What production methods are used in Australia and what styles are made?
Trad, transfer, tank, carbonation
Champagne blends with trad, tank with Glera, Moscato, sparkling Shiraz, Pet Nat
Which regions are suited to producing grapes for trad method?
Cooler –> Tasmania, Yarra Valley (Domaine Chandon), Adelaide Hills, high altitude sites in Victoria and NSW
- -> Ripening –> acid, potential alcohol, ripe but med intensity fruit
- -> Lower yields –> price
Describe the terroir of Tasmania?
- Cool-moderate (?) –> south is cooler (can be colder than Champagne)
- Piper’s River: exposed to cold Southern Ocean
- Tamar River: sheltered from Southern Ocean, harvests two weeks before Piper
- Coal Valley: warm
- Southerly latitude –> sunlight intensity
What are the main climatic hazards in Tasmania?
- Spring frost
- High rainfall
- Coulure
- Botrytis
Are wines generally produced within Tasmania’s sub-zones?
No
- Wine is often blended between warmer and cooler regions for balance + volume
- Sub-zone labelling rules have not been agreed - wine marketed as Tasmania
Describe where grapes for inexpensive wine is grown and the vineyard management necessary in these places.
Riverland, Riverina, Murray-Darling –> labelled SEA
Irrigation is essential - hot and dry climate
Fruit picked early - alcohol, acid, over-ripe flavours
Compare yields in cool and warm parts of Australia
2-3x higher in warmer parts than cooler –> price ~25% of grapes for super-premium wines
Where is fruit for sparkling Shiraz grown? Compare picking and yield.
Warm areas - Victoria, Barossa, McLaren Vale
Grapes picked at same time as for still wines - style need richness / intensity
Yields moderate - high for premium to inexpensive wines
Describe the winemaking process for Traditional Method in Australia.
- Several styles
- Time on lees varies - prem producers will have similar lees ageing to Champagne, best producers use >3yrs e.g. Jansz and Arras, Late Disgorged has >6 yrs
- Many large producers press on island and send refrigerated juice / base wine to specialised facilities on the mainland
- Small producers make wine on island with use of hand and less specialised equipment
Describe the style of a typical Australian trad method.
Med(+) - high acid
Med ABV
Med(-) - med(+) body and intensity - depends on style and lees ageing
Citrus fruit, apple, autolytic character
Malo optional
Describe the grapes used for Transfer, Tank and Carbonation wine in Australia and describe the range of style produced.
- Usually blend from different regions including range of cool and warm climates
- Range of aromatic and non-aromatic varieties
- Med-med(+) acid
- Dry - med-sweet
- Low-med ABV
- Fruity with citrus, peach, apricot, grapey
- Little or not autolysis
- Main brands: Brown Brothers, Jacob’s Creek, Yellowglen
How is Sparkling Shiraz made?
- Still red fermented as usual including malo
- Oak maturation optional
- Trad method for premium
- Transfer, tank, carbo for mid-priced and inexpensive
Describe the style and quality of Austrlian Shiraz.
- Deep colour: ruby - garnet
- Med(-)-med acid
- Med-high alcohol
- Med, ripe, soft tannin
- > 20g/L of RS to balance tannin and alcohol
- Med - full body
- Med - pronounced
- Style range from fruity to savoury (extended oak maturation)
- Usually released after 1-2 yrs - some examples of lees aged wines
Describe the production and style of sparkling Moscato.
- Blend of regions - usually warmer
- Carbo: inexpensive - mid-priced
- Tank: mid-priced
- Med acid
- Off-dry-sweet
- Fruity and grapey
- Acceptable - good
Where is Australian Prosecco made, how is it made and describe its typical style?
- King Valley - Victoria
- Tank method - most producers are small and quality focussed, some carbo
- Med(+) acid
- Off-dry-medium dry
- Med alcohol
- Light-med body
- White peach
- Good - VG
When was the term Prosecco first used? When did Italy change the name of the variety? How does it impact exports of Australia Prosecco?
2004 - Australia Prosecco released by Dal Zotto
2009 - Italy changes grapes to Glera and adopts Prosecco as the PDO
When exported to EU, must be labelled Glera
Legal battle over exports to other regions such as China
Where is Pet Nat made and describe its typical style.
Various regions from various grapes
Small quantities range of styles
- Varying pressure from slightly to fully sparkling
- Cloudy
- Med(+) acid
- Med alcohol
- Light-med(+) body
- Med - pronounced
- Fruit and yeasty character
To what extent are Australian producers regulated when making sparkling wine?
Not constrained - wine laws do not prescribe grape varieties within GIs –> innovation e.g. sparkling Shiraz
Describe trends in terms of production structure.
Range from small artisans to major corporations
Success of Tasmania has resulted in acquisitions e.g. Brown Brothers purchased Tamar Ridge, Accolade owns House of Arras and Bay of Fires
How much Australian sparkling wine is made and where is it sold?
6% of total production is sparkling –> 66 million litres
80% sold domestically - increased demand for Prosecco and Moscato, reduced demand for SS (other options, lower demand for high ABV wines, interest in foreign wine) , more demand for Pet Nat
20% sold export - growing
