Australia

Question 1

Despite a diverse range of climates, due to Australia’s latitude, how can the main growing regions be described in terms of temperature?

Answer 1

Warm and hot

Question 2

Rainfall is low, what is generally necessary?

Answer 2

Irrigation

Question 3

What are two major grape-growing risks in Australia?

Answer 3

Drought and fire

Question 4

Where are many producers increasingly seeking vineyard sites?

Answer 4

Cool and Moderate climates

Question 5

Intensely fruity, displaying earthy or spicy notes that may evolve to leather with age, describes Shiraz from what type of climate? What are two examples?

Answer 5

Hot climate

Hunter Valley or Barossa Valley

Question 6

How would producers from a hot climate make a more restrained style of Shiraz?

Answer 6

Controlling extraction

Question 7

Where might a leaner, more peppery Shiraz come from generally? Give two examples.

Answer 7

Cooler regions

Geelong, Heathcote

Question 8

What grape might Shiraz play a supporting role to in Australian blends?

Answer 8

Cabernet Sauvignon

Question 9

What are two classic regions for Cabernet Sauvignon?

Answer 9

Margaret River and Coonawarra

Question 10

What grape is typically only found in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia? What does it ass to these blends?

Answer 10

Merlot

Body and fleshy, plummy fruit

Question 11

Strawberry and cherry are typical flavours of what grape when grown in Aus?

Answer 11

Pinot Noir

Question 12

What is the general body, alcohol level and acidity in Australian Pinot Noir?

Answer 12

Medium body and alcohol

Medium to High acidity

Question 13

Which late ripening grape is perfect for Australia’s hot conditions?

Answer 13

Grenache

Question 14

Why might Spanish and Italian grapes have gained in popularity among grape-growers in recent years?

Answer 14

Well adapted to high summer temperatures and a limited water supply

Question 15

What are the four main white grapes in Australia?

Answer 15

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Semillon

Question 16

What are the five main black grapes in Australia?

Answer 16

Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Grenache

Question 17

Which white grape produces a wide variety of styles in Australia?

Answer 17

Chardonnay

Question 18

Basic Aussie Chardonnay is often a blend from different regions. It might be un-oaked with flavours of … but hints of vanilla or toasty flavours might come from the use of…?

Answer 18

Peach

Oak staves or chips

Question 19

In high quality Chardonnays what might compliment fresh vibrant fruit flavours?

Answer 19

subtle flavours from careful use of lees, MLF and/or oak maturation

Question 20

Which region is seen as the benchmark of Australian Sauvignon Blanc? Describe (flavour, acidity).

Answer 20

Adelaide Hills
Concentrated passionfruit
High acidity

Question 21

Which grape, when from which region, tends to be harvested early with low sugar levels and high acidity and made into wine using protective winemaking?

Answer 21

Hunter Valley Semillon

Question 22

What are the flavours of Hunter Valley Semillon like when new? What flavours present with bottle age?

Answer 22

Almost neutral when new

Extraordinary honey and toast

Question 23

How does Barossa Semillon traditionally compare to Hunter Valley Semillon?

Answer 23

Fuller-bodied and softer

Question 24

What characteristic of Western Australian Semillon might lead to it being confused with Sauvignon Blanc?

Answer 24

Herbaceousness

Question 25

Aside from Semillon, what white grape has a distinctive Australian style?

Answer 25

Riesling

Question 26

Young Aussie Riesling typically display which characters when young? What others might they rapidly develop?

Answer 26

Citrus - lime, lemon, grapefruit | Toast, honey and petrol with age

Question 27

What sweetness level are Australian Rieslings generally?

Answer 27

Dry or slightly off-dry

Question 28

Which 'Super-zone' covers all GIs within South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, allowing the blending of grapes from across most of Australia's wine regions?

Answer 28

South Eastern Australia Zone

Question 29

Wines labelled from South Eastern Australia Zone are high volume brands who mostly get their fruit from which three fertile regions?

Answer 29

Riverlands, Murray-Darling and Riverina

Question 30

Which region known for mass-yielding vines is also specialises in botrytised Semillon due to Autumn morning mists and fogs?

Answer 30

Riverina

Question 31

What are the listed South Australian regions?

Answer 31

Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Coonawarra, Eden Valley, McLaren Vale (ABCCEM)

Question 32

What is the climate like in Barossa Valley?

Answer 32

Warm, dry

Question 33

What type of oak is typical to Barossa Valley Shiraz?

Answer 33

American

Question 34

What is the most notable white variety in the Barossa Valley?

Answer 34

Semillon

Question 35

Which two regions can be labelled 'Barossa'

Answer 35

Barossa Valley and Eden Valley

Question 36

What are three flavour characteristics of Eden Valley Riesling? What flavours might develop with 10+ years age?

Answer 36

Lime, grapefruit and steely | Marmalade, toasty characters

Question 37

Where else, other than the Eden Valley, specialises in Riesling?

Answer 37

Clare Valley

Question 38

What is the climate like in Eden Valley?

Answer 38

Cool Moderate depending on elevation

Question 39

In the Clare Valley, what moderates the warm climate?

Answer 39

Cool afternoon breezes and cold nights

Question 40

Dry, lime and high acidity describe young Clare Valley Riesling. What flavours develop with age?

Answer 40

Honey and toast

Question 41

What are the two major red grapes of Clare Valley?

Answer 41

Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon

Question 42

What is the climate like in Adelaide Hills? Why?

Answer 42

Moderate | Altitude

Question 43

When does rainfall mainly occur in Adelaide Hills?

Answer 43

Winter

Question 44

What three grapes are most relevant in Adelaide Hills?

Answer 44

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Question 45

What fruit is associated with Adelaide Hills Chardonnay?

Answer 45

Peach

Question 46

What tempers the warm climate in McLaren Vale?

Answer 46

Afternoon breezes from the nearby Southern Ocean

Question 47

What are the four main varietals in McLaren Vale?

Answer 47

Shiraz, Cab Sauv, Merlot and Grenache

Question 48

What are the soils called in Coonawarra?

Answer 48

Terra Rossa

Question 49

What is the climate in Coonawarra? What is it moderated by?

Answer 49

Moderate, maritime | Cold Antarctic currents

Question 50

What flavours are indicative of Coonawarra Cab Sauv?

Answer 50

Eucalyptus and Cassis

Question 51

In which state are the coolest vineyards in Australia found?

Answer 51

Victoria

Question 52

Name the 5 noted regions of Victoria

Answer 52

Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Heathcote, Geelong, Goulburn Valley

Question 53

What is the specialty grape of the Yarra Valley?

Answer 53

Pinot Noir

Question 54

What is the climate in the Yarra Valley, generally?

Answer 54

Cool to Moderate and Maritime

Question 55

Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley is generally rich in fruit. Give examples. Is Pinot from here often oaked?

Answer 55

Plum, strawberry and dark cherries | Yes

Question 56

What are the two specialty grapes of the Mornington Peninsula?

Answer 56

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Question 57

Mornington Peninsula's climate is similar to the Yarra Valley's, what is it?

Answer 57

Cool to Moderate, Maritime

Question 58

What means that there is a large variety in vintage quality and style in Mornington?

Answer 58

Chance of cool, wet, windy weather at flowering and harvest

Question 59

Mornington Peninsula Chardonnays are naturally high acid. How is this acid softened and what are some typical fruits seen?

Answer 59

MLF | Citrus, pear and apple aromas

Question 60

Which grape is known for making complex, concentrated wines in Geelong? They tend to be what-bodied?

Answer 60

Full-bodied

Question 61

Fresh and peppery described which varietal wine from Geelong? Which other grape grown here takes on earthy aromas?

Answer 61

Shiraz | Pinot Noir

Question 62

Where in Victoria is Heathcote located?

Answer 62

The centre

Question 63

What is the cooling influence in Heathcote? What is the climate?

Answer 63

Altitude | Moderate Continental

Question 64

Why is Shiraz produced in Heathcote fresher in fruit and more firmly structured than those from the Barossa or Hunter Valley?

Answer 64

Moderate climate

Question 65

What type of international grapes are showing promise in Heathcote?

Answer 65

Mediterranean (Sangiovese and Tempranillo)

Question 66

Which region of Victoria specialises in Marsanne?

Answer 66

Goulburn Valley

Question 67

What is the climate like in Goulburn Valley? What has some moderating effect?

Answer 67

Warm | Creeks and lakes

Question 68

What characteristics does citrusy Marsanne develop with age?

Answer 68

Honey

Question 69

Which state has the longest history of wine production?

Answer 69

NSW

Question 70

Which NSW region is hot and humid? What mitigates hot summers here?

Answer 70

Hunter Valley | Cool ocean breezes and high cloud cover

Question 71

What are two major risks in the Hunter Valley?

Answer 71

Rain at harvest | Rot

Question 72

Semillon from the Hunter Valley tends to be...? (body, alcohol, acid, flavour, flavour with bottle age)

Answer 72

Light bodied, low alcohol, high acid | Neutral flavours when young developing honey, nut and toast with age

Question 73

What other grapes are widely planted in the Hunter Valley?

Answer 73

Chardonnay and Shiraz (Medium-bodied)

Question 74

What is the climate like in Margaret River?

Answer 74

Warm, maritime

Question 75

When do high levels of rain fall in Margaret River?

Answer 75

Winter

Question 76

What are the three main wines (some blends) of Margaret river?

Answer 76

Bordeaux blends Chardonnays (stone fruit, high acid) Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc (tropical, gooseberry, high acid)

Question 77

What is the other, much larger region of Western Australia?

Answer 77

The Great Southern

Question 78

What three grapes are relevant in the Great Southern region?

Answer 78

Cab Sauv (deep) Shiraz (peppery) Riesling (floral)

Question 79

What is the climate in Tasmania? | What is the cooling influence here?

Answer 79

Cool, maritime | Westerly Southern Ocean winds

Question 80

What were wines in Tasmania originally used as?

Answer 80

Base wines for sparkling wine