Austraslia Overview

Question 1

What are the two most popular varietals in Australia?

Answer 1

Shiraz and Chardonnay

Question 2

What is the climate of Australia?

Answer 2

• large parts of the north are tropical and the center is too hot and dry
• in the SE and SW it is cool and Mediterranenan climate
• weather is hotter further inland

Question 3

What are principles of Australian wine law?

Answer 3

Similar to the EU:
Must contain minimum 85% varietal
single vintage
single region

Question 4

What are the wine regions of Australia?

Answer 4

South Austrlia
Victoria
New South Wales
Western Australia
Tasmania

Question 5

What are the subregions of the South Australia wine region?

Answer 5

*Barossa Valley
*Coonawarra
McClaren Vale
Eden Valley
Adelaide Hills
Riverland
Langhorne Creek

Question 6

What are the subregions of the Victoria wine region?

Answer 6

*Yarra Valley
*Rutherglen
Mornington Peninsula
Geelong
Macedon Ranges
Gippsland
Grampians
Pyrenees
Heathcote

Question 7

What are the subregions New South Wales wine regon?

Answer 7

*Hunter Valley
Mudgee
Orange
Canberra District
Riverina

Question 8

What are the subregions of Western Australia wine region?

Answer 8

*Margaret River

Great Southern

Question 9

What is the subregion of the Tasmania wine region?

Answer 9

*Tasmania

Question 10

What are the most important grape varieties in Australia?

Answer 10

Riesling
chardonnay
*Semillon
muscat
*shiraz
Grenache
*cabernet sauvignon
pinot noir
mouvedre
sauvignon blanc
pinot gris
marsanne

Question 11

What are important characteristics of Barossa Valley subregion?

Answer 11

• climate ideal for full bodied reds, fortified wines, and robust white wines
• climate is warm on the valley floor and cool I n the high altitude hills surrounding the valley
• large diurnal temperature range: high maximum temps, high sunshine days, and low humidity and rainfall
• soils are low fertility clay loam, and sandy soils ranging from grey to brown to red

Question 12

What are grapes of Barossa Valley subregion?

Answer 12

*SHIRAZ is the signature wine
Riesling
Semillon
Grenache and Mouvedre
Cabernet Sauvignon

Question 13

What are important characteristics of Eden Valley subregion?

Answer 13

• cool climate, ancient soils, later ripening

* wines are Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz

Question 14

What are important characteristics of McClaren Vale subregion?

Answer 14

• substantial climate variation due to varying exposure to cooling influence of nearby ocean
• low summer rainfall, irrigation required
• variety of soils: red-brown sandy loam, grey-brown loamy sands, yellow clay sub soils interspersed with lime, and sandy soils

Question 15

What are important characteristics of Clare Valley subregion?

Answer 15

• primarily Riesling

* red soil, sand, loam

Question 16

What are the grapes of McClaren Vale sub region?

Answer 16

Shiraz
Cabernet Sauvignon
Granche
Others (fiano, barbera, tempranillo, mouvedre, viognier, zinfandel, sangiovese, verdelho)

Question 17

What is the climate of Coonawarra sub region?

Answer 17

• maritime climate with dry and moderately cool summers

* extensive cloud cover that moderates the temperature during the most important ripening period

Question 18

What are the soils of the Coonawarra sub region?

Answer 18

Terra rossa, which is vivid red in color. It is either friable subplastic clay or a shallow friable loam derived from and lying on top of a bed of limestone

Question 19

What are the grapes of Coonawarra subregion?

Answer 19

*Cabernet Sauvignon
*Shiraz
Chardonnay
Riesling

Question 20

What are characteristics of the Margaret River sub region?

Answer 20

• strong maritime influence (surrounded by Ocean on three sides
• soils is gravelly or gritty sandy loam
• wines/grapes are Chardonnay, Sauvignon + Semillon blend, and Shiraz

Question 21

What are the characteristics of the Yarra Valley sub region?

Answer 21

• cool climate region, producing top sparkling wine
• grapes are pinot noir, chardonnay, Shiraz, and cabernet Sauvignon
• soils are grey to grey-brown loamy sand with red-brown clay subsoils; also deep and fertile red volcanic soil

Question 22

What are characteristics of the Rutherglen sub region?

Answer 22

• capital of fortified wines in Australia
• makes unique white fortified aged wine out of Muscadelle grape
• also does table wines: sparkling shiraz, reisling, marsanne, chardonnay, sangiovese, gamay, shiraz, durif

Question 23

What is the fortified classification for Ruterglen?

Answer 23

• Rare (20+ years aging)
• Grand (12 to 20 years aging)
• Classic (5 - 12 years aging)
• Rutherglen (2 - 5 years aging)

Question 24

What are characteristics of the Tasmania sub region?

Answer 24

• cool climate
• sparkling
• pinot noir, chardonnay

Question 25

What is the climate of the Hunter Valley sub region?

Answer 25

warm, with small diurnal shifts

shorter growing season

Question 26

What are the soils of the Hunter Valley sub region?

Answer 26

There are three types:

• red clay loam appearing on hilltops and slopes
• chocolate brown podsols
• grey sandy loams over white or yellow clay appearing on flats along creek beds

Question 27

What are the grapes of Hunter Valley?

Answer 27

*Semillon
*Chardonnay
Shiraz
Verdelho

Question 28

Where is Hunter Valley located?

Answer 28

New South Wales, AUS