surge in dry table wine production in Australia starting in the 1970s?
surge in quality at the lowest level
adoption of new technologies
changing consumer preferences
skyrocketing domestic consumption
By the mid 1990s what were the three grapes leading the charge for varietal premium wines in Australia?
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay
Today Australia is the fourth largest producer of wine by volume behind what three countries?
Italy, France, and Spain
What 4 principles are at the core of commercial winemaking in Australia?
technical proficiency
mechanical harvesting
irrigation
blending
What are the three organizations based in Adelaide that have contributed greatly to the nation’s scientific understanding of the grape?
The Australian Wine Research Institute
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)
University of Adelaide
What are “Flying Winemakers”?
A term that originated in reference to Australian at the forefront of viticultural innovation, who utilize modern techniques for canopy management and soil mapping, and have spread their technical acumen across the globe
What are three winemaking techniques that are most common at the mass market level in Australia? Is Chaptalization allowed?
The use of cultured yeasts
acidification
micro-oxygenation
Chaptalization is not allowed
Why does Australia rely heavily on mechanical harvesting?
Due to a lack of population and cheap source of labor
Why are a majority of Australian vineyards planted on flat expanses rather than unworkable hillsides?
Because they rely heavily on mechanical harvesting
What counterintuitive technique was pioneered by CSIRO to restrict vigor in Australia’s low cost vineyards?
minimal pruning (zero in fact)
Which two GIs for mass production account collectively for nearly 40% of Australia’s wine production?
Riverland in South Australia
Riverina in New South Whales
What percent of Australia’s annual production is produced by the 14 largest producers?
Around 70%
When did Penfold’s Grange first debut? Who produced it? What was it called then?
1951 Grange Hermitage was produced by Max Schubert
How is the iconic Penfold’s Grange dissimilar to most of the world’s iconic luxury wines?
It is produced by blending from many vineyards across several regions
Who makes Hill of Grace? What is the grape? What is the GI?
Henschke
Shiraz
Eden Valley
What are the producers, grapes, and Gis for the following?
Hill of Grace Grange Octavius Astralis RunRig High Sands
Hill of Grace:
Henschke/Shiraz/Eden Valley
Grange
Penfolds/Shiraz and Cab/South Australia
Octavius
Yalumba/Shiraz/Barossa
Astralis
Clarendon Hills/Shiraz/McLaren Vale
RunRig
Torbreck/Shiraz/Barossa
High Sands
Yangarra/Grenache/McLaren Vale
What vintage saw terrible brush fires in the Yarra Valley and other parts of Victoria?
2009
When are Australian vines most vulnerable to frost?
Spring time and early fall
How many prior to harvest in the Northern Hemisphere does the harvest occur in Australia?
6 months earlier
When was Wine Australia established?
What 5 responsibilities does it act upon?
Maintains oversight over the wine industry
regulates label language
defines geographical boundaries of wine regions
moderates exports and trade, and promotes the product at home and abroad
What requirements for Australian wine were drawn up with the establishment of the Label Integrity Program? When was this introduced?
Requires wines labeled by variety, vintage, or region to contain a minimum 85% of the stated grape, year, or region, respectively.
If multiple varieties are listed on the label the grapes must be listed in order of proportion in the blend.
All components making up a minimum 85% of the blend must appear on the label, and no listed grape may be in lower proportion than an unnamed variety.
Introduced for 1990 vintage moving forward
What is the formal appellation protection list in Australia called? What are regions in Australia defined by Wine Australia as? How do these compare to other new world regions?
Register of Protected Names
Geographical Indications (GIs)
Like other new world regions, these are purely geographic in scope; there are no restrictions on grape varieties, yields, etc.
What is the hierarchy of GIs from largest to smallest?
Zone
Region
Subregion
What does Wine Australia define regions and sub regions as?
single tracts of land, comprising at least 5 independently owned vineyards of at least 5ha apiece, with a minimum of 500 tons of wine grapes annually.
Regions are not necessarily contained within a single zone, nor are zones necessarily contained within a single state
When was the multi-state zone of South Eastern Australia established? What states does it consists of?
Victoria, Tasmania, New South Whales, South Australia, and Queensland
What mountain range in New South Whales separates the wetter coastal areas from the more arid interior?
The Great Dividing Range
What percent of Australia’s wine production comes from New South Whales and what percent of this is concentrated in the heavily irrigated Riverina region (Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area?
25% of Australia’s total production with over half of the state’s production in Riverina (Murumbidgge Irrigation Area)
What are the top two large producers in Riverina/Murumbidgee Irrigation Area?
Casella (Yellow Tail)
De Bortoli
What is the top wine of De Bortoli? What state and what GI?
Noble One, a botritized Semillon dessert wine.
New South Whales
Riverina GI
What mountain range is closest to the Hunter Valley?
Brockenback Mountains
Napoleon III sipped not Champagne, but sparkling wine from what region during the closing ceremonies of the Paris Exhibition in 1855?
Hunter Valley GI
What is the climate of Hunter Valley GI?
Sub tropical
Despite the heat, what percent of the Hunter Valley’s output is white wine?
60%
What is Hunter Riesling?
synonym for Semillon in the Hunter Valley
Who makes Vat 1? Grape? GI?
Tyrell
Semillon
Hunter Valley
What subregion of Hunter claims the oldest plantings of Verdelho in the world?
Broke Fordwich
What are the Hunter region’s most important red grapes?
Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon
Canberra District is split between what two states? What is the top red grape here?
New South Whales and the Australian Capital Territory
Shiraz is the top grape here.
What is the top producer in the Canberra District?
Clonakilla
What is the Tumbarumba GI notable for? What mountain range is nearest to here?
Sparkling wine produced from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Basalt, sun-drenched slopes of the Snowy Mountains
What is the smallest and coolest state on the Australian mainland?
Victoria
What are the 5 top regions for Pinot Noir in Victoria?
Yarra Valley Mornington Peninsula Geelong Port Phillip Gippsland
What is Victoria’s oldest GI?
Yarra Valley
In what GI is the producer Mount Mary?
Yarra Valley
Where is the Australian Domaine Chandon?
Yarra Valley
What is Shiraz generally called in the Yarra Valley?
Syrah
What are the two main soil types of the Yarra Valley?
grey-brown sandy loam and red basalt-derived soils
Why is Cabernet not successful in the Mornington Peninsula? What grapes thrive here instead?
It is too cool to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon successfully.
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris thrive here
What kind of climate does North East Victoria, Central Victoria, and North West Victoria experience? Which is the hottest of the three?
Continental
North West Victoria is the hottest
What are the two GIs of North West Victoria? What states are they shared with respectively? What are the two dominant grapes in these GIs?
Murray Darling (South Australia)
Swan Hill (New South Whales)
Chardonnay and Shiraz are the two dominant grapes
Murray Darling in Victoria is continuous with what GI in South Australia?
Riverland GI
What producer in the Goulburn Valley was able to prevent Phylloxera from decimating their vines? What zone is this within? What subregion? What is the winery’s claim to fame?
Tahbilk in the Central Victoria Zone within the subregion of the Nagambie Lakes
Claim to fame is that it has the oldest Marsanne vines in Australia and possibly the world
Where are Rutherglen and Glenrowan GIs? What style of wine are they famous for?
North East Victoria Zone
Famous for fortified and sweet wines
What are the two famous styles of fortified wine produced in Rutherglen and Glenrowan GIs? What are the grapes for each?
Topaque (Muscadelle) Rutherglen Muscat (Muscat à Petits Grains Rouge)
What is the four tiers of aging and the aging requirements for Muscat of Rutherglen?
Who established this classification?
When was it established?
Who is responsible for classifying the wines?
What mark of distinction exists for wines belonging to this syndicate?
Rutherglen Muscat:
3-5 years of age; 180-240g/L
Classic Rutherglen Muscat
6-10 years of age; 200-280g/L
Grand Rutherglen Muscat
11-19 years of age; 270-400g/L
Rare Rutherglen Muscat
min 20 years of age; 270-400
Established by the Muscat of Rutherglen Netwook in 1995
Winemakers are responsible for classifying their wines.
Stylized “R” will be on the label.
How many zones are in South Australia? What part of the state is much of the production concentrated in?
8 zones
Much production is concentrated in the southeastern corner of the state
What GI is considered home to Australia’s best Cabernet Sauvignon? What zone and state is this in?
Coonawarra GI in the Limestone Coast zone within South Australia
What kind of climate does Coonawarra witness?
cool maritime climate
What is a tell tale marker for Coonawarra Cabernet?
Eucalyptus
Who makes “John Riddoch”? Who makes “First Growth”? What GI are these from and what is the grape?
Wynn (John Riddoch) Parker Estate (First Growth)
Coonawarra Cabernet
What are three top producers in Coonawarra?
Wynn
Parker Estate
Majella
What is the chief vineyard hazard in Coonawarra?
Spring time frost
What is the main soil type of Coonawarra?
Red Terra Rossa
What GI shares the same Terra Rossa soil as Coonawarra and produces a similar style of Cabernet north of the GI? How does the climate here compare to Coonawarra and what are the main white grapes planted here?
Padthaway GI
Climate is warmer
Riesling and Chardonnay thrive here
What are the 6 GIs of the Limestone Coast?
Coonawarra Padthaway Robe Wrattonbully Mount Benson Mount Gambier
What is the sole GI of the Lower Murray zone? Where is this in relation to the Limestone Coast zone? What is production geared toward here?
Riverland GI
North of the Limestone Coast
geared toward heavily irrigated, bulk wine
What are the 3 zones west of the Lower Murray Zone in South Australia?
Fleurieu
Barossa
Mount Lofty Ranges
What lake has the most impact on the Mediterranean climate of Fleurieu? What Ocean has the largest effect?
Lake Alexandria
Southern Ocean
What is the Fleurieu zone’s warmest and most important GI? What grapes are the stars here?
McLaren Vale
Cabernet and Rhône varietals
What is Mourvèdre called in Australia?
Mataro
What are the 4 top wines in McLaren Vale?
D’Arenberg “Dead Arm” Shiraz
Yangarra “High Sands” Grenache
Drew Noon “Eclipse” Grenache blend
Clarendon Hills “Astralis” Shiraz
What are the 3 GI regions of the Mount Lofty Ranges zone?
Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Plains
Claire Valley
Lenswood and Piccadilly Valley are subregions of what region within what zone?
Subregions of Adelaide Hills GI within the Mount Lofty Ranges zone in South Australia
What are star grapes in the Mount Lofty Ranges zone?
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and sparkling wines
Which GI is responsible for Australia’s most classic and age worthy expression of Riesling? What zone is this within? What direction do the best vineyards face?
What are the unofficial subregions of this GI?
Clare Valley GI in the Mount Lofty Ranges zone
Best vineyards face west
Watervale and Polish Hill River are the unofficial subregions
What are the two unofficial subregions of the Clare Valley and what are the respective soil types?
Watervale (limestone)
Polish Hill River (broken slate)
Clare Valley Riesling are buoyed by notes of what?
lime candy
petrol
tropical notes
What is considered the master of the Clare Valley Riesling style?
Grosset
What zones are encompassed by the Adelaide Superzone GI?
Barossa
Fleurieu
Mount Lofty Ranges
What is Australia’s most important zone for Shiraz? What are the GI regions within it?
Barossa
Barossa Valley and Eden Valley
What is the traditional aging vessel for Barossa Valley Shiraz? What volume does it hold?
American Hogshead (300L)
What are 4 top producers based in the Barossa Valley?
Torbreck
Penfolds
Peter Lehmann
Rockford
How does the climate of Eden Valley compare to Barossa Valley?
cooler than Barossa
What are three top producers in the Eden Valley?
Yalumba
Pewsey Vale
Henschke
What is the top bottling of Henschke? What is its precursor?
Hill of Grace
Mt. Edelstone is the precursor
What is the top GI in Western Australia? What zone is it within? What are the top grapes produce here?
Margaret River GI within the South West Australia zone
Chardonnay, Riesling, and Semillon and blending of the latter two for whites
BDX-style blends and Cabernet Sauvignon for reds
What are the 4 top producers in the Margaret River?
Vasse Felix
Cullen
Leeuwin Estate
Cape Mentelle
What is the second-most important GI in Western Australia? Where is this located in relation to Margaret River? What are the 5 subregions of this GI?
Great Southern GI
East of Margaret River on the coastline
Mount Barker Frankland River Albany Porongurup Denmark
What are the top three grapes grown in the Mount Barker subregion? What region is this located within? State?
Cool-climate Riesling, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon
Located within Great Southern GI in Western Australia
What are the three enormous zones that cover the inland and southern coast of Western Australia?
Eastern Plains
Inland and Northern of Western Australia
West Australian South East Coastal
What is the hottest GI in Australia? What zone is it within?
Swan Valley in Greater Perth zone
What are the two official GI regions of Queensland? What is the third and unofficial one?
Granite Belt
South Burnett
Darling Downs is the unofficial one
What is the coolest wine production state in Australia and what is its sole GI?
Tasmania
Tasmania GI
What is two old world wine regions share a similar climate to Tasmania?
Champagne and Rheingau
What part of Tasmania does Pinot Noir flourish in? Cabernet Sauvignon?
Pinot Noir in Pipers River
Cabernet in Tamar Valley and Coal River
What winemaking style is the star of Tasmania?
Sparkling wine making
What are the top white grapes grown in Tasmania?
Riesling and Chardonnay
