D3 - Australia 2: Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania Flashcards
Examines the regions, grapes, methods of production, and styles of Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania.
Select the correct answer.
Vineyards in Victoria’s Port Phillip Zone are some of the mainland’s:
a. Coolest
b. Warmest
a. Coolest
The hottest vineyards in Victoria are found in this smaller zone within Victoria.
Where is it, and what region is included in this smaller zone?
- North West Victoria Zone;
- Runs along the southern border of New South Wales;
- Includes the Murray-Darling region.
What area does the Port Phillip Zone cover?
The area around Melbourne and the coast of Port Phillip Bay.
What are the cooling influences in Port Phillip Zone?
- Proximity to the water;
- Elevation.
Which four GIs within the Port Phillip Zone do you need to know for the exam?
- Yarra Valley;
- Mornington Peninsula;
- Geelong;
- Macedon Ranges.
Yarra Valley
- What is its climate?
- What is it split into?
- Cool to moderate climate;
- Split into Upper Yarra Valley and Lower Yarra Valley.
How do the Upper and Lower Yarra Valleys differ (temperature, location, elevation, and soils)?
Upper Yarra Valley
- Cooler, higher altitude sites in the southeast;
- Deeper, more fertile volcanic soils which can be dry-farmed;
Lower Yarra Valley
- Warmer, lower altitude sites in the northwest;
- Well draining loamy clay soil low in fertility (irrigation often necessary).
The Yarra Valley is an actual valley. What do its hills provide?
Variety of subtly different microclimates.
In cold years, frost can be a hazard for valley floor vineyards due to cold air sinking from the hills above.
- How much rainfall does Yarra Valley get during the growing season?
- What effects does this have on vineyards?
- 450-550mm during growing season;
- Humidity, so fungal disease is a risk.
Explain the different styles of Pinot Noir from Yarra Valley and how winemaking affects those styles.
- Lighter Pinot Noirs come from the higher, cooler vineyards; whole bunch fermentation is increasingly used to enhance perfumed fruity aromas (strawberry, red cherry and plum);
- Medium bodied Pinot Noirs come from warmer sites and show riper fruit character; a mixture of new and used oak vessels used for maturation, with producers increasingly favoring larger barrels (500 L), and occasionally foudres, over barriques.
Name two important Yarra Valley producers.
- Mount Mary;
- Yarra Yering.
Mornington Peninsula
- What two bodies of water surround it?
- What is the climate?
- Port Phillip Bay + Bass Strait;
- Cool to moderate climate.
What are the two climate influencers of Mornington Peninsula and how does each affect viticulture?
- Bodies of water have moderating effect which extends the growing season;
- Windy conditions have a cooling effect which keep afternoon temperatures low, mitigate frost, and reduce disease pressure (the wind can inhibit flowering, though).
- How much rain does Mornington Peninsula see and when does it fall?
- Does it ever inhibit or threaten anything?
- 320 - 390mm, falls mainly in winter and spring;
- Can inhibit flowering and threaten harvest.
What is the topography of Mornington Peninsula?
Mostly flat with a ridge down the center of it called Red Hill, with elevations up to 250m.
What is the significance of Red Hill in Mornington Peninsula?
- Ridges provide variety of microclimates with altitudes up to 250m asl;
- Named after its red basalt soils that retain winter rainwater throughout the growing season, meaning
there is no need to irrigate.
These soils are fertile, though, so vines are vigorous and careful canopy management is necessary.
What are the soils like away from Red Hill in Mornington Peninsula?
Free-draining clay and sand (irrigation often necessary).
As Mornington Peninsula is a cool to moderate climate, what winemaking techniques might winemakers use to enhance their Pinot Noirs?
- Cold soaking to extract more color;
- Whole bunch fermentation or stem inclusion to add complexity and tannins;
- Use of French oak to add oak-related flavors.
As Mornington Peninsula is a cool to moderate climate, what winemaking techniques might winemakers use to enhance their Chardonnays?
- Lees aging + oak aging to add complexity;
- Malo to make a more rounded, creamy style and add flavor complexity.
Name two important Mornington Peninsula producers.
- Yabby Lake;
- Paringa.
Geelong
- What is its climate?
- Rainfall is higher or lower than Yarra Valley?
- What reduces its humidity and disease pressure?
- Cool climate;
- Rainfall lower than Yarra Valley (500-600mm);
- Winds from the southwest.
Which grapes are planted where in Geelong?
- Pinot Noir + Chardonnay planted in cool sites;
- Shiraz + Cabernet Sauvignon planted in warmer sites.
Name two significant producers from Geelong.
- Paradise IV Wines;
- Wines By Farr.
Macedon Ranges
- What is its elevation?
- What is its climate?
- What are its soils?
- 300-800m;
- Cool climate (one of the coolest on the mainland);
- Shallow, granitic sandy loams on hillsides (naturally reduces yields); deep loams on the lower slopes.
What are the three significant regions in the Western Victoria Zone?
What are their climates?
- Grampians (moderate climate);
- Pyrenees (warm moderate climate);
- Henty (cool climate).
What are the elevations (and the differences) between Grampians and Pyrenees?
- Grampians – 240-440m, large diurnal range (helps with acidity retention), slopes reduce frost risk;
- Pyrenees – lower than Grampians with more gentle slopes, warmer.
What are the soil types found in Grampians and Pyrenees?
Hint: they’re the same soils.
Sandy, loamy soils
- Retain water so many vineyards don’t need irrigation;
- Some soils are acidic which can reduce vigor + yields unless treated with lime.
Which grape variety are Grampians and Pyrenees best known for?
Shiraz
- Fresher, redder fruits from elevation areas;
- Intense, concentrated black fruits from lower, warmer areas.
Name one significant producer from Grampians and one from Pyrenees.
- Mount Langi Ghiran (Grampians);
- Dalwhinnie (Pyrenees).
Why is Henty one of the coldest growing areas on the Australian mainland?
Cold Antarctic winds.
Henty
- What is its elevation range?
- What is its signature grape, and why does it do so well here?
- Sea level to 460m;
- Riesling, which sees high number of sunshine hours (ripeness).
- What is the predominant climate of North East Victoria Zone?
- What are the two significant regions in North East Victoria Zone?
- Continental climate;
- King Valley and Beechworth.
Select the correct answer.
The topography and rainfall of King Valley is:
a. Totally flat with low rainfall
b. Gentle hills with moderate rainfall
c. High elevation with high rainfall
c. High elevation with high rainfall (which increases disease pressure).
What changes in King Valley as you go down in elevation and how does that affect the styles of wine made?
Temperatures rise (though the river provides a moderating effect), so higher elevation wines are lighter bodied and lower elevation wines are fuller bodied.
Name two significant producers in King Valley.
- Pizzini;
- de Bortoli.
Describe the varied conditions of the Central Victoria Zone, the regions within them, and the styles of wine produced.
- Warm, flat plains → Goulburn Valley, Bendigo (ripe, full bodied wines);
- Cooler areas in foothills of Great Dividing Range → Upper Goulburn, Heathcote (high quality whites and reds).
At what elevations are vineyards planted in Heathcote?
160 - 320m
Heathcote
- What moderates the temperatures?
- Rainfall - how much and when does it fall?
- Elevation + southerly winds;
- 250mm, falls throughout the year.
Why is dry farming common in Heathcote?
Calcareous red soil is made up of weathered greenstone (good water retention makes dry farming possible).
Name two significant producers in Heathcote.
- Jasper Hill;
- Heathcote Estate.
Briefly describe Gippsland Zone and what affects its climate.
- Huge zone with varied regions spread across coastal flats and hillside slopes;
- Climate affected by weather systems from the west and wet tropical weather from the north.
How much rainfall does Gippsland Zone receive during its growing season?
420–530mm rainfall during growing season.
What are the three main zones of New South Wales?
- Hunter Valley Zone;
- Central Ranges Zone;
- Southern New South Wales Zone.
What is the climate in Hunter Valley?
Sub-tropical, though nights are relatively cool.
How is the Lower Hunter different from the Upper Hunter?
Lower Hunter is cooler than Upper Hunter because:
- it’s nearer to the coast;
- it gets sea breezes.
- When does the majority of the rain fall in Hunter Valley?
- What issue does this impose on the vines?
- During the growing season (~500mm)
- High fungal disease pressure
With Hunter Valley’s warm climate, what does that mean for grape ripening and harvest?
The warmth ripens grapes early so they can be harvested early.
How is Hunter Valley Semillon generally made?
- Picked early;
- Gently pressed without skin contact (avoids extraction of phenolic compounds, e.g. tannins);
- Fermented at moderate temperatures in stainless steel;
- Finished wine is bottled shortly after;
- Rarely sees any oak.
Name two significant Hunter Valley producers.
- Tyrrell’s;
- Mount Pleasant.
What grapes is Hunter Valley known for besides Semillon?
- Chardonnay – made in various styles, bodies;
- Shiraz – usually matured in wood.
- What are the three regions of Central Ranges Zone from north to south?
- On which side of the Great Dividing Range are they, and what is their general climate?
- Regions:
- Mudgee;
- Orange;
- Cowra.
- On the western (inland) side, continental climate
What are the factors that allow Mudgee wines to achieve full ripeness while retaining high acidity?
- Continental climate;
- Elevation (cooling influence, large diurnal range, spring frost risk so site selection is important);
- Intense sunshine.
What factors make wines from Orange region in Australia so distinctive?
- Vineyards 600-900m asl on slopes of Mount Canobolas (ancient volcano);
- Soils are deep red volcanic basalt, yellow/brown clay loams, and shallow gravels;
- Windy – helps mitigate spring frosts (but can also affect fruit set);
- It’s generally cooler than Mudgee and Cowra.
Southern New South Wales Zone
- What is the climate?
- What are the three most significant regions within this zone?
- Continental;
- Canberra, Hilltops, Tumbarumba.
What factors in Canberra make the wines deep in color with ripe black cherry flavors, high ripe tannins, and high acidity?
- Elevation – vineyards planted 500 – 850m (cool nights);
- Intense sunshine;
- Continental climate (warm summer days);
- Dry summers;
- Large diurnal range.
Name two significant producers in Canberra.
- Clonakilla;
- Ravensworth.
How are Hilltops and Tumbaruma similar?
How are they different?
- Similar – both have a range of elevations and continental climates (warm days/cool nights); both grow Chardonnay;
- Different – Hilltops grows Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon; Tumbarumba grows Pinot Noir.
What is the general climate of Tasmania?
Cool maritime.
What factors make Tasmania so cool?
- Southerly latitude;
- Cool winds off the Southern Ocean.
Where does the rain mostly fall in Tasmania?
West coast – points east are sheltered somewhat by mountains.
Describe the southern and northern growing areas of Tasmania and what makes each distinctive.
- Southern – cooler, though lower latitude means longer sunshine hours (help ripening); drier and less humid than north;
- Northern – higher rainfall, increased risk of fungal disease, spring frosts a threat.
What are some commonly used winemaking techniques employed in Tasmania to enhance these cooler climate wines?
- Full malo for Chardonnay (soften acidity, enhance texture);
- Barrel fermentation (small portion new so doesn’t mask delicate flavors and structure).
Name two significant producers on Tasmania.
- Tolpuddle;
- Tamar Ridge.
