Australian wine basics

Question 1

Australian harvest

Answer 1

In the export markets of Europe and the US, Australian vintage-dated wines always appear on shelves before Northern Hemisphere wines, as the harvest occurs six months earlier in the wine-producing countries of the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 2

Label Integrity Program

Answer 2

Requiring any wines labeled by variety, vintage, or region to contain a minimum 85% of the stated grape, year, or region, respectively. If multiple varieties are to be listed on the label (i.e., Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre) 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.

Question 3

Regions are known as _____.

Answer 3

Regions in Australia are defined by Wine Australia as Geographical Indications (GIs)

Question 4

Australia’s most populous region

Answer 4

New South Wales is Australia’s most populous state and the site of the country’s first vineyards, planted in 1788.