Figures for decline of importance of Swan River region.
1970 90% of WA wine made from grapes grown in Swan district.
1980 59%.
2003 less than 11%
Describe Swan Valley.
Hottest wine region in Australia; harvest begins in January.
Houghton (part of Hardys) is dominant.
What does Houghton get up to in WA?
- produces Houghton White Burgundy (HWB) from Verdelho, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay grown in Swan Valley and at Gingin (to the north);
- has large vineyards at Frankland in the Great Southern;
- is major buyer of grapes throughout Great Southern and Margaret River;
- its ultra premium Jack Mann and Gladstones red wines are among Australia’s best full-bodies wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
How many wineries are there in Australia?
Just over 2,500.
The 20 largest companies in Australia account for what % of the national crush?
87%.
Name the top 5 companies in Australian wine production and name some of their subsidiaries.
TREASURY (Penfolds, Wolf Blass, Wynns, Rosemount, Yellowglen, Lindemans).
ACCOLADE (Hardys, Houghton, Banrock Station, Bay of Fires).
PERNOD RICARD (Jacob’s Creek, Wyndham Estate, St Hugo).
AUSTRALIAN VINTAGE (McGuigan, Nepenthe, Tempus Two).
CASELLA (Yellow Tail).
Outline the history of the Australian wine industry.
No native vines.
- vines arrived with 1st Fleet
- between 1820 and 1840 commercial viticulture established in all colonies
- Italian immigrant influence in Riverland and Riverina
- Silesians in Barossa and Clare Valleys
- Dalmatians in Swan Valley
- Swiss in Geelong and Yarra Valley
- 1877 phylloxera found near Geelong
- removal of trade barriers at Federation and other factors saw SA usurp Victoria’s dominant position
- by 1930 75% of production from SA
Talk about James Busby.
1801 - 1871
- born in Edinburgh
- studied viticulture in France prior to going to Australia
- 1830 published ‘A Manual of Plain Directions for Planting and Cultivating Vineyards and for Making Wine in New South Wales’.
- 1831 returned to England and went to Europe for 4 months to collect cuttings
- 680 cuttings, not all different, shipped to Sydney and planted in Botanic Gardens
- 1833 appointed to post in NZ and was 1st to make wine there
Describe climate of Hunter Valley.
- prone to getting too much of annual rainfall during harvest
- dry in winter and spring
- redeeming feature is humidity and afternoon cloud cover
- cloud cover reduces stress on vines and reduces impact of region IV heat load
Which areas of Australia have never had phylloxera?
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
most of NSW
The warm or hot climates of many of Australia’s growing regions are tempered by what?
Proximity to either the Southern or Indian Ocean or the Murray-Darling River system.
Talk about Shiraz in Australia.
Australia’s principal grape variety of either colour.
- grown widely in most regions
- hot (e.g. Hunter Valley) and warm (e.g. Barossa) regions can produce full-bodied, very fruity wines, often with earthy, spicy notes showing leather aromas with age
- in such areas many winemakers making more restrained styles with less extraction from skins
- leaner more peppery style made in cooler regions such as Heathcote and Geelong
- such qualities may be combined in a multi-regional blend
- Shiraz also used to give softness to Cabernet Sauvignon, playing similar role to Merlot in Bordeaux
Talk about Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia.
- generally darker, with higher tannins and acidity than Shiraz
- ripe black fruit (black cherry, blackcurrant), often underpinned by oak
- Coonawarra and Margaret River are classic regions
- Merlot often blended with it (or Shiraz)
Talk about Pinot Noir in Australia.
The best grown in cooler regions such as Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, and Tasmania.
- medium bodied with medium alcohol, medium to high acidity and cherry and strawberry flavours
Hot regions in Australia are perfect for which late ripening varieties?
Grenache
Petit Verdot
Mataro (Mouvèdre)
These 2 also now popular:
Sangiovese
Tempranillo
(suit high temperatures and limited water supply)
What is the most planted white grape in Australia?
Chardonnay.
Talk about Chardonnay in Australia.
The most planted white grape in Australia. Made in wide range of styles.
Basic: often blend of fruit from different regions; unoaked to give peachy flavours or with staves/chips to add toast and vanilla.
High quality from cool/moderate regions such as Adelaide Hills, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, and warmer regions such as Margaret River - fresh vibrant fruit balanced by careful use of lees, MLF and/or oak maturation.
Talk about Sauvignon Blanc in Australia.
International and domestic popularity of Sauvignon Blanc has led to widespread planting. Adelaide Hills the benchmark - concentrated passion fruit along with high acidity
Talk about Semillon in Australia.
Distinct Australian style.
- widely planted but Hunter Valley the classic region.
Hunter Valley: harvested early with low sugar and high acid; inert vessels for fermentation and storage; neutral in flavour and light in alcohol when first bottled; extraordinary flavours of honey and toast develop in bottle; the best can age for 20 years or more.
WA: a much more herbaceous style closer to Sauvignon Blanc.
Barossa Valley: traditionally a fuller-bodied, softer style but now more being made in early picked, unoaked style.
Talk about Riesling in Australia.
Distinct Australian style.
- pronounced citrus notes (lime, lemon, grapefruit)
- develop rapidly into toast, honey and petrol with age
- unoaked; high levels of acidity; usually dry or slightly off-dry
- Eden and Clare Valleys are classic regions.
Tasmania and Frankland River (in WA) developing reputations for high quality riesling, but more floral and less citrus.
Talk about Australian wine laws.
Hierarchy of Zones, Regions and Sub-Regions.
Zones: e.g. South East Australia, South Australia, Barossa (zones can overlap).
Regions: e.g. Coonawara, Clare Valley, Margaret River - must have consistent and distinct qualities from neighbouring zones.
Sub-Regions: must fall within one region
What is the South Eastern Australia Zone?
Covers all GIs within South Australia, Victoria, NSW and Queensland and Tasmania - grapes can be mixed from across the zone.
Most labelled SE Australia are high volume brands. Allows the high yield grapes of Riverland, Murray-Darling and Riverina to be mixed together. Better quality stuff from areas such as the Barossa, Adelaide Hills or McLaren Vale can be added to improve blends.
Which region in Australia specialises in the production of botrytised wines?
Riverina. Semillon.
- autumn mists and fogs encourage noble rot
What are the six Regions of South Australia?
Barossa Valley Eden Valley Clare Valley Adelaide Hills McLaren Vale Coonawara
