South Africa, NZ and Australia sparkling Flashcards
2 categories of South African sparkling?
1) inexpensive carbonated, often sweet. Domestic and African market
2) Cap Classiqu
Cap Classique key grapes
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Chenin Blanc
Pinotage
Cap Classique style
Medium (+) acid
Medium alc
Ripe apple, citrus, some autolytic
Grapes for carbonated South African
Sauvignon Blanc
Msucat
Pinotage
Cap Classique association founded when?
1992
MCC members produce what % of bottle-fermented sparkling in south africa?
90%
Cap Classique legal standards (3)
- Trad method
- 3 bars of pressure post-disgorge
- 9 months lees (moving to 12 mths)
95% of Cap Classique from which four grapes?
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Chenin Blanc
Pinotage
Key regions for Cap Classique grapes
Robertson Stellenbosch Paarl Darling Tulbagh
Cap Classique: which two regions have limestone soils?
Robertson
Bonnievale (in Breede River Valley)
Topography of Robertson and Bonnievale
Narrow valleys, slow to warm up in morning (shade from mountains)
Temperatures drop in afternoon (cool breezes from ocaen)
Cooling influences in otherwise warm climate
Why do MCC producers source from multiple regions?
Complexity
Availability of fruit
How many days from flowering to picking for MCC?
Approx 90 days
Canopy: more shading slows down ripening, retains acid
MCC picked at what potential alcohol?
9.5-11%
final wine around 12% abv
How are South African carbonated wines made?
Stop ferment early Retain RS Carbonated Released early Low cost = inexpensive wines
Picking for Cap Calssique
Hand harvest
Small baskets
Whole bunc pressed
Not a legal requirement, but recommended
Acidifcation common for MCC?
Yes.
MLF in MCC?
A choice
Some do, some don’t
Villiera does
Graham Beck does not
What % reserve wines used for MCC?
Around 10%
Rose MCC made how?
Blend white and red wines (control amount fo colour and tannin)
or macerate black grape before ferment
Do you need to me a member of MCC to make MCC?
Currently (in book) not, but association is trying to make it so
Lees ageing for MCC
Currently 9 months
Effotrs to change it to 12 months from 2020
MCC assocaition proposing two categories for MCC (in progress)
- Standard category: as now
2. Higher quality: only Champagne grapes + Chenin + Pinotage, whole bunch press, lees 36 mths
Example of Cap Classique producer also making carbonated wine
JC Le Roux
Cap Classique growing fast?
Yes, fastest growing category in ZA
Sales double every five years
Graham Beck domestic/export split
50-50
Top export markets for SA sparkling?
Angola, USA, UK
Sparklign wine what % of Australian production?
6%
Australian sparkling export/domestic split
80% domestic
20% export
Oz: trad method grapes grown where?
Cooler regions especially Tasmania Also: Yarra Valley (Domaine Chandon) Adelaide Hills High-altitude in Victoria and NSW
Why cooler climate Oz important for trad method?
High acidity, moderate potential alcohol (slow sugar accumulation), ripe but medium intensity fruit
Leading Australian region for high quality trad method?
Tasmania
What % of Tasmanian wine is sparkling?
40%
Tamar Valley vs Pipers River
Beside each other in north Tasmania
Tamar Valley: warmer (sheltered from Southern Ocean); harvests 2 weeks earlier
Coal River Valley (Tasmania) what climate?
Warm
Everywhere else in southern Tasmania generally cooler than north part
Main challenges in Tasmania?
Spring frost
High rainfall
Coulure, botrytis
Fruit for inexpensive Aussie sparkling grown where
Riverland, Riverina and Murray-Darling
“South Eastern Australia”
Irrigation in South Eastern Australia?
Essential!
Vineyard mgmt in South Eastern Australia
Irrigation essential
Mechanisations tandard
Fruit picked early for low alcohol, high acid and avoid over ripe flavours
Yields in South Eastern Australia
2-3 times as high as cool areas
Sparkling Shiraz grapes from where?
Warm climates eg central Victoria, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale
Exception to “cool climate” rule here. Need rich and intense flavours, picked at same time as still wines
Late disgorged wines in Oz. Leading producers
Jansz
House of Arras
Tasmania: grapes pressed where, wines made where?
Grapes pressed on Tasmania
Transported to mainland (Bay of Fires) to complete winemaking
Small Tasmania sparkling producers make their wine on Tasmania. How?
Small volume
Carried out by hand and limited machinery (gyropalette)
Trad method Aus style
Medium (+) to high acid
Medium alc
Medium (-) to Medium (+) body
Inexpensive Aussie sparkling
Transfer, tank or carbonation Large brands, blend across regions Cahrd, Pinot, Moscato, Glera etc Dry to miedum sweet Low alc Jacobs Creek, Yellowglen, Brown Brothers
Sparkling Shiraz made how?
Make still wine including MLF and maybe oak ageing
Very good to outstanding: trad method
Acceptable to good: transfer, tank, carbonation
Sparkling reds from other varieties too
Sparkling Shiraz style
Deep colour (ruby to garnet) Medium (-) to medium acid Medium to high alc Medium but ripe, soft tannins (balanced by dosage) 20g/L sugar (balance tannins and alc) Medium to full bodied Pronounced intensity: fruity or savoury Generally no autolytic Some long lees ageing, most released 1-2 yrs
Innocent Bystander is what?
Sparkling pink Moscato
Sparkling pink Moscato
Growing sector in domestic market eg Innocent Bystander Blend of regions, usually warmer climates Better examples: tank method Inexpensive: carbonation
First Australian Prosecco produced by who and when?
Dal Zotto
2004
Aussie Prosecco labelled what if exported to EU?
Glera
When did Italy change name of Prosecco to Glera?
20009
first Aussie Prosecco 2004, Dal Zotto
Accolade owns what sparkling producers?
House of Arras
Bay of Fires
Sparkling wine is what % of Aussie domestic market?
11%
Aussie domestic sparkling market; what’s hot and what’s not?
Hot: Prosecco adn Msocato
Not: sparkling Shiraz
Why reduced interest in sparkling Shiraz?
Move away from high alcohol wines
Increase of other options
New interest in foreign wines (sparkling Shiraz considered an Aussie phenomenon)
Success of NZ still wines means what for its sparkling production?
Fizz a tiny part of offer
NZ sparkling: mid to high end dominated by what style?
Traditional method Medium intensity apple and lemon Light toasty High acidity Brut
NZ North or South Island better for sparkling grapes?
South Island is cooler = better for premium elegant sparkling with crisp acidity
Most NZ sparkling comes from where?
Marlborough (South Island)
Important regions for quality sparkling wine NZ
Marlborough Central Otago (Pinot Noir)
Gisborne known for what?
Large volume brands
Fuller bodied style, lower acid, less finesse
Why Marlborough is good for sparkling grapes
Low risk of late frost or hail
Prevalent NW wind removes air moisture after rain (less fungal threat)
Moderate rainfall but vyds have to be irrigated (free draining alluvial soil)
Good access to clean water
Most NZ sparkling a blend of what 2 grapes?
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
MLF for NZ sparkling?
Generally yes
Reduce very high acidity levels
(some block MLF to preserve acidity)
lees ageing for NZ sparkling
generally 18 mths (some longer)
No.1 Family Esate
NZ traditional method pioneer
Daniel Le Brun Champagne
Least expensive wine: 18 mths lees
What happened in NZ sparkling after 2008?
Record 2008 harvest = oversupply of Sauvignon Blanc
Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc (carbonation)
Sparkling wine what % of NZ exports volume?
0.5%
