South Australia Flashcards
How did South Australia manage to avoid phylloxera?
Implemented a total ban on imported vine material in 1874
What regions make up the Adelaide Super Zone in South Australia?
Barossa
Fleurieu
Mount Lofty Ranges
Where does Barossa take its name from?
Named for a Spanish battlefield in the Napoleonic Wars
What was Barossa’s first commercial winery? When was it planted?
Orlando Wines (behind the modern day Jacob’s Creek brand)
1847
Where are the worlds oldest Syrah vines?
They’re Shiraz! In Barossa - Langmeil’s Freedom vineyard planted in 1843
What is special about Penfolds’ block 42?
Australia’s oldest plot of Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted in 1888
What are the categories of the Barossa Old Vine Charter?
Who developed it?
Old (at least 35yrs of age)
Survivor (at least 70yrs of age)
Centenarian (at least 100yrs old)
Ancestor (at least 125yrs old)
Yalumba Wine Company
What two GIs lie within the Barossa Zone?
What distinguishes them?
Barossa Valley GI
Eden Valley GI
Barossa is lower and elevation and usually 2-3 degrees C warmer then Eden Valley
Top Shiraz from Barossa Zone and average $$ and Langton’s classification
Henschke “Hill of Grace” - Exceptional - $730
Chris Ringland “Dry Grown Shiraz”- Exceptional - $685
Torbreck “The Laird” - Not classified - $650
Penfolds “Grange Bin 95”- Exceptional - $630
Hundred Acre “Deep Time”- Not classified - $565
Torbreck “RunRig”- Exceptional - $217
Rockford “Basket Press” - Exceptional - $150
Who popularized the style of sparking red wines in Australia?
Great Western (Victoria)
What was the “Cold Duck” fad?
Comes from an old German tradition of mixing the dregs of unconsumed wine with Champagne after a meal. It became a trend in the US and Australia in the late 60s and early 70s.
How is sparkling Barossa Shiraz typically made?
Shiraz fermented to dryness, aged in oak barrel, second fermentation in tank, sweetness is typically added through a small dosage of Australian Tawny. Most styles are semi-sweet.
What was the first Eden Valley vineyard?
Pewsey Vale (1847)
Eden Valley terroir
Thin red clay over granite. Rocky with a scarcity of water.
What white grape is important in Eden Valley? Why!
Riesling! German heritage
What regions make up the Fleurieu Zone?
McLaren Vale GI
Langhorne Creek GI
Currency Creek GI
Southern Fleurieu GI
Kangaroo Island
What geographical features bound McLaren Vale to the East and West?
Mt.Lofty ranges to the East and the Gulf of Saint Vincent to the West
Why are ~1/4 of McLaren Vale’s vineyards organic?
Reduced disease pressure from its windy, warm climate
What is the #1 pressure on viticulture in McLaren vale?
Water scarcity
What is the predominant variety planted in McLaren vale? Second? Third?
Shiraz
Cabernet Sauvignon
Grenache
What is the cool Northeastern sector of McLaren Vale?
Clarendon
What are “Scarce Earth wines” in McLaren Vale?
A project that seeks to recognize individual sites based on their ‘terranes’, wines are submitted to a panel. Vines must be a minimum 10yrs of age and the wine may not be excessively oaked, faulty, or over/under ripe.
What are some producers that were selected by “Scarce Earth” in 2011?
d’Arenberg, Chapel Hill, and Gemtree
Who produces the wine “Astralis”
Clarendon Hills in McLaren Vale (Syrah)
