Ch.20 – Australia Flashcards

1
Q

one card on Australian Sparkling

A
  • Sparkling less than 6% of Australia’s wine production, but still 69m litres
    • 78% domestic
    • 22% export (risen in recent years)
  • All methods - traditional, transfer, tank and carbonation
  • Styles include classic Champagne blends fermented in bottle, tank method Glera/ Prosecco and Moscato, sparkling Shiraz and small Pet Nat
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2
Q

Climate and grape growing for Australian Traditional Method sparkling

A
  • Cooler regions - esp Tasmania, Yarra Valley (Dom Chandon), Adelaide Hills, alpine regions of Victoria and New South Wales at altitude
    • Highly suitable as high acid, mod pot alcohol (due to slow sugar accumulation) and ripe but med intensity fruit
    • yields lower than norm, so prices higher
  • Tasmania leading region (see sep card)
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3
Q

Describe Tasmania for sparkling wine

A
  • Australia’s best region for quality trad method
  • 30% total grapes for sparkling
  • mid 1980s Tamanian co Heemskerk venture with Champagne Loius Roederer
  • Climate on island varies eg Tamar Valley & Piper’s River both N coast and close, but Tamar sheltered from cold Southern Ocean; much warmer - harvest fortnight earlier
  • Southern Tasmania cooler than Champagne but higher sunlight intensity because of latitude. Yet Coal Valley sheltered and much warmer.
  • Argument for sub-zones, but currently happy
  • Producers blend grapes from diff locations for balance
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4
Q

Risks and Diseases in Tasmania

A
  • Spring frosts
  • High rainfall
  • Coulure in early season
  • Botrytis later
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5
Q

Where grapes grown for inexpensive wines in Australia

A
  • Vast majority in South-East Australia
    • Riverland
    • Riverina
    • Murray-Darling
  • Irrigation essential
  • Mechanised
  • Pick early (retain acid, avoid over-ripe fruit)
  • Yields high (2x or 3x cool areas)
  • Prices low (1/4 that of super premium fruit)
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6
Q

Where are grapes grown for sparkling red, especially Shiraz?

A
  • Exception to rule about cool sites/ early picking
  • Warm climates
    • central Victoria, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale
  • Rich and intense flavours, so grapes picked at same time as still wines
  • Yields high for inexpensive, to moderate for premium +
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7
Q

Winemaking for Traditional Method Australian sparkling

A
  • NV, vintage, prestige cuvée, rosé
  • Time on lees varies, often 3 + yrs (premium producers look to Champagne, but not constrained by its rules
  • New “late disgorged” 6 yrs + (Jansz, Arras)
  • Most Tasmanian producers press grapes on island, but complete winemaking on mainland (eg Bay of Fires).
    • Refrigerated juice or base wine transported to own wineries on mainland for second ferment.
  • Smaller Tasmanian producers complete wine on island by hand and using machinery like gyropalettes
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8
Q

Style of premium traditional method Australian sparkling

A
  • Med(+) to high acidity, med alcohol
  • Body & flavour varies from med (-) to full depending on style and lees ageing
    • light styles softly fruity citrus and apple
    • rich will have prominent toasty autolytic notes
  • Malo depends on style wineries want to make
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9
Q

Winemaking for Transfer, Tank & Carbonation Australian sparkling

A
  • Inexpensive to mid priced sparkling made across a number of cool, moderate and warm climate regions
  • Often blends from multiple regions, some have regional designations
  • Big brands Brown Bros, Jacob’s Creek, Yellowglen - also grapes from warm, irrigated, inland regions like Riverina
  • Grapes vary - Chard, PNoir, Moscato, Glera/ Prosecco
  • wines tend to be fruity, some intensely so, citrus to peach/ apricot, grapey Moscato. No autolytic (some in transfer).
  • Dry to med-sweet, low to med alcohol, light to med body, med-med(+) acidity
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10
Q

Winemaking for Australian sparkling shiraz

A
  • made like normal still red (inc malo), perhaps oak aged
  • v good - outstanding trad method
  • acceptable - good by transfer, tank or carbonation
  • higher dosage (eg 20g/l resid sugar) than Brut white & rosé sparkling cos of drying tannins, high alcohol
  • Deep colour (ruby to garnet), med(-) to med acidity, med(+) to high alcohol, med, but ripe/soft tannins, med to full bodied, med to pronounced intensity.
  • Styles from fruity to more savoury (if oak maturation pre 2nd ferment). Autolytic notes masked by other flavours
  • Usually released after 1-2 yrs, though some late disgorged have extended lees ageing.
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11
Q

Winemaking for sparkling Australian moscato

A
  • Growing sector, esp pink Moscato eg Innocent Bystander
  • High quality small production Moscato made by tank method, but mostly cheaper carbonation
  • Grapes grown in varied warmer climates
  • low alchol, med acidty, off-dry to sweet, distinctly fruity with classic grapey Muscat flavours.
  • Acceptable to good.
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12
Q

Winemaking for Australian Prosecco

A
  • Rapidly growing importat market segment
  • Main region King Valley - Prosecco its flagship sparkler
  • Was planted in Australia before Italy changed use of name from variety to PDO in 2009
    • Dal Zotto launched first Australian Prosecco 2004
  • If exported to EU must be labelled Glera
  • King Valley region legal battle trying to use Prosecco in eg China, arguing its a variety, not a region
  • Tank method for light, fruity style. Med(+) acidty, med(-) to med alcohol, light to med body, delicate white peach
  • Off-dry to med dry, made by small producers focus on quality. Good to v good
  • Some carbonated
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13
Q

Winemaking for sparkling Australian Pet Nat

A
  • Made by many small, natural winemakers in several regions from several varieties
  • White rosé or red
  • Q cloudy, varying levels of pressure from slightly sparkling to fully
  • Usually dry, med(+) acidity, med alcohol, light to med(+) body, falvour intensity med to pronounced.
  • Often yeasty characteristics with fruit flavours
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14
Q

Wine Law in Australian Sparkling

A
  • Not constrained by wine laws relating to Geographical Indication, so can be innovative (eg Prosecco, Sparkling Shiraz)
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15
Q

Structure of wine business in Australian Sparkling

A
  • Made by full range from huge corporations to small artisan producers
  • Success of Tasmanian trad method has led to significant acquisitions and consolidation
    • Brown Bros bought Tamar Ridge
    • Accolade owns House of Arras and Bay of Fires
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16
Q

Australian Sparkling wine sales

A
  • 11% of domestic wine sales
  • Australian Prosecco up 3.5m litres 2017
  • Moscato production tripled 2014-17 though behind Prosecco
  • Sparkling Shiraz down
    • success of other sparklers?
    • trend to lower alcohol?
    • interest in foreign wines
  • increasing interest in Pet Nat in domestic wine bars