New South Wales / Victoria Australia Flashcards
Oldest winery in Hunter Valley?
George Wyndham founded Australia’s now-oldest continuously operating winery (Wyndham Estate) in 1828
Who is the “father” of the Australian wine industry?
Scottish-born botanist named James Busby (1801-1871)
When did Phylloxera hit Sydney?
In 1884
What is the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and when was it established?
A massive project delivering water from the Murrumbidgee (a major tributary of the Murray River) to the otherwise dry and drought-prone farmlands in the Riverina region west of the Great Dividing Range, provided a seemingly limitless new frontier for food and wine grape production.
Who were some of the first to plant vineyards in Riverina?
McWilliams 1923
Penfolds 1918
De Bortoli was established near the town of Griffith in 1928.
Major climatic features in New South Wales?
Pacific Ocean and the Great Dividing Range
What is the Great Dividing Range and how does it impact New South Wales?
It is a complex of mountain chains running along the entire coastline of NSW, blocks western areas from rainfall and cooling maritime breezes
What are the highest mountains in Australia?
Snowy Mountains, an alpine sector of the Great Dividing Range located within the Southern New South Wales zone.
In the highlands, climate becomes continental and temperatures cool with elevation.
What other Gi’s are inside of Hunter Valley zone?
Hunter Gi region- Upper Hunter Valley, Broke Fordwich, and Pokolbin. The two latter known as Lower Hunter Valley
Name the six sub regions of Lower Hunter?
Pokolbin, Broke Fordwich, Allandale, Belford, Dalwood, and Rothbury—but only the first two have earned sub-region GI status to date.
Describe the climate of Hunter Valley Gi?
Warmest and wettest climates, It is sub-tropical and humid, and the Lower Hunter averages over 20 inches of rain during the growing season. Region IV DD.
What impact does the climate have on the grapes in Hunter Valley zone?
Ripening comes early in the Hunter Valley through the region’s warm summer nights. Autumn also arrives early, and comes a near-constant cloud cover. Ripe fruit character develops early in the season, when pH is still relatively low, but sugar ripening slows early as well, as vines transition to producing carbohydrates for dormancy in the early fall.
Major grapes in Hunter Valley zone?
Red grapes: 30% Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
White grapes: 70% Chardonnay. Semillon, Verdelho
What type of soil is in Hunter Valley zone?
Upper Hunter Valley GI: Black silt loam, dark clay loam
Lower Hunter: Friable loam, red friable duplex soils
Key producers in Hunter Valley zone?
Tyrrell’s, Brokenwood, Yarraman Estate, McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant, Keith Tulloch Wine, Wyndham Estate, Rosemount Estate
Major natural features (rivers) in Hunter Valley zone?
Hunter and Goulburn Rivers
Most planted grape in Hunter Valley zone and its characteristics?
Semillon. Low in alcohol (frequently in the 10-12% range) and incredibly acidic (pH levels remain around 2.9) Classic Hunter Semillon never sees oak and there is no emphasis on lees stirring, aged by its makers for several years prior to release, gaining notes of browned toast and crème caramel—expanding on the simple lemon and slight grass notes of its extreme youth.
Top bottling’s of Hunter Valley zone Semillon?
Top bottlings include Tyrrell’s “Vat 1” and Brokenwood’s “ILR Reserve,” which are released five and six years after the vintage, respectively.
Which Gi’s are in the Central Range Zones?
Mudgee Gi, Orange Gi, Cowra Gi
Mudgee Gi climate?
Borders Hunter GI, yet rises 400-500 meters higher in altitude and experiences a drier, sunnier, and less humid climate with greater diurnal shifts in temperature creating concentrated, deeply colored red wines.
Key producers of Mudgee Gi?
Montrose, Simon Gilbert Wines
Major natural feature in Mudgee Gi?
Great dividing range
Describe the Geography and climate of Orange Gi?
The Central Ranges’ youngest, coolest region. It is also one of the highest regions in the entire country overall: Orange GI begins at the 600-meter line of elevation, and its vineyards rise up the slopes of NSW’s central highlands, past the 1000-meter mark. The highest point in the appellation is Mount Canobolas, an extinct volcano and the source of the region’s richest, basalt-derived soils.
Key producers in Orange Gi?
Bloodwood, Canobolas-Smith, Word of Mouth, Borrodell on the Mount
Major natural features in Orange Gi?
Mount Canobolas
Describe the Geography and climate of Cowra Gi?
The southernmost and warmest region in the zone—an indication of its lower elevation rather than its higher latitude—is best known for soft, generous styles of Chardonnay.
Major producers in Cowra Gi?
Cowra Estate, Windowrie Estate
Major natural features in Cowra Gi?
Lachlan and Belubula Rivers, Great Dividing Range
Major grapes in the Central Range Zones?
Red grapes: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
White grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc,
Semillon (Mudgee Gi)
What Gi is located inside the Northern Rivers zone and its climate?
Hastings River Gi lies right on the coast; it is unequivocally hot—falling within Region V on Winkler’s Scale—and it experiences more rainfall during the growing season than any other region in Australia.
Major grapes in Hastings River Gi?
Red grapes: Chambourcin (French Hybrid), Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
White grapes: Semillon, Chardonnay
Major natural features of Hastings Gi and soil?
Broken Bago Range, Pacific Ocean, Hastings River
Rich alluvial soils and red volcanic soils
What Gi is located inside the Northern Slopes zone and its climate?
New England Australia GI, formally approved in 2008, is northwest of Hastings River. The Great Dividing Range in New England mitigates the heat, and allows the region’s growing number of wineries to produce cooler-climate versions of Shiraz
Major natural features in New England Australia Gi?
-Great Dividing Range
-Black Mountain (home to Australia’s highest altitude vineyard, at 1320 meters above sea level)
-Peel, Gwydir, and Severn Rivers
-Moonbi Hills
Key producers inside New England Australia Gi?
New England Estate, Blickling Estate, Jilly Wines
What Gi’s are in the South Coast zone?
Shoalhaven Coast Gi, Southern Highlands GI
Which Italian varietal is grown inside Souther Highlands Gi?
Tempranillo
Southern Highlands Gi key producers?
Centennial Vineyards, Cuttaway Hill Estate
Which zones are in Victoria GI?
Central Victoria
Gippsland
Northeast Victoria
Northwest Victoria
Port Phillip
Western Victoria