Australia Flashcards
(65 cards)
Which 2 oceans bracket Australia?
Indian Ocean (west)
Pacific Ocean (east)
When and where in Australia were the first vines planted?
New South Wales
1788 (late 18th century)
When was commercial viticulture established across the southern portions of Australia?
1820-1840
What 4 principal vine-growing areas of Australia are important to know?
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- South Australia
- Western Australia
In Australia, which state was hit by phylloxera in the late 1800s?
Victoria
From the late 1800s until about the mid-20th century, Australia was really know for what style of wine?
Industrial, inexpensive, sweet wines
Where in Australia did these inexpensive, sweet wines come from?
Hot, vast, and heavily irrigated areas along rivers, mostly in the center of the country.
In Australia, what caused the shift in focus from inexpensive, sweet styles of wine to more moderate/premium dry styles?
When did that happen?
–1950s
–Introduction to temperature-controlled fermentation vessels
–Planting superior grapes varietals
–Planting in cooler sites (elevation, near coast)
With this shift in wine style in Australia, why were the industrial, inexpensive, sweet styles abandoned?
Post WWII, wave of European immigrants and Australian tourists returning from Europe increased demand for dry, non-fortified wines.
Even today, huge companies that make cheap, sweet wine continue to make wine side-by-side smaller, boutique wineries focusing on dry, premium styles.
Where in Australia are most wine regions located?
Why?
Southeastern corner of the continent.
Temperate climate
Why arent’s vineyards planted in the center/interior of Australia?
It’s too hot
Australia’s hot, arid interior is entirely too much to support viticulture
What are the soils of Australia?
Ancient and diverse
Including:
–sandy
–alluvial
–basalt
–loam
–slate
–iron-rich
What are the 4 main white grapes of Australia?
- chardonnay
- sauv blanc
- semillon
- riesling
Which white grape is best associated with Hunter Valley?
Semillon
What are the 5 main red grapes of Australia?
–Shiraz (most important)
–cab sauv
–merlot
–grenache
–pinot noir
To find cooler places to grow grapes in Australia, where must you go?
–high elevation
–towards the coast
–further south (away from the equator)
For vineyards planted in Australia’s hotter regions, especially towards the arid interior, what is necessary to support viticulture?
Irrigation
With Australia being so hot and dry, it has no trouble ripening grapes.
What is the consequence of achieving such high levels of ripeness?
Lack of natural acidity in the grapes.
Most Australian producers, especially the industrial ones, will have to acidify their wines to balance the grapes’ ripeness.
Why is Australia always seen as a leader in wine technology and development?
–the culture supports innovation
–the mechanize a lot due to labor shortages
Stylistically, Australian wines–no matter the price point–tend to be:
–clean, precise, technically correct, fruit driven
–dirty, don’t really follow protocols, eschew technology
clean, precise, technically correct, fruit driven
In the past, Australian winemakers used to heavily favor oak from _____, but in recent years they’ve begun to use ___ oak.
past–American oak
Recent–french oak
Australia’s embrace of innovation helps it lead the world in New packaging.
What sorts of packaging will you see on Australian wines?
–bag in a box
–screw caps
–crown caps on sparkling wines
Australia is really known for blending–blending wines across states, appellations, and vineyards.
Why is this?
–main reason is to create consistent flavors and an ‘Australian style’ of wine
–Grapes are trucked from vineyards to wineries, which can be hundreds of miles apart
Give an example of a super-premium Australian wine that is a blend of grapes across different appellations.
Penfold’s ‘Grange’
