D4.C21. Australia Flashcards
What is the amount of annual sparkling wine sales in Australia?
66 million litres (2019–20)
Sparkling wine sector represents how many percent of total wine crush in Australia?
6%
What are the percentages of domestic consumption and export for sparkling wines in Australia?
- Domestic: 89%
- Export: 11%
How is the trend for export sales for Australian sparkling wines?
- Export sales of Australian sparkling
wine have risen in recent years - Increase in export is driven by sales of sparkling Moscato, Shiraz and Australian Prosecco
- Exports of traditional method wines have declined
Which styles of sparkling wines are produced in Australia?
- Traditional: From Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier blends
- Tank method: From Glera/Prosecco and Moscato
- Sparkling Shiraz
- Pet Nat
Grapes for traditional method sparkling wines are produced in which regions of Australia?
- Tasmania
- Yarra Valley (led by Domaine Chandon)
- Adelaide Hills
- Alpine regions of Victoria and New South Wales on higher altitude sites
Which region of Australia is the leading region for high-quality sparkling wines?
Tasmania
When and how did sparkling wine production begin Tasmania?
In mid-1980s, when a joint venture between the Tasmanian company Heemskerk and Champagne Louis Roederer was launched
How is the amount of sparkling wine produced in Tasmania? What is its proportion to total wine grape production?
- The state produces only a small amount of wine but has been very successful in terms of quality
- In 36% of its total wine grape production was made into sparkling wine
Compare the weather in Tamar Valley and Piper’s River in Tasmania.
Tamar Valley is much warmer than Piper’s River as it is more sheltered from the cold Southern Ocean and harvests a fortnight before Piper’s River
How is the weather in Southern Tasmania when compared to north?
With the exception of the warm Coal Valley, Southern Tasmania is generally cooler than the warm parts of the north coast
Having the coldest areas that are cooler than Champagne, how is it possible for Tasmania to produce grapes for sparkling wines?
Because of higher sunlight intensity due to the latitude
What are the advantages of sourcing fruit from different locations around Tasmania, as practiced by large producers?
- To gain necessary volumes
- Balancing wines by blending grapes from cooler and warmer regions
What are the main viticultural hazards for growing grapes for premium sparkling wines in Australia?
- Spring frosts
- High rainfall
- Coulure in the early season and botrytis later on
Where is the fruit sourced from for the inexpensive sparkling wines in Australia? How are they labelled?
- Riverland, Riverina adn Murray-Darling
- Labelled ‘South Eastern Australia’ (vast majority of sparkling wine produced in Australia)
What are the common viticultural practices for producing grapes for inexpensive sparkling wines in Australia?
- Irrigation is essential
- Mechanisation is standard
- Fruit is picked early for lower potential alcohol, to retain acidity and to avoid over-ripe fruit notes
- Yields here are two to three times as high as in cool areas ( and prices are around one-quarter of the prices for the fruit that goes into super-premium wines)
What is unique about the viticultural practices for Shiraz that is destined to be a sparkling wine?
- The fruit is grown in warm-climate regions, especially central Victoria, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale
- This style requires richness and intensity of flavour and therefore the grapes are picked at the same time as for still wines
Which methods are used to produce sparkling wines in Australia?
All methods
Which styles of traditional method sparkling wines are produced in Australia?
Several styles including non-vintage, vintage, prestige cuvée, rosé
What is the time on the lees for traditional method sparkling wines of Australia?
- There is no standart
- Premium producers look to Champagne as an example and have similar minimum lees-ageing time
- Significant number of the best producers age their wines on the lees for long periods of timeas standard (three or more years)
- Emerging category of ‘late disgorged’ wines, with
more than six years ageing, is led by producers such as Jansz and Arras
How do the larger and smaller producers produce sparkling wines in Tasmania?
- Large producers: They press the grapes on the island, but then completing the winemaking on the mainland
- Small producers: They make their wines to completion on the island, as small volume production can be carried out by hand and limited machinery
Tasting notes for a premium traditional method wine from Australia.
- Medium (+) to high acidity
- Medium alcohol
- Medium (-) to medium (+) body
- Medium (-) to medium (+) flavour intensity depending on the style and length of lees ageing
- Lighter styles will be softly fruity (citrus fruit and apple) whereas the fuller bodied styles typically have prominent autolytic notes
- Wines may or may not undergo malolactic conversion
Which grape varieties can be used to produce wines by transfer method, tank method and carbonation in Australia?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
- Moscato
- Glera/Prosecco
Tasting notes for sparkling wines produced by transfer, tank or carbonation method in Australia.
- Medium to medium (+) acidity
- Dry to medium-sweet
- Low to medium alcohol
- Light to medium body
- Fruity, some intensely so, with anything from citrus fruits to riper peach and apricot fruits as well as the grapey fruit of Moscato
- Little or no autolytic character (just in some transfer wines)
What are the important brands for sparkling wines produced by transfer, tank or carbonation method in Australia.
- Brown Brothers
- Jacob’s Creek
- Yellowglen
How is sparkling Shiraz produced?
- It is made like a normal still red wine
- Malolactic conversion (+)
- May or may not spend time maturing in oak
- Very good and outstanding quality wines are made by the traditional method
- Acceptable to good wines are by transfer method, tank or carbonation
- They are also made from other varieties
Tasting notes for a sparkling Shiraz.
- Deep in colour and may vary from ruby to garnet
- Medium (-) to medium acidity
- Medium to high alcohol
- Medium but ripe and soft tannins
- It is common for wines to have more than 20 g/L of residual sugar to balance the effects of tannins and high alcohol on the palate
- Medium- to full-bodied with medium to pronounced intensity
- Styles can be distinctly fruity or may have more savoury complexity from extended oak maturation prior to second fermentation
- Autolytic notes tend not to be overt as they are masked by other flavours
- Usually sparkling reds are released after one to two years.
How is the consumption trend for Sparkling Moscato in Australia?
It is a growing sector in the domestic Australian wine market
Where are the grapes for sparkling Moscato sourced?
From grapes grown in many different regions, though tending to warmer climates
Which methods are used to produce sparkling Moscato?
- Higher quality, smaller production Moscato is made by the tank method
- Most inexpensive to mid-priced Moscato is made by carbonation
Tasting notes for a sparkling Moscato.
- Low in alcohol
- Medium acidity
- Off-dry to sweet
- Distinctly fruity in style with classic Moscato grapey flavours
What is the quality range for sparkling Moscato?
Acceptable to good
How is the consumption trend for Australian Prosecco in Australia?
It is a rapidly growing and important segment of the wine market
What is the main region for the production of Australian Prosecco?
King Valley
How can Australia use “Prosecco” in the labels of sparkling wines produced by Glera?
- The variety was planted in Australia before Italy changed the use of the name from a variety name to the name of a PDO
- First Australian Prosecco was released by Dal Zotto in 2004; Italy changed the use of the word Prosecco from 2009
Can Prosecco labels be used for Australian wines that are exported to EU?
No, if exported to the EU these wines must be labelled as Glera
Which method is used to produce Australian Prosecco?
Predominantly the tank method. Some carbonated
wine is also made
Tasting notes for an Australian Prosecco.
- Lightly fruity style
- Medium (+) acidity
- Medium alcohol
- Light to medium body
- Delicate white peach flavours
- Off-dry to medium-dry
What is the quality range for Australian Prosecco?
It is predominantly made by small producers with a focus on quality and the quality is good to very good
Pet Nats are usually produced by which type of producers in Australia?
Many small, often natural, winemakers
Tasting notes for an Australian Pet Nat.
- Can be quite cloudy
- Varying levels of pressure from slightly sparkling to fully sparkling
- Usually dry
- Medium (+) acidity
- Medium alcohol
- Light to medium (+) body
- Medium to pronounced flavour intensity
- The wines often have yeasty characteristics along with fruit flavours
What is the main factor that drives the Australian sparkling wine makers to create new styles such as sparkling Shiraz?
They are not constrained by wine laws related to varieties permitted within geographical indications
What is the result of the success of Tasmanian traditional method sparkling wine?
It has led to significant acquisitions of small wineries by the large producers and to consolidation in the sector
- Brown Brothers bought Tamar Ridge
- Accolade owns a range of brands including House of Arras and Bay of Fires
Domestic sales of sparkling wines represent how many percent of total domestic wine sales by volume in Australia?
12%
What are the trends for sparkling wine sales in Australia?
Recent developments have seen the rise of Australian Prosecco and Moscato, and a falling back of sparkling Shiraz sales
What is the amount of sales for Australian Prosecco in retail market in 2020-21?
- It reached sales of over 6.5 million liters
How did the production of Australian Moscato change recently?
Australian Moscato tripled in production between 2014 and 2017
What are the reasons for the reduction of sparkling Shiraz sales in Australia?
- Rise of these other sparkling options
- Reduced interest in high alcohol wines
- New interest in foreign wines
What is the trend for Pet Nat wines in Australia?
There is an increasing interest in Pet Nat via wine bars in the domestic market
