Week 1 - Australia Flashcards
What is South Eastern Australia?
The areas of
1. New South Wales
2. Victoria
3. Tasmania
Those small areas of Queensland and South Australia where grapes are grown.
Are exports important?
Yes. They are a key driver for exports and price points.
What does Australia have in abundance? What is it lacking?
Lots of sunshine and energy.
Short on water and labour - handpicking rare
Is Australia humid or dry?
Driest continent on the plant.
95% not fit for grape production.
How many climate zones are in Australia?
3 zones
All offer a range of wines and styles
What are the 3 climate zones called and where are they?
Cool - Victoria and Tasmania
Warm - Western Australia
Hot - Southern and Central
What markets are Australia’s exports driven by?
Fruit forward, bold, crowd pleasing style
What are the key red varietals?
Shiraz, Pinot Noir
What are the key white varietals?
Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon
Are Australian wines diverse?
Yes. Very wide range of styles.
“Regionality” is increasing - new subregions are being established.
Lis the GI categories
Product of Austalia - anywhere in country
South Eastern Australia - blends from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Queesland
**State of Origin **- Victoria, Tasmania, etc
Zones - Barossa
**Regions **- Barossa is Barossa Valley and Eden Valley
Sub-Regions - Smaller GI’s within a region
What are GI’s
- Geographical Indications
- Developed in 1994
- Geographical boundaries, not experience with terroir but starting to change
- Terroir becoming more important
List the 6 wine producing states of Australia.
- South Australia
- Victoria
- New South Wales
- Western Australia
- Tasmania
- Queensland
List important zones in South Australia.
Barossa, Coonawarra, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Riverland
List important zones in Victoria.
Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Heathcote, Goulburn, Rutherglenn
List important zones in New South Wales.
Hunter Valley, Riverina, Murray-Darling
List important zones in Western Australia.
Margaret River, Frankland River, Mount Barker, Great Southern
List important zones in Tasmania.
Northwest, East Coast
List important zones in Queensland.
New England
Describe the history and status of Shiraz.
- Introduced in 1832 by James Busby
- 1970’s - old Shiraz and Grenache vines pulled for CS
- 1980’s - Lindeman’s and Jacob’s Creek made popular
- High end still strong, value wines struggling
- Penfold’s Grange (Max Schubert 1951) and Hill of Grace (Penschke)
What are some key markers for Shiraz?
Black fruit, milk chocolate, baking spices, black pepper
Describe Riesling
Can be very high in acid
Most planted grape until 1980’s
What is the climate of South Australia?
Intensely hot - Riverland
Hot and dry - Barossa
Cool - Coonawarra
Describe the soil of cool Coonawarra
Iron rich on limestone subsoil
Describe the soil of Barossa
Salty red brown clay
What are the primary grapes of South Australia?
All Bordeaux varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, SB, Shiraz
What is the best vintage for South Australia?
2021
Describe Barossa
- Most important region in SA
- Shiraz - big and bold, spice and chocolate
- Two sub GI’s: Barossa Valley and Eden Valley
- Acidification routine
- Phylloxera free
- Similar to Napa
Describe a Shiraz from Barossa Valley.
Powerful
Ripe confected black fruit
Dried currant
Mocha
Tobacco
Pepper
Clay pot
Grippy and fine grained
High alcohol
Describe the Australian Sub GI of Barossa Valley.
Dry farmed old vineyards on west side of valley
Penfolds Grange
Describe South Australia’s Adelaide Hills
- Cooler than Barossa Valley so white wines and elegant, savoury reds
- Many oak-aged whites
- Mass-produced, SS
Describe South Australia’s Eden Valley
- Increased elevation due to Mt. Lofty so cooler climate
- Wines are higher acid, more tart and elegant
- Shiraz more delicate
- Riesling
- Hill of Grace (Henschke) makes all varieties
Describe South Australia’s Riverland.
High yields and bulk wine
Value driven
CS, Shiraz and Chardonnay
Describe South Australia’s Clare Valley
Riesling
* Polish Hill
* High acid, minerality, agebility
* Elegant Bordeaux blends
Describe South Australia’s Fleurieu (McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek)
Primarily Shiraz
Intense, savoury notes:
* Licorice, roast meat, mocha, graphite, exotic spices
High alcohol
Describe South Australia’s Coonwarra.
- Part of Limestone coast
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Terra Rossa soil (iron-rich clay)
Describe the climate and soil of Victoria.
Varied climate: hot interior, cool coast and hills
Soil: loam for fortified, sandy for bulk, gravel for premium
Give an overview of Victoria
600+ producers
Australia’s biggest winery: Lindeman’s
Very cool coastal areas
Fine wine drinker
Shiraz and Chardonnay dominate
What is an excellent vintage in Victoria?
2021
Describe Yarra Valley in Victoria.
- Complex region: different elevations, soils and exposure
- Pinot Noir - comparable to Cote d’Or (?)
- CS, Riesling, dry to sweet, skin-contact, sparkling
Describe Heathcote in Victoria.
Interior so warmer
Shiraz - savoury, minerality, plums, dark cherry, licorice
Oldest soils in the world (pre-Cambrian basalt)
Big, juicy wines
Describe Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.
Soil variation, just like Alsace
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Describe Rutherglen in Victoria.
Dessert wines
Liqueur Muscat (dark skinned version)
Liqueur Tokay
Describe the climate of New South Wales
Much like Languedoc in summer but can be wet
Varies - hotter and drier but cooler and wetter areas too
Give an overview of New South Wales
- Second largest wine state
- First wine making region - 1788
- Close to Sydney so developed and survived
- Hot humid climate - botrytis, but also elevation
- Semillon
Describe Hunter Valley in New South Wales.
Close to Sydney
Cloudy, hot and humid
Lower Hunter: Semillon and luscious Shiraz
Upper Hunter: lower rainfall, less disease pressure
What is the climate of Western Australia?
Varied
* Long hot summers (Swan River)
* Mediterranean (Margaret River)
* Huge diurnal shifts
Describe Margaret River in Western Australia.
- Most important GI
- Premier wines -finesse and elegance
- Bordeaux varietals
- Most isolated wine region in the world
- Since 1967: world class Chardonnay and Cab blends
- 200+ producers
- Boutique region - 60% of producers: <4000 cases
Give an overview of Western Australia
Established 1820
3% total production but 30% of awards
Quality and great value
Swan Valley - hottest wine region in the world
Indian Ocean moderating influence
Wines very different from other side of country
What is the Leeuwin Current
Moderates Margaret River
Brings rain, mostly in winter, more than Bordeaux
* Supports vines
* Perfect mediterranean climate
* Soils can store moisture for months
Goes wrong way: north to south
* warmer in winter
* cooler in summer
Balanced climate, even ripening = high quality
