Rutherglen Muscat

Question 1

When were grapes first planted in Rutherglen?

Answer 1

In the 1850s

Question 2

Where is Rutherglen located?

Answer 2

Northeast of Victoria, Australia

Question 3

What caused investment and the population to increase in Rutherglen in the mid-1800s?

Answer 3

The discovery of gold in the area

Question 4

How much of Australia’s wine production was Rutherglen responsible for by 1890?

Answer 4

25%

Question 5

What major development occurred in the late 19th century in Rutherglen?

Answer 5

Phylloxera arrived in Australia and devastated Rutherglen’s vineyards. The states of Australia unified, bringing an end to cross-border tariffs. Struggling with more productive southerly wine regions, less vineyard area was replanted.

Question 6

What types of wine are produced in Rutherglen?

Answer 6

Full bodied red wines and fortified wines.

Question 7

True or False

The majority of Rutherglen Muscat produced today is made by large companies that have consolidated smaller producers

Answer 7

False. They are primarily family businesses that have been making wine in this style for several generations

Question 8

What has been the result of family ownership on the production of Rutherglen Muscat?

Answer 8

House styles have developed and been maintained based on winemaking, grape selection, maturation, and blending choices.