Australia Flashcards
(11 cards)
Australia
General info
- sparkling wine production = less than 6%
- annual sales = 66 million litres
- 89% domestic sales / 11% export sales
- Rise is sales of Moscato, Shiraz and Australian Prosecco
- Decline of sales of Traditional method
- Traditional method (Chard, PN, PM blends), tank (Glera/Prosecco, Moscato), transfer and carbonation method employed
Australia
Growing enviroment: Premium wines
- Grapes fro sparkling grown in cooler areas: Tasmania, Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills, and the alpine regions of Victoria and New South Wales (higher altitude) = High acidity, moderate potential alcohol levels (due to slow sugar accumulation), ripe but med intenseity fruit characters
Australia
Tasmania
- leading region for high-quality traditional method (since mid 1980’s when Heemskerk + Louis Roederer started a joint adventure)
- Climate is varied: Tamar valley sheltered from Southern Ocean = warmer than Piper’s River / Coal valley (South) cooler than the north coast
- Coldest areas cooler than champagne but with more intese sun light due to latitude
- Grapes sourced from different areas on the island and than blended
- Spring frost + high rainfall = main challenges
- Coulure / Botrytis = problematic
Australia
Growing enviroment: inexpensive wines
- Riverland, RIverina, Murray-Darling
- Labelled South Eastern Australia (account for the vast majority of sparkling wine produced in Australia)
- Irrigation is essential / mechanisation is standard
- fruit picked early for lower potential alcohol + retain acidity + avoid over-ripe fruit
- Sparkling Shiraz = fruit grown in warm-climate regions (Victoria, Barossa, McLaren Vale)
- Style requires intensity of flavour (grapes picked at the same time as for still wines)
Australia
Winemaking: taditional method
Traditional method:
- Several styles: NV, Vintage, Prestige cuvée, rosé
- similar lees ageing time as Champagne / Late disgorged style (6+ years)
- Tasmania: large producers press their grapes on the island and complete the winemaking in mainland (where they invested in specialised equipment)
- med+ to high acidity / med alcohol / med- to med+ intensity (depending on lees ageing)
- MALO depending on style
Australia
Winemaking: Transfer, Tank, Carbonation
Transfer method, Tank, Carbonation:
- Inexpensive and mid-priced sparkling wines
- Often blends of grapes from different areas (some may have GI)
- From different varieties: Glera, PN, Chardonnay, Moscato
- med to med+ acidity / dry to medium sweet / low to med alcohol / light to med body
- Fruity, citrus to ripe peach and apricot / little or no autolytic notes
Australia
Winemaking: Sparkling Shiraz
Sparkling Shiraz:
- made like a normal still red wine / may or may not mature in oak
- traditional method (very good to outstanding) / transfer, tank, carbonation (acceptable to good, also made from other varieties)
- deep colour (ruby to garnet)
- med- to med acidity / med to high alcohol / med but ripe soft tannins (blanced by dosage)
- common to have 20g/L of residual sugar to balance tannins and alcohol
- med to full-body / med to pronounced intensity
- usually released after 1 or 2 years
Australia
Winemaking: Moscato
- Growing sector (especially pink moscato) in the domestic Australian market
- From grapes grown in warm regions
- Tank method (high quality) / Carbonation ( inexpensive to mid-priced)
- low alcohol / med acidity / off-dry to sweet
- fruity with grapey flavours
- acceptable to good quality
Australia
Australian Prosecco
- Rapidly growing market
- King Valley = main region (new flagship wine there)
- Labelled Prosecco for domestic market / Must be labelled Glera for EU market
- Predominatly Tank method
- med+ acidity / med alcohol / light to med body
- delicate peach flavour
- off-dry to med-dry
- good to very good quality
Australia
Winemaking: Pet Nat
- Made by many small, often natural winemakers, in several regions, from several varieties
- white / red / rosé
- from slightly sparkling to fully sparkling
- dry to med+ acidity / med alcohol
- light to med+ body / med to pronounced intensity
- yeast character along with fruit flavours
Australia
WIne law and Business
- Full range of producers from major corporations to small producers
- Domestic market = 12%
- Australian Prosecco = sales over 6.5 million litres in the domestic market (2020-21)
- Moscato = tripled between 2014-17
- Reduce in Sparkling Shiraz = due to reduced interest in high-alcohol wines + increased interest in foreign wines
