South Australia

Question 1

How much of Australia’s wine production comes from South Australia?

Answer 1

Nearly half, with 65,200ha planted

Question 2

How many zones exist in South Australia? What are they?

Answer 2

There are eight zones in South Australia

• Far North
• The Peninsulas
• Mount Lofty Ranges
• Barossa
• Lower Murray
• Fleurieu
• Limestone Coast
• Adelaide Superzone

Question 3

What is the Adelaide Superzone?

Answer 3

A zone comprised of Mount Lofty Ranges, Barossa, and Fleurieu

Question 4

What is the Barossa Old Vine Charter?

Answer 4

A voluntary registry of old vines in Barossa, dividing viens into four age groups:

• Old Vine: Min. 35 years old
• Survivor Vine: Min. 70 years old
• Centenarian Vine: Min. 100 years old
• Ancestor Vine: Min. 125 years old

Question 5

What two subregions are located within Barossa?

Answer 5

Barossa Valley and Eden Valley

Question 6

What’s the difference between Barossa Valley & Eden Valley?

Answer 6

Elevation is lower in Barossa Valley, also warmer than Eden Valley.

Question 7

What are some of the most famous Barossa Valley Shiraz Bottlings?

Answer 7

Penfolds’ “Grange” is almost wholly sourced from Barossa Valley, also Elderton’s “The Command” and Torbreck’s “RunRig” and “The Laird”

Question 8

What is Mataro?

Answer 8

Australian name for Mourvedre

Question 9

Why don’t white grapes perform well in Barossa Valley? What is the exception?

Answer 9

It’s too warm on the valley floor, grapes become overripe and lose acidity; the exception being Semillon, if picked early enough.

Question 10

What is the most well-known Semillon from the Barossa Valley?

Answer 10

Peter Lehmann’s “Margaret,” sourced from a vineyard planted in 1929

Question 11

How is Shiraz from Eden Valley different from that of Barossa Valley? Why?

Answer 11

It shows more elegance, spice and red fruit. This is due to the cooler climate, higher elevation, and poorer, rocky soils.

Question 12

What is Australia’s most famous single-vineyard wine? Inaugural vintage?

Answer 12

Henschke’s “Hill of Grace,” 1958

Question 13

What are some important producers in Eden Valley?

Answer 13

Henschke, Yalumba, Pewsey Vale, Mountadam

Question 14

What are some important producers in Barossa Valley?

Answer 14

Penfolds, Torbreck, Peter Lehmann, Seppeltsfield, Two Hands, Turkey Flat, Wolf Blass

Question 15

What is the largest family-owned estate in Barossa? Where are they located?

Answer 15

Yalumba, they’re found in the eastern part of Barossa Valley, on the border with Eden Valley at Angaston

Question 16

Where is Pewsey Vale vineyard?

Answer 16

It’s located in High Eden, southern Eden Valley. Planted in 1847 with Riesling, one of the most famous vineyards in Barossa

Question 17

What is the producer Henschke most well-known for?

Answer 17

They are well-known for their single vineyard bottlings “Hill of Grace” (1958) and “Mt. Edelstone” (1952)

Question 18

What is the topography of Clare Valley? Where is it located?

Answer 18

Clare Valley is a series of narrow, mainly north-south valleys on an elevated plateau. It’s about 60 miles north of Barossa

Question 19

What styles are made in Clare Valley?

Answer 19

Dry reds from Shiraz, Cabernet & Merlot; Dry whites from Riesling and Chardonnay

Question 20

What are the unofficial subregions of Clare Valley?

Answer 20

Polish Hill, Watervale, Auburn, Sevenhill, Clare

Question 21

Who are some important proucers in Clare Valley?

Answer 21

Grosset, Kilikanoon, Jim Barry, Taylors, Wendouree, Sevenhill Cellars

Question 22

What dangers do Clare Valley vineyards face? Which aren’t an issue?

Answer 22

Spring frosts are an issue, particularly in southern and eastern areas of Polish Hill, Watervale, and Auburn.

Insects, and fungal disease aren’t a problem due to dry climate.

Question 23

What is the most planted variety in Clare Valley? What’s the most famous example?

Answer 23

Shiraz; Jim Barry’s “Armagh” vineyard is the most famous Shiraz in Clare Valley

Question 24

How does Clare Valley Shiraz differ from Barossa Valley?

Answer 24

It is quite rich and round in style, however less weighty and alcoholic than Barossa Valley examples.

Question 25

Where is the Adelaide Hills GI located? What grapes are mainly planted here?

Answer 25

Between Barossa and McLaren Vale; mainly white grapes, as the region is much cooler than its neighbors.

Question 26

What is the central subregion of Adelaide Hills GI? What is it known for?

Answer 26

Piccadilly Valley; known for Chardonnay, Petaluma planted Adelaide Hills' first commercial vineyard here in 1976

Question 27

What is the most planted variety in Adelaide Hills GI?

Answer 27

Sauvignon Blanc, the grapes takes center stage in Lenswood GI, just east of Piccadilly Valley.

Question 28

What is distinctive about Adelaide Hills climate in reference to its neighboring regions?

Answer 28

It is both the coolest and wettest region in the Adelaide Super Zone

Question 29

What is the Adelaide Super Zone?

Answer 29

A GI that contains the zones of Mount Lofty Ranges, Barossa, and Fleurieu.

Question 30

Where's Adelaide Plains GI? What's significant about it?

Answer 30

It is north of the city of Adelaide, the only significance is it's where Max Schubert experimented with "Grange" back in the day. No quality wine is made here now.

Question 31

Where is Coonawarra GI?

Answer 31

It's located in the southwestern part of South Australia, within the Limestone Coast zone.

Question 32

What's Coonawarra known for? What makes it special?

Answer 32

It is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, made from grapes grown on red "Terra Rossa" soils

Question 33

Who owns most of the vineyard land in Coonwarra? What effect does this have on the winemaking community?

Answer 33

Wynns is by far the largest landowner, it's owned by Treasury (Constellation of Australia) so much of Coonawarra fruit is shipped out to be blended with grapes from other places.

Question 34

What is the climate of Coonawarra? Why?

Answer 34

It has a cool mediterranean climate, only 50 miles from the coast and feels the effects of winds blowing north from Antarctica.

Question 35

What is the signature tasting note of Coonawarra? Why are Australian reds in general commonly associated with this?

Answer 35

MINT! The country has a bunch of Red Gum Eucalyptus trees, whose monoterpene "Eucalyptol" has been proven in studies to be capable of being transferred from tree leaves to grapes through the air.

Question 36

Who was the first to try winemaking in Coonawarra?

Answer 36

John Riddoch, he started Penola Fruit Company in 1891

Question 37

What is Padthaway GI known for?

Answer 37

It's historically been used as a farm team GI for the big houses, most of its fruit disappearing into blends, however as of late there has been a push to seek regional identity, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Chardonnay leading the group.

Question 38

Where is Wrattonbully GI?

Answer 38

In the Limestone Coast, between Padthaway and Coonawarra

Question 39

What does Wrattonbully have in common with its neighbors?

Answer 39

Like Coonawarra, it's red wine-focused. Like Padthaway, it's a relatively young region, most vines being 10-20 years old.

Question 40

What is the main grape variety of Wrattonbully?

Answer 40

Cabernet Sauvignon

Question 41

What is the largest GI in South Australia? What's it known for?

Answer 41

Mount Gambier, only 250ha of vines despite its size; Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc are the most planted varieties.

Question 42

Where are Mount Benson GI and Robe GI?

Answer 42

Due west of Wrattonbully and Coonawarra, respectively. They both lie on the coast.

Question 43

What do they make in Mount Benson and Robe?

Answer 43

Not much, only 1000ha of vine between the two; Shiraz leads, followed by Cab, Sauv Blanc and Chard

Question 44

What's Lower Murray?

Answer 44

Zone in South Australia containing only one GI, Riverland. Known for bulk wine production.

Question 45

Where is McLaren Vale GI?

Answer 45

It's directly south of the city of Adelaide, west of southern Mount Lofty Ranges, and east of the Gulf of St. Vincent

Question 46

What is McLaren Vale known for?

Answer 46

Shiraz!

Question 47

What's the climate of McLaren Vale?

Answer 47

Warm Mediterranean

Question 48

How is McLaren Vale Shiraz different from Barossa Valley?

Answer 48

It's doesn't display the massive chocolate and prune that Barossa is known for, usually displaying an iron note.

Question 49

What is Scarce Earth?

Answer 49

A project seeking to define the hallmarks of individual growing sites.

Question 50

What grape is gaining attention as of late in McLaren Vale?

Answer 50

Grenache-based reds, the grape performs best in sandy soils of Blewitt Springs and Kangarilla

Question 51

What is Fleurieu's second-most significant winegrowing region?

Answer 51

Langhorne Creek GI

Question 52

What is Langhorne Creek known for?

Answer 52

Large-scale machine-harvested wines, Orlando Wines' "Jacob's Creek" brand being most famous

Question 53

Where is Currency Creek?

Answer 53

southwest of Langhorne Creek, along the western shoreline of Lake Alexandrina at the mouth of the Murray River.

Question 54

Where is Southern Fleurieu GI?

Answer 54

Directly south of McLaren Vale, on the Fleurieu Peninsula

Question 55

What is the smallest GI in Fleurieu?

Answer 55

Kangaroo Island, less than 100ha under vine

Question 56

What is Kangaroo Island known for?

Answer 56

It was the first European settlement of South Australia, established 5 months before Adelaide itself