L3 -Australia -Chap 39 Flashcards
What is the climate of Australia?
What are the biggest challenges?
Australia is approx the same size as the US and larger than Europe
Diverse climates but
Main growing regions are warm and hot. These regions are tempered by proximity to the Southern and Indian Ocean, and Murray River system.
Other areas (Adelaide Hills & Eden Valley) are cooled by altitude.
Bush fires -risk from high summer temps. Smoke taints grapes even if vineyard not damaged or destroyed by fires
Bc of global warming -many growers seeking cooler, moderate climates in high altitude locations on the mainland, and Tasmania which has more southerly latitude
What are the principal black grape varietals of Australia?
Syrah/Shiraz
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Pinot Noir
Grenache
What are the styles and key regions for Shiraz in Australia?
Hunter Valley & Barossa Valley style Shiraz (hot and warm regions):
-full bodied
-intensely fruity
-earthy or spicy
-develop leather aromas as they age
Geelong & Heathcote style Shiraz (cooler regions):
-leaner & more peppery style
What is the style of and key regions for Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia?
Coonwara & Margaret River produce a style of Cabernet Sauvignon that is:
-darker
-firmer tannins
-higher acidity (all compared to Shiraz)
What is the style of and key regions for Pinot Noir in Australia?
Pinot Noir comes from cooler sites like Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, and Tasmania. Styles are:
-med body
-med alc
-med to high acidity
-cherry and strawberry flavors
What are the principal white grape varietals of Australia?
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Semillon
Riesling
What are the styles of and key regions for Chardonnay in Australia?
Basic, inexpensive Chardonnay comes is often blended from different regions:
-unoaked to give peachy flavors
-or with oak chips/staves to add toast/vanilla
High quality Chardonnay comes from cooler sites like Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, and Adelaide Hills (which are cooler) and even warm regions such as Margaret River. Styles are:
-balanced
-fresh, vibrant fruit
-sublt flavors of careful lees, malolactic conversion and/or oak maturation
What is the style of and key region for Sauvignon Blanc in Australia?
Adelaide Hills which has a moderate climate, is known for Sauvignon Blanc. Wines tend to show:
-concentrated passionfruit flavors
-refreshingly high acidity
What is the style of and key region for Semillon in Australia?
Hunter Valley is known for Semillon production in a unique way
Grapes are harvested early with low sugar levels and high acidity. Oxygen contact is kept to a minimum and inert vessles are used for storage and fermentation
Wine are at first neutral and light in alcoho, but develop flavors of honey and toast in bottle
Best wines can age 20 years or more
Western Australia makes a more herbaceous style
Barossa valley used to make a fuller-bodied style but now the early picked unoaked style if increasingly produced
What are the styles of and key regions for Riesling in Australia?
Eden and Clare Valley are known for Riesling that has:
-pronounced citrus fruit aromas
-flavors or lime, lemon, grapefruit (can develop toast, honey, petrol as they age)
-unoaked
-high acidity
-usually dry or slightly off-dry, sometimes sweet
Tasmania and Western Australia have less citrusy and more floral versions
What is the South Eastern Australia Zone and what type of wine does it produce?
A “super zone” covering all GIs in SOuth Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland
Includes Riverland, Murray-Darling, Riverina –all have reputation for high volume and low quality wines
South Australia is where the majority of wine is produced. Some winemakers take advantage of this and simple label their wines South Australia so that they can blend grapes from all over the region
What is the climate of Barossa valley and what wine is it known for?
Barossa Valley
north of Adelaid
has a warm, dry climate
old bush wines produce outstanding Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache
Also Semillon
What is the climate of Eden valley and what wine is it known for?
Eden valley is east of Barossa Valley
cool to moderate climate that varies with altitude. Coolest sites produce high quality Riesling
Riesling flavors:
-intense lime aromas
-grapefruit aromas
- steely character
-best have longevity to display marmalade and toasty characters after 10 years
What is the climate of Clare valley and what wine is it known for?
Clare valley is northwest of Barossa Valley
Warm climate tempered by cool afternoon breezes, cold nights, altitude helps 300 to 400 meters (some vineyards as high as 570 meters)
Riesling in Clare is:
-high acidy
-dry
-citrus & lime
-develops honey and toast in bottle
What is the climate of Adelaide Hills and what wine is it known for?
25 km east of Adelaide
-moderate climate where all vineyards planted above 400 km
Rainfall occurs mainly in winter, and irrigation is necessary at times due to low water holding capacity of soil
Known for refreshing Sauv Blanc and Chardonnay , also Pinot Noir
What is the climate of Coonwarra and what wine is it known for?
Coonwarra is a narrow strip of land 1.5 km wide by 15 km
Has distinctive terra rossa soil over limestone subsoil
Lies 400 km south east of Adelaide towards the Victorian border
Maritime climate is moderate
Known for Cab Sauv :
-concentrated style,
structured
-cassis
-eucalyptus
-menthol aromas
-can age very well
Shiraz, merlot, and chardonnay also widely planted
What is Victoria region known for?
What is notable from sub-region
Victoria has the coolest climate -known for high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Sub-regions:
-Yarra Valley (cool to moderate maritime climate)
–Pinot Noir: strawberries, plum, dark cherries, tannins ripe, soft, careful oak handling
–Yarra known for excellent quality sparkling wines.
Mornington Peninsula (cool to moderate maritime climate) -produces Pinot Noir adn Chardonnay. Mornington Pinot Noir- ranges from light/delicate to more structured with pure fruit. Mornington Chardonnay- citrus, pear apple aromas, high acidity usually soften by malolactic conversion
Geelong (cool to moderate maritime climate). Chardonnay quality is complex, concentrated and full body. Pinot and Shiraz are major red grapes planted -earthy aromas for PN, and fresh and peppery for Shiraz
Heathcote (located in center of Victoria, cooling influences come from altitude). Produces wines of firmer structure, fresh fruit flavors than those of warmer regions
Goulburn-also central –heat mitigated by lakes and creeks in the region
Describe the Hunter Valley (climate, location, etc) and wines from the region.
Hunter Valley is a hot, humid climate
High cloud cover and ocean breezes reduce the effect of heat in peak summer
Often very rainy at harvest so good canopy management needed to minimise rot
Semillon is the most planted grape - light bodied, low alc, high acid, initially neutral but left to age to develop (toast, nut, honey)
Chardonnay–oaked and unaked
Shiraz- wines with black fruit flavors (cherry and blackberry), soft tannins, medium body and earthy undertone.
Describe the Margaret River (climate, location, etc) and wines from the region.
The Margaret River is located 200 kilometers south of Perth
The region has a warm Mediterranean climate
Rainfall is high compared with other regions, but mainly in the winter
Cab Sauv is widely planted and blended with Merlot in a Bordeaux style blend
Range of styles:
–Elegant and restrained to Fruity and powerful
-Chardonnays display concentrated stone-fruit and tropical-fruit aromas and retain high levels of acidity. Barrel aging and malolactic conversion to add complexity
-Sauv Blanc is blended with semillon, attractive gooseberry and tropical fruit aromas with high acidity
Describe the Tasmania (climate, location, etc) and wines from the region.
Tasmania:
-cool maritime climate, cooled by prevailing westerly winds off the Southern Ocean, generally free from extremes
