Australia: The Growing Environment and Grape Growing Flashcards
Australia: Climate
- vineyards lie between 30-37 degrees S
- intense sunlgiht at low altitudes
- Murray-Darling = hot, contiental climate
- Coonawarra is 100km from the ocean but with a Mediterranean influence
- ## Orange, Macedon Grampians - altitude is the cooling affectSpring frost is an issue in cooler sites, therefore sites that drain cold air are important
-The GreatDividing Range acts a barrier against the tropical weather systems that come in from the north - its rain shoadow means low ranifall eg. Riverina gets 450mm of rain per year and needs to source water from the Murray-Darling basin
-Hunter Valley get 750mm of rain and has a sub tropical climate
Australia : Soils
-oldest of the continetns ans has been an indivudal land mass for over 100 million years
Complex geology
-Mclaren Vale has 40 unique soil types that have identified
See Regions for more on soils
Australia : Vineyard Management
- intense sunshine, low rainfall, and relatively low humidity ( lower disease pressure ) , with good ratio of vintages that are successfull
- Main threats is the lack of water - many vineyards rely on irrigation to ensure even ripening and protect quality
- Most iirigation for high volume wines comes from the Murrar-Darlin Basin which has run low in recent years
- areas with high rainfall, Adelaide hills, Margaret River etc. store the rai nwater in dams until needed
- McLaren Vale and Coonawarra user underground water sources
and using recycled wastewater from the southern suburbs of Adelaide
-drip irrigation is widely used
Heat and water , vines grow vigourously meaning careful canpoy mangement is needed : eg. Scott-Henry and Smart-Dyson hel[ to manage vigour and vine balance
Heavaily mechanised - due to most vineyards on flat or sloping land
-labour is very expnsive and regions can be very remote
-allows night harvesting when its cooler
-high quality producers choose to hand harvest = whole bunch or just for greater selction of fruit
SOIL Salinity can be an issue if there is not enough water to carry away the salt deposits
This can lead to reduced vine growth or even death - Chardonnay is very senstive to this and needs proper rootstocks and larger volumes of water at less frequent intervals
Other Threats :
-Bush fire , smoke taint
-Phyloxera in Victoira and NSW regardless of strict quarantine and biosecurity
-Birds and Kangaroos - netting is expensive
-Very narrow window to pick due to the warmer climate, -must be done quickly and efficiently
In Adelaide hills, Tasmania, Hunter Valley, and Southern Victoria, open canopies are needed to allow air circulation and prevent rot from humidity / rains
25% of all vineyard Land in Australia / 25% of prodcution is certified in the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia program
